SGUK Outdoor Skills Challenge 38: Build a Bough Bed

Sleeping on the ground outdoors can be uncomfortable, even when the weather is mild. Cold ground draws heat away from your body, while roots, stones and uneven surfaces can make it difficult to settle down. A traditional bough bed tackles some of these problems by creating a raised or thickly insulated sleeping platform from natural materials.

Building one is a useful campcraft exercise because it makes you think about the ground, the materials available and how a simple structure supports your weight. However, a bough bed is not just a pile of branches. The frame needs to be stable, the surface needs enough padding, and the materials must be gathered responsibly.

For this challenge, you’ll build a bough bed using materials you have permission to use. If you’re in a public woodland or nature reserve where collecting branches is prohibited, use fallen materials on private land with permission, or practise the construction with reusable poles and other suitable materials instead.

Your Challenge

Build a simple bough bed that provides a stable, reasonably level platform with a comfortable layer of insulation.

You can make a small demonstration bed for one person to test with your hands, or build a full-size platform if you have the space, materials and permission. You do not need to sleep on it to complete the challenge.

Your finished bed should sit securely on the ground or on a simple raised frame, with no sharp branch ends sticking into the sleeping area. Test its stability before putting your weight on it, and dismantle it afterwards if it is a temporary practice structure.

What You’ll Need

• Suitable fallen branches or reusable poles for the frame.
• Smaller branches or flexible, non-brittle stems for the platform.
• A supply of suitable insulating material, such as permitted fallen evergreen boughs or reusable natural-fibre padding.
• Work gloves.
• A folding saw, if needed and if you are competent and permitted to use one.
• A tape measure or a few lengths of cord to help estimate the dimensions.

For a full-size bed, aim for a platform long enough for the intended user to lie down without their head or feet hanging over the ends. Its width should allow them to lie comfortably without rolling off the edge. A small practice model can be useful if suitable materials are limited.

Important: don’t cut live branches or strip foliage from living trees without explicit permission. Never collect material from protected habitats or remove deadwood that may be providing shelter for wildlife. If you cannot gather materials responsibly, use reusable poles and a sleeping mat to practise the same principles.

Take the Challenge

1. Choose a suitable site

Start by looking for a flat, dry area with firm ground. Avoid depressions where rainwater could collect, exposed roots that make the structure unstable, and ground beneath dead branches or damaged trees that could fall.

Think about drainage as well. A site that looks dry in the afternoon may become wet after rain, particularly if it sits at the bottom of a slope. Stay clear of stream banks, flood-prone ground and areas where your bed could block a path or damage vegetation.

Check the ground for sharp objects, animal holes and signs of wildlife activity. If you discover a burrow, nest or other sensitive habitat, choose another spot rather than building over it.

Before gathering anything, make sure you have permission to use the site and its materials. In many woodlands, taking branches or foliage is not permitted, even when the material appears to have fallen naturally.

2. Decide whether to build on the ground or raise the platform

A bough bed can be made as a thick insulated layer close to the ground, or as a raised platform supported by a frame. The raised version takes more materials and care, but it gives you a chance to practise basic campcraft construction.

For a first attempt, a low platform is usually easier to build and test than a high one. Keep it close to the ground so that a structural failure is less likely to cause injury.

If you’re building a raised frame, use sound, suitably thick poles for the supports and long rails. Position the supports on firm ground and make sure they cannot roll or sink easily. Connect the frame using secure lashings if you know how to tie them. Check every joint before adding the platform.

Don’t rely on a loose arrangement of branches to support a person’s full weight. If you can’t build a stable frame with the materials and skills available, make a ground-level bed instead.

3. Build the frame

Lay out the two main rails parallel to one another, spaced to create the intended width. Add crosspieces across the rails to form the basic platform.

The spacing between crosspieces matters. If the gaps are too wide, smaller branches or the person using the bed may sag between them. If the supports are too thin or unstable, they may bend or shift under load.

Secure the crosspieces so they cannot roll away when pressure is applied. Lashings can help keep the structure together, but knots alone cannot make weak or unsuitable timber safe. Check the condition of every pole and reject anything cracked, rotten or badly bent.

If your challenge uses a ground-level platform, you can simplify the frame considerably. Lay stable poles or branches on firm ground and arrange them so that the surface is reasonably even. The aim is to create a foundation that will not shift easily as you add the top layer.

4. Add the bough layer

The bough layer is what makes this different from an ordinary raised platform. It provides cushioning, fills gaps and helps reduce direct contact with the harder structure beneath.

Traditional bough beds often use evergreen branches because their small branches and foliage can create a springy layer. However, not every evergreen is suitable, and some plants can be irritating or toxic. Only use materials you can identify confidently and that are safe to handle. Avoid yew, which is poisonous, and never use unfamiliar plants simply because they look soft or convenient.

Lay the material so that the thicker stems are supported by the frame and the softer tips form the upper surface. Overlap each layer rather than leaving large gaps. Where branches have a natural direction, arrange them consistently so that the surface is less likely to catch on clothing or leave sharp ends exposed.

Build up the layer until it feels reasonably even and cushioned. A thin covering of foliage over a hard frame will not provide much comfort. On the other hand, a thick layer of loose branches can shift around, so keep the material arranged and supported.

If you are practising without collecting foliage, use a sleeping mat, reusable padding or other suitable material to understand how the top layer changes the feel of the platform.

5. Smooth and inspect the sleeping surface

Look across the bed from one end. Check for raised stems, exposed points and gaps where a shoulder, hip or heel might press against the frame.

Use your hands to check the surface gently, but don’t push down onto sharp branches or put your fingers between unstable parts of the structure. Adjust the material where necessary and remove any pieces that are brittle, spiky or likely to break under pressure.

Think about the direction you would lie. The surface should support the body along its length, not just beneath the middle. If the platform is too narrow, uneven or short, adjust it before testing.

Remember that foliage compresses under weight. A bed that looks thick when empty may flatten considerably when someone lies on it. That’s why the frame and the insulating layer need to work together.

6. Test the bed carefully

Before lying down, check the frame from all sides. Make sure the supports remain stable, the joints have not loosened and the platform is not rocking.

Apply gentle pressure to different parts of the structure while standing beside it. Do not jump onto it or suddenly place your full weight on a frame you haven’t tested. If a pole shifts, cracks or bends noticeably, stop and rebuild that section.

Once you’re confident that the platform is stable, sit down carefully near the centre and see whether it moves. If you have built a small demonstration bed, test it with your hands rather than climbing onto it.

Check whether the padding stays in place and whether any hard points are noticeable. If the surface is uncomfortable, add or rearrange the material rather than assuming that a thicker layer will automatically fix a weak frame.

A bough bed provides some separation from the ground, but it is not a substitute for suitable camping equipment. It may still allow heat to escape, and damp foliage can make you colder rather than warmer. For real overnight use, a proper insulated sleeping mat and suitable sleeping bag remain important.

7. Review your construction

Take a few minutes to consider how the bed performed. Which part was easiest to build? Did you have enough suitable materials? Were any joints difficult to secure, or did the top layer keep slipping?

If the platform sagged, the crosspieces may have been too far apart or the rails insufficiently supported. If the surface felt lumpy, the bough layer may have been uneven or too thin. If the structure rocked, the supports may have been placed on unstable ground.

Make a note of one change you would make next time. This is how campcraft skills improve: not by making the biggest structure possible, but by understanding why a design works and correcting the weak points.

8. Leave the site as you found it

A temporary practice bed should be dismantled when you’ve finished. Remove your reusable equipment and gather up any cord or other materials you’ve brought with you.

If you used permitted fallen branches, return them without damaging vegetation or blocking paths. Don’t leave lashings, cut stems, piles of foliage or other evidence of your construction behind. If the site is used by wildlife, avoid disturbing the surrounding habitat while clearing up.

The goal is to practise a traditional outdoor skill while leaving as little impact as possible.

Check Your Results

Look at your finished bed and consider these questions:

• Is the platform stable, with supports that do not roll or shift easily?
• Are the crosspieces close enough together to support the top layer?
• Is the sleeping surface reasonably level and free from sharp exposed ends?
• Does the padding stay in place when gentle pressure is applied?
• Have you used materials responsibly and avoided damaging living trees or wildlife habitat?
• Can you explain what you would change to improve the design?

A successful build does not have to look impressive. A simple, low structure that is stable and well padded is a better result than a tall platform with weak joints.

Complete the Challenge

To complete Challenge 38, you must:

1. Choose a suitable site and make sure you have permission to build there and use the materials.
2. Construct a bough bed or a reusable-material practice version.
3. Check the frame, surface and padding for stability and comfort.
4. Identify one improvement you would make to your design.
5. Take a photograph of your completed bed as evidence.
6. Dismantle the temporary structure and leave the site tidy.

You can complete this challenge with a full-size bed or a smaller demonstration structure. The important thing is to understand how the frame and insulating layer work together.

How to Submit Your Challenge

Share your evidence

1. Go to your SGUK member profile.
2. Open Social Activity.
3. Upload a photograph of your completed bough bed.
4. Add the hashtag #SGUKChallenge38.
5. Share it for verification.

You can also mention which materials you used, how you kept the frame stable and what you would improve if you built it again. Don’t include a photograph of yourself testing a structure that you haven’t made safe.

Once you’ve shared your evidence and it has been verified, the SGUK Outdoor Skills Challenge 38 is complete and the completed challenges figure will be updated on your profile.

Challenge 38 Checklist

Want to Push Yourself?

Try building a second version using a different design. For example, compare a low ground-level bed with a simple raised platform made from reusable poles. Consider how much material each design needs, how long it takes to build and how easy it is to make stable.

You could also practise the lashings used to secure the frame before building the bed itself. Being able to tie reliable knots and check the strength of a joint makes a real difference to campcraft projects.

If you want to explore the traditional approach further, research how different outdoor cultures have made sleeping platforms and how the choice of materials changes between environments. Always distinguish historical techniques from modern advice about responsible woodland access and safe overnight camping.

What’s Next?

Building a bough bed is a good introduction to using simple materials to make a campsite more comfortable. If you haven’t completed it yet, try SGUK Outdoor Skills Challenge 37: Find Five Types of Animal Homes. It encourages you to look more closely at how animals use natural materials and features for shelter, while learning to leave their habitats undisturbed.

You can complete SGUK Outdoor Skills Challenges in any order, so choose whichever skill you’d like to practise next.

Learn. Practise. Master.

That’s what the SGUK Outdoor Skills Challenge is all about.