Unscented toilet paper

Coffee filters

Walmart checkout bags. They are free. (unless you count the overpriced groceries in them)

Awesome conversation and tips. Thank you to everyone.

Ive seen the screen used with great results but I'm just not manipulating it right. I can never get it to lay right. I currently use foam underalls and they work great but always looking to try new things and improve.

I just started learning this year and the screens give me fits. I've been using the foam underalls as well and they have been working. I need to learn more options because I'm quite sure that with my luck I'll end up in the field one day with none of the underalls in my bag because I forgot them or lost them.

You can wad up grass in a pinch

I have used dried sifted peat moss, pre-cut screen and landscape fabric and all worked well. I use the landscape fabric most of the time now but always keep a tub of the peat moss on hand in case I run out of waxed dirt in late season.

Been playing with aluminum screen and a plywood form. Got a pattern that works pretty well for the 550, both 2 and 4 coil.

I tried landscape fabrics several years ago, seemed the mice or voles would dig and chew on it. Changed over to poly fill and problem solved. I now use quilt batting, Polly fill in sheets. Just cut close to pan size. Slip one or two under before flipping loose jaw down.1 yard and you have hundreds of underalls.

wws

If you’re in GA and not dealing with freeze thaw, just buy a bag of polyfill. One bag will last for years. You only need very little to put under the pan. My sets can sit through 5” of rain and even being submerged and still fire. I’ve tried everything under the sun and that’s the best and easiest for me. In clay, I’ll use peat underneath the trap to keep it from cementing to the clay when it dries out, but always have Polyfill under the pan.

Here in December / January with our freeze thaw and frost I went to all waxed dirt for bedding and waxed paper for pan cover. A close second is a box of cheap sandwich baggies (not ziplock, just the fold over).
Waxed dirt under the trap, pan cover of waxed paper or baggy, the layer of waxed dirt over to blend and slightly pack in the trap. About as moisture proof and freeze proof as you can get.
I run a mix of Bridger #2s and #3s, Monty and Montana round jaw #2s, and MB550s. It works well on any of these.
It’s only reliable system I’ve found that keeps working well here for several days checks without maintenance, and I’ve think I’ve tried them all, seriously.
I tried underalls, Polly fill, and even insulation pipe wrap under the pans. All of those can take on some moisture and freeze up enough to support the pan and prevent firing. The pan cover waxed paper or baggie keeps a nice dead air space under the pan and allows it to free fall. I couldn’t make anything under the pan work here in winter.
Jim

Trapper at Coyote Days shared his form for making wire screen covers, using plywood. Looked like a great idea to form the screens the right shape to lay flat.

Here's what I came up with

So with this setup do you only really pack dirt around outside if the jaws to pinch it in or do you still try to pack some inside?

I am assuming you don’t put anything underneath.

Outside. I am going to try Zaggers' pipe dream set bedding method this year, where a hole ("bed") is made to wedge the trap in by the sides of the jaws, supported by the levers. He doesn't really pack the dirt in the normal sense. He uses his hammer to tap the sod against the sides of the jaws to lock the trap in place. Screen goes over pan, sprinkle grass/hay clippings over screen. Nothing under the pan.

Great idea. Thank you for sharing.

That thick black screen from No BS or Kegs Creek works great and very little covering is needed.

I use dollar store sandwich bags or pipe insulation. Sandwich bags work the best for me and waxed sand. We have freeze/thaw all fall and winter. Mostly freeze/freeze and more freeze