Authentic bedding

[StonewallSharpeson]

Fellow campaigners, a discussion about bedding:
While I want to be authentic, I'd prefer to stay dry. So I carry a smaller groundcloth and a much larger top cloth with which I cover myself and my gear at night. As well as, usually, two blankets. I carry all of this in and on my hard pack, which I pack up and wear into fights. If it's prospected to be really cold, I'll also bring my overcoat and perhaps a sleeping bag, though I won't carry those to the fight. Questions, comments, concerns?

What would your average soldier have actually been carrying? I figure more than the token blanket roll your average reenactor dons to the fight, but less than what I carry.

[Jeremy Bevard]

Re: Authentic bedding

For authentic bedding the sleeping bag must stay at home. A soldier was given a blanket and a ground cloth. That's it. If they wanted more they had to carry it and find it. That would mean steal it from someone or take it from a dead/wounded man. I am sure some made the choice to do this. The token blanket roll wouldn't be so bad. Think about walking 15-25 miles with a pack on in hot/humid conditions. To think about things from the authentic side we must consider what it was like for miles and weeks. Not yards and days.

I recommend you read Si Klegg and his Pard, Hardtack and Coffee and other veteran accounts. Even better find some diaries written at the time that have been published. There are counntless ones. You will be amazed to read what the did and were capable of. We can do it for just a few hours/days. Of course, even then we will always miss the mark but striving for it is part of the experience.

[StonewallSharpeson]

Re: Authentic bedding

Jeremy, thanks for the references; I'll look into those. By the way, awesome quote.

Also, as far as imagining what it was like, I was a Boy Scout and still do a lot of hiking. My reenactor gear weighs about as much as what I'd take backpacking, it's just less sophisticated gear. The point being I still see it as being feasible, though I'd probably ditch one of the groundcloths in real life.

And the sleeping bag is for extreme weather conditions like the cold of Fredericksburg or Point Park; I love this hobby and want to be as authentic as possible, but not enough to risk hypothermia.

[LibertyHallVols]

Re: Authentic bedding

I've never been at risk of hypothermia and I've been to events where I woke up covered with snow and had ice in my canteen. So, I must don my mod hat for a moment here...

Please Note: One of our big three rules is "No Farbisms". Check my signature line for a link to the rules for this site.

Ah... thanks! Now I feel better!

Please have a look at this thread:

http://www.authentic-campaigner.com/forum/showthread.php?18233-The-quot-Self-Contained-quot-Infantryman

The infantryman was not a self-contained or self-sustaining entity. It took a lot to keep him going, not the least of which was his mess mates. Have a look.

[Yellowhammer Rebel]

Re: Authentic bedding

Ditch the sleeping bag and spoon with you pards, or sleep by the fire, that's what THEY did. I sleep by the fire and am normally VERY warm. Just don't let your blankets catch fire, but that's another story for another time...

[Jeremy Bevard]

Re: Authentic bedding

Agreed Andrew. I use to be worried about being cold and wet. Then realized fire and pards are warm. Once we got over ourselves we all become much more comfortable at events. I still do my best to be warm and dry. Just sometimes it is what it is and it only last for a day or two usually.

Staying warm is also easier with quality/correct gear and some preparation. Uniforms made of wool and not a poly blend will keep someone warmer even when soaked. Same with a blanket. A person needs an actual wool blanket as again it will keep someone warm when wet. Having a real issue shirt (not muslin or cotton) will keep someone warm at night even when wet. Having a fresh pair of socks is huge. I also find a quick foot rub gets the blood flowing before bed and warms my feet up. A sleeping cap does wonders. Also, eating during the day and something before bed will help you feel warmer. Last, while it is fun, drinking alcohol will likely make someone colder not warmer.

[Michael Comer]

Re: Authentic bedding

Will, welcome. We are very glad to have you on the forum and it seems you have a lot of questions which is also good. If you haven't found it yet, I would suggest checking out the search engine at the top of the page. You can spend a lot of time perusing threads on many subjects - many of which you have asked questions about. There's a wealth of knowledge there. You want to know about Enfields? It's there. You want to know about bedding? It's there. I used it a lot when I first came on the forum and still turn to it for research leads. It's a very good resource that everyone should take advantage of.

[Dan Limb]

Re: Authentic bedding

Will,

Get some issue drawers and an issue shirt. Flannel undergarments will provide another layer for warmth at night. Add that to a wool uniform and a good, stout blanket and a ground cloth and you will stay pretty warm. And never forget to utilize the 98.6 degree space heaters in your mess.

Dan Limb

[NebraskaZouave]

Re: Authentic bedding

Hi Will,
As the other, more experienced guys have already stated, having good quality wool garments and a good blanket helps. I'm still in the "transitioning" phase from mainstream to progressive reenacting. Had the same fears you have of being cold and wet and finally got tired of lugging the excess junk around. For my Confederate impression, I was lucky enough to find an old wool quilt (wool quilt tiles and and wool batting) that is big enough to lay on and fold over me while I sleep by the fire. Having the wool to lay on made a huge difference for me. It is heavy, but I generally carry it, my oil cloth, and my "essentials" in a hobo roll and have no problems carrying it on the march. Also, as some of the others have stated, getting cozy with your mess mates and sharing blankets helps immensely. We've generally had 3-4 guys laying around the fire, each with a pile of wood near his head so whoever wakes up in the middle of the night to shift sleeping positions can put a couple of logs on the fire and keep it going.
I perused other threads on this site when I was trying to figure out how to survive the cold nights and was also fortunate enough that a friend of mine who pushed me to try to be more progressive got me a copy of the Campaigner College Handbook put out by SCAR. It has a lot of useful articles you might find helpful. I sure did.