Events checklist???

[mmurphy]

Pards;
Pardon for asking a fool question like this, since I am at work, and having some slack time, (in the office and in my brain!).
I seem to recall that a while back, someone posted a checklist for folks going to events. It listed the "what you need to take" (gear, modern meds, etc...).
I can't seem to find it now.
Does anyone know where it wandered off to?

Thanks in advance....

Michael T. Murphy
Pvt. Co. A 33d Va.

[tsgalloway]

Re: Events checklist???

Here's the gist of it (hope this is what you're looking for):

18. Put a couple of extra holes in your waistbelt, as if you were going on the Jenny Craig march. You may need them, and the work done with the proper tool will be neater than a pocketknife or bayonet hole. Yes, someone will have a hole punch in the parking lot, but expect than individual to be a mile from his vehicle when YOU need it. Fix it now.

24. High and tight isn't just a maxim for the haircuts of Uncle Sam's Misguided Children. Gear that flops about will wear you out. No floppy canteens. No banging cups. No pendulum skillets. You aren't the Tinman or the village tinker. Shorten. Secure. Tighten. Fix it now.

36. Check all of your gear for any mending that may need accomplishing NOW and sit in front of the TV/idiot box and do it. A loose button may make it through a weekend, but won't make it while being rubbed by a cartridge box belt for umpteen miles. Inspect. Repair. Reinspect. Fix your stuff, now.

37. Whip out the shoe polish/boot blacking and go over your leather gear, and shoes at least twice between now and the event. The moisturizing effect is good, plus the waterproofing is better than nothing. Those early morning dews can soak a pair of issue shoes as if you'd forded a creek. Dry leather is squeaky leather. Squeaky gives away your position.

38. Double check your socks. Need to do some darning? Look up a how-to-darn website and get it done. Get it done now. Need a darning egg? Use an old lightbulb. Bring at least two pair of socks to BGR, because you'll wear holes in one pair the first day, and wish you had a spare pair to rotate the rest of the time out there. Use your knapsack to dry yesterday's socks today, because you will want them to be dry tomorrow. How to do that? Use those three little straps at the bottoms and weave 'em in place. Other methods work as well. Dry socks = Good.

39. Hanging your socks over a fire to dry generally accomplishes three things: The socks shrink, the socks burn, and some nice socklady gets a fresh order for more socks. If you flop down, expect to fall asleep.

40. Sharpen any knives you plan to carry. A man without a pocketknife might was well nail his dick to a wagon wheel and be done with it.. A man without a sharp pocketknife isn't much better off. If you have a somewhat larger knife, you may want to sharpen it and bring it along, too. Being the only man in the battalion with a knife of any kind, and getting the job of cutting 225 lbs. of bacon is not fun. Don't bring a boy to do a man's job.

41. Open your haversack. Dump out the crap in it. See the mold and mildew. Clean it. This is a good time to wash your poke bags, so they have time to dry. Make sure you have a mess rag aka scrap of wool blanket that damn Charles foists on you at so many f'n events. Have a decent towel aka huck howel for washing your face, ass, and mess gear. Understand the order of this cleansing process. Have a ragged but clean towel to rip into sections of ass wipe. You'll want to sacrifice something to get your ass nice and clean, because a shit covered ass crack with develop dingleberries (do not make a cobbler with these) and a nice case of rosey red ass. Rosey red ass will take you out of the game as you limp along like a living Preparation H (not an approved vendor) commercial. Take some time to clean your fork, spoon, plate, canteen half, cup, and/or whatever mess furniture you may have. Do it now, before you forget and get the screaming Schwarz sprints (3S boogie) in the piney woods) and the projectiles from your tender anus becomes legendary. Find some scrap cloth and add in a couple more "wraps" for issue food you may receive, or more asswipe should you have some real problems. A period repop newspaper is a good addition down in the bottom (when soaked with grease, it is an excellent firestarter), as is a handful of pine splints about 1/4" to 3/8" in diameter. When the whole world is wet, and you and your pard have just enough grease soaked paper and pine kindling to get a fire started, you'll be as happy as a coon hound with three dicks.

42. Somewhere in that clump of darkness, have a vulcanized rubber pouch large enough for a toothbrush, some toothpowder, and a tin of your favorite Ibuprofen or aspirin. No shit. Come Day 2 on the march, after some dumbass as led you down 18.5 nautical miles of paths when he said you'd only go 8 miles as the crow flies, your ass will need a couple of pain killers. These will also become useful when your footsoles are blistered and raw, and when that lack of caffiene headache hits. Oh, yeah, you laugh now. Those with straight exhausts may want a couple of Immodiums in their pillbox.

43. Finding a small tin and filling it with salve or Vaseline is a good idea, even if you plan to bring some crotch powder, such as Gold Bond. A small tin about the size of 3-4 quarters stacked together is good enough when the crotch strawberry starts to happen after your crotch doesn't have a chance to dry out. Smotherman's Law = "Lube on your raw man parts is Good."

44. Bring some fresh matches and a match safe. Only about one of ten reenactors brings matches, and of those only about one of five has dry matches after a rain storm. They problem is not so much the water itself, but the humidity. Damp matches might as well be no matches, and you may find yourself the only man out of 100 who can start a fire. If you have skill with flint and steel, then bring it by all means. In July 1998, Frank Aufmuth was the only fellow who was able to start a fire in a certain battalion -- he had a flint and steel. You will be in a land of pine needles and squaw wood. This is the virtual gasoline of fire making. Know it. Use it.

68. Bring some food. The instructions have stated we won't have rations, and then they have reversed this and claimed we will be issued rations. Do any of us look like starving Ethiopians? NO. If we have extra food, we can chow down the first night. What to bring? Any hardtack you have leftover is good. Dried peaches are a real plus. Don't eat too many or you will shit yourself blind, and get off to a poor (albeit authentic start). Some lemon drops or horehound can pep you up once the blood sugar level goes through the basement, but most of all some boiled beef, bacon, spuds and spring onions are cheap and something you can deal with right there. In terms of condiments, some black pepper, curry, tumeric, dry mustard, extra salt, maybe some dried peppers are good choices. A piece of Mexican chocolate will make you a hero. Inkwell = good for salt. Get really hungry? Boil pine needles. It works, and is a period solution.

73. Bring a chip of soap.You can get Kirk's castile soap at any drugstore, and it lathers well. Yes, it is period as of 1839. Keep your cooking gear immaculate no matter how black your hands and face may be during any given campaign, and your bowels will appreciate it. You don’t need to carry a full bar of soap when a chip about the size of three stacked half dollars will do.

86. If you have a small skillet, bring it for the mess. Same goes for a hatchet, and a large boiler. Bring your gear, and sort this out in the parking lot. Organized groups have already figured this out months in advance. Anticipate your sorry asses will cooking on your lonesome otherwise, so be prepared. The reality is folks will have communal meal prep and consumption by day three. One tin, one cup, one fork, and six pairs of greasy hands.

87. Bring a few feet of stout twine - You'll need it when you need it. This is good period pocket trash, and a piece in hand is better than trying to cobble out the same effect with honeysuckle vine or greenbrier. We will probably not be constructing a bunch of shebangs, but who knows when it will come in handy to tie to a Junebug hind leg and make entertainment for the brigade.

88. Strip down your housewife. They are great to stop the breeze when your hiney is hanging out. A housewife need not be the size of a modern coffee can, but need only be a needle, thread, and a couple of buttons tucked away in a corner of your knapsack. That needle may be the only item available for moving the build-up in the cone of the musket at the end of a long, long, day, as the diameter of many reproduction picks are far too fat and otherwise too large for their intended purpose.

98. Pack and unpack all of your gear several times. Will we really need a shelter half? No. It will rain, we will get wet, and a shelter half is useful more as a sun shade than a rain stopper. Some idiot will show up with a great coat. Don't be that man. Don't.

99. A big period handkerchief (36 x 36 inches) made of linen or cotton may be good for covering your face and neck at night to ward off the damn bugs. It may also be good to soak to keep your neck and head cool. It may end up being another piece of ass wipe. Ass wipe = Good.

100. Bring an extra shirt. You will be foul and funky and soaked by the end of each day, but being able to slip on a dry (or at least less damp) shirt is a thing of great comfort. A federal issue shirt dries quickly, and does well in all weather conditions. Having a dry shirt to sleep in at night is also much warmer than the altnernative. Wet shirt + 3 a.m. chills = Sucks to be you.

101. We will be pushed. The march route is generally in a lazy horseshoe shape like a beer can run over by a team of mules, which will allow the rebs (who outnumber us about 13,000 to 1) to have excellent interior lines, thus shorter marches, but they will not have better looking concubines. Imagine lines of attack similar to spokes on a hub intersecting with the felloes. That will be us. Expect to get hit early in the morning, late in the evening, during the route of march, when your drawers are down to your ankles with Mr. Brown's best face to the enemy, and anticipate very little sleep. A soldier never stands when he can sit, never sits when he can flop on the ground, and sleeps whenever he possibly can. You may not understand now how you can sleep in a ditch in full marching order within 30 seconds of plopping your third point of contact in the depression, but you will at the end of four days.

Charles Heath I believe initially posted it. I'm not sure of the author.

[Dreamer42]

Re: Events checklist???

Wow! Not sure I can top that last one. For me, personally, I tried the list thing a few years - and it does have its purpose. But as I accumulated my "gear" I simplified it this way...
#1 Food related items (poke sacks , etc.) & provisions go into a wooden crate I made for winter bivouac camps - about 14x12x20 w/ period hardware.
#2 Union and Confed - each of these go into their own tote box w/ lid. I just grab and go, depending on what I'm going to be wearing.
#3 This tote contains some of my loaner gear and other extras from which I have to choose, if necessary (lantern, white gloves for special occasions, extra buttons, other leather belts to change the impression a bit if desired, etc.)

I should note that the Union and Confed boxes are slimmed and trimmed - necessities for "campaign" syle only. Everything else is considered extra. All of my food bags are together in one box so I tend to not waste or forget anything since it is all in one place.

...Just my way. Your needs, and habits, may be different.

Jay Reid
Dreamer42
9th Texas/165th NY

[Hank Trent]

Re: Events checklist???

Coincidentally, I was just making up a checklist to pack today. Don't know if it would be of any use, but it's sitting right here beside my computer and easy to type up. Probably left off a few things I'll think of later though, as I'm actually packing. This is for a male lower-class civilian traveling on foot, so for military of course factor in the military equivalents, plus gun, cartridge box, etc. etc.

Clothes:
shoes
socks
pants
drawers
shirt
tie
vest
coat
hat
belt and knife

Carried:
extra socks
overshirt
water purification tablets
bottle (for canteen)
blanket
oilcloth
rubber talma
housewife
candles
toothbrush
frying pan
soap
towel
bags for food
period money
pencil
twine
matches
scenario specific: newspaper, sketchbook, letters, etc.
wallet (the over-the-shoulder kind) and bedroll strap for carrying above plus food.

That's about 15 lbs., almost half of which is the oilcloth and talma, but this list is in preparation for lots of rain and no shelter. For simplicity's sake, I'll use the belt knife for cooking and eating out of the frying pan, so that's why there's not more cooking/eating stuff.

Food, which if course is scenario specific, though what the heck, I'll list it too:
4-1/2 pounds brown bread
1 lb. salt pork
1/2 lb. almonds
1/2 lb. peanuts
1/4 lb. lard
1 lb. cornmeal

That adds almost another 8 lbs. at the start, but is rations for six days.

Hank Trent
hanktrent@voyager.net

[Charles Heath]

Re: Events checklist???

Hank, I hope you don't mind if I borrow that list for an upcoming event.

[NoahBriggs]

Re: Events checklist???

Regardless of who wrote it, it was fun to read, and edumicational too. I hustled downstairs to get my hankie and a hatchet to add to my already growing Wilderness stash. Said stash is reproducing virus-style in my trunk.

Oh the joys of sawbonesing.

[Barry Smithson]

Re: Events checklist???

To the above list (sorry, I'm cav) I also have to add the following:

Check horse thoroughly for general health/condition.
Check feet and shoe as needed.
Make sure I have at least two copies of coggins , one in the saddle bag and one in the truck.
Pack grain and hay.
Check all tack to make sure any repairs needed are done prior to event.
Pack pick and curry brush (yes, both period correct!)
Do not forget the nose bag!

I know there is more and will add later as I pack and load today for an event.

[Kevin O'Beirne]

Re: Events checklist???

I hope it's not a revolutionary thought to suggest this...

Develop your own list of stuff that's important to YOU in the field, and that meets your needs for the events you attend. What is "essential" to one guy might not be for another, and some folks can make do with less than others. Still others need certain things because they have a certain portrayal or "job" (for example, a private probabl doesn't need a notebook like a non-comm should have).

Experiment with what you need for an event, and try different "loads" on for size in various weather conditions and see what "works" for you--like Civil War soldiers did!

[robwall1861]

Re: Events checklist???

Wow! Not sure I can top that last one. For me, personally, I tried the list thing a few years - and it does have its purpose. But as I accumulated my "gear" I simplified it this way...
#1 Food related items (poke sacks , etc.) & provisions go into a wooden crate I made for winter bivouac camps - about 14x12x20 w/ period hardware.
#2 Union and Confed - each of these go into their own tote box w/ lid. I just grab and go, depending on what I'm going to be wearing.
#3 This tote contains some of my loaner gear and other extras from which I have to choose, if necessary (lantern, white gloves for special occasions, extra buttons, other leather belts to change the impression a bit if desired, etc.)

I should note that the Union and Confed boxes are slimmed and trimmed - necessities for "campaign" syle only. Everything else is considered extra. All of my food bags are together in one box so I tend to not waste or forget anything since it is all in one place.

...Just my way. Your needs, and habits, may be different.

Jay Reid
Dreamer42
9th Texas/165th NY

Ditto with what Jay said....my union and confederate impressions each have their own little plastic bin, each packed with just necessities, and the extra coats/pants/etc that don't get used but once or twice a season (if that) are in a garment bag in the closet next to them. The only thing I have to do, is when I'm leaving for an evetn and doing CS, I have to get my shirt, drawers, shoes, and pocket items out of the union bin as I don't have CS shirt/drawers/shoes as of now

And my knapsack with all of it's goodies is packed for either side, (just don't look at the US on my blanket if you see me in grey ;)...)

That's my .02 for what it's worth.

Robin

[ephraim_zook]

Re: Events checklist???

Hank --

So THAT'S how you maintain your youthful figure! :dinner_pl :D

"That adds almost another 8 lbs. at the start, but is rations for six days."

Ron Myzie

[mmurphy]

Re: Events checklist???

Wow..a lot of good ideas here....
I have made up my own list, but as usual, I am trying to "double check" because there is that "one thing" that I will ALWAYS seem to forget until it's too late...

Thanks again for the ideas!

Michael T. Murphy
Pvt. Co. A 33d Va.

[Pvt Schnapps]

Re: Events checklist???

FWIW, personal favorites include traveling ink, penholder, extra nibs, high rag content paper, plus extra forms and USCC temperance pamphlets (see "bumfodder").

The small Janagin tin from the set of three nesting tins will hold five smaller tin pillboxes containing, respectively, beeswax lip balm, tooth powder, ibuprofin, immodium, and one additional medication of your choice (credit Scott's Military Dictionary).

[Hank Trent]

Re: Events checklist???

Hank --
So THAT'S how you maintain your youthful figure! :dinner_pl :D
"That adds almost another 8 lbs. at the start, but is rations for six days."
Ron Myzie

LOL! Just got back, with about a day's rations left over, so I ate about 1600 calories a day, but never felt hungry. Actually, for fun, here's a report of how all that worked out, for a six-day walk of 110 miles.

From my list in post #4, I omitted:
frying pan, salt pork, lard, cornmeal

and added:
period spectacles & case, cloth bandage, small piece of "reproduction" adhesive plaster (cloth-backed medical tape), extra wool insoles for shoes, 1/2 pound dried apples, a few hard candies.

Never used or barely used, but still glad I had in case:
soap, twine, housewife, spectacles (someone else read the good parts of the period newspaper to me), matches, candle

Needed (bought or donated along the way):
Second glass bottle when the first one broke tipping over against a rock
More adhesive plaster
Grease or ointment to lubricate feet

Could have used but did without:
yarn for darning socks

Don't think I would have changed anything, except of course bringing the "needed" items from the start.

Hank Trent
hanktrent@voyager.net

[Charles Heath]

Re: Events checklist???

Hank,

I figured the gourd water bottle would have failed long before your old bottle bit the dust. That glass damage is the strangest little "shot hole" I've seen in a long time. At several points, I distinctly smelled the scent of baking bread. Upon arrival home, I found a nice loaf of sourdough bread awaiting.

Sometimes less truly is more.

[Spinster]

Re: Events checklist???

That glass damage is the strangest little "shot hole" I've seen in a long time.

Charles, Hank,

A little hole in the glass about the size of BB?

I have no idea what causes the hole, but I've noted several of these in the last year or so, in small bottles of the 'Pier One/Dollar Store' variety that I've slapped a period label on and called them mustard, or some other condiment. This normally happens on the shoulders of the bottle, whether rounded or squared off.

Mine seem to appear for no apparent reason, even when the bottles are wrapped in huck towels for transport. Does make the period garbage pile grow nicely though.....