Knapsacks & Blanket Rolls Redeux

[hardtack61]

Re: carrying a gum blanket

pards,
Ive seen a reliable militia picture of an early war soldier in gray or maybe maybe just a VMI cadet wearing a gum blanket tucked into his belt like the one man is describing... Ive never had the chance to try it because ive never had the need to. Just My 2 cents :D

[wigwagger]

Re: carrying a gum blanket

I personally tuck my ground cloth inbetween my roll and my body. i have tried to wrap it around my blanket roll, but my blanket is longer than my gum blanket. is there a certian way to roll it to make it work? I would love to know.
333 Regards,
Andrew Zetts

[billmatt04]

Re: carrying a gum blanket

Thanks fellas. I had tried to wrap my wool blanket in my gum blanket and through it over my shoulder, but I figured it would be really hard to get at if we were marching and it suddenly started to rain. So I think I will go with tucking it in my belt. Most of the time I wear a knapsack, but I am always wanting to try something new, so I decided to go to my next event with nothing but those two blankets. Since it is expected to rain, I wanted to figure out how to quickly prefent a thorough soaking of my blanket and uniform, so this seemed the best method of carrying the gum blanket. Thanks a lot for the advise and if anyone can find any pics of Federal troops weraing them like this I would love to see them. Thanks again!

Sincerely,
Matthew Cassady
104th Illinois Vol. Inf.

[Stonewall_Greyfox]

Packing a federal doublebag

Maybe I am doing this right...possibly not...when I attach my rolled blanket and oilcloth to the top of my doublebag knapsack, it sags tremendously. If I am to carry this are there any recomendations as to what I may do to make it better for long hauls? If not then I totally understand why some men would have opted to use blaket rolls and lose the knapsacks all together.

Paul B. Boulden Jr.

RAH VA MIL '04

[Curt Schmidt]

Re: Packing a federal doublebag

Hallo Kamerad!

For my druthers and experiences, I avoid it altogether.

I carry the rolled greatcoat on top, and when not "greatcoat season," it and its straps are at the Quartermaster's.
I carrry the blanket inside of the knapsack pocket (bag), with the folded gum blanket and shelter half between the "bags. (It also helps as rain is about to start as the gum blanket can be easily and readily removed form between the "bags" wihtout a big production.

If you are experiencing "sag," are you straps all adjusted to their minimum "holes" and "adjustments," or more particularly adjusted to the width of your shoulders and breadth of your chest?

Curt-Heinrich Schmidt
Die Rucksacker Mess

[poncho]

Re: Packing a federal doublebag

Paul,
Try passing the blanket straps over the shoulder straps and then buckle them. The shoulder straps when strapped on will pull the blanket up higher eliminating the sag, I've done this for years and it works great!

[Lone_Rebel87]

Re: Packing a federal doublebag

Sorry bout that fellas,
I walked away from the comp for a time with this post pulled up before I replied and when I finally came back and clicked submit others had gotten to it and answered the question for me,

My apologies,
Jordan Davis

[tenfed1861]

Re: Packing a federal doublebag

I've never packed one,but here's what I read.Pack the blanket into the bag closest to your back,so it takes the weight off.Next,place your personal items,extra cloths,extra rations,and ammo in the outer bag,(tip,carry your personal items in your socks so they won't get "lost").Carry your shelter halve in between the bags.Carry your ground cloth on the top where the balnket should go;you'll need to cut acouple of holes in the blanket straps.If it looks like rain,carry the cloth under your belt.Carry the pack high on your shoulders so the weight isn't pulling down.Do this and all the weight,i.e. the blanket,will be next to your back so not to strain your shoulders.
Hope this helps.
Your obed. servent,
Cullen Smith

[Tom Ezell]

Re: Packing a federal doublebag

Maybe I am doing this right...possibly not...when I attach my rolled blanket and oilcloth to the top of my doublebag knapsack, it sags tremendously. If I am to carry this are there any recomendations as to what I may do to make it better for long hauls?

Paul:

Put all that stuff INSIDE the knapsack. Uncle Sam's stuff (blanket, poncho, and shelter half) go in the four-flapped folding side, more or less in that order. Personal stuff spare dry socks, personal toiletries, and maybe a couple spare packs of cartridges go in the outer, envelope side. All that other stuff, let it slide, pard, let it slide.

Tom

[Strawfoot]

Re: Packing a federal doublebag

A reason your blanket is sagging, if you fold it and put it on top, is that there is nothing in the inner bag to hold it up. Fold your blanket and put it in the inner bag. You can probably get a shelter half in there too.

Place your folded groundcloth between the bags before you close and strap up the knapsack. As said earlier, that makes it easy to get to in rain. I use an extra knapsack "J" clip to secure it around me.

Place spare shirt and socks in the outer bag. A note here... I place my peach can boiler in there, and put my extra ammo in it for added safety.

If it is brutal cold, I roll up my greatcoat and tie it up top, routing the blanket straps through the shoulder straps. This snugs everything down just fine, pulling your greatcoat forward, but will give you a significant load to tote on the march.

Better idea, blanket roll...

Mike Phineas
Arlington, TX

[markj]

Re: Packing a federal doublebag

Paul:

Put all that stuff INSIDE the knapsack. Uncle Sam's stuff (blanket, poncho, and shelter half) go in the four-flapped folding side, more or less in that order. Personal stuff spare dry socks, personal toiletries, and maybe a couple spare packs of cartridges go in the outer, envelope side. All that other stuff, let it slide, pard, let it slide.

Tom

For your consideration from my copious ream of notes extracted from the "Official Records":

WAR DEPT G. O. 274, 7 Aug 63: Specifically spells out transportation and baggage requirements/limitations (right down to exact poundage) for troops on campaign. States that "knapsacks of infantry soldiers will also be frequently inspected to see that they are properly packed and that nothing is carried in them except what is directed by regulations and orders.***The underclothing should be packed in knapsacks next to the back."

Regards,

Mark Jaeger

[JimConley]

Re: Packing a federal doublebag

Your other option, of course, being to wear a bedroll over the pack as seen in original photographs. Never carried it this way myself, but you're not adding weight by any means and that may be more comfortable than weighing down the knapsack by straping the blanket roll on top.

[1stMaine]

Re: Packing a federal doublebag

Comrades,

I also pack my blanket inside my pack. In fact, many times I've folded the shelter half and gum blanket around the wool blanket and then packed it into the knapsack. Over the years it has been my experience that a nice dry blanket is more important than myself being dry. I would rather have my clothes get wet, as I can always dry them out by the fire, if needs be, but a wet blanket seems to gain weight on a logarithmic scale with the amount of water added. Just knowing that there's a dry blanket, and perhaps some dry socks and a dry shirt in my knapsack can keep me going. Something to look forward to:)
As to the blanket or greatcoat leaning backwards and dragging the pack down, instaed of running the shoulder straps through the greatcoat straps, use a piece of sapling. Run the sapling under the shoulder straps and through the greatcoat straps. It works much better, and uses up less area than the strap-through-strap method. In fact, it's a good place to carry those repro tent poles if you haven't yet used them for firewood.......

Respects,

[79th N.Y.S.M.]

Re: Packing a federal doublebag

When i got my pack i had the same probles and what I did is I made a wooden frame and put it in the bottom and when you have nothing in there the pack still holds it shape and i so much stuff i put a little divider 2/3's of the way up

[theknapsack]

C&D Jarnigan Gum Blanket?

Comrades,

I recentley purchased a C&D Jarnagin Gum blanket because I could not find any other vendor that sells "correct" gum blankets. I recieved it in the mail today and was suprised by the look of it. The rubber is not "shiny" (for lack of a better word), and the fabric gets darker as it gets closer to the center. The originals in EOG Union and at various museums I have been to have had both a more solid material and a more "shiny" look to them. Is the one that I got from Jarnigan correct or incorrect (besides the grommet size)?

Thanks,
Riley Ewen