Knapsacks & Blanket Rolls Redeux

[JimKindred]

Re: C&D Jarnigan Gum Blanket?

From Jarnagin it is the best you are going to do, their gum blankets have for many years had the dull finish. Some of it comes from the way they are shipped with a substance that keeps them from sticking together in shipment.

I have experimented from time to time to find a finish that will make a Jarnagin gum blanket shine but nothing has worked so far.

Use it and enjoy it, maybe one day someone will make one with the correct look to it.

[DougCooper]

Re: C&D Jarnigan Gum Blanket?

Or give up waiting and order a painted cloth ground sheet from Chris Daley - you know that one is correct. :wink_smil

[theknapsack]

Re: C&D Jarnigan Gum Blanket?

Or give up waiting and order a painted cloth ground sheet from Chris Daley - you know that one is correct. :wink_smil

Indeed.

Are you an advertiser for Mr. Daley? :sarcastic

Thank you both for your help, I shall take Mr. Kindred's advice to heart, for now. . .

[Spongebucket]

Re: C&D Jarnigan Gum Blanket?

Not saying that I am advertising for Jarnigan, but I think we have to look at some things concerning the gum blankets. First, we see the "shine" on both the haversack and poncho/gum blanket in the post war images for the QM Dept. and the few wartime images. Do you think that the photos show used items? And then look at the photos in EOG (our close to heart reference) at the groundcloths, haversacks and knapsacks. They have a "matte" finish. The painted items have what they have because of the litharge (lead based) in the paint. And as that is forbidden to use...what is to say that there was something in the original vulcanization process that throws up a red light with the EPA. This had been a problem in the past. So it is either you deal with what you have or get pneumonia because instead of using what was out there, you were looking for the perfect rubberized sheet.
Just my two cents.
Joe Blunt

[DougCooper]

Re: C&D Jarnigan Gum Blanket?

Above there is mention that the grommets were wrong on the current gum blanket - my impression based on the those unearthed in the sunken supply ship (no longer remember the name) was that they are correct (small size). In short, as Joe Blunt says, the current Jarnagin gum blanket is the best there is, indeed the only alternative. The Daley blanket is not a gum blanket but a painted cloth ground sheet identified to a Pennsylvania soldier. And no, I am not an advertiser for Chris, just passing the word about a new alternative hitherto under-represented.

[Vuhginyuh]

Re: C&D Jarnigan Gum Blanket?

Indeed.

Are you an advertiser for Mr. Daley? :sarcastic

Thank you both for your help, I shall take Mr. Kindred's advice to heart, for now. . .

Riley,
He is just pointing you in the direction of an authentic item from an approved vendor.

[Agate]

Re: C&D Jarnigan Gum Blanket?

We have enough surviving vulcanized rubber blankets (or vulcanized India rubber material regardless of goods) from our period to determine the "shine"? I was somewhat under the impression extant examples of those things are relatively scarce.


Mr. Ewen, I can direct you to two examples, bearing the stamps of Cincinnati contractor Bart & Hickox, that have no "shine" to them, IMO. These "western" examples were probably manufactured in New York however, as was much of what the firm dealt in. That according to their 1861 catalog, housed in the rare book room of the main branch of the Cincinnati Public library.

Mr. Cooper, imagine you are thinking of what was found aboard the former Maple Leaf.

Also, I can find no elastic/painted sheets or ground cloth contracts in House ExDoc 84 which lists the contracts made by the QMD for part of 1863 and all of 1864. There are contracts listed for yards of elastic cloth by the Philadelphia office, Philadelphia only. But, too few yards to be of much use to us, under eight thousand. Were these sheets purchased earlier, or, on the open market?

Quite a number of contracts for India rubber blankets. However, the QMD was purchasing several samples, priced differently, and all listed as India rubber blankets. That is, as with cloth, and clothing, several "grades" were listed, must have been some difference, as they are recorded as procured at not the same price. The different "grades" however, being recorded in most instances as procured from the same contractor(s).

. Anybody have an idea as to what the difference between a sample "A" and sample "B" was, what about a sample "C" India rubber blanket? They are, as stated, all listed as "India rubber" and neither elastic or painted blankets.

Charlie Childs is not an approved vendor. There are reasons to support the approved vendors of this forum, let us make sure we suggest to do so for the most fitting reasons.

Maybe one of those who reproduce these ground sheets, as I've seen them advertised by several folks on this board, will enlighten us as to provenance and method of manufacture, and assure us that no synthetics, or to what degree, synthetics are utylised in their manufacture, as we do wish to get things right, the size of grommets and "sheen" of the vulcanized rubber blankets being now, suspect.


John Sarver

[theknapsack]

Re: C&D Jarnigan Gum Blanket?

He is just pointing you in the direction of an authentic item from an approved vendor.

Oh I know that, I got the wrong face on there. I won't be doing that again.

Mr. Sarver,
Thank you for your excellent information. I have the gum blanket now, so I will do with what I have. If it will not pass inspection for a good event, then I shall consider buying a more correct one from an approved vendor

Riley Ewen

[DougCooper]

Re: C&D Jarnigan Gum Blanket?

Riley - if you have the Jarnagin small grommet gum blanket, it is approved for everywhere. At least I have never heard of anyone not accepting it. Heck, most of us have one.

[hireddutchcutthroat]

Re: C&D Jarnigan Gum Blanket?

Part of the reason for the dull finish on your new ground sheet is from the powder used in the manufacturing process. This will wear off in time, or you can wipe the sheet down with furniture polish to remove the powder and give the sheet a shine. I have found that my ground sheet has developed a shine from years of usage.

[Justin Runyon]

Re: Packing a federal doublebag

It begs the question, why add more weight to your load by adding wood of all things?? I just can't see this as being a documentable practice.

[The Pigman]

Re: Packing a federal doublebag

I thought that the fed double bag was supposed to have a wood frame in it. It was just that they were thrown away so much that the gov stopped issueing them.

Thanks,
Mark C. Foster

[HOG.EYE.MAN]

Weird comments

It begs the question why add more weight to your load by adding wood of all things??

Justin,

Yeah, no kidding. Why? I remember at Pickett's Mill, I wanted to throw my whole pack away all together by late afternoon.

Richard,

Any documentation? I may be wrong, but it sounds a bit farby buddy.

I thought that the Federal double bag was supposed to have a wood frame in it. It was just that they were thrown away so much that the gov stopped issuing them.

Mark,

Can you elaborate a bit more? What are you talking about?

[Justin Runyon]

Re: Packing a federal doublebag

I dont recall a wooden frame double bag (I may be wrong). There was the early war wooden frame hard pack, and a wooden frame was produced for the Federal single bag. But, and here's the big kicker, "It was just that they were thrown away so much"...Exactly. So even if we dig up some illusive double bag frame, buddy Im not carrying the thing.

[Gallo de Cielo]

Re: Packing a federal doublebag

"I dont recall a wooden frame double bag (I may be wrong)."

Justin and all,

I would speculate that this might be the style in reference, as per Marse Serio's website: http://missouribootandshoe.tripod.com/id15.htm

It's the first knapsack model pictured.

Thoughts?

I've toted a hardpack before and it was both heavy and inflexible and accordingly did its best to render my back and shoulders null and void. The thought of wanting add some sort of shelf or frame sends me reaching for the whiskey and tylenol III. Additionally, I'm with those that have replied questioning the correctness of adding a "shelf" or other such incumberance. Bottom line, pack it so that you don't need a shelf. At the least, if you do put the shelf in, at least add a few hooks to hang a nice assortment of cups and such from inside the knapsack. Or perhaps a period correct wine rack.

Regards,

Fred Baker