Knapsacks & Blanket Rolls Redeux

[tmdreb]

Clarification

This is a question for the moderators regarding the mention of vendor/sutler names on this forum. Is it necessary to first check this forum's list of approved vendors before mentioning said vendor's name in a thread? Reason being, I know of at least one on the list that offers a mainstream line of products as well as an authentic line. Also, one of the monitors of this forum has harshly denounced the products of a different approved vendor for that vendor's main product line.

To those who would freak out by the mention of a source for one particular item from a vendor off the "usual list," can we really deny that otherwise mainstream vendors anywhere will have the occasional good product? It must be remembered that quite a few of these vendors/sutlers have a very wide variety of sources for their products, and some are actually cranking out correct reproductions. It's happened many times before, and I bet will continue to happen, like it or not.

[Stonewall_Greyfox]

Re: Oilcloth Dimensions

Question - What is the recipe for this oil cloth?

Thanks,
Ken Huxtable

Honestly...the difference between painted cloth and oilcloth is that in painted cloth, pigment (usually cabon pigment "lampblack") is added to the oilcloth formula. Oilcloth is just the combination of linseed oil, turpentine, possibly japan dryer, and for some original recipees the use of litharge (a highly toxic chemical no longer commercially available). There are varying percentages of parts of chemical...and it takes some playing around with...Please feel free to ask any more questions...

Paul B. Boulden Jr.

RAH VA MIL '04

[Pvt. Burrows]

Knapsacks!

I am aiming to be able to portray an authentic CS infantryman at large in the Army of Northern Virginia. Which knapsack should I get (Want one that could be suitable for early aswell as late war), who makes the best and where do I find it? Grateful for all help!

Pvt. Burrows a.k.a Martin Midander, Sweden

[hireddutchcutthroat]

Re: Knapsacks!

Hej Martin

Jag rekommenderar en typisk model, som till exempel en "Kibbler" eller en "Mexican War". En Engelsk import, vilken var väldigt vanlig på båda fronterna. Lycka till!

[Yellowhammer]

Re: Knapsacks!

Martin,

Welcome to the AC Forums!

Try using the search function and I think you'll find a great deal of useful information on this subject.

That said, based on photographic evidence of ANV infantrymen in the field (prisoners, casualties, etc...) the blanket roll and Federal "double-bag" (or perhaps a CS copy) knapsack appear to be the most common by far. Other styles of packs have survived and do show up in images, but not in the numbers approaching these other two options.

A few years back, I wrote an article on canteens that included a number of pictures of Confederates in the field that you might find useful. Check it out at: http://www.southernguard.org/education/canteens.html

Also, here is a link to a page on the excellent 37th Virginia site that presents a number of AC Redwood and WL Sheppard etchings of Confederates in the field. As both artists were Confederate veterans, most scholars hold their works in high regards in terms of accuracy.

http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Oracle/8577/drwngs.html

[Wild Rover]

Re: Knapsacks!

John,
Good article.....is it me, or does the Five Forks pic make the CS troops look, well, like dwarves compared to the Federal Guards?

Always kinda stood out to me.

Anyhow, just thought I would mention it.

Pards,

[Yellowhammer]

Re: Knapsacks!

Chris,

I agree. I think it's a trick of the camera.

If you look at the blown-up version in the Five Forks VC, it appears that the lay of the land makes the Johnnies look closer to the guard than they actually are.

Lots of great details in that pic though.

Also, thanks for you comments about the article. I need to make a few updates regarding CS produced canteens to it but I still think it's useful for newer guys.

[zoidy13]

Mildue removal

I have just obtained a canvas A frame tent that was improperly stored, and as a result, has an almost unbearable mildue smell...any of you pards have a reasonable fix for this problem?

[short rations]

Painted Cloth

Does anyone have a good recipe for painting cloth that they are willing to share? I have used linseed oil and lamp blacking before. Is there anything of recent discovery? Thanks!

Fred Rickard
SGLHA & BLA

[JWolf]

Re: Mildue removal

some ideas to try...

The first thing to do is dry out/air out the tent outside for a couple days- it should either be set up outside or laid flat on a piece of cement (if it is laid on the cement it should be flipped over periodically).

When it is outside take a brush and dry scrub the areas where you see the midue stains- after that you could also vacuum the areas you scrubbed to get more of the mold spores out. You might want to wear a mask when doing it to filter out the mold spores.

Cholorine bleach kills mold- if you use the bleach, dilute about 2 tablespoons bleach per quart of warm water. Rub in with a sponge or brush. After treating it with the bleach rinse with plain water. Then allow the tent to dry. If it sits on cement you might want to do it on a weekend where you could flip it over every hour or so, or set up the tent and leave it up for a couple days.

If you wash the tent - really make sure it is dried out- might take a couple sunny days to really dry out.

Good luck!

Jim

[bonniegreenflag]

Re: Painted Cloth

Fred-I would recomend you use the search function. there a number of posts containing alot of good information on this subject. Good luck on your projects!

[Stonewall_Greyfox]

Re: Painted Cloth

Does anyone have a good recipe for painting cloth that they are willing to share? I have used linseed oil and lamp blacking before. Is there anything of recent discovery? Thanks!

Fred Rickard
SGLHA & BLA

Fred,

Just curious, did you have problems with the recipee you used? I use boiled linseed oil, turpentine, lampblack, and japan dryer. As long as you don't go too heavy on the linseed oil...and is given proper time to dry..it should all work out...

For those less brave than others, the watchdog did an article on them and chemically, black latex paint is supposed to be the same.

Paul B. Boulden Jr.

RAH VA MIL '04

[Stonewall_Greyfox]

Re: Mildue removal

A note on washing tents...soap and sometimes even bleach will most certainly get rid of some of the mildew...but they can also reduce the surface tension of the canvas, therefore causing your tent to leak water.

Paul B. Boulden Jr.

RAH VA MIL '04

[Vuhginyuh]

Re: Painted Cloth

With all do respect, The Watchdog is wrong. Latex is a water-based plastic coating.

[edgeinwi]

Re: Mildue removal

Hi;

I had the same problem. I used a bathroom mildew remover (tilex) and it worked wonderfully. Since the cleaning solution is already prepared, all I had to do is set up my shelter, spray the surface with the cleaning solution until soaked, and allow to work for an hour. I then rinsed well with a garden hose and allowed to dry. The cleaning solution never hurt my shelter or grass, and the shelter was as waterproof as it was prior to treating it.

Good luck!!!