SQ5: So, you've dropped knapsacks...

[Abrams]

Re: SQ5: So, you've dropped knapsacks...

Wool blanket-some warmth while wet.

Maybe it will stop raining, and if not, I wager I could find a covered spot, or someone to share their gummie if I share my blankie, as long as they don't know how loud I snore... :o

[DJCasey]

Re: SQ5: So, you've dropped knapsacks...

I agree that the wool blanket will give you more warmth, but once that sucker is wet, it gains a lot of weight that I would rather not carry on the next days march. Wet gum blankets don't pick up too much weight and they dry in a few seconds in the sun or held near a fire. I think I would go with the gum. I may not be as warm, but I think I would be more comfortable the next day with dry(er) clothes and a lighter load.

[Kevin O'Beirne]

Re: SQ5: So, you've dropped knapsacks...

E-gads, it's a darn good thing these questions are being asked now.

Few posts above "get it"--meaning, reenactors should "pard up" with a comrade a lot more often than is often done. Dropping packs and you can only take the blanket or the gum? Answer: You bring the gum, I'll bring the wool, and we use 'em together.

At Rich Mountain 2006--yes, the event with the infamous "camp outdoors overnight in chilling 63-degree temperatures while your blankie and knapsack remain miles away at the base of the mountain"--when we dropped packs most of our company was bright enough to retain our gum blankets (after all, it WAS raining at the time...). That night, in anticipation of frigid, Arctic-like temperatures in July, three of us, each in possession of a gum blanket--laid down together. Two blankets lengthwise kept us off the ground (which may have, gasp, had some residual moisture in it on the mountaintop!), and one gum went over us "cross-wise" to keep the upper body of the three of us warm. Being the guy in the middle of that arrangement, I was too warm that night. Moral of the Story: Pooling of resources works well.

Reenactors need to plan in advance so that pards/comrades, and messes jointly cooperate to bring and carry the stuff that makes life "on the march" a bit more comfortable.

[Charles Heath]

Re: SQ5: So, you've dropped knapsacks...

File "partner," mess "mate," and some other words come to mind, along with some orders that were given on a regular basis by a fine fellow in blue, back in the day. Not to give up any secrets or anything like that.

Hmmmm, I wonder how cold it gets in New Albany, Penna., in late August?

[MassVOL]

Re: SQ5: So, you've dropped knapsacks...

Rubber Blanket
- I was at rich mountian
- Rubber blanket is lighter even when wet will dry fast and keep in body heat
- see the first.

[toptimlrd]

Re: SQ5: So, you've dropped knapsacks...

Partnering up, sharing supplies, spooning.......egads, whoda thunk it?:p

[Charles Heath]

Re: SQ5: So, you've dropped knapsacks...

Robert, people who will combine the contents of several haversacks will sometimes not see the light when it comes to sharing resources for getting some sleep at night. Maybe this worm will eventually turn.

[DougCooper]

Re: SQ5: So, you've dropped knapsacks...

Have a great letter from a Capt in the 1st Minn on a 5 day recon in light marching order Sept 20, 1863. They were ordered to take gum blankets but were specifically told to leave wool blankets behind. I figure that decision was time of year/temperature related. Might have been different in February with wool instead of gum.

I like the mess mate sharing plan.

[Kevin O'Beirne]

Re: SQ5: So, you've dropped knapsacks...

I like the mess mate sharing plan.

Some of us are faithful to our spouses. Some are "free-thinkers". :D

[Charles Heath]

Re: SQ5: So, you've dropped knapsacks...

Kevin,

Is this coming from the same fellow who made a slight typo about "wives," as in the plural sense, that set the Winter 1864 listserver to chuckling in a big way? Hmmmm.

The cold weather isn't always the problem, as sometimes dampness from nearby bodies of water penetrates most everything.

[mslaird]

Re: SQ5: So, you've dropped knapsacks...

I would have to agree that wool would be a better choice for the cold and wet if I were limited to only taking one. The painted groundcloths and gum blankets would probably not help with keeping dry all that much and wool does retain warmth reasonably well when it is wet. As for the weight of the wet wool, if it is raining that hard, everything is going to get heavy fairly quick. If you are exhausted from marching all day, then you can sleep through just about anything.

[Parault]

Re: SQ5: So, you've dropped knapsacks...

Gum Blanket,and partnering up..........no brainer for me. Even if it is just two gum blankets,that beats one any day.

Been there,done that,bought a T-shirt.