campaign trail

[Paul L Muller]

I am fairly new at campaigning cavalry way, and went that way this last season. At Twin Rivers we did it too and it was great. I am wanting to hear from more experianced troopers as to what you pack on your horse and on your person. this would include foods and personal items in the saddle bags. I want to improve my kit for the coming season, that's one of the reasons I want to go to the cavalry camp of instruction in march. plm

[Mark Choate]

Re: campaign trail

Hi there, Paul,

Good to see you on here and posting! Your question is one that every cavalryman asks himself time and time again. We start off buying all of this stuff and then as we refine our impressions we leave more and more of it at home. The easy (as well as very correct) way of answering this is with the classic, "less is more" and it is incredibly true. They had precious little over the long haul and we don't need any more than they do in order to portray them.

Since I know that you are scheduled to be at the Camp of Instruction in March in Franklin, I will tell you that on the third day, we have an excellent instructional segment on "The Cavalry Campaigner" which deals with this very question. You will get not only a good clear idea then, but also will be able to see some good "kits" from many in attendance.

I hope others will chime in on this and share ideas.

respectfully,
Mark

[forrestcav]

Re: campaign trail

Yes the camp of instruction will be a great place to look over everyone's kit and see what you can do without. I know i've shed an amazing amount of gear over the years.

[Mike Ventura]

Re: campaign trail

The longer I've done this, the less I carry - much like the veterans of 1861-1865. I suggest that you do this: when you get home from an event - put everything that you did NOT use aside, and don't pack it again. Then, start eliminating or repacking - for instance, you sleeping blanket can serve as a second saddle blanket over your regular saddle blanket and make's for better saddle padding (just make sure that the blanket next to the horse does not wrinkle or fold next to his skin). Carry ammo and caps in pockets - that's what "they" did. I do not carry reloading powder, etc for my pistol - I haven't shot it in 4 years!

If you are carrying a nose bag, put a couple of portions of "feed" in period-looking sacks, and then put any personal stuff in the bottom of the bag and put the small feed bags on top of it. Lose the picket pin and picket rope if you are going to tie to a longer, group picket rope - or tie to a tree - they did. My saddle bags have a (period) curry comb and brush, extra horse shoes and some shoe nails, and a small nail hammer, extra socks, some fingerless wool knit gloves, a piece of huck towel and a partial bar of period soap. and some "necessary paper." I roll an extra shirt and drawers in my ground cloth and it goes behind the cantle. If I have an overcoat, I may tie it behind the cantle, or in front of the pommel. A haversack with a small poke sack for personal items (any modern meds, matches, a period pencil, some scraps of paper) and some hard tack, cheese and an apple, a plate, a fork. I usually "split" a coffee pot and a skillet with mess mates. I tie my coffee cup behind the cantle. M canteen (with shortened strap) hangs almost mid back.

In my small poke sack: baking soda (for tooth powder) in a small pistol cap tin, period tooth brush, about 6' of hemp twine and a 2' leather lace,

In my pockets - a small period knife and a small period compass.

Extra rations go in my haversack or in my nose bag.

I do not carry: shelter half, picket rope, cooking gear, extra trousers.

[Paul L Muller]

Re: campaign trail

Great stuff Mike, that gives me some ideas plm

[Old-South]

Re: campaign trail

Fellers,
here is a thread I found useful. Not scripture but suggestions. Good reading.

http://www.authentic-campaigner.com/forum/showthread.php?1398-Living-off-the-saddle

[Mike Ventura]

Re: campaign trail

Paul - I rechecked my gear last night and added a couple of things to my post above.

[forrestcav]

Re: campaign trail

I got to admit I picked up a canteen half and have found it quite handy for cooking anf eating. I also lost the fork and got a spoon, not much I can eat with a fork I can't eat with a spoon.

[ButtermilkRanger]

Re: campaign trail

Dang, Mike, you're a heavy camper! :) I think this is an excellent thread and I don't mind sharing ideas. Of course the weather should dictate the event. Terrain would too. For example, I do carry a picket pin and line when grazing is going to be available. To answer Paul's original question, here is what I generally carry for a normal 3-day campaign. Myself, the uniform I am wearing, my basic horse equipment, and a long arm. Caps and ammunition are either in my pockets or in my accoutrements, which is scenario-dependent. I seldom carry grain on a normal weekend campaign, so the nosebag isn't needed. My horse can forage. If hay is available, then that's lagniappe. I do carry grain in a grain ration bag for extended campaigns and I will also carry a nosebag to some of those types of events. For personal effects, I usually carry a fork and a canteen half. Sometimes a cup. If I carry a haversack, it is also scenario-driven and I only carry my issued rations in my haversack. For luxuries, I like to have a piece of a candle, some matches, a ground cloth, a small housewife and a personal kit w/ period toothbrush, toothpowder, comb and maybe a small piece of homemade soap. I normally carry two blankets under my saddle, but if I know we will be on the move more than normal and sleeping on arms, I'll sometimes only use one saddle blanket and keep the other one wrapped in my groundcloth behind my cantle. I don't carry extra shirts, socks, gloves, etc., but I do carry a sleeping cap.

I sometimes carry a canteen. I do not carry a pistol, saber, bowie knife, extra horse stuff, or tentage of any kind.

[Mike Ventura]

Re: campaign trail

Larry - you aren't carrying any extra shoes? "Up here" in the rocky N. GA mountains, kind of a necessary.

[IowaYank]

Re: campaign trail

Mike, After Bummers I can understand how having horses shod down there is a necessity at all times. Up here in Iowa/Wisconsin/Illinois, I rarely have my horse shod unless I'm traveling out of the area. In my opinion unless your on rocky ground, barefoot is the best way to go, but thats a whole different discussion.

[Outrider]

Re: campaign trail

Others me disagree with me and its a debate that has been going on forever among horsemen, but I am also of the opinion that a horses hooves are much better off and generally healthier if allowed to go unshod if possible especially if out to pasture alot of the time. Generally speaking, I leave mine unshod until a week or two before an event or a trail ride if on rocky ground and then I shoe him. Often , I will pull the shoes after I return and reuse them over and over with a bit of reshaping if necessary. It helps immensely to be able to trim and shoe your own horse and that is another thing I believe many more 'enactor troopers should be able to do. Carrying a shoe is a good and documented practice, at least for Federal cav, I have my doubts about say..mid war confederates.. but carrying one is only good if you can also nail one on correctly unless you plan to rely on a fellow trooper to do it for you and thats not really right.
Having said all that, if I know it will be bad, rocky, ground -like Bummers- and many other places father north up here in NW Georgia, then I will carry an extra but in all my years of cav Bummers was the first time I have ever had to replace a lost shoe at an event.

[ButtermilkRanger]

Re: campaign trail

Larry - you aren't carrying any extra shoes? "Up here" in the rocky N. GA mountains, kind of a necessary.

Mike, since I almost never shoe my horses, carrying extra shoes would be counter productive. I do shoe mine if I'm leaving the state going to somewhere unknown, but as a general rule, my horses might see shoes once every two or three years tops.

[Paul L Muller]

Re: campaign trail

Thanks Larry, thats the kind of things I'm looking for. I know that I want to shed more stuff, but without a lot of Civil war horse time, I lack the experiane.[sp] I've cowboyed and when I was doing Rev. war and longhunter, I slept in snow banks and in the mid 80's snowshoed over the contenental divide in 18th century gear. Point is... I know the value of packing lite, thats why I am so glad for the input. thanks plm

[ethan harrington]

Re: campaign trail

Paul,
Pack all your stuff on friday afternoon leave at 1.00 pm ride till 8.00pm make fire and eat dinner..... get up at 4.00 am and go back the same way you came, arrive at the house put the horse up and get in the truck and go back and pick up all the stuff that you ditched. and the longer the ride the more stuff that you will have to pick up. You dont have to be at an event to play horse solider, it is good practice and your horse will enjoy it as well " just pretend a furlow secnierio.. The main point to all this is ride then ride and ride some more and ride with your gear you get to know alot from just that alone " stress points in things and if you only pull it out a few times a year then we really don't use it . I have a mac that I built I havent ridden it propbly 10 times but I probly got 200+miles on it. just sayn..

Ethan Harrington