Many times the discussion regarding being a Campaigner turns to
uniforms and accoutrements. Yet, I find this aspect of being a Campaigner
to be a nominal one at best. But, when one does discuss this aspect one
must consider the depths of their pockets. Careful selection and research
of gear and buying a bit at a time has been successful for me. But, I have
listed some things a would-be Campaigner can do to improve his impression while
spending little or no money. Some involve doing exact things and others
involve creating your persona and allowing for your personal style. A Civil War
soldier would have had to try to make himself as comfortable as his conditions
allowed.
partner appreciate it either. There is no right or wrong answer except that
wearing your traps higher is more comfortable.
camper, I can attest my life has been much easier since I went
Campaign-Style. I paired all my gear down to fit into my pack. How did I do
that?
small cleaning kit that consists of a wrench, pick, jag, a
few patches and a tiny bottle of gun oil. You can do a
more thorough cleaning when you get home.
b. Got rid of my lantern and turned to a folding lantern.
My folding lantern (from Village Tinsmith) was
inexpensive and folds to 3/4 " thick and is 4" x 6". It puts
c. Got rid of my plate and used a canteen half for
cooking and eating. Heavy gauge wire or a stick can be
d. Share gear with a pard. You carry the frying pan and
carry the folding lantern, etc, etc, etc.
e. Created a small period writing kit (see Echoes of
Glory for some suggestions on writing kits, shaving kits etc
that common soldiers carried).
f. Carried food that is still palatable and takes up
little room. For example you can buy some presoaked beans
and rice mix (some already have cajun spices) for less than a
dollar and it is enough for four meals, takes up little
room and cooks in your tin cup. Peanuts, jerky, granola bars,
trail mix, etc all take up little space and will keep well.
g. A good rule I was told was this: "If I took the item to
two events and didn't use it, then leave it at home."
certain accoutrements like hat brass or gaiters I would leave these items at
home. Gaiters were of limited issue (especially in the Western theater) and
should be left for only certain impressions. Hat brass, if used at all, would
have been limited to a company letter only, or in most cases none at all. The end
result is buying less, saves you more!
* Modify Your Dog Tent Or Shelter Half: Most reenactors drive their tent
stakes thru the grommets of their shelter half. This is incorrect. A length
of rope was knotted and threaded thru the grommets (there should be two in each
corner about the size of a dime) and knotted on the other end to hold it fast.
This loop was then attached to the tent stake. Most shelter halves (Jarnigan's
for example) sell them without brass grommets (which are incorrect) so you
can cut out your own and sew (or pay for them to sew) a buttonhole
stitch about the hole, thus creating your own grommets.If your half has brass
stitch, it is easy and doesn't take too long. You can also use this stitch to
modify your buttonholes on your clothing to look hand stitched (if your so
inclined).
anachronisms (stash em away). Participate in and encourage roll
calls, wood/water detail, guard mount, first person impressions, saluting
officers, etc, etc.
* Participate In Period Activities: Encourage and take part in things like
ration issues, ammo issues, mail calls, chuck-a-luck or poker games,
mock punishments/disciplines, etc.
* Create A First Person Persona: so you have one ready if called upon to
use it. Doing some research on civilians will help in this area
(talking to some of the ladies can be helpful, since they are usually studied on
civilian courtesies, etc.). Know where you are from, what you did, a
bit about your family, what it was like where you lived, the politics of
the area, when you mustered in, a bit about the units history, etc.
* Defarb your Weapon: Sanding off the shiny polyurethane coating is
a task I am jumping into this winter. It is a scary thought at first,
but there are several methods to this. Take your piece apart and sand down the
stock or get a commercial stripper to take off the coating. You can
then stain it (not one with polyurethane in it) or not. Most important is
to wipe boiled linseed oil or a 50/50 mix of linseed and turpentine over the
stock. Do this again a couple times a year. Be sure to dispose of rags with
linseed oil properly since they can spontaneously combust. For $25.00
you can have a reenactors gunsmith (such as Zimmerman) to correctly
mark your piece. For a Springfield, this includes a correct cartouche,
inspectors stamp, removing the modern mnftrs name and moving the
serial number to its proper place (beneath the breach). Removing
blueing is an arguable point. When you look at actual weapons in
museums it looks as if many Enfields were blued in some way. You may
wish to further research this and decide what is best for you. As a
Springfield owner, those green scotch-brite pads are invaluable in
removing rust (which can appear very quickly).
stated that canteen covers varied in color. Most were scrap brown jean
wool and also some were sky or navy blue and in rare cases customized in the
field by the soldier. You can get a new cover kit from County Cloth for
$10.00. Also, canteen chains were not always chain, some were issued with a
cotton twine tied in a hitch about the stopper and knotted to the lug. You
could also paint or stencil unit designations, etc on the cover (look in Echoes of
Glory for some ideas). Basically, a bit more variation in canteen covers looks better
impression. This was just a brainstorm to show you that you can do many things
without breaking the bank. The main thing is to try and think like a period
soldier and adjust and improvise to your liking. I hope these ideas help and if you
want to discuss it email me at
unionguy@worldnet.att.net. Good luck.
Jim Butler