Civil War Dog Tent Setups

[@Joseywales414]

I’m glad you mentioned about the nails & type. It bugs me a little that even sutlers are building boxes with modern nails. Cut/ masonry nails are right and also (Rockler ) the wood working company has hand forged type nails for sale in a 50 per box. Real hand forged nails are pretty costly unless you find a good supplier .

[@yankeedoodle7365]

This is really cool, really cool to see the wooden mallet in the back ground

[@CWpatriot-ql5cf]

Great vid... id like to say thank you for making KZbin videos it’s really helped me as a young reenactor in many ways,I wish there was more reenactors like you guys doing great quality KZbin videos... looking forward to future content!

[@annamalin123]

Watch civil war digital digest

[@CompanyD2ndUSSS]

Their cooking videos are great.

[@daveridding9645]

Another great video guys...spending my time trying all these out in the garden while everyone's in lock down here in the UK...keep safe guys

[@CompanyD2ndUSSS]

Some garden or back yard bivoaucing sounds like a great way to beat cabin fever!

[@TheMomanslm]

I have shared my meager accommodations on social media a few times. People are generally appalled at the scant nature of my shebang. Our company uses a fly in the lean-to configuration you showed as the 2nd set up. It requires six poles but we stake down one end, three poles across (1 on each side and 1 in the middle), then three across the front. We can easily fit four under it and have made room for six. Now I don't feel bad about it at all! Thanks!

[@rebekah-chriss-k4872]

Great video thanks for the hard work

[@MrSheckstr]

Another neat trick is to off set the shelter halves and have the number of halves on one side be one more than the other. These shelter “quarters “ can be staked out at an angle much like the triangular sections of a modern giving the shelter protection from weather on one side like a plow point shelter does

[@austinfaircloth1831]

Great video, but I was wondering the size of the canvas

[@CompanyD2ndUSSS]

Check out the description in our how to make a shelter tent video. The instructions I used should help.

[@billrivenbark8983]

My tent has two holes on each end which I use to tie the canvas down to the ridge pole as well as tying the ridge to the upright pole. Makes it pretty rock solid.

[@Fiery154]

Thinking about taking my officers awning piece and just doing the half up style for a SCA day trip.

[@QuickerJoey]

Another great video. Are you guys going to make it to the 155th Gettysburg or is that too far of a trip? Me and a few from the unit im apart of in Florida are going up together

[@eliwats2877]

I just found the channel and It is very helpful please keep up the good work

[@CompanyD2ndUSSS]

We're glad you liked it. In our channel we try to cover material and techniques across the spectrum from the brand-new mainstreamer to the hardcore campaigner. A little something for everyone. Let us know if you end up with a video you'd like to see. We've had several viewer requested videos that we've made.

[@johnclarke6647]

A Maine of my era was issued a shelter half and one pole ( two pieces that go together to make one pole) and you and a buddy used your two shelter halves to make one tent.

[@1stminnsharpshooters341]

*LIKED* another fine video Sgt. I've spend many a night under shelter halfs ... One of these days I'll be upgrading to a larger Wall Tent. --- *1st Minn Sharpshooters* channel with Civil War reenactor live fire, hard marching, and rustic adventures ... enlist today.

[@JohnnyReb]

6:01 Why not put the gum blanket between the two shelter tents? Like at 8:49 but the gum blanket in the place of the shelter half with the tents on either side? This would provide shade and additional storage space.

[@hamm6033]

That was pretty cool guys! Bet it was fun to do.

[@CompanyD2ndUSSS]

It was. We have more setups to come including how to use your rifles/bayonets for tent poles.

[@valknutoverland3370]

great video

[@stephenn1056]

Shebangdominium... That's a new one. I like it

[@brianmoser260]

This how I set up my shelter half when I was with the 2nd u.s. company c inf. And when I did cavalry during my 5 years of civil war re-enactments the only thing I did was when that was not true to the civil war reenactment was that I brought the poles that were made to come apart in three separate pieces so that I could roll them up in my blanket or pack in my knapsack

[@Hooty52]

Hi guys love your videos !!! Sorry if this has been already brought up,but in case :),you probably already know this but the shelter is built realistically for one man (typically 2 men carry a half of the tent)reason being the military in its infinite wisdom does not like to see a lot of down time (idle hands as it were) the idea was that one man was always on Picket Duty, KP, Fatigue Party, etc.,etc.

[@danielkohli1542]

I don't think that's not necessarily the way that works. Only a fraction smaller than half of the force/unit is on gard duty which is a twenty four hour tour of duty. Other types of work such as fatigue duty and police duty will only happen when there is daylight. The remaining men that have no duty will probably put the shelter halfs in their possession together amongst themselves.

[@calebbionda4667]

Im gonna use this for my plash palatka, thanks

[@kb4xley]

outstanding stuff. thanks!

[@joesmith4438]

For the shelter half dog tent setup could u make a small cooking fire under the little parlor

[@CompanyD2ndUSSS]

Joe Smith if it was kept very small yes. Just remember heat does rise and in some clubs and organizations they ma have a minimal safety distance of fires to canvas like ours does.

[@joesmith4438]

Company D 2nd USSS thank you

[@captainpanda5533]

Were the end closures for shelter tents that are sold by some sutlers issued to soldiers, or are they more of a reenactorism?

[@CompanyD2ndUSSS]

More of a reenactorism. Usually a blanket, ground cloth or even a coat was all they had to have a closed off end. Im sire if a third man could fit his half could be used as a closure.

[@ntvrthmn]

I've watched a number of videos now on the shebang-dog tents and they seem short...IOW did they shelter the whole body or just part of it?

[@CompanyD2ndUSSS]

Great question. The average soldier was shorter then but they do a pretty good job. If someone is tall they may have to sleep at a different angle.

[@bigrickshaberdashery2759]

how heavy was the canvas material itself?

[@captainpanda5533]

I read in 'Hardtack and Coffee' that soldiers would use their muskets with bayonets stuck into the ground as dog tent uprights, and then run a line between the two of them for the ridge pole. Do people at events do this sort of thing? It seems like it would be really hard on the musket.

[@CompanyD2ndUSSS]

I've never seen it at an event and I think for that very reason. It's hard on the rifle and the bayonet. It also means you have to break camp anytime you need your rifle. It's pretty impractical for reenacting. We just did it, because we read about it, too.

[@oldveteran530]

Cool!

[@samriester2340]

What is the book in reference?

[@CompanyD2ndUSSS]

"The Federal Civil War Shelter Half" by Gaede is a great source of information.

[@themighty4th138]

Cool

[@danielkohli1542]

What is the suggested maker of reprduction shelter halfs?

[@resolute123]

So what did soldiers do when it down pours?

[@CompanyD2ndUSSS]

Get wet. Lots of stories on that. Some soldiers complained that the only thing a shelter half was good for was filtering rain water.

[@mediocreengineering6900]

How can I join you guys?

[@CompanyD2ndUSSS]

Benjamin Atkins if you live here in Washington State or fairly close, our website is 2ndusss.com. My email is on the home page and we can chat from there. Capt Whitehall

[@michaelelliott172]

Bravo 1SG

[@johndoogan3712]

I would have thought that with a decent number of shelter halves, a large teepee could be erected in the woods on cold winter days to shelter a group from the cold, rain, snow and icy winds.

[@CompanyD2ndUSSS]

Can't make a teepee sadly. The square/rectangle bodies of the shelter half doesn't have the right geometry to make a cone shape. However, you can make a pretty cool long dog tent that will sleep plenty of people in them, we call it a "shebangdominium".

[@johndoogan3712]

Company D 2nd USSS Hi, Endurance room bushcraft and survival has erected a teepee using Russian Plash Palatkas poncho tarps which are about the same size as Civil war shelter halves which he's done by coupling them as diamonds (corners at a central pole). The other one he's done is a large teepee using long poles wigwam fashion with two large tarps. My guess is four of the shelter halves buttoned together into a huge square would work the same way. Siberian nomads also build huge teepees by this method and they live through very harsh winters.

[@cliffordbaldwin9157]

I subscribe! ! ! And like ! ! How about a rebel sit up ?

[@CompanyD2ndUSSS]

Great question. The setups wouldn't really have been different, it's just that our expertise is with the Union army. The one thing the Confederate army used a lot more of and you rarely see at events is the fly tent. I think it was the Liberty Rifles who did a great write up on the fly tent. All these set ups came from studying period illustrations and photographs. You might find something cool studying rebel camp photos and illustrations.

[@ravendon]

What book?

[@CompanyD2ndUSSS]

The Federal Civil War Shelter Tent by Frederick Gaede

[@scottdunkirk8198]

Doing 1870s Indian wars I do this all the time

[@scottdunkirk8198]

I always do the single half

[@majormojo9830]

What if youre 6'4" and your head and your feet stick out

[@CompanyD2ndUSSS]

Same struggles as many other soldiers. They would have slept crossways or diagonally in their tents or added extra room by tying a gun blanket off the end giving about a foot and a half of extra room.

[@majormojo9830]

@@CompanyD2ndUSSS ah okay thanks! Im just getting into this and your videos are immensely helpful. Thank you!

[@prestonalbertsen1128]

What is your phone number Captain Whitehall I couldn’t find it on the web site

[@CompanyD2ndUSSS]

Preston Albertsen shoot me an email at [e-mail]

[@CompanyD2ndUSSS]

Just prefer to not post that on here but shoot me an email and I'll send it off to you.

[@prestonalbertsen1128]

K thanks

[@prestonalbertsen1128]

Makes sense

[@joesmith4438]

Company D 2nd USSS yeah u shouldn't post it we're everyone can see it

[@bobivanski5635]

Man you better hope it doesn’t rain

[@bryankisner4918]

over 157 yr as not change

[@forestman2382]

how can a sorry tent like that protect you from rain, snow , wind , mosquito s , ants etc? poor soldiers , how could they even sleep after marching like 20 miles a day,?

[@CompanyD2ndUSSS]

Different times for different people. The people in the 1860s were much more accustomed to sleeping outdoors than we are today. However it did play into a factor in disease/injury or death playing into being exposed to the elements. As for sleeping in them after a 20 mile march... well having done them with full CW uniform and kit, I'd be happy just to lay down the the open or at least under a tree. I'd be quite happy to have a shelter half over me. These boys and men were a far harder breed than most of us today, not supermen, but pretty damned close!

[@forestman2382]

Company D 2nd USSS it's fine to sleep in a tent like that if the weather is ok. but imagine that you are marching 20 miles in a cold rain a nd the temp is 40 f and your clothes , bedding and gear are soaking wet. and then you have to sleep in your soaking wet clothes and wet bedding. a nd it would be even worse if there was snow a nd wind. I camped with a modern supposedly waterproof tent and it leaks when it rains so how bad it would be sleeping in those kinds of civil war tents which are probably not waterproof. a nd they didn't have the kind of gear we have today

[@reggieburkes4471]

I'll just buy a A Tent.

[@marieconstant6452]

PAPA D'OC...that Revelation was after the earthquake HAITI...The little girl get out in the Tent Take my Hand to get in ....

[@forestman2382]

you should be in uniform , not dressed in blue jeans

[@CompanyD2ndUSSS]

It would set the mood a bit better, you're right.

[@calebbionda4667]

A Civil War veteran takes to the west to a new life, 1870 colorized