Campaigning in the Wet & Cold: Fire, Fabrics, and Food

[@Drew791]

It’s such a lost skill for most of the public now to know how to survive in harsh conditions from coast to coast in the northern American continent. So it’s such an amazing experience to be able to go camping and think about what soldiers had to go through on top of just basic human survival. No wonder they were always so hungry in their journals and letters.

[@SteveAubrey1762]

A million years ago, I was a CW reenactor. My unit went to a reenactment at Franklin, Tennessee. I was still rather new to the hobby, having started that spring. This was my first winter event. I was set. I had my uniform which was Jean cloth, a wool blanket, a gum blanket , and a poncho. That night, the temperature dropped like a toilet seat. The guys decided they were going to do that spoon thing talked about in the video. Not me. I'm not going to spoon with a bunch of guys. Nope, ain't happening. So there I lay on the cold ground all by my self. After a few hours of shivering, feeling my body heat literally being sucked out of me into the ground, it started to snow. I tried to build a fired. It was too small, I Han no wood to keep it going, and it is the first fire I ever built that did not give off any heat. I almost froze to death that night. I did not sleep a wink. Not fun

[@nathanaelbrown3439]

I am part of a unit that teaches kids often and this is an amazing source im sharing and usuing myswlf as a living historian

[@eric3844]

Watching these two episodes togetber again to prepare myself for 160th wilderness this weekend! Hopefully I can fend off the cold

[@CivilWarDigitalDigest]

Enjoy the event! Some of us will be there.

[@firewaterforgeofarizona4304]

Ex S.A.R. guy here. We call cotton "death cloth" for good reason.

[@Beaguins]

Yeah, I had that drilled into my head in Civil Air Patrol. Wool is amazing for most outdoor conditions, though I wouldn't wear thick wool in hot weather. Since our bodies generate heat, a layer of insulation that effective in hot weather would cause overheating. Unfortunately Union soldiers suffered under the notion that "what keeps out the cold will keep out the heat," and that was a costly mistake.

[@robynperdieu3434]

It really takes living without to understand how we take things for granted. People don't fast like they used to, either, and this impacts the body's ability to go without food for awhile. I read the biography of Plenty Coups, the Crow Chief, and he remarked that the white soldiers were always looking to camp and eat, and they wore too many clothes. He actually wanted to leave the white soldiers behind as they tracked an enemy that stole horses because they were such a hindrance. We could learn something from the Native folk. They used to plunge into ice water to toughen up. I personally shut off the warm water before ending a shower because that is also good for health and toughening up.

[@burgerdan4936]

"...and how to spoon" whelp, I wasn't expecting to hear that so soon in the video.

[@CivilWarDigitalDigest]

We want to keep you on your toes! LOL

[@peterv1318]

Part 2, YES!!! That's so true when it comes to the smallest things that could possibly boost your morale. Food being, in my opinion, the biggest morale booster. Great video Will as always!!

[@Beaguins]

I once heard an Army food service specialist say simply that "food is morale."

[@ilovehorseshoecrabs]

Where could the wristers or mittens be gotten?

[@Drew791]

This is a KZbin channel after my own heart. I love fire fabrics and food… And the Civil War!

[@chrishastings2665]

It's crazy as modern people reenacting. How at some of these events, how little of a morale booster really does help. We forget how nice we have it now.

[@prickly10000]

"Drink water... Eat food" DAMN I know I was doing something wrong

[@georgesakellaropoulos8162]

There's an old adage regarding cotton clothing. "Cotton kills."

[@georgesakellaropoulos8162]

Drinking water will help keep your blood volume up. This is vital in cold weather.

[@danieljosiahcotton]

Awesome. Been looking forward to part two of this series. As always excellent work gentlemen!

[@scottpeterson2692]

This is supremely good content!

[@josephgonzales4802]

Excellent video, good advice....🙂

[@michaelmay5120]

The U.S. Army Survival Manual FM21-76 has a handy mnemonic for staying alive in the COLD: keep it Clean avoid Overheating wear it Loose and in Layers keep it Dry

[@CivilWarDigitalDigest]

It’s a good one! Too bad it didn’t exist in this era.

[@siraleks79]

Excellent! Any pointers to any sutlers for those wool shirts?

[@Beaguins]

Wambaugh & White has the US regulation wool shirts, including the gray variant commonly used in the western theater.

[@danielkohli1542]

South union mills has a couple of wool shirts including a civilian type.

[@ShootFirstSev]

Well, I gotta get me a wool issue shirt. What's a good place to get one?

[@CivilWarDigitalDigest]

I have one from Wambaugh and another one from Beauregard’s tailor. Both are good!

[@ShootFirstSev]

@@CivilWarDigitalDigest Beauregard's Tailor? Never heard of them. I'll check it out! Thanks!

[@ShootFirstSev]

@@CivilWarDigitalDigest What do you think of the one from Wambaugh? Is it a worthwhile reproduction?

[@CivilWarDigitalDigest]

@@ShootFirstSev I have gotten great service out of mine - and have loaned it to quite a few new guys as well.

[@ShootFirstSev]

@@CivilWarDigitalDigest Great. I've got my eye on one, and I think I'm going to bite the bullet.

[@as03uk]

It would be too tempting to wear a merino base layer beneath the uniform!