shelter1

ENCAMPMENT and SHELTER

Jim Butler of The Salt River Rifles

The subject of encampment is one rarely broached for a mainstream reenactor as it is ?old-hat?. You know to bring an A-frame, shebang, Sibley, Wall tent, dog tent, or nothing at all regardless of the campaign/encampment portrayed. But to a progressive, the options may require more ingenuity in face of inclement weather and limited gear carried. This article will discuss the types of inclement weather faced and what type of shelter to build. We will also then touch on some encampment guidelines. Note that garrison impressions are not discussed in this article. This article is primarily focused on a field-craft, subject matter.

SHELTER

Shelter should usually only go up when the weather dictates you expend the energy a soldier needs to do so. Here are the most common elements you may need shelter for in the field on campaign.

HEAT: You need only put up shelter if the extreme exposure to the sun is a factor. I know many fellas who like to put up at least 1-4 shebangs for a large company to serve as rest posts to get out of the sun. Shebangs, lean-toos, simple, Gum-blanket shelters are all suitable. STAY HYDRATED! Have a water detail, plan (see ?Encampment Guidelines? below). I?ll take heat most any day over rain or cold!

RAIN: Your main motivation is obviously to stay dry. If trees are in abundance then you have several options for a shebang with two, shelter halves or 1-2 gum blankets or a simple, gum blanket shelter if no pard is to be found. Be sure you have a slope for your shebang appropriate to drain off the rain. Stay clear of the area under the drain-off point and keep gear out of this area. If no trees are available, then you must rely on your gum blankets. I suggest layering three gum blankets for three men, especially if it is cold as well. Lay fetal, wrap your blanket and/or greatcoat about you, and then lay the gums over top (see figure 3 & 4). Keep your gear close to your chest. Carry hemp cord & a pocketknife in your pocket for quick options to raise shelter. Carry extra, dry, pair of socks! Note, that you can always seek obvious alternate shelter, if presented (barns, period buildings, artillery pieces if their commander allows it, etc). In the cases of obvious, dangerous, extreme weather (tornado, hurricane, flooding) seek hard shelter immediately.

COLD: A fire should be built for each mess (4-6 men). Gather wood before dark if possible per mess (see ?Encampment Guidelines? below). The Three blanket-Three man layering is my best suggestion. Lay Two gum-blankets down (One if raining), three men lay down, three blankets layered over them, one-gum blanket (two if raining) on top (see figure 3). In dry weather, layer on any additional shelter, halves available. Spoon in extreme cold to preserve heat. Add fellas onto the line of men for continued layers. Trenches are warmer if you prepare a fire step ahead of time (stay below the level of the fire to be out of the smoke if possible). Buy a quality greatcoat, as it will come in handy for many events! (shop wisely)

WIND: I once campaigned at Lexington on the side of a grassy, depression on the side of a rocky outcropping. This served as an extraordinary windbreak and a bit of a rain break. In any case, find any type of windbreak you can, especially if it is cold. At Bentonville, some thick 2-3? brush served as the only, but usable windbreak available on that farm. See ?COLD? above and apply for cold temperatures as well. Wind isn?t too troublesome in mild or warm weather, in my opinion.

Figure 1

Figure 2

Shebang (one of many types)

Shelter comes in several types and varies on the type of gear carried, terrain, number of trees, etc. Here are few detailed below.

Simple, gum-blanket shelter (see figure 1.): This is the quickest and easiest to throw up. Use hemp cord to tie the corners of a gum blanket up on to nearby trees. Be sure to put it up with a slope for rain drainage. A poncho will work if you quickly pin the opening shut with a pin from your housewife and keep the overlap facing down-slope. Keep a pocketknife and hemp cord handy.

Shebang (see figure 2.): There are countless possible ways to put up a shebang. A few are mentioned here and one pictured. One way is with two, shelter halves or two, gum blankets. Button two halves together or overlap, two gum blankets. Tie a line of hemp cord between two trees. Throw the halves or gums over the line. Be sure that the seam is slightly offset the rope and not right on top. Use stakes & or guide ropes to attach corners to the ground or trees. Be sure your shelter half has a loop of hemp rope thru the corner grommets. Progress to hand-stitching your shelter-half, grommets or purchasing them this way (many vendors now offer this service). When under canvas, be sure NOT to touch or have anything in contact with the canvas as a leak can begin. You can also button more halves together and/or use branches for poles. I have seen countless configurations.

Lean-to (figure 5): Again, there are many variations of this technique. Branches, pine boughs, boulders, fence rails, etc can all be used to build a Lean-to. This can be an option if no trees are present. You can fix bayonets and invert your weapon and stick the bayonets in the ground for instant poles (be careful, as most repro, bayonets bend easily). Stake down one side of a gum blanket and attach the other end to somewhere on the rifles (trigger guard, etc) to get the right angle of the blanket.

Open Ground Techniques (figures 3 & 4): In the open, you only need cover in the rain and cold. Read ?Rain? and ?Cold? above for the Sleeping fetal under a gum-blanket technique. Clearly, there are few problems with this if the weather is temperate and clear.

Alternatives: If you are fortunate enough to have a nearby barn, artillery piece or caisson, period house, trench, depression, rocky outcropping, windbreaks, etc, try to take advantage of these options.

Sleeping Arrangement: Carefully lay out your gear as soon as you can when you stop to make camp (preferably in daylight). Find a soft, flat grassy spot if you can. Follow any steps above for shelter from inclement weather first. Remove any rocks or branches from your sleeping area. If the ground is hard, you can use a shovel or bayonet to try and break the ground up some. This will soften and level the ground somewhat. Lay down your gum blanket (rubber side down) and this will insulate you from the ground?s moisture. Lay out your blanket open. Lay inside the blanket long-ways, using just one side of the blanket. Then wrap the other side of the blanket over you (like you are the filling inside a taco). If you have any other means (shelter half or extra gum blanket) layer them over the top. If you have a great coat, be sure to wear it in cold weather and pull the cape over your head and this will provide additional warmth to your head.

There is no definitive solution to creating shelter. Your messes ingenuity and creativity is the key to keeping warm and dry.

Figure 3 Three Man, Three Blanket Set-up

Figure 4 Fetal under a Gum Blanket

Figure 5 Lean-too (sketch from ?Cpl Si Klegg and his Pard? by Wilbur Hinman)

ENCAMPMENT GUIDELINES

I have compiled some Encampment guidelines I feel might be of generic use in the field. They are in no particular order, but hopefully you will find them a useful checklist (especially to the NCOs).

1. Have your 1st Sgt assign details to corporals as soon as camp is reached. Wood, Fire, Mess, Water, Sink, Guard are some of the most logical details.

2. Wood detail corporals should be aware of the possible need to stockpile wood for a cold evening ahead. Gather wood before dark if possible.

3. Have a plan to get water (especially in hot weather). The water detail should really be on the ball. Assign a responsible corporal to this in hot weather. It is critical the men remain hydrated!

4. Run details simultaneously to get things done quicker. Rotate details to avoid monotony or fatigue.

5. Each unit, group, regiment, mess should have an ax or hatchet. A shovel is also useful.

6. Deploy guard details if needed as soon as stopping to make camp. Assign a corporal of the guard and set a rotation schedule. Decide if it is a police guard or a picket guard.

7. NCOs should be sure the men have cleaned their weapons before nightfall if possible.

8. Cook food the night before if an early march or activity is required the next day.

9. Quickly prepare camp and shelter in the case of expecting inclement weather.

10. Assign a detail to fill in all sinks prior to leaving camp.

11. The corporal of the fire detail should be sure there is no risk of spreading fires. He is also responsible to see that all fires are out prior to departing camp.

12. Set-up your gear so you can find your things in the dark or under candlelight.

13. If it is a warm day, have your blanket layed out so you can get at it as the temperatures drop in the night,

14. Bring a flannel, nightcap. You can easily make one or have one made. They are invaluable on cold nights. Get one big enough to pull down over your ears. An extra pair of dry socks is also a must.

15. Secure your rifle under or rolled in the edge of your gum blanket (this helps keep the rust off so you can pass morning inspection).

16. Hang foodstuffs off the ground if insects or other pests are an issue.

17. Find a camp that takes advantage of the terrain, windbreaks, grassy spots, trees for shebangs, available dead fall for fire wood, etc.

18. Arrange the camps to keep companies together and be sure the staff officers know exactly where each company is located.

19. Check the ground carefully before laying down your ground cloth/gum to be sure there are no yellow jacket, ant or insect nests nearby. I have however, made friends with some large, wolf spiders throughout the night and not been bothered much by them.

20. Work with your messmates. Delegate responsibilities and get more done at one time (one starts a fire, two collect wood, one gets water, etc).

References:

Hinman, Wilbur; Corporal Si Klegg and His Pard ; J.W. Henry Publishing, 1997; Ashburn, VA