Fieldcraft

[bob 125th nysvi]

Thinking about the recently closed thread on how to stay dry (which wandered massively off topic) it occurred to me that many people know nothing about the simple art of fieldcraft.

I mean simple little things like pitching your shelter tent or half with the protected side facing in the direction of the prevailing weather (west or there abouts for most of the US). Or for that matter to be able to even tell the direction that the weather is coming from when you can't see the sun at that moment.

Not to camp at the bottom of a mound or hill (where all the water puddles).

To not setup next to a building where the pitch of the roof channels the water in your direction.

That if you have to pitch a tent on an incline to set it up so your feet are down hill from your head.

It seems to me we debate and discuss a lot about how to do this drill or that maneuver but we never seem to talk to our new recruits about the simple little things, the first things the NCOs and veterans would of taught the fresh fish.

How to survive outdoors.

How come we don't do that? And what simple little fieldcraft hints do you share with your fresh fish?

[garretttcrooks]

This site has a lot of tidbits for reenactors. it has been pretty helpful:
http://www.shasta.com/suesgoodco/newcivilians/

[GaWildcat]

Excellant Post Bob, and your right.

Even in the Real Army we taught the FNGs the ropes of being stationed in AK, how to survive in the winter, all kinds of stuff. We do need to teach this to FF, especially the younger ones. Now that we have food for thought, I will see this changes in our unit..

Thanks!

[Blair]

Just wondering, but would gun cleaning fall into this "fieldcraft" category of training or teaching "fresh Fish"?

[Bill_Cross]

There are many small details that will make the difference for a pleasant weekend vs. "I'm getting out of the hobby."

1.) At night, take off your sweat-soaked socks and put them back on over your back-up pair. By morning, they will be much dryer and can go in your pack to repeat this the following night (and only wear wool socks, the cotton ones are horrible). Do the same thing with your shirts;

2.) Put your lid over your bootees so that during the night, the dew won't wet their linings;

3.) Put your gum blankie or painted ground cloth on the ground, followed by your blanket, then "roll" you and your rifle into the combo like a pig-in-a-blanket (if you don't know what that is, Google it). If you have a shelter half or a second gummy, drap it over your combo as a dew cloth;

4.) Use your knapsack for a pillow;

5.) If it's going to be very cold, make sure your canteen is not quite full (in case it freezes in the night, a full canteen may get damaged from the expanding ice);

6.) If you don't own a knit sleeping cap, get one! The head loses more heat than any other part of your body;

7.) Alcohol tastes great and makes you feel warm, but will cause you to lose heat faster;

8.) Pull your suspenders down to your sides lest you pop one in the night;

9.) Don't sleep too close to the fire; it will throw off sparks in the night when you're sleeping and you could get ignited or have a cinder burn through your blanket;

10.) If you get wet, don't put your shoes near the fire lest the heat shrink the leather last and make the shoe unwearable or split.

If Bill Watson is lurking, I'm sure he has suggestions.

[bob 125th nysvi]

Just wondering, but would gun cleaning fall into this "fieldcraft" category of training or teaching "fresh Fish"?

but it doesn't invalidate that you should clean your rifle after every firing and that NCOs should enforce this. Just as a cavalryman has to take care of his horse before himself, so should an infantryman take care of his weapon before himself.

But I'm just talking about how to be outside and living outside.

Thanks though.

[Blair]

Bob,

Try this web site. Maybe it will help get this topic fired up.

http://www.buildanark.net/index.php?homesteading/The%2520Science%2520of%2520Fire.html

"Science of Fire", by British Red. This has to be the most basic of Fieldcraft skills in anybodies book.

[Julius]

Good sugestions.....But I don't think those would fall into the field craft categories.
Field craft to me would be what the originals called daily life.
I.E. building and maintaining a cook fire.
Digging sinks.
Finding drinkable water.
Cooking
Sewing and routine repairs.
Navigation.
Also plant identification.
Just a few things I can list at the moment.
You would be amazed at how many people cant tie a bowline knot or know how to fill their canteen from a creek.

The other suggestions posted erlier seem to me to be more common sense .

[Bill_Cross]

You would be amazed at how many people cant tie a bowline knot or know how to fill their canteen from a creek.
Filling your canteen from most creeks here in the East will get your guts tied into a bowline.... ;)

[Mint Julep]

Fieldcraft doesn't start with being outdoors, it starts with knowing how and what to pack, including clothing choices and cover.

1) Wool trumps cotton in almost every situation. Whether it is clothing or your covering at night, wool is your friend. Wet cotten or linen will only suck the heat out of your body. You can get hypothermia in the middle of summer if you body temps get low enough for an extended period of time.

2) Get something between you and the ground. Lots of reasons: comfort, heat, wet, insects, etc. You want a layer of waterproof and padding if you can manage it. Sometimes the field you camp in has thick enough grass, you don't need to add to it to provide the padding. Sometimes you will want to gather leaves or other materials. I've taken my gum, laid it and pulled tall grass and piled it up on the gum and used that to convey it back to my bedding. One of the best beds I've made for myself in the field (that didn't involve a bed tick) was at Bank's Grand Retreat. On the high ground, I found a depression in the ground that looked like a hammock. It was just below a pine tree, so I scraped up the needles on the ground and piled them. A short while later, before dark, I was out attending some personal business in the bushes and found a recently downed pine tree with its needles still in tact, but dry and brown. I retrieved my gum and went down there and stripped that old tree clean of needles until my gum was so full I could barely lift it. I added that to my bedding. I had about 3 inches of pine needles to lay on. I slept like a baby ... warm, cozy, blankie wrapped around my chin, waking every three hours to change the guard. Good times.

3) I usually take a big swig of water last thing before I lie down. I think it helps your body recoup during the night from all the dehydration and lessens the muscle cramps, etc. I got started doing it when I read that it helped with asthma at night.

4) The usual advice of changing socks and any cotton underclothes before bedding down. A damp shirt will cause you more misery all night than the 5 minutes of cold it takes to strip down and redress with a dry shirt. I have hung damp shirts on sticks pushed in the ground next to the fire to let them dry while I am doing something else, like cooking. However, leaving them out all night will only cause them to be damp from dew in the morning.

5) I always try to sleep with my feet to the fire. They get coldest easiest on me. If possible I will lie lengthwise near it, but my feet always get the most exposure. Shoes off at night! Your feet will thank you and the ankles of your spooning pard will thank you.

6) Spooning with another man takes getting used to. In our modern society, men just aren't accustomed to the idea of sharing that kind of space, especially with near strangers. However, back then, it was much more common. I'm one to toss and turn in the night a lot, so I rarely try to get in the middle of a spoon line. I will get on the end and usually sleep back to back with the guy next to me. That usually works out okay. I always retain my blanket, not spreading it over me and others. I've had enough blankets pulled off me in the night and woke up shivering to not learn a lesson. If I have a second blanket, I don't mind sharing it.

just a few thoughts off the top of my head,

And, of course, these only apply if you are campaigning. If you are in a tent on a cot, well, never mind.

[Blair]

Russ,

If learning how to start is not your cup of tea try these,

http://www.buildanark.net/index.php?Food%20Gathering.html "Food Gathering"

Or this,

http://www.buildanark.net/index.php?Campfire%20Cooking.html "Campfire Cooking" (this only helps if you can start a fire.)

Both are basic fieldcraft survival skills and both fit into the your suggestions.

[Julius]

Filling your canteen from most creeks here in the East will get your guts tied into a bowline.... ;)

The same gose for the west.

Iodine or a little bleach dose wonders.

[Julius]

Russ,

If learning how to start is not your cup of tea try these,

http://www.buildanark.net/index.php?Food%20Gathering.html "Food Gathering"

Or this,

http://www.buildanark.net/index.php?Campfire%20Cooking.html "Campfire Cooking" (this only helps if you can start a fire.)

Both are basic fieldcraft survival skills and both fit into the your suggestions.

Thanks
for the links.
If anyone has not seen this magazine I would suggest you find it in your local book store. I have been buying it for years.

http://www.backwoodsmanmag.com/

[Blair]

It might also prove interesting to those interested in this subject to do a simple Google search under the subject title of "Fieldcraft".
I have to admit that the term has altered somewhat from what I originally thought it might have meant.

[Cove Rebel]

Some fairly good fieldcraft stuff on this site. Granted it isn't directed towards reenactors but rather boy scouts, but good info none the less. Good ways to build a fire haven't changed much in 150 years.

http://www.inquiry.net/outdoor/skills/index.htm

[Poor Private]

Turn your boots, or shoes over in the morning and shake them, in case creepy crawly things decided to visit.
Build your fire down wind that way smoke won't come into your tent.
You don't need a fire the size of a door for cooking, you can boil water with small twiggy bits and a small hole, bigger is not neccessarily better.
Also don't spit or pee into the wind.
Don't use poison ivy leaves for toilet tissue.

[huntdaw]

If you do find yourself with only one shirt, a nice little tip is to run your rammer through both sleeves and hang the shirt on it. You can then hold it up over the fire and dry the whole thing off. The heat will billow the shirt out and dry it from the inside out. Sure feels good when you put it back on also.

Works better than Kramer's pizza oven experiment!

[Rob Weaver]

OK - best piece of fieldcraft I ever saw. At a Rev War event,my pard and I were roasting meat on the rammer of my Bess. Ben was cutting up chunks to shishkebob thusly and I heard the following. "Remember that knife you said isn't very sharp. It's sharper than you think - but it made a nice clean cut and I cauterized it with a hot stick." I gotta admire a man who can do first aid like that and not scream like a girl. :)

[97th private]

Turn your boots, or shoes over in the morning and shake them, in case creepy crawly things decided to visit.
Build your fire down wind that way smoke won't come into your tent.
You don't need a fire the size of a door for cooking, you can boil water with small twiggy bits and a small hole, bigger is not neccessarily better.
Also don't spit or pee into the wind.
Don't use poison ivy leaves for toilet tissue.


I will have to remember those words of wisdom!! You can add dont 'eat yellow snow to that profound list :D

[97th private]

Just wondering, but would gun cleaning fall into this "fieldcraft" category of training or teaching "fresh Fish"?


Absolutely Blair, Taking care of a weapon properly while on the march during campaign and weather of all sorts is often a tough task and it should be taught. A soldiers weapon is his life.

[Blair]

Pete,

Obviously that would be my opinion as well.
I have to agree with Mr Sandusky. This is after all his thread.
And, in all honesty, the "fresh fish" should be taught to load and shoot their firearms before they learn how to clean them. These are indeed activities best done outside.

[97th private]

Pete,

Obviously that would be my opinion as well.
I have to agree with Mr Sandusky. This is after all his thread.
And, in all honesty, the "fresh fish" should be taught to load and shoot their firearms before they learn how to clean them. These are indeed activities best done outside.

Does a soldier or Marine first load and fire their weapon or do they "Fieldstrip" it and clean it a million times before they ever fire it? :)

I am as well talking about living outside. At night put a light coat of oil on your muskets metal surfaces to keep from rusting overnight while in the stack. In real poor weather like snow, rain, high humidity, keep your musket next to you under your blanket while you sleep. It will help keep it from rusting as well. Keep the tompion in while marching in the rain. A wet breech and barrel will prohibit reliable firing. Use some rottenstone or coal ash from fire to polish metal and get surface rust off weapon and bayonet. As far as the bayonet goes. It can be placed in the ground and used for a candle holder, use it to secure your shelter half as a tent stake, use it as a handle for holding your boiler over the fire, a can opener, (civil war troops did not have p38's) and as a skewer for cooking fresh meat, you also can use your ramrod for this.

[tompritchett]

Don't use poison ivy leaves for toilet tissue.

Along that line, learn to recognize poison oak leaves because you would be more likely to use them than ivy for that purpose (the leaves are considerably larger).

[Blair]

Pete,

I understand your point.
How would you "field strip" an M-1861 Springfield? When heavy punishment could be issued on a Private for removing the cone from his firearm without proper authorization or supervision.
In the period during the Civil War they the "fresh fish" would have be taught to load and fire by the Military count First.

[97th private]

Pete,

I understand your point.
How would you "field strip" an M-1861 Springfield? When heavy punishment could be issued on a Private for removing the cone from his firearm without proper authorization or supervision.
In the period during the Civil War they the "fresh fish" would have be taught to load and fire by the Military count First.

point taken, you are right Sir. Man this modern brain sometimes gets in the way..:D

[flattop32355]

...and as a skewer for cooking fresh meat, you also can use your ramrod for this.

As an additional point when using the ramrod for roasting meat: Hold the rod over the fire for a short time before inserting the meat onto it; this allows the meat to be seared to the metal, and it will not rotate on the rod when you try to flip it from one side to the other.

Or you can skewer the meat onto two rods, to the same effect.

[Harold Adams]

Here in Florida you may want to consider alot of things;
Check your shoes before putting them on. Check your gear period. Our little eight legged friends like to find places to hide, and they do bite when their disturbed. Don't sleep near any small piles of dirt (fire ants).

When you have time; change your socks, nothing like a fresh change after a long walk.

Be sure not set your gear; all gear that is near the fire; It absolutely sucks to see your 'investment' get damaged by fire.

Travel as light as possible. One thing I hated carrying was my overcoat. Although it came in handy many a cold night.

Buy a correct musket tool for your shooter and learn how to use it.

Learn how to tie various knots. A pard of mine (Steve Hesson) had an excellent article on how to tie knots in one of our unit newsletters. These will come in quite handy.

Learn to sew; it certainly helps.

Learn how to set up that shelter half or gum blanket in various ways. Learn how to set up a lean to if you don't have said gum blanket or shelter half.

Pay attention to the weather when your in field. In some places it can change several times.

As a matter of fact; learn how to use your gum blanket and how to wear it correctly. You would be surprised at how many people didn't know how.

Be aware of your surroundings.

Use every opportunity to research (yes even in the field).

Thats all I got;
Kindest Regards;
Harold (who hopes someday to return to the hobby)

[Mint Julep]

Be sure not set your gear; all gear that is near the fire; It absolutely sucks to see your 'investment' get damaged by fire.



I am reminded of the time a pard was sitting near the fire and someone yelled that his shelter tent (on the other end of the street) was on fire. We all turned to see the entire thing engulfed, with all his stuff inside. Everyone ran to put it out, except the owner. "Aren't you going to try to save your gear?" "There's 3 pounds of powder in the tent! I'm not going down there!"

We called everyone back and watched it burn. The powder never went off. It was still in the cans; he'd just bought them on sutler row an hour earlier.

[Harold Adams]

Well thankfully, nobody was hurt and powder didnt go off.
I recall many an accident seeing alot gear destroyed and people nearly injured due to a non attended fire. Heck, I almost caused a major fire myself:rolleyes:, in the field, but fortunatly some other pards were very observent and we quickly put it out.

Not to hijack the thread, but when I was in the regular Army, my unit was in Grafenwohr in March, and were fortunate to have these nice heaters for our GP Medium or Small (not sure which one, it held my whole gun section of 6), well some folks who where on fire watch, werent watching, and were busy inspecting the insides of their eyelids (sleeping:rolleyes:). Sadly a tent along with lots of expensive equipage burned down, and the command made all of us turn in the heaters to supply while out in the field. That really taught us a lesson! Fortunatly nobody was injured.

Anyway; just having expensive period correct clothing, and eqipage is not enough. Learn about it, read about it, know how to use it, and know how to maintain it. Act like a soldier or civilian of the period when your at events.

Cheers!

[Mint Julep]

Harold,

The incident I described was the result of a lit candle in a bayonet slipping through and falling in the straw, as best we could tell.

Ever seen a fire truck come across a battlefield to put out a brush fire during the battle? Franklin, 1989, Spring Hill scenario on Friday afternoon. Grass was dry and some folks were firing wadding.

[Pvt Schnapps]

Harold,

The incident I described was the result of a lit candle in a bayonet slipping through and falling in the straw, as best we could tell.

Ever seen a fire truck come across a battlefield to put out a brush fire during the battle? Franklin, 1989, Spring Hill scenario on Friday afternoon. Grass was dry and some folks were firing wadding.

I saw a guy do that at an event a couple of years ago. Lucky for him it just burned the gum blanket that he'd used to close the back of the dog tent. An hour later, though, the same guy had a candle lantern going inside the same, somewhat smoke-grayed tent. I've seen candle lanterns go up, too, but apparently he hadn't.

Sometimes fire is just God's way of thinning the herd.

[Bill_Cross]

If you do find yourself with only one shirt, a nice little tip is to run your rammer through both sleeves and hang the shirt on it. You can then hold it up over the fire and dry the whole thing off.
Yes, and if it catches fire, you can use the embers to roast your dinner.

Sorry, I have too much money invested in authentic shirts to risk inadvertently setting one ablaze. It's one reason why, if you're Union, you should invest in a wool shirt: wool will "wick" the perspiration away from your body if you can't change clothes, and it stays warmer than cotton, which just gets damp and clammy on your body. And ALWAYS have an extra shirt.
Along that line, learn to recognize poison oak leaves because you would be more likely to use them than ivy for that purpose (the leaves are considerably larger).
Gentlemen, proper field craft includes preparation: make sure you have "necessities paper" packed in your haversack or knapsack. The napkins in the restaurants on the Garden State Parkway are unbleached, period-correct paper and perfect for same. I always grab extras when I go on that route, but there are other places you can get the "right" paper.
Build your fire down wind that way smoke won't come into your tent.
And make sure either your tent is on wheels or the fire is, just in case the wind changes direction....

[Blair]

Bill,
Thank you.
That bit of levity made it worth looking back in on this thread.

[billwatson2]

"Ever seen a fire truck come across a battlefield to put out a brush fire during the battle?"

Not during the battle, but one rolled through the camps at Neshaminy, maybe around 1999 or 2000, for a fire in the blue camp caused by some kids (AKA precious snowflakes) who were Without Adult Supervision momentarily. Three tents went up, I think.

The only humor to be found was that the local outfit summoned to extinguish the conflagration was the Union Fire Department.

[Bill_Cross]

The only humor to be found was that the local outfit summoned to extinguish the conflagration was the Union Fire Department.
Pity the unit being portrayed wasn't the Fire Zouaves....

[hanktrent]

Pity the unit being portrayed wasn't the Fire Zouaves....

Reminds me of a reenactment in which a helicopter descended on the field, labelled in large letters on the side, "Grant." No, it wasn't carrying any dignitaries like the commander of the army. The field was also used as the life flight landing pad for the local hospital, Grant Medical Center, and the helicopter was using it for an unrelated emergency.

Hank Trent
hanktrent@gmail.com

[Poor Private]

Yes, and if it catches fire, you can use the embers to roast your dinner.

Sorry, I have too much money invested in authentic shirts to risk inadvertently setting one ablaze. It's one reason why, if you're Union, you should invest in a wool shirt: wool will "wick" the perspiration away from your body if you can't change clothes, and it stays warmer than cotton, which just gets damp and clammy on your body. And ALWAYS have an extra shirt.

Gentlemen, proper field craft includes preparation: make sure you have "necessities paper" packed in your haversack or knapsack. The napkins in the restaurants on the Garden State Parkway are unbleached, period-correct paper and perfect for same. I always grab extras when I go on that route, but there are other places you can get the "right" paper.

And make sure either your tent is on wheels or the fire is, just in case the wind changes direction....

If you live in Michigan like I do, 90% of the prevaling wind is from the west south west. Which just goes to show you, you have to know the area you are in. Thats called fieldcraft, knowing your surroundings and what it tells you.

[Bill_Cross]

If you live in Michigan like I do, 90% of the prevaling wind is from the west south west. Which just goes to show you, you have to know the area you are in. Thats called fieldcraft, knowing your surroundings and what it tells you.
Point taken!

But given how much of the WBTS was fought in Michigan, I don't think that information will be useful to the majority of those in the hobby I know. ;)

Then again, I don't remember any battles being fought in PA except THE ONE, so when I was at Neshaminy, PA outside Philly, I had to know the local conditions, and we would have needed a fire on wheels to follow your advice, LOL!

[flattop32355]

Then again, I don't remember any battles being fought in PA except THE ONE, so when I was at Neshaminy, PA outside Philly, I had to know the local conditions, and we would have needed a fire on wheels to follow your advice, LOL!

While it can be called hair splitting, there were a number of battles in the Gettysburg campaign besides the big, three day infantry battle. A few PA towns got the priviledge of being shelled or had fighting in the streets.

[Bill_Cross]

While it can be called hair splitting, there were a number of battles in the Gettysburg campaign besides the big, three day infantry battle.
In my attempt at cheap humor, I left out the residents of Chambersburg. I'm sure they would protest!

[bob 125th nysvi]

In my attempt at cheap humor, I left out the residents of Chambersburg. I'm sure they would protest!

being left out or your cheap humor? ;)

[RJSamp]

lit candle in a bayonet slipping through and falling in the straw, as best we could tell.

Ever seen a fire truck come across a battlefield to put out a brush fire during the battle?

Certainly, Antietam 135 West Woods Scenario....artillery fire lit up a bunch of grass.....the smoke on the battlefield and flames looked great.....the fire truck came and put out the fire.

[Michael Pierpoint]

There is some good suggestion on here, However some men dont know where to point that thing when releaving one self, like not by there tent or sombody elses. Walk away from camp and dont use the wood pile. Yes sad to say I have seen these thing happen.

[50th VA Corporal]

Good sugestions.....But I don't think those would fall into the field craft categories.
Field craft to me would be what the originals called daily life.
I.E. building and maintaining a cook fire.
Digging sinks.
Finding drinkable water.
Cooking
Sewing and routine repairs.
Navigation.
Also plant identification.
Just a few things I can list at the moment.
You would be amazed at how many people cant tie a bowline knot or know how to fill their canteen from a creek.

The other suggestions posted erlier seem to me to be more common sense .

I certainly agree with your suggestions above. Seems to me we learned all of these things in the Boy Scouts including firebuilding, watersafety, cutting wood, etc. I would tend to think if one considered themselves a true campaigner and has not learned these basic skills that a whole USA of 11 to 18 year old boys have learned are lacking in their skillsets. It's gratifying to be in a hobby that these learned skills of my youth have value and I am in a unit that has other scouters, and Eagle Scouts, participating in.

Go out and buy a copy of the Boy Scout Fieldbook and you'll find a host of skills you can develop.

[billwatson2]

"However some men dont know where to point that thing when releaving one self"

True enough, but a much greater problem is caused by those who leave it running.