Flat Gabled Front Porch Fly's

[RJSamp]

No I'm going to bring up the old diatribe....it actually has seemed to have some positive impact on the hobby after all....until this Weekend at Mill Springs.

Where are those old Tenting pictures.....garrison style camping......that were posted up here? or on the AC.

can anyone produce a picture of a Flat Gabled Front Porch Fly with side support lumber? Maybe some spiffy glass encased candle lanterns?

I'd settle for the side horizontal pole supports where the fly is lashed to a log pole that itself is lashed to two uprights post hole dug into the ground......but haven't seen ANYONE do that in reenacting (note to self, remember to bring PostHole digger to next event with 4 6-7' uprights (2-3' into the ground, 4-5' above the ground) and 2 12-13' side poles).

If you are in fact placing a Fly in front of an A shaped tent or wall tent....make sure that your gable (that's the slant of the roof line as it appears from the front) matches your 1st fly that is over the tent (if you only have one fly, that's where the fly should (as in 99%+ of the tents) be placed).

Earnestly awaiting a few thousand pictures of how they did it back in the ACW while in Garrison with Flat Gabled Front Porch Fly's.

THANK YOU.

[flattop32355]

Keep pounding the point home, RJ. I'm not sure if any of the principal offenders ever come here, but at least the rest of us will know to shake our heads and cry out, "Tut, tut...."

While you're at it, how about taking aim at the misguided individual who insisted upon serenading the Federal camp at least twice a day on the bagpipes? He wasn't even a good piper, but that didn't seem to deter him.

1st Scot: Angus, listen what happens when I blow into this goat's bladder...

2nd Scot: That's amazing, Colin! But shouldn't you have killed the goat first?

1st Scot: No, I don't think so....This way really scares the h*ll out of the English.

[WestTN_reb]

That sounds alot like the guy at Sacramento, Kentucky a few years ago who tripped, fell on his bagpipes, and popped the bag. The funny thing is, he still tried to play after that, and it did sound like playing a live goose.

Keep pounding the point home, RJ. I'm not sure if any of the principal offenders ever come here, but at least the rest of us will know to shake our heads and cry out, "Tut, tut...."

While you're at it, how about taking aim at the misguided individual who insisted upon serenading the Federal camp at least twice a day on the bagpipes? He wasn't even a good piper, but that didn't seem to deter him.

1st Scot: Angus, listen what happens when I blow into this goat's bladder...

2nd Scot: That's amazing, Colin! But shouldn't you have killed the goat first?

1st Scot: No, I don't think so....This way really scares the h*ll out of the English.

[Rob Weaver]

I haven't heard bagpipes for a number of years, and all of a sudden I've heard them 2 or 3 times this year. I usually don't get a bee in my bonnet about stuff like this but somebody has to get to these pipers errant and get them to cease and desist. There is no documentation for highland bagpipes. Period. End of discussion. To coddle these musicians because they play a difficult instrument which is cool to the modern sensibility is ridiculous. Perhaps I'll bring my electric guitar to the next event and run a long cord off my car cigarette lighter. The next time I hear a bagpipe, I'l chime in with the guitar solo from "Comfortably Numb" :)

[tompritchett]

In my old unit, our bugler indicated that he was thinking of learning to play the bagpipes and might even bring the instrument to an event. As the acting 1SGT at the time, I told him in no uncertain terms that, if he did so, his bagpipes would not survive the experience. First, as Rob mentioned, bagpipes have no place at a civil war reenactment supposedly involving armies on the move. Second, and more importantly, there was no way that I was going to listen to someone play the instrument that was not yet proficient and could not stay in tune with the music (he had enough trouble hitting the right notes with the bugle). The only sound that I can envision as being worse is a violin student just learning how to play in tune. Needless to say, he never brought a set of bagpipes to a reenactment while I was with the unit.

[vamick]

Ive seen all those pictures...well a lot of em anyway, But what I cant figure out is WHY NOT front porches??? why did CW flys go over the tent top instead of in front...seems kinda redundant over the tent!....whats the secret here gentlemen??:rolleyes:

[Rob Weaver]

I'd rather hear the aspiring violinist! It's a period instrument, and a good bit of violin literature was obviously written and available to even the average musician before 1861. The soldiers appreciated attempts to make music, even poorly, as a distraction from the realities they faced. There's a great quote in a diary from the 116th PA in which the author contemplates buying a violin for his brother while on furlough. He mentions this several times. Eventually, though, in a letter to his father, he confesses that he couldn't bring himself to buy the violin as it would be a waste of money. I'm not a folk music snob at events, and have been known to play "Alice's Restaurant" myself (with full orchestration and four part harmony) but it's possible to play a guitar and sing quietly - I don't think the words bagpipe and quietly should ever be used in the same sentence. To whoever insists in playing the pipes at Civil War events, I make this blanket statement: "I appreciate what you're trying to do. The pipes are very hard to play. In fact, they're the only instrument which totally defeated me in an attempt to learn them. The pipes are also not appropriate for a reenactment camp portraying soldiers in the United States from 1861-1865. Please leave them home. Oh, and by the way, 'Scotland the Brave' isn't period. If you want Scottish music, learn 'Bonnie Dundee.' "

[AZReenactor]

The secret is that a tent fly actually serve a functional purpose by making the tent more waterproof and helping to regulate the temperature within. That double wall construction dissipates a driving rain and prevents it from soaking directly through into the interior of the tent and also provides a layer of insulating air between the tent and the fly that helps keep the tent cooler in bright sun and warmer in cold windy weather. Keep in mind that armies didn't merely erect tens for a weekend but for months at a time where a variety of weather conditions must be faced. This also applies to stretching a tent fly out flat. Ever seen what happens to a flat fly in a good rain when the water starts to puddle on it?

Ive seen all those pictures...well a lot of em anyway, But what I cant figure out is WHY NOT front porches??? why did CW flys go over the tent top instead of in front...seems kinda redundant over the tent!....whats the secret here gentlemen??:rolleyes:

[Spinster]

Here here Troy! Those who live in the hot parts of the country can attest to the fact that a fly on top of the tent makes a good 10 degree difference in the temperature inside the tent-and that's if its just laying up there--if its properly extended and supported to keep a little air layer all around, the difference is greater. It also gives a bit of protection/insulation against winter winds, thus warmer in winter, cooler in summer.

Same thing goes for rain. Keith Bartsch borrowed my A frame and fly for the famous Fort Gaines Deluge and Fishing Rodeo several years back. He stated that they were the only ones on that parade ground to stay snug and dry, as the top fly channeled the water away from the tent underneath.

It makes no sense, until you do it--and then once again, the lesson is driven home: Those folks THEN were smart, and knew how to manage all sorts of situations. We spend way too much time and effort now trying to ignore what they already knew.

[KeystoneGuard]

No I'm going to bring up the old diatribe....it actually has seemed to have some positive impact on the hobby after all....until this Weekend at Mill Springs.

Where are those old Tenting pictures.....garrison style camping......that were posted up here? or on the AC.

can anyone produce a picture of a Flat Gabled Front Porch Fly with side support lumber? Maybe some spiffy glass encased candle lanterns?

I'd settle for the side horizontal pole supports where the fly is lashed to a log pole that itself is lashed to two uprights post hole dug into the ground......but haven't seen ANYONE do that in reenacting (note to self, remember to bring PostHole digger to next event with 4 6-7' uprights (2-3' into the ground, 4-5' above the ground) and 2 12-13' side poles).

If you are in fact placing a Fly in front of an A shaped tent or wall tent....make sure that your gable (that's the slant of the roof line as it appears from the front) matches your 1st fly that is over the tent (if you only have one fly, that's where the fly should (as in 99%+ of the tents) be placed).

Earnestly awaiting a few thousand pictures of how they did it back in the ACW while in Garrison with Flat Gabled Front Porch Fly's.

THANK YOU.

RJ,
You'll be happy to know that I've corrected that problem in the unit I belong to. We no longer have a fly as a front porch rather use it free-standing as a dining fly. I have seen several individuals follow suit since they've talked to me and seen what we did. I hope that this will solve the problem in the future but I'm not holding my breath.

"I"m merely a Progressive crusader in the mainstream camp":cool:

[billwatson2]

"note to self, remember to bring PostHole digger to next event "


RJ, that's cheating. use a shovel. Or tell the corporal to use a shovel, anyway. :-0

[flattop32355]

...why did CW flys go over the tent top instead of in front...seems kinda redundant over the tent!....whats the secret here gentlemen??

Another example: Think of the fly similar to pitching your tent under the branches of a tree; less rain gets on the tent's canvas, and it's shadier than using just the tent's canvas alone.

We do the porches, because we're used to seeing them on modern camping tents and campers as awnings. Apparently, they used it more as "air conditioning" than just a shady spot.

[7thNJcoA]

We have never used a fly in that manner.. We have a cook and he sets up his fly for his cooking area and thats it. Our Hospitol uses one and even that one is seperate from the tent. I have only seen the porch thing a few times I agree with you but we all know that nothing we say or do can ever change some of the people in the hobby no matter how we educate them!

[RJSamp]

RJ,
You'll be happy to know that I've corrected that problem in the unit I belong to. We no longer have a fly as a front porch rather use it free-standing as a dining fly. I have seen several individuals follow suit since they've talked to me and seen what we did. I hope that this will solve the problem in the future but I'm not holding my breath.

"I"m merely a Progressive crusader in the mainstream camp":cool:

Thanks for the effort, and Congratulations!!!

[vamick]

Thanks gentlemen Ive now offically 'learned something'..not that Ive done much deep thinking about it but the answer was clear..they usually are once ya know em!;)

[Rob]

http://www.cwreenactors.com/dcforum/Howto/2018.html

[RJSamp]

Thank You! That camp picture is priceless......it's also where I got the idea for bringing side rails/uprights to lash down the fly instead of staking it to the ground.

Note that I don't see many/any 2 x 2's holding up the sides of the fly's......(or bark covered 'branch' poles)....

Nice ditching around many of the tents as well.....they are prepared for nasty weather.....

the picture where Lincoln is talking to McClellan is also excellent.....

The roof slant of any porch fly's matches the roof line of the tent/fly over the tent......

[mboyce]

http://www.cwreenactors.com/dcforum/Howto/2018.html

Hi,
My name is Marvin Boyce. I'm new this the forum and to Civil War re-anacting.
There is an interesting tent in the photo above. Is that a Sibley with an external tripod frame, of one of those pyramid tents that are popular at rendezvous? If it's a sibley, has anyone ever seen a sibley set up like that before?

[RJSamp]

Hi,
My name is Marvin Boyce. I'm new this the forum and to Civil War re-anacting.
There is an interesting tent in the photo above. Is that a Sibley with an external tripod frame, of one of those pyramid tents that are popular at rendezvous? If it's a sibley, has anyone ever seen a sibley set up like that before?

It's a Sibley or Bell Tent.....and I have never seen one set up with an external pole system like that. Maybe the tripod is broken/missing or they simply want more internal space so have gone to external poles? The bell tents that I've seen are shorter and smaller than a Sibley, and have a 24" high wall of canvas on the bottom...the door for this specific tent seems rather tall. Unfortunately it's humid in Chicago and I don't have the getupandgo to pull the Sibley down that's in my garage all nicely folded and wrapped in a hemp cord knot.