Thoughts about Sleeping on Campaign
Chris Suppelsa
I'll be honest. When I first came into the hobby at the ripe old age of 14, I didn't have the first clue about how to spend a comfortable night in the field. I tried a few different methods; placing heated rocks under my blanket, practically charbroiling my feet in a campfire, etc... After a year or so of suffering, I began to develop my own system which has worked successfully ever since.
So how is it possible to achieve a good night’s sleep? Simple, it just takes what you carry on your back, a good pard, and bit of preparation.
One of the most critical steps to a good night's rest is selecting a good location. Try to find a nice level spot, taking care to find a place that has good protection against the wind.
After selecting a spot, I do a quick inspection and remove any sticks or rocks that would cause discomfort during the night. If we are encamped within site of a farm, I like to insulate my site with straw. If not, pine needles work just as well, though we young fellows often skip this in due to laziness.
After this, begin to lay out your blankets. I've been fortunate enough to have befriended a gentleman by the name of Sean Efird. Between us, we usually have 2 woolen blankets and one gum blanket. We lay down the gum blanket, and then one of the woolen ones. The last woolen blanket goes on top of us.
When our bed is set up, we strip off our coats and change shirts. Its quite simple really. Wet shirt + cold night = misery. The same goes for socks. Take them off, turn the wet pair inside out, and place them over the dry pair. In the morning, the wet pair will have dried well enough to wear. In addition, we both usually don soft woolen nightcaps in order to prevent the loss of heat through the head.
A full bladder will give you chills during the night, so the last thing we do before crawling into bed is to visit the sinks. Some feel that drinking a cup warm water will help you fall asleep, but after giving it a try, I don't put much faith in that theory.
After attending to this duty, we will throw our blanket on top of us and cuddle together in a documented practice known as spooning. Many will laugh at the idea of spooning, but while they are huddled around the campfire at 3:00 A.M., we usually manage quite well.
Remember, the Civil War soldier never had the luxury of pulling into the local Motel 6 after an event ends. He had to deal with the cold for extended periods of time. We can certainly endure the elements for a night or two, and in the process gain a certain satisfaction in experiencing one of the underappreciated facets of life in the 1860s.
All Rights Reserved, Chris Suppelsa. Please seek permission before using any part of the above article Here