18th century Single blanket technique

[Armando]

In the October 2019 muzzle blasts, John Currys article, “thoughts on conducting the historic scout part three”, he discusses how the 18th century scout/Longhunter would use a Single blanket technique for camping.

there is a picture of the trekker wrapped up for a night sleep in his blanket and it looks like The blanket is tied off and wrapped around. The author refers to something called the “three fires/Anishinabek” fashion of camping with single blanket.

does anyone know the technique for doing this?

 

[DaveC]

This dude up in Pennsyltucky has got a couple different ideas of what to do with blankets. Some of these may be informative in how to use a single blanket for maximum warmth without "spooning" alongside other single blanket users:

 

[DaveC]

I'd also think the debris bed, pine boughs, etc. etc. would be a key element here... Possibly also to include a rudimentary lean-to of branches and insulating debris over the single blanket... and a fire...

 

[DaveC]

Also a *big* blanket... "90x90?"

 

[Loyalist Dave]

I've done some "single blanket" stuff...both in living history and in the service...except that in the service they were synthetic and were called "poncho liners".

You want THICK if you're going to do this. Military blanket thickness might be good for high Summer, but remember those blankets are designed for use in a barracks setting....indoors where heat is available. You're also expected to be on a mattress and there isn't going to be any sort of wind.

When I first tried a wool blanket it was just as the Internet was taking off, and there wasn't an online venue to find demo videos. I went to a much thicker blanket, that was 60"x90" [5 feet by 7 and a half]. The first thing that I learned was that when wearing it as an outer garment, the 5' side was from head to knees, and the 7.5' was used around the body. You could arrange this to form a short of hood, and lower this over one's shoulders and still use your arms, or pull your arms within. It shed drizzling rain well. This was what is known as a "match coat" arrangement.

The first time I tried to sleep with this..., I froze...., there weren't a lot of dry leaves of any type to form a bed or shelter, and so we had an oilcloth roof over our heads...and a fire, but it was dang cold. EVEN when tried something different, I sat up and "slept" as I had in The Service by sitting, and leaning up against a tree, it was dang cold.

So I thought about the difference, and I realized the outer modern poncho over the synthetic poncho liner had reduced air flow. I had noticed that wool blankets do breathe. The second time I tried to sleep with this blanket, I covered myself with a small piece of cotton canvas tarp to reduce air flow, and immediately felt warmth reflected when the canvas was applied. BUT...., around toward morning the damp and cold came up from the ground, and I was cold again.

So I realized that the modern poncho was wrapped around me in the past, so I tried that on the next trip, with a larger tarp that was under me and over me. Much better, but still not quite what I needed, as moisture and cold still came up from the ground. Then I noticed a guy in our party who was using only a blanket. He had a really big pile of leaves under and over his blanket when he crawled into it. I realized he was using the leaves to trap air around him and to stop air flow, just as I was trying and failing to do with my piece of canvas. He slept "well" for the situation, and when I discussed the matter with him he did mention that if sleeping in a pile of leaves was as good as indoors in a bed, "We probably would not have needed to invent what we today call a bed". (Duh )

This was about the same time that video tapes were being sold and I saw a fellow do a demo about "longhunter blanket tricks" and building shelters....and how to heat them and such....,


LD

 

[DaveC]

I've worn a Civil War-type Woolrich blanket I got at Antietam as a cape when it was mighty cold--albeit this is by Texas standards, so you'd roll your eyes at the notion that this was real cold...

I made a hood, pinned the blanket together under my chin, and then put on my gear and an external belt. I could use my arms, but I could also grab the two open sides and pull them together over my arms. I stayed warm while just standing around in the wind that way.

 

[tenngun]

I recall a writer for muzzleloader or maybe in the book of buckskinning who did point out one blanket but they also had saddle blankets, skins they had taken Ect
Litter helps a lot.
And recall that one may have had wool leggings over trousers that may be wool, wool shirt and weskit( waistcoat), a great coat is hard to sleep in sometimes but a short coat or sleeved waistcoat is handy to sleep in.

 

[zimmerstutzen]

I had a very large heavy wool blanket that I bought new at rendezvous. I got a piece of canvas about 8 x7 and used that as both a ground cloth and cover cloth. With a couple inches of straw below me three "hair on" deer hides over the straw and then canvas and wool blanket, then the rest of the canvas folded over top of me. I put a few inches of straw over my feet and then laid my capote over the top the upper part of me. I was more than comfortable in a baker tent down to 15 degrees.

 

[BullRunBear]

It's a dim memory but I think Mark Baker in some old Muzzleloader articles discussed the one blanket technique. Can't recall if he ever came up with a satisfactory method. I need to re-read his two books.

Jeff

 

[Einsiedler]

Along with all that’s been said I assure the bottom of my bed is tied shut and I have some kind of knit wool cap ( toque-ish) on my head. And I’ve also been known to sleep in my blanket coat.

I do think a ground cloth is a necessary item too! In the manner explained by Zimmerstutzen! I hand sewed mine out of heavy hemp canvas.