Blankets

[oscar]

 I know the pioneers had wool blankets but I assume the patterns were pretty boring. Am I flat wrong?
i have a pendelton blanket that i could use for part of my bed roll. It has three colors that are earth tones. Would it be period correct?

[River City John]

There have been some pretty blankets. The Whitney or trade blanket came in whites, garnet, blue, green, camel with contrasting  stripes. The blankets issued during the CW were red, blue, tan, gray, etc. often with contrasting border stripes. Earth tones certainly. Native american blankets, especially Chief blankets, were extremely colorful. And many very modern looking as far as patterns.

If I remember correctly, Pendleton woolen mills have been in production since our era.

Quite often you can get nice weight wool blankets in drab colors as military surplus from one of the discount catalogers that deal in surplus European military items. Swiss, Italian and others. I've seen tan, gray, dun brown, olive.

Stay away from fleece and the bright, neon colors and I think you would be safe. There are many Sutlers that cover the Trader, Civil War and Indian War era that sell blankets. I think Pendleton still offers a line of blankets that they term from their historical line.

[Dr. Bob]

Howdy Oscar,

Point blankets are alwasy right from 1720 thru the early 1900's.  They were available in several comon color combinations.  Most often white with midnight blue [looks black] single stripe near each end.  Small bars near one end indicate size.  The bars are referred to as points, and 3 point size were quite common and work fine for a bed roll.  They also came white with red stripes, red with black stripes green with black stripes, dark tan with black stripe and light blue with red stripes.  The multi stripe is PC too.

Plain color blankets were available, as were stripes and plaids.  The reproduction ACW blankets are another option.  In general, price corresponds to quality.

Point blankest were also sold in pairs.  A pair is two blankets long, not being separated after production.  You sleep betwee the two and can fold the side in to make a sleeping bag.  You can buy pairs of 3 point blankets from Crazy Crow Trading Post in white with black stripe and red with black stripe.  They are good quality for the price.

The BEST blankets availabel are hand woven by Rob Stone.  robstoneweaver@sbcglobal.net  They are produced using the same method as they were for the Fur Trade in England in the 19th Century.  They are the proper twill weave, size and weight.  I have been slepping in them for over 15 years and they are still in excellent condition.  I heartly recommend them.  Rob has moved recently, and I don't know if his weaving studio is back in operation yet.  He makes blankets from 1 point [baby blanket size] to 6 point size [king size].  He also weaves tartans for great kilts.

If you don't feel that your blanket is Period Correct, Del will tell you how to incorporate it into a heavy quilt!

If you aren't used to camping, you need at least as much insulation under you as you have on top of you in cold weather.  Good sleeping!

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[Trinity]

Anybody got pictures of your bedrolls?  I'd like to see them.

[Delmonico]

I'm going to pick up a new tarp payday, my old one fell apart, guess 25 years was as long as one will last, no patching it this time.  I need to get pics of it for referance anyway.

[River City John]

My bedroll is of separate pieces, and I add more pieces depending on season and weather.
I use a rubber poncho as groundcloth, then a mattress pad cover of blue wool that can be stuffed with straw or insert a thin foam pad. Then I use a CW Artillery blanket of red wool with dark blue border stripes; a solid chestnut brown 'hospital' grade thicker wool blanket if colder weather; and for a top layer a quilted coverlet that also has a  matching quilted pillow cover I can slip a thin down pillow into. If it looks like damp weather to boot, then I add a treated gum-poncho intended for mounted riders which is larger than a typical ponch to cover everything. I can roll everything together and secure it with leather spur straps on each end.


The reasons I like separate pieces is the flexibility to accomodate different conditions and that it is easier to clean the individual pieces if they aren't sewn together into a soogan. Plus, on a cold morning it's handy to drape one of the wool blankets over your shoulders as you stand around the cookfire chewing your coffee trying to wake up.

[Dr. Bob]

RCJ,

Chewy coffee and a heavy wool blankt are good things to have on a cold morning!  A few grounds will keep you clean on the inside!

Cold and rainy here and I think that since you mentioned it, I go and make a pot pretty soon.  Thanks for the idea!

[Delmonico]

Did that coffee come out of a little copper tea pot RCJ.

[River City John]

Sometimes it does. Grounds don't always settle before I'm ready to drink it.

[Dr. Bob]

Not being an early riser, my coffee usually comes from the bottom of the pot and no matter how careful I am in pouring it, I get a little grit!  Woud that be True Grit?? 

Boys, we sure are good at hijacking a feller's thread.

[Delmonico]

It's ok as long as we give a good answer to the question first.   

[oscar]

That's Ok Dr. Bob: I am  just now back in the saddle after having emergency apendectomy. I do have pendelton blankets that look like they will work. The rain gear i have to work on. I like the thread and I like chewy coffee to. Dels esspresso is good. I know how he makes it on the trail.
Thanks RCJ also!
RCJ will you make it to Filley, NE? I hope you can, Should be fun.

[River City John]

Filley, NE?
Fill me in, Oscar.


(I know, it's cross-posted in "The Cosie Corner", but a chance to tout a learning experience like this deserves to be mentioned here in NCOWS.)

[Delmonico]

I'll post it RCJ.

[Trinity]

Not being an early riser, my coffee usually comes from the bottom of the pot and no matter how careful I am in pouring it, I get a little grit!  Woud that be True Grit?? 

Boys, we sure are good at hijacking a feller's thread.

I am not an early riser at all!  If you time it right it might just be time to brew another pot.


Where are those pictures of bedrolls?  I need idears.

[Books OToole]

 When my niece Sarah stays with us, she usually gets up after the rest of us have drained the coffee pot.  So we call that "pulling a Sarah."

Books

[Trinity]

 

['Monterrey' Jack Brass]

Oscar,

For something not seen too often, and until perhaps 10 years ago not a good repo of them was being made, you could try a coverlet. They are not as warm as a wool blanket but definitely period.

Coverlets of various colors and styles are available from Family Heirloom Weavers: http://www.familyheirloomweavers.com/cat/CoverletsandRunners.html

They also make period reproduction carpet available. How does this impact one on the shooting range? These guys make authentic carpet bags with the products they weave.

YMH&OS,

Monterrey J. Brass

[Delmonico]

OK I got back to this, my research time has been interfered with both a puppy and a computor crash at work.  I can't come up with any good digital photos to show what I want so I did second best and scanned out of some of my books, so the quality ain't as good as I want.

The first one is the L.A. Huffman photo called a Nighthawk in His Nest.



The second is a flash photo, I can't find out who took it, may not be known, I've seen it dated as 1880's and I haven't seen anything to make me doubt it,,,,,,,,,,,,,,Yet.



The third Is the one I really hate the quality on, 6 scans and this is the best I can do.  Notice the size of the bedrolls and that they are tied with rope.



One will notice these all seem to be just a large piece of canvas and what ever else bedding is used.  This is consistant with all other photos and accounts of bedrolls I have seen.  This is what mine is, but I need to get new canvas because after 25 years it gave up and I can't patch it no more.  Mine had grommets in it and my new one will also because sometimes I use it to provide shade in the day time.  Like the time my pard and I sat under it in 105 degree weather when we wern't checkin' ovens.  Crazy, yes, but not as crazy as them sodbusters out threshin' oats with a steam traction engine.

[Grizzle Bear]

In the first picture, although there is a saddle beside the sleeper, there is a saddle on the horse.

Photographer's horse?

GB