Shelter Tent - The shelter tent was adopted from the French army and was made of white cotton duck. Its measurements were
65x61 inches. A triangular end piece, measuring 3-ft 7-in was added in 1892. The "pup" tent was created by putting the two halves
together. Included with each half were a manila guy line, a two-piece 46-in wooden pole, and five 9-in wooden pens. The tent's color was
changed from white to khaki after 1899. In 1900, cloth straps were added to create a shelter-tent and clothing-roll combination. The total
weight of the shelter tent was 2.6 lbs.
Sky-Blue Kersey Overcoat - The overcoat got its name from being made with 22-ounce sky-blue kersey (twill weave). An
all-seasons overcoat, it was lined with dark-blue flannel. It was calf length and double breasted with two rows of six coat-size brass
buttons. A removable finger-length cape was attached underneath the rolling collar by metal hooks and eyes. The cape closed with seven brass
buttons and was lined with a flannel that was dark-blue; the infantry branch color. The total weight of the sky-blue kersey overcoat was 7.0
pounds.
Woolen Blanket - A blanket made of pure, twill weaved, long-staple wool was included in each Soldier's clothing allowance.
The blanket measured 7-ft long and 5-ft 6-in wide. Blue and white yarns were mixed together to give the blanket its overall color. There was
a 2-1/2 to 3-in wide dark-blue stripe across each end of the blanket at about 6-in from the edge. The letters "US" were stamped in indigo
dye or woven into the blanket itself. The total weight of the woolen blanket was 5.0 lbs.
Rubber Poncho - To protect themselves from the rain, every soldier carried a poncho. Made of half-bleached cambric sheeting
coated with Para rubber, the rubber poncho became authorized gear in 1861. It measured 60-in wide by 72-in long and had 18 equally spaced
brass grommets along the edges. There was a 13-in wide slit opening in the center of the poncho for the soldier's head. The slit was closed
by fastening the flap onto a button. The total weight of the rubber poncho was 2.8 lbs.
Our appreciation goes to Soldiers Magazine as the resource
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This page was last updated on July 18, 2006 8:26 PM.
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