"What's in your haversack?"

[Robert Braun]

As a means to stimulate discussion for those of us interested in this sort of thing, what do you carry in your haversack?


r.

[Tad Salyards]

Not much actually...

Issue rations - beef and/or salt pork, hardtack

Bit of brown sugar

Coffee beans

Bit of salt

Eating Utensils and Boiler, Plate

-Tad

[Mississippian]

The normal stuff, food, cooking supplies, but instead of Coffee I like to carry a little bit of Tea in my haversack.

Will MacDonald
Cleburne's

[fahtz]

Chums,

In my grub bag is:

Meat of some kind. usually rotten.

Lump of sugar

Green or roasted coffee beans

Hard Cracker, usually broekn and in the bottom

Canteen half

Fork,knife

Hand towel

hair grease and comb

small cup

and maybe my pipe and my rope tabacco.

That si about all. Usually it will vary depending on what I get at an event. But the is about what it usually is!

[John Wedeward]

As I TRY to keep the "haversack stuffers" the sutlers told me should go in it, I keep my havesack nice and CLEAN. Taking the advice from the sutlers the ONLY things I put in my haversack is: my housewife, a CDV of my wife, a toothbrush, a small mirror, my Bible, a diary, along with a couple of penciles and writing paper and envelopes.
Also, a book of religious songs, and maybe a razor. Also, if room allows, I try to keep a pair of exra drawers in it also.

The things mentioned above are discusting and should NEVER go into your haversack. That is what all the "authenitic" sutlers have told me, and I allways follow their advice, as they are never wrong!! JM Weed

[Mark Reitz]

Just because John responded, I have to write this latest account of Weed's haversack. You will all, of course, recall the famous exploding Wedeward haversack of last year's Raymond event. Anyway, ...

Coming home from Perryville John was riding with David May. Upon dropping off John and unpacking at home, Dave noted that he had John's haversack. Dave knew I would be going to the Wedeward birthday party, so he dropped the bag off to my house, giving it to Sharyl with a smile.

On the Wednesday before the party, I was coming in late from a meeting, and was greeted by Sharyl who handed me the phone, and said it was my problem now. I was confused, but Sharyl motioned me to the infamous haversack, now open and lying on its side on the countertop. Speaking to John on the phone, he asked if I would check inside his haversack for a tin with his medications. To properly look inside, I had to take out the contents.

Sharyl was at this point in the search when I got there. Upon removing the items inside, I noted loose tobacco leaf and coffee grinds, an extremely greasy tin plate upon which Weed cooks bacon, and a leaking tin of essence of coffee. To further the mess, there was half cooked bacon, much of which was now fuzzy in appearance. Alas however, there was no tin with medications.

I took out the plate, cup and knife/fork/spoon set and put them in the dishwasher. Sharyl later chided me for having washed them in the same load as our regular dishes.

I washed the inside bag of the haversack -- twice -- in bleach and it still wouldn't come clean.

All in all, John continues to win first prize for the most disgusting haversack.

One final Perryville haversack story about John. As we were getting ready to leave Ft. Knox and go to the event site, we stopped by a grocery to get rations for the night and next day. John bought a pound of bacon, a couple small steaks, and two apples. Upon getting to Perryville, John opened the haversack (which has NEVER been cleaned by John after any event) and dropped in a handfull of raw bacon, then the two steaks on top of the bacon, and finally the apples were dropped in on top of it all. Somehow I don't think any Martha Stewart would condone the mixing of fruit and meat in quite that fashion.

Mark Reitz.