I need your help. I will be portraying a Captian at the Winter of '64 event. Not wanting to spend a whole bunch of money for a period trunk, what's my next best option for carrying a goose down pillow, an extra blanket, mattress tic, my writing materials and etc. You know those extra little comforts an Officer might have at a winter camp. I'll have my knapsack. Any suggestions would be great.

Well Dave, you could use a period baggage wagon being an officer and all. Hopefully will not be bitter cold for you and everyone at this fine event.  

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Marc wrote : Well Dave, you could use a period baggage wagon being an officer and all.

Geez, Marc beat me to the punch. Seriously though, are you going to be marching in, or already set up for winter quarters?  I would think that most of the items you mentioned would already be there as if you've been there for a few weeks, but I dunno.  Short of a period trunk I'd recommend a carpetbag, but proper ones aren't cheap either.  You're probably looking at the ballpark of $100+ for an excellent bag, but then it wouldn't carry all the stuff you're talking about either.

A trunk's your best bet if you have to hoof it in once the events underway. Or just make two trips to your vehicle and take them in.  You're a captain, you have privates, use them.

Linda.

I like that, have the peons do the work thing...

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GrumpyDave wrote : I like that, have the peons do the work thing...

Ah, Captain Grumpy Sir,

We privates don't get mad. We just get even!  

On a serious note. I've seen a number of plain wood boxes, with hinged lids, used by junior officers for their traps. If I had to guess, I'd say they averaged about 2' long and about 18" wide and high. Everyone I've seen had the officer's name, rank and unit stenciled or written on the lid.  Frankly, the markings were what identified them as officer's trunks.  

Dave, what are you really going to keep in the trunk?  

Why, his Trunk Monkey, of course.

Dave,
This might be a little pricey but he does great work.  I bought a field table from him  to use at the Federal HQ for the September Storm and its so nice that I use it at home.  


http://charliesboatworks.com
http://charliesboatworks.com/CivilWarSoldiersEncampmentChests.htm

Oh and i think every car should come with a Trunk Monkey!    

This might fall in the category of cheapa$$ sutler specials that sometimes fool people, but if you promise not to tell anyone where you got it, it's yours.

I use three old brass-buckled blanket straps I got from a typical sutler row establishment.  Two wrap around the ends of a short roll consisting of a gum blanket folded over a bedtick with a few other articles inside.  The third slips under the other two and, doubled up and buckled, makes a nice handle.

The overall effect is quite similar to, albeit far cheesier than, the $70 "Bedroll sling" from Dell's, just as effective, and considerably less expensive.  At least one person thought that's what it was.

http://www.dellsleatherworks.com/BedrollSling.htm

Anyway, that would handle the tick, blanket, and pillow.  The stationery can go in your haversack.

What little personal stationery you need, that is.  You can tell your clerk to carry the company stuff...  

  Coughhardtackboxcough.

Or if you really have a lot of junk in your trunk, try a bacon box.

Really, Grumpy, why not use the nifty little push cart provided by Scott and Dennis? Or the snow sleds, if you remember how useful they were a couple of iterations ago.

The "Four Kings" of oxen are making the rounds at events lately....