Thinking things throu, Kit Bags

[dafi]

I love the title, so I borrowed from Robin :-)

 

 

Looking for references upon kit bags, not too much to find out there

 

http://collections.rmg.co.uk/collections/objects/147296.htmlPAH7349; 1 May 1802, light canvas

 

http://collections.rmg.co.uk/collections/objects/17771.htmlEQA0171; Kit bag. Brown canvas

 

http://collections.rmg.co.uk/collections/objects/17769.htmlEQA0169; RNVR kit bag 1915

 

http://collections.rmg.co.uk/collections/objects/205925.htmlREL0799; Fragment of kitbag

 

http://collections.rmg.co.uk/collections/objects/17771.htmlEQA0171; Kit bag. Brown canvas

 

http://collections.rmg.co.uk/collections/objects/17770.htmlEQA0170; Kit bag. A brown canvas WWII

http://collections.rmg.co.uk/mediaLib/660/media-660880/preview.jpg

 

http://collections.rmg.co.uk/collections/objects/206682.htmlEQA0594: Yellow canvas kit bag WWII

 

http://collections.rmg.co.uk/collections/objects/556365.htmlZBA4956; Kit bag WWII

 

http://collections.rmg.co.uk/collections/objects/17770.htmlEQA0170; Kit bag. A brown canvas kitbag WWII

 

http://collections.rmg.co.uk/collections/objects/17780.htmlEQA0180; Canvas hammock

 

But one can find plenty of sail bags ;-)

http://collections.rmg.co.uk/collections/objects/558261.htmlSLR1817.2; Sail bag 

Edited November 6, 2014 by dafi

[dafi]

But where wre they stowed? In AOTS Bellona they are shown beside the guns.

 

 

Mansfield also discribes them sometimes being kept in the orlop (first published 1905).

 

 

Any other ideas?

 

Cheers, DAniel

Edited November 6, 2014 by dafi

[mtaylor]

Daniel,

 

Since your ship is the Victory, line-of-battle, I would look to the text about keeping near his berth.   I would expect that if it kept anywhere on a gundeck that "clear for action" would probably see them tossed down to the hold or orlop.  This might be one of those unanswerable questions since the text indicates there was a certain amount of Captain's Discretion involved and a lot of things that were common practice weren't written down.

[Force9]

Here is a link to Gunner John Lord's bag in the USS Constitution museum collection:

 

http://www.ussconstitutionmuseum.org/proddir/prod/496/11/

 

Interesting that the article suggests that the bags for common seaman were black because of waterproofing... The decorated bags were for warrant/petty officers, etc.

 

Good topic!

 

Evan

[dafi]

Thank you tons Evan, it is always fun to see more pieces of the puzzle pop up :-)

 

"The clothing bags issued to the seamen were painted black to waterproof them, and stand in contrast to the unpainted personal bags so often richly decorated by the owners." 1812 to 1829

 

This gives me - as usual - some more questions:

- from when on were they painted?

- something special for special countries?

- my understanding for the Royal Navy around 1800 was that the sailors had to provide their own equipment. This would suggest to me a very diverse appearence in the kits.

 

Cheers, Daniel

Edited November 15, 2014 by dafi

[dafi]

A even more detailed description adding to the link Evan gave was given by Chapman in our german Forum:

 

http://usscm.blogspot.de/2013/03/in-bag-sailors-and-their-sea-bags.html

 

Thank you Jörg!

 

Daniel

Edited November 15, 2014 by dafi

[JerseyCity Frankie]

The small "personal bags" they refer too are ditty bags. For holding small tools and personal items, they are like a cloth toolbox.   http://www.google.com/search?q=ditty+bag&safe=off&client=safari&rls=en&prmd=ivns&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=BtR5VKbHIemCsQSzsYCoDg&ved=0CAUQ_AU

[JerseyCity Frankie]

A nautical hobby of mine, parallel to model building, is canvas sewing. I use the traditional Palm and Needle sewing of the sailmaker and the canvas I use is from the art supply store, intended for painters but available by the yard in many thicknesses. Pictured here are my ditty bag, which I use to hold my sailor tools just like back in the old days. Mine is a more modern design though. Next is the sort of tote bag I make and give as gifts.I have made about twenty of these over the years. I try to incorporate discarded line and canvas I pull out of dumpsters at my local marina. Last is a pair of pants I sewed. I had read that sailors were issued sailcloth and were allowed on Sundays to make and mend their clothing, so I sewed a pair for myself.

The sewing methods, the seam construction, the edge roping and grommeting is all done exactly the way it is done on handsewn sails.