I guess that FC's shelter halves will work . . . that is, if any semblance of authenticity is thrown out the window. They use the wrong fabric and the wrong construction. They quote Gaede's book, but their halves bear no resemblance to the real thing – except for the fact that they’re generally rectangular. Shelter halves were made from cotton drill or cotton duck, with cotton drill being the most common type. Cotton duck was used less because it was more in demand for ship sails.
The cotton drill shelter halves were most often made of three pieces of cloth. Standard looms of the time didn’t make cloth wide enough for the tent specifications, so a narrow strip (about 10-1/2”, not including seam allowances) was sewn between two wider pieces to make a full width panel. The panel ran vertically or horizontally, depending on the contract. These halves almost universally had two tent peg loops and bone buttons.
The cotton duck shelter halves were almost always made of so-called “blue-line” duck. This cloth had a blue thread running lengthwise about an inch in from each selvedge. The blue lines were guides for sail-makers. These halves were two-piece construction, with a vertical seam, and were used late in the war (October ’63 to July ‘65). The earlier halves in this period had only two tent peg loops, while the later ones had three loops. Tined or zinc buttons were the most common. Cotton duck halves amounted to only approximately 25% of those contracted.
By the way, the end closures so popular at mainstream events are total anachronisms. None were made until 1892. Ditto for iron tent stakes. Who would carry them on a 20 mile march?
It’s possible to make a very accurate shelter half out of standard cotton drill, obtainable from places like Hancock or JoAnns, Inc. A good friend of mine wrote an article on construction. If you’re interested, go to the following website and click on “Articles.
http://www.geocities.com/union_guard/index.html
The attached photo shows a late war blue-line that I made. I also made the reproduction two-piece tent poles, but would never consider carrying them anywhere, and neither would a level-headed civil war soldier. For an idea of scale, contract were let for 2,369,450 shelter halves. Contracts were let for only 160,000 tent poles, and I have seen no proof that they were ever issued.
A final thought. If we’re interested in reenacting, why would we use Sunforger canvas treated with silicone waterproofing?
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Dog Tent 
.. for me, and my cot wont fit in there and lets just hope it wont rain 
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