Worst Weather Event

[Doc_Ralph]

And Georgia and the Carolinas and mariners in the Atlantic …Thank you! Amen

Said it twice because I mean it . Fresh water flooding is no joke as is King Tide plus off shore flow will be bad. Mother Nature wins 99.9% of time. Main exception I know about was Shackleton not losing a man on one of his South Pole expedition. It's an amazing story of man vs nature. I pray we are also mightily blessed from this now land hurricane.

OTC
Spotsy

 

[Doc_Ralph]

I´m gonna go with Manassas 150th as the most dangerously bad weather I´ve ever encountered, because it was so unrelentingly hot. For consistently bad weather, at an annual event - I´m gonna offer Cedar Creek (VA). You just never know what you´re gonna get. I have seen 2 days of continual rain, turning to snow at night, Only for the sun to come out during the last arms clearing formation on Sunday afternoon. When it´s nice, it´s a beautiful chance to camp in the Shenandoah fall, but when it´s bad: oh dear Lord.

The First Manassas 150 was the worst for me. Ice in the hats on the first day for CSA artillery. Next day was a daze as it seemed a tab bit cooler but I could have been delusional as we hauled the howitzer for USA all over supporting the tall black hat boys and girls.

Cedar Creek can be ice buckets for sure. When the weather is good it is perfect altho always seems a tad windy when we were active 2011-14.

OTC
Spotsy

 

[Doc_Ralph]

So, I don't think anyone can beat my typhoon in the tent weather. We truly were in peril on the slopes of Mount Fuji. We did indeed take turns holding the tent pole up and weighting down the tent to avoid being blown away.

So, I am removing my role as participant and will judge each entry carefully. I especially hate setting up and down in the rain. Wet canvas is a pain to dry out at home.

I think we need to have both reenacting category (good hot cold) and campers (good hot cold). Winners will get bragging rights for sure but when it comes to bad weather - all are winners.

I am also claiming Top Salty Sea Dog prize for my Perfect Storm Story. Wild time at sea. OR the race we had to get out of Hilo from the Fukushima tsunami in 2011. It's amazing what a little bit of wave action can do to a harbor. It tore Hilo Harbor up. We were out on the deep blue sea as it passed us. Never felt a thing.

So - take your time and get your entries in…what can we really do about the weather except ***** and moan?

OTC
Spotsy

 

[Doc_Ralph]

But not too much time…Thank You Lord for Your divine mercy to the southeast from the maelstrom. Continue to bless all mariners at sea. May You guide Uncle Sugar on the rebuilding here and on Maui. Amen.

I can't believe that some of you would be *lurking* and not putting in for the possibility of major bragging rights. Lady V's leviathan story has just about convinced me that that is unbeatable. There are so many camping slots open. And I will even take old school tie stories.

I lived in Newport RI and walked up hill and slid downhill both ways to my prep. I did have shoes but it matter as I had track/cross country after school and limped home through fair, rain, snow and ice. Brutal!

I am not counting my story as this is time for everyone to shine. Well maybe not shine but recall the good old days.

OTC
Spotsy

 

[Kurtlg]

Back when I camped I went through a few severe storms but nothing like some of you folks did. The worst thing I witnessed was a tent camper who left his entrance unzipped. A skunk made its way into the tent and everyone panicked. Some one dispatched the skunk with a flashlight but not before everything and every person in the tent were sprayed. I believe alcohol may have been involved.

 

[Palmetto1862]

For me, Franklin 1989 is the reenactment that I measure all others against in terms of bad weather. It was my first major event after I started reenacting, so it made a major impression. It was just SO COLD - both nights it got down to about 16 degrees, and the wind was howling all night. One person died in our camp the first night (apparently had a heart attack) and I woke up Saturday morning to see an ambulance sitting in the middle of our camp. We also had a major fire during the reenactment when wadding from somebody's musket started the waist high field grass to burning furiously. Besides those few little bumps, I had a great time, and it started me down a Civil War reenacting path that I followed for more than a decade and a half.

'Besides those few little bumps, I had a great time.'

"Other than that, Mrs. Lincoln, how did you enjoy the play?"

Seriously, one of my pals was at Franklin'89, too. He told me that at least one tent caught fire on top of everything else.

 

[Championhilz]

'Besides those few little bumps, I had a great time.'

"Other than that, Mrs. Lincoln, how did you enjoy the play?"

Seriously, one of my pals was at Franklin'89, too. He told me that at least one tent caught fire on top of everything else.

Oh, there were numerous tents that caught fire in the Confederate camp - none in the Union camp that I am aware of.

 

[captaindrew]

Oh, there were numerous tents that caught fire in the Confederate camp - none in the Union camp that I am aware of.

I've only witnessed one tent fire and man was that scary. Down in Florida it's quite comical in the winter season, if it gets down in the 50s at night about every 3rd tent has an orange glow of a propane heater going. We were sitting around the fire one night when all the sudden came a bunch of yelling and screaming from a couple streets down. Got up and looked and within seconds there was a towering inferno of an A Frame. Luckily it was one of the officers and not on the street. Someone with some brains and some guts ran in and started kicking it down toward the middle containing it to one tent. It happened so fast, really scary moment and lucky it didn't take anyone else with it. The guy knocked a hat on his heater.

 

[Doc_Ralph]

I've only witnessed one tent fire and man was that scary. Down in Florida it's quite comical in the winter season, if it gets down in the 50s at night about every 3rd tent has an orange glow of a propane heater going. We were sitting around the fire one night when all the sudden came a bunch of yelling and screaming from a couple streets down. Got up and looked and within seconds there was a towering inferno of an A Frame. Luckily it was one of the officers and not on the street. Someone with some brains and some guts ran in and started kicking it down toward the middle containing it to one tent. It happened so fast, really scary moment and lucky it didn't take anyone else with it. The guy knocked a hat on his heater.

We had one almost go up at Endview Planation. Never seen my unit move that quick.
OTC

 

[Palmetto1862]

I've only witnessed one tent fire and man was that scary. Down in Florida it's quite comical in the winter season, if it gets down in the 50s at night about every 3rd tent has an orange glow of a propane heater going. We were sitting around the fire one night when all the sudden came a bunch of yelling and screaming from a couple streets down. Got up and looked and within seconds there was a towering inferno of an A Frame. Luckily it was one of the officers and not on the street. Someone with some brains and some guts ran in and started kicking it down toward the middle containing it to one tent. It happened so fast, really scary moment and lucky it didn't take anyone else with it. The guy knocked a hat on his heater.

Thank God it only got one tent and nobody was hurt! That's one of those uncommon situations where being farby can be dangerous . I've noticed that it always gets cold at night at Olustee in February!

 

[Doc_Ralph]

Back when I camped I went through a few severe storms but nothing like some of you folks did. The worst thing I witnessed was a tent camper who left his entrance unzipped. A skunk made its way into the tent and everyone panicked. Some one dispatched the skunk with a flashlight but not before everything and every person in the tent were sprayed. I believe alcohol may have been involved.

Yes best to stay zipped. We had a bear visit the interior of our tent in NM. The foot powder was not included in the food we hung in the trees. I believe we passed out in fright.

 

[captaindrew]

Thank God it only got one tent and nobody was hurt! That's one of those uncommon situations where being farby can be dangerous . I've noticed that it always gets cold at night at Olustee in February!

Yes, very lucky. And it sure does get cold at night at Olustee, was in the 20s one year. Still can't bring myself to pack a heater, I always thought that was one of the silliest things I've ever seen, not to mention dangerous, seeing all those tents glowing.

 

[Dan Kohli]

Mine was when a April event had some very cold rain during Saturday night/early Sunday morning. And the nearby river swallowed up 80 to 90% of the battlefield.

 

[7thWisconsin]

Yes, very lucky. And it sure does get cold at night at Olustee, was in the 20s one year. Still can't bring myself to pack a heater, I always thought that was one of the silliest things I've ever seen, not to mention dangerous, seeing all those tents glowing.

I´ve done a fair bit of winter camping. Once in -6F. You don´t need to heat a tent like that. Since what you´re doing is already not authentic, you might as well do something that´s safe. Every layer you put between you and the ground makes it feel 10 degrees warmer. So 1-3 ground covers under you. A closed cell pad (or two). A decent winter mummy bag. Yes, that´s a pile of stuff to pack, but you´re not actually going to march away with it on your back anyway. You can always cover it up with a blanket or two and you don´t have any fire risk.

 

[pmuskett]

For me it was the 125th Saylor's Creek Reenactment. If i remember correctly it was a 4-day event. It snowed one night, which melted the next morning before noon. We practiced the surrender ceremony standing in ankle deep mud. It rained later. But all over shadowed by the march up the hill to Appomattox Court House.

One year at City Point doing a living history a bad storm blew up. We were camped on the land side of the house. Wind was howling. Holding on to the tent for dear life. The Navy reenactors, on the river side of the house, had everything blown away. There was a report of a tornado outside of City Point.

 

[Doc_Ralph]

Attention to brothers and sisters on the East Coast!

This is as good a place as any for all of us to watch the tropics for the developing Hurricane Lee. Heed your local officials as we she get's closer. iMHO I have a maxim: Nothing beats physics or biology. I am offering up a prayer for mariners at sea.

OTC
Spotsy

 

[Palmetto1862]

Attention to brothers and sisters on the East Coast!

This is as good a place as any for all of us to watch the tropics for the developing Hurricane Lee. Heed your local officials as we she get's closer. iMHO I have a maxim: Nothing beats physics or biology. I am offering up a prayer for mariners at sea.

OTC
Spotsy

I second that prayer for the folks at sea!

 

[truyle]

For me, Franklin 1989 is the reenactment that I measure all others against in terms of bad weather. It was my first major event after I started reenacting, so it made a major impression. It was just SO COLD - both nights it got down to about 16 degrees, and the wind was howling all night. One person died in our camp the first night (apparently had a heart attack) and I woke up Saturday morning to see an ambulance sitting in the middle of our camp. We also had a major fire during the reenactment when wadding from somebody's musket started the waist high field grass to burning furiously. Besides those few little bumps, I had a great time, and it started me down a Civil War reenacting path that I followed for more than a decade and a half.

I was also at this event and although it was cold, one of the best events I ever attended. 1989 was probably, year wise, the high water mark for me as a reenactor. I think that was the year we filmed Glory in McDonough, GA in April, attended the 125th Pilot Knob in September and then Franklin in December. I stopped reenacting about 5 years ago and. No other year stands out like that one.

 

[Doc_Ralph]

I second that prayer for the folks at sea!

May Lee cease to roar and roil the restless waves and continue to diminish in strength. May Your merciful hand offer an arc of safety for those in Maine and the Maritime provinces and of course mariners. Let the people heed the warnings from local officials and batten down the hatches. I humbly ask this in the name of the Lord. Amen.

 

[Old Breck]

Any authentic dudes remember Backwaters at LBL?