I bit the bullet today...

[Kevin O'Beirne]

Re: I bit the bullet today...

In your long form [environmental assessment form] what'd ya put under "12. Will Proposed Action impact any site or structure of historic, prehistoric or paleontological importance?"?

Quiet Man,

It was a multi-part response:

1. The proposed action will not affect any site or structure who's history goes back more than 18 months or so.

2. The age of the dirt ground into the shirt was not ascertained, but it may have prehistoric providence. However, washing the shirt will not destroy the dirt or its historical value; rather, the dirt will merely be conveyed through existing sewerage to the Southtowns Wastewater Treatment Facility where it will be removed for later exhibit, inspection, and possibly incineration.

3. Dirt consistency may be somewhat altered by detergent, but I kinda doubt it.

[C.R. Henderson]

Re: I bit the bullet today...

With all of our filth and nastiness, it's a wonder that the CDC hasn't made a special case out of Authentic Reenactors in general.

[Jim Moffet]

Re: I bit the bullet today...

Federal issue stuff, however, is not really the right stuff to toss in the washer once a month.

This is especially true if your woolen undergarments are properly hand sewn, with huge ugly stitches. I've talked to several experts on 19th century clothing, and they HIGHLY recommend ALWAYS hand washing your hand sewn garments. Avoid the Machine!

Jim Moffet

[styler]

Re: I bit the bullet today...

Here in New York State, environmental impact statements are the responsibility of the "lead agency"--whoever that is. I considered washing my issue shirt and drawers an Unlisted Action under New York State Environmental Quality Review laws and therefore did not file any notices or prepare the impact statement, or even a long-form EAF.

In your long form what'd ya put under "12. Will Proposed Action impact any site or structure of historic, prehistoric or paleontological importance?"?

[DougCooper]

Re: I bit the bullet today...

Doug,

I beg to differ but the flithiest shirt possible belongs to "Soupbone" Weymer. There is evil in those fibers that does not sleep.

Good point - if we can get those two guys together at an event perhaps a gross out contest would be in order. Maybe something like a platoon of us faced the other way with one then the other approaching from behind us. The guy we smell at the greatest distance wins. Might need a big field though...

[Kevin O'Beirne]

Re: I bit the bullet today...

In all seriousness, I suspect there's a lot of folks who can lay a legit claim to "filthiest shirt"; although in my personal observation (sight and smell) I have, fortunately, never yet come across anyone who's issue shirt had so much "personality" as did Soup Bone's. That personality was built up over quite a number of years, too.

About cleaning up after events, I know a lot of folks who can and do wash their shirt, drawers, and socks after each event. That's fine, when they're made of cotton (particularly the shirt and drawers; not so much the socks). But, when one's talking about a domet flannel Federal issue shirt, you simply cannot wash it after every use unless you want it to shrink a lot more quickly than you'd financially prefer. Ditto for Federal-issue drawers.

When I wear a cotton shirt at an event, it gets washed after each event. Ditto for the socks. It's been too many years since I owned cotton drawers, but I believe that they got washed after each event too. Federal issue stuff, however, is not really the right stuff to toss in the washer once a month.

[Forquer]

Re: I bit the bullet today...

Seen on a T-shirt at the NSSA fall event one year:

PETA = People Eating Tasty Animals

Karin Timour
Period Knitting -- Socks, Sleeping Hats, Balaclavas
Atlantic Guard Solider's Aid Society
Email: Ktimour@aol.com

Or, as seen on a billboard outside of Greenville, SC.......

[Rev]

Re: I bit the bullet today...

I, too, wash my shirt (and drawers!) after every event. They get good and dirty almost immediately at the next event. I feel that there is no since in challenging the ecosystem needlessly.

[KarinTimour]

Re: I bit the bullet today...

Seen on a T-shirt at the NSSA fall event one year:

PETA = People Eating Tasty Animals

Karin Timour
Period Knitting -- Socks, Sleeping Hats, Balaclavas
Atlantic Guard Solider's Aid Society
Email: Ktimour@aol.com

[PvtHull48thovi]

Re: I bit the bullet today...

Well fellers, I dont know about yall and yalls cleanliness, but I wash my shirt after every event and trust me, After 20 minutes of carryin wood, feelin you tent with hay or just cooking that first meal, my shirt looks just as dirty as before, but I like that Clean feelin.

[Bill]

Re: I bit the bullet today...

Doug,

I beg to differ but the flithiest shirt possible belongs to "Soupbone" Weymer. There is evil in those fibers that does not sleep.

I'll second that vote. Soupbone's shirt is truly nasty. I often wondered where he keeps that thing between events.

[henionjd]

Re: I bit the bullet today...

Doug,

I beg to differ but the flithiest shirt possible belongs to "Soupbone" Weymer. There is evil in those fibers that does not sleep.

[Johnny Lloyd]

Re: I bit the bullet today...

I wash my civilian shirt and drawers after every event, but never anything else...

... for the past 10 years.

Totally grosses my wife out, but so what? :p

-Johnny Lloyd

[DougCooper]

Re: I bit the bullet today...

I bit the proverbial bullet today. With the 2007 reenacting season over, I finally decided it was time. Yes time for that...

I washed my Federal issue shirt and drawers.

Yeeow. Filth galore. First I washed the shirt (only); after nine sinks full of water (four with soap in them, the rest being "rinsing"), the water in the sink was finally just cloudy when I drained it, instead of virtually muddy as it was when I drained the first few sink-fuls. How did my duds get that dirty?!

Thank goodness the drawers, while pretty darned dirty, weren't in nearly the condition the issue-shirt was. It only took six sinks of water, two with soap, to get them to a condition that I daresay is possibly even cleaner than the shirt. When I laid out both garments to dry, it was still somewhat shocking to see just how "dirty" they still appear to be--particularly the shirt.

I'm a poor parent. While I washed these things, I allowed my son, who's a couple months short of turning three years old, to watch what I was doing. I bet the kid has nightmares tonight.

Yeah been meanin' to talk you about that shirt Kevin ;) Good luck on getting your son to take a bath now!

For the record, I think Danny McCoslin still has the record for longest without washing a shirt. Dang thing is Texas mud colored and is entirely waterproof...and may or may not still have cloth content. Hard to tell.

[GreencoatCross]

Re: I bit the bullet today...

Kevin,

No, no plumbers involved, just some bleach once the rinse water was down the drain. Now that I looked back at my previous post, i realize how utterly disgusting I must have appeared (and smelled) at events.

Cheers,