The basic uniform The basic requirements are Hat, Jacket, Shirt, Trousers, Socks and Boots. The Hat The most common hats were the Kepi (middle) and the Slouch Hat (right hand side). Others include Bowler, Pork Pie and Forage Cap or Bummer. Advice is free so please ask members of the regiment for help. The Jacket A typical jacket is pictured to the right, made of wool and grey in colour. This is of general design and not specifically North Carolina, although the buttons are North Carolina Starburst. Jackets can be various shades of Grey, Brown, Butternut and vary in design greatly. Please ask advise from a 43rd member before purchasing a jacket, since some designs are definitely not for infantry. The Shirt Shirts are many and varied from the Camp Harris shirt pictured (far right) to plain white and on to bright and colourful. As a regiment we like to have the plainer shirts, such as those pictured, for battle and day wear. On an evening for socializing, the more decorative and brighter coloured shirts are worn. The Trousers Trousers are mainly made from Wool or Jean Cloth and like the jackets, vary greatly in colour. These are held up with canvas braces and have no stripe on the side. The Boots Ideally the boots will be Brogans, a leather upper and soled shoe, such as those shown in the picture. These are expensive at around £60 a pair, but cheap alternatives can be found, for further advice again please ask a member of the regiment. Socks are usually wool and plain in colour. At this point, if you now have all of the above, you are kited out as a reenactor and are able to attend a reenactment weekend. However, depending on the role you wish to perform at a reenactment, you may wish to obtain more equipment. The Waistcoat The waistcoat shown is made from Jean Cloth, with three pockets and is lined. Just like the rest of the uniform, the waistcoat is made from many fabrics and comes in many colours and designs. A nice accessory for the waistcoat is a pocket watch, you don’t want to get caught wearing a wrist watch, now do you? Infantry Accessories Other equipment used by an infantryman include, canteens, bread bag, ammo bags, cap pouch and a good strong leather belt to hold it all in place. Initially it does seem like a lot of things to buy in order to enjoy this hobby, but you are never expected to buy everything all at once. As seasoned reenactors we have over the years bought a great deal of equipment and not wishing to see old equipment go to waste, loan it out to new members. You could turn up to an event with nothing, but if you let us know in advance, we can have you kited out and with a tent to sleep in, for the same weekend.