Actually wear a sleeping cap, even in warm weather. Our ancestors knew something here. I was surprised how much better I slept.
Never put your tin cup in the fire without liquid in it. The heat is transferred to the liquid instead of the cup. Without the water, the solder will melt and you cup will fall apart. Good laugh for me, bad deal for you.
For crossing a stream: take off your shoes and socks, roll up your pants and drawers. Put just the shoes back on and cross the stream. The shoes will keep your feet from getting scraped up. Once on the other side, take off the shoes, dump the water, put your dry socks back on and you're on your comfy way.
A small red coal from the fire dropped in a pipe bowl will usually keep your pipe lit better and longer than a match or flame from a stick.
Always keep some "perforated paper" tucked away somewhere. You can find some in period looking wrappers. A friend told me of tearing off half of his nice $90 hand sewn shirt as pricy butt wipe. That shirt has got to be drafty now. I still laugh.
Bacon rind and other fat can be used to "oil" down your musket and bayonet to keep the rust off.
Unbearably hard hardtack will make great dumplings when boiled.
A candle stuck in a bayonet for a candle stick might be a nice sight, but wax left inside the bayonet opening can make it very difficult to fix your bayonet. Have fun scraping the wax out with a stick, fork, your finger nail, etc. Instead, light your candle, drip some wax the size of a dime on a rock or log, etc. then hold the candle in the wax for 15 seconds while it dries. Much better solution.
Learn how to take apart the internal pieces of your gun's lock and put it back together. Understand how they work. If your lock stops working at an event, you'll know how fix it. The most common problems are broken sear springs or a worn sear or tumbler. It's not as complex in there as you might think. If your life counted on your rifle working you'd learn how to do this very soon after enlistment.
And last, none of your gear is really fireproof. Don't put it in the fire.
Hydrate yourself before attending events, and don't eat too much toast!
In a rain, if there is nothing to sleep in but mud, try to find some fence rails. Put a few next to each other on the ground, put your bedding down, and sleep! The rails will also work well in a downpour, just lay one end on the lowest horizontal fence rail you can find (still on the fence of course) and the other end on the ground; cover up with a gum blanket and the rain will roll right off
Keep your water handy during marches. Don't wear your canteen under everything, wear everything under the canteen!
Spooning with your comrades is nothing to be scared of and it's a real life-saver at times...just do it if it's bitterly cold out!
Carry an extra pair of socks or two, and an extra shirt in your knapsack just in case it gets wet or cold out.
Massage your feet before you go to bed. I used to have chronic ice-cube feet at night until I gave them a rub-down before turning in.
Consider where you carry your blanket and gum-blanket in your knapsack. The often-seen blanket stored between the flaps can get wet real fast in a storm and the best place for it, IMO, is in the "inner" knapsack bag, the one closest to your body (that's where govt. clothing goes anyway). The gum-blanket can go between the flaps so if it's starting to look like you'll need it all you need to do is reack back and pull it out instead of stopping and rooting around for it.
Just as a note about staying warm at night, put at least 2/3's of your blankets underneath you. The ground will rob you of as much heat as the night cold. My gum blanket over the top of everything keeps the dew off of me, there is little worse than waking up damp all over.
. When at the halt, never pass on a chance to refill your canteen or empty your bladder;
2. Clean your musket before dusk. During the night, lay it on one of the long edges of your gum and fold a portion of the gum over the musket. This will keep the "dews and damps" away... mostly;
3. March with a full canteen and full cartridge box. You can always scrounge for food...
4. Sleep with twice as many layers under you as over you;
5. Tents don't keep you warm. Fire keeps you warm;
6. Pool your grub and cook in "messes" of two, three or four;
7. Bring extra socks and change often. "As your feet go, so go you."
8. Even when wet and cold, you'll be more comfortable with a wool cap and dry wool socks at night;
9. Shelter tents will not protect you in a driving rain, but a gum thrown over the buttoned junction helps;
10. God gave you two ears and one mouth. Shut up and listen more;
11. First impressions can be poisonous. Get to know folks before jumping to conclusions;
12. Cook only on campfire coals. Never in the flame.
13. Coffee need not be boiled. Heat to the point of boiling, remove from the coals, and set aside for a few minutes. If you can't wait for the grounds to settle, dribble in a little cool water from your canteen.
14. Cook your rations carefully. Only stone idols appreciate burnt offerings;
15. If you are wide awake at 2 A.M., remember most of your chums are not. Keep your voice down.
16. Drying your clothing and shoes next to a fire can be tricky. Remember the rule of thumb: "if it's too hot for your hands, it's too hot for your shoes";
17. Warm wet shoes are better than cold wet shoes.
18. Your cartidge box and spare shirt inside your double-bag, with your hand towel spread on top, makes an adequate pillow;
19. A tin can makes an adequate coffe boiler. "Less" really is "more";
20. Some plantation cotton, stuffed into your ears before firing you musket, goes a long way to preserve your hearing.
Want to make a fast cup of coffee at the Halt? With your mates, build a SMALL fire just big enough to put your boiler in. Use only small twigs and kindling. The smaller the better, as these burn faster, bring the temperature of the contents of your dipper up quicker. Note, you will need more fuel since the smaller twigs burn up faster, but since you are at the Halt, time is of the essesnce. In 5-10 minutes you should have a hot enough brew to pass around with your mates.
Sleep three or four in a dog tent in the rain. Use the extra half and gum for over the ends.
Set your dog tent low so's you can sleep perpendicular to the ridge in your dog. It'll deflect the wind and rain better, too.
Make sure your gum don't stick out under your dog tent in the rain.
A ball 'o string and part of an old birds nest in the bottom of your haversack is useful stuff, especially in the rain.
Bacon fat helps keep metal from rustin' and helps wet wood to burn.
If you're going to carry anything extra a gum blanket is never a bad choice.
Ash from the fire cleans gun metal and brass first rate.
Cookin' in messes keeps everyone fed.
Strong recomendation is that you change your socks more frequently, and definently do not wear socks at night which you wore during the day. The sweat from your feet will remain in the socks even though they may feel dry. Also avoid cotton at all cost...these trap moisture whereas wool ones will wick the moisture away from your feet. You may also try doubling up on a light pair of socks with a thicker outer pair.
Don't sleep with your boot/shoes on, your feet will sweat and get cold.
Dirty socks will keep your feet cold, due to sweat that has collected, change them daily if possible, wash in billy cup and hang on pack to dry.
Keep your head covered at night, I believe 20% of your body heat escapes from your head.
Don't get caught stealing your mate's water, rations, etc. when he is asleep, he'll beat your a** if he wakes.
During breaks, never stand when you can sit, never sit when you can lie down and never remain awake when you can grab a few winks.
You don't have to practice to be miserable, man gets primative real quick and the whining only lasts a short time.
Always look busy, that way the First Sergeant won't pick you for fatigue duty.
When fording streams, if you must swim, take your clothes off and carry them in a manner so as to keep them and your powder dry. If it is cold you can warm up faster in dry clothes than in wet ones. Besides after your skin goes numb you don't feel any pain.
On warm days when you've been exerting yourself - such as on long marches - your perspiration will drench your clothes. Sleeping in your own wetness will make you colder at night. Strip down to your shirt and drawers. Turn your coat inside out. You and your stuff will dry. Eventually, you'll get cold. Put your stuff back on. You'll be dry and remain warmer than if you hadn't released all that moisture.
Keep your get together. When your pack is opened or your mule collar is rolled out, your stuff tends to go move around as you fiddle with it. Keep your stuff in small poke bags and also have a larger bag for stuff. When you're done with an item, return it to a bag. (I keep my pocket knife and spoon in a white bag. The only other white bag I allow is the one with my various medicine type items: toothbrush, paste, aspirins, moleskin.)
Check the location of your canteen and shoes before you sack out. You'll certainly need them during the night so make sure they're within arms reach. Know the location of your matches and a candle in case you must have light.
My preferred campaign pillow is a cartridge box.