Issued

  Was remembering the time I had to put all my belongings in a bag. It was called a sea bag and I was in the Navy. We were taught how to properly fold and roll all our clothing, including a jacket and a rain coat in order to make them fit. Everything I needed, according to the Navy was in that one bag. My style had a handle sewn on one side and a long strap for carrying. Later on, I saw them with straps like a backpack would have. Kids today sure have it easy! We just had to carry it with one hand. I still have a sea bag tucked away in the attic, just in case. 

  The thing with the sea bag was it was about the same space you would get on the ship to store your things. I had a locker, that was small and used mostly for things I didn't use often. Under my bunk, well it was a bunk with a locker. They were called coffin lockers, the name explains it all. On the lid of the coffin was a two inch thick piece of foam rubber, that's the mattress. Officers had thicker ones. I did have regular sheets, a step up from the old days. There was a time when they were covered with a sack made of bed ticking that had buttons on one end. Referred to as a fart sack. There were no sheets just a wool blanket. My wife crocheted a blanket for me which I did use, although it had to be stowed away during the day. It wasn't an authorized piece of gear. Sailors always found a way to store some extra things. 

  The Navy sea bag. It is an iconic symbol. Immediately identifiable and associated with sailors. It's a  tradition carried down since whaling days and most likely before that. It would hold as the necessities you would require for a voyage. The hard core sailors, those that were dedicated to the lifestyle would tell you, if I was supposed to have a wife I would have been issued one! All you needed was issued, contained in that sea bag. All you had to do was pack it up and it was time to get underway.