Roman, campaign style.......

[Los456]

Interesting thread. I would imagine the smaller the unit (you mentioned patrols), in particular century and below on detached service or whatever and when out on campaign would dispense with as much of their logistical gear as was feasible in favor of mobility.

Other than the fixed battles we mostly read about the majority of days spent on campaign would have seen numerous forces both mounted and dismounted on patrols and flank security for an army on the move. These units sqaud sized or larger would have tried to sleep under shelter (at whatever village or farmstead was in the area, but if necessary would have been exposed to the elements. If the main army itself needed cover ten-fifteen miles between encampents, the pickets or outlying security patrols, covering a wider are would have had to have gone much farther.

As for being wet and exposed to the elements, this is the common lot of a soldier from time immemorial and has always taken a very far back seat to the practicalities of the tactical situation at least in armies that wanted to remain alive. That being said it doesn't take terribly much for a seasoned veteran to remain relatively comfortable when out an about.

Los