At a time when most of the troops would have had long hair, the regulation was to wear it queued. It was to be "tied a little below the upper part of the collar of the coat, and to be ten inches in length" with one inch of hair below the tie. Soldiers were not allowed to cut their hair as it prevented the queued appearance. Officers' uniforms were usually in brighter colors and had different styles. They also had different insignia, and a decorative metal plate over the neck called a gorget. It was common for infantry soldiers to wear a cross belt consisting of two white buff leather straps which made an X across their chests; one belt held a bayonet and the other a cartridge box. Officers wore one shoulder belt which often supported a sabre scabbard or pistol cartridge box, since they did not carry a musket. The belts had a plate at the center which identified a soldier's regiment. Soldiers were issued white pipe clay which was used to whiten the belts to maintain their appearance. When on campaign, soldiers would normally be supplied with an allowance of bread, meat, oatmeal or rice and either beer or rum to wash it down with. A typical daily allowance for a group of up to six men consisted of () of bread or flour, () of beef, () of rice or oatmeal and () of rum. A soldier in camp could expect to be provided with a loaf of bread for which would last about four days. A common recipe for feeding the troops was beef broth and potatoes – a hearty, warm and filling meal that could normally feed up to eight men. Stews and meat pies were regularly cooked and small beer – for which a man received around "per diem" – and rum were watered down in order to last and deter the men from drunken behaviour. Small beer was often brewed to kill any germs that was present in the water, and was one way in which to reduce the spread and rates of disease. Drinking was used as a method to relax at the end of the day and was a leisurely activity that allowed the men to unwind. It was believed that this would boost morale and enhance the sense of camaraderie between the soldiers. Food was often shipped out to the troops, but shortages owing to problems with shipping became a common occurrence, and it was therefore much easier to live off the land on which they were stationed, or to buy from locals. Vegetables were also grown and livestock procured to help feed the troops, but there were many reports of soldiers sickening due to a lack of proper nourishment.