With their tow ropes, gaffs, flags, knives, and nunny bags, these men await the order to leave the ship and hunt seals among the ice pans. The tow ropes are used to pull the pelts to a central location where they are piled or "panned". A flag with the ship's emblem is used to identify each pan of seals and these are picked up later by the ship. A pan with two flags flying identified a gathering place for the sealers especially in time of emergency. The nunny bag contained a lunch which was usually oatmeal, hard bread, molasses and raisins. The nunny bag was also called a scran bag or grub bag.
