The quality of life during the 18th Century can only be termed harsh. The British Army reflected this, and perhaps went beyond. Criminals were usually given the option between prison and the Army, although it would be incorrect to characterise the British Army of the time as one composed solely of such misfits. Indeed, the Army found felons to be of small value, so they were usually sent to the deadly climate of the West Indies where they were used as garrison troops and didn't survive long. Rather, the 18th century British Army was composed of individuals who were unemployed as a result of the Industrial Revolution choosing the Army over starvation.
The normal length of service was for life, but in wartime the enlistment period was for three years - or until the end of hostilities. A recruit would normally join a particular regiment, but was given no assurance that he would remain there. In peacetime, thirty was the upper age limit for recruits, while seventeen was the lower age limit. These limits were significantly expanded when hostilities commenced.
Soldiers were not popular with the civilian population on either side of the Atlantic. At home, the Army had been used as a police force to quell civil disturbances. Accordingly, the individual soldier suffered under the autocratic and arbitrary authority of the regimental commander, and was ridiculed by the civil population. When not training, idle hours were consumed with roadbuilding.
Discipline was severe. Flogging with the cat-of-ninetails was the usual punishment for infractions of the rules. The number of lashes usually administered over the weeks, to allow for some interim healing. Perhaps the nickname "bloodybacks" came from a direct reference to the frequent floggings endured by the individual soldier.
Monetary compensation was certainly not the reason one became a soldier. Although a shilling was given to each new recruit upon enlistment (no small sum in those days), the private's normal wage was eightpence per day. Sixpence was deducted for subsistence (food and drink). Yet from this sum, sixpence a week was subtracted to pay for shoes, stockings, gaiters, medicines, shaving, and the repair of his arms. One penny a week was retained as a fee to pay the regimental paymaster and surgeon. From the remaining twopence a day, deductions were made for the Paymaster General, the regimental agent, and the Chelsea Hospital. The balance was applied to the cost of clothing. There were few regimental barracks, so soldiers were billeted in the worst (and cheapest) boarding houses/taverns in England.
A soldier's training consisted of learning the manual of arms with his musket. Once mastered, the next step involved learning the parade formations which ultimately led to company firing. Once or twice each year, the soldier was allowed to fire his musket with ball loaded.
Tents were seldom used on campaign, but were erected during periods of infrequent movement. The tent slept five soldiers, who lay sideways from back to front. However, not all of them would necessarily be physically in the tent at the same time - regimental duties, such as guards and pickets, would mean that people would be up and about at all hours. In the field, soldiers would group together to form a "mess" to share responsibilities for cooking meals and carrying cooking equipment. Each regiment allowed a small number of wives to accompany the unit (six per company has been documented in 1778). These "Regimental Women" were mainly responsible for the laundry, for which they received a half-ration. Husband, wife, and any children were all billeted together with the other five soldiers producing an extremely cozy situation.
A private's uniform consisted of a brick-red surcoat, the lapels turned back to form facings. Facings were trimmed in a different colour which was typically yellow, green, buff, white, black, or in the case of a "royal" regiment of foot guards, blue. Underneath, white "smallclothes" consisting of breeches, shirt and waistcoat were worn. Black gaiters reaching to the knee were worn over white stockings in the winter, with shorter spatterdashes providing a somewhat cooler option in summer months. A cartridge box was suspended over the left shoulder with a wide white leather belt. A brown haversack under a metal canteen were slung over the right shoulder. Around the waist, another white leather belt carried the bayonet and scabbard off the left hip. In addition, the soldier carried a fifth of the tent equipment, plus his portion of the mess gear. In all, the load amounted to around 60 lbs.
As can be seen from all of this, the soldier did not have an easy life either on campaign, or in garrison. About the only thing that can be said for the life-style was that it was honest work for an unskilled/uneducated individual who didn't mind hearty employment in the open air.