One of the things that did come out in the research was that most pioners/trapers/mountain men wore Moccasins as they were cheap and easy to repair when they wore out, and saved their tuff boots for when they really needed them..
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One of the things that did come out in the research was that most pioners/trapers/mountain men wore Moccasins as they were cheap and easy to repair when they wore out, and saved their tuff boots for when they really needed them..
That is the thing the only emergency equipment they carried was in the possibility's bag, and sleep kit/shelter kit was the lowest on the priority's of things to carry.... and how they carried the kit was determined on how they discarded it, the first to be discarded was
1 Bed Roll/tarp
2 Food Bag/Quiver/Market wallet
3 Haversack..
4 Possibility Pouch and belt, this would be even after a Gun if they had one, it was not until the later years they even had one of them, prior to that it was a knife with a hollow Handle that the shoved on a stick, just like a spear/pike.
I read one transcript that an early Trapper had only his possibliy's pouch, made his way back to some furs he had, recently stashed and slept in them.
There are even accounts of Trappers sleeping inside carcasses... They carried very little and did not have bung out bags/kit as such, they relied on knowledge and know how. Not loads of kit... just in case
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Thats a good point and i think it applies in general whether you use old school kit or its modern equivalent. I think it all boils down to how well you use your skills. The kit is a facilitator and to me it doesnt matter if it comes from last week or last century, weighs 3 ton or 3kg. If its fit for purpose it will do you just fine.
I must be really good at this bushcraft lark as lots of people have said im a right tool
Think the biggest and best tool in any armory, is the brain... it just depends on how you use it to how effective it is.. no matter what kit you have....
Philosophically yes. But practically I'd rather have good kit and no knowledge than no kit and no knowledge. Intelligence can prevail where experience is lacking and good kit is a facilitator for that.
...
All the gear... no idea... if you take that to the extreme... na thanks seen that in action..... its still knowledge that make the kit useful and work, you can have the best axe in the world but with out the knowledge of how to use it and how to look after it its useless..
Disagree. We have intelligence. I'd rather an axe than no axe. I can work out how to use it. We are equipped to solve problems and adapt regardless of prior knowledge. Or are we arguing semantics? Knowledge, ie. experience. v intelligence.
Ideally I'd have them all.
But...
You'd rather be in the middle of nowhere with no gear and no experience than with gear and no experience?
Really?
I do not think that is what I am saying...
But to save a disagreement, and to save a online fight, I take the better part of Valour, and take it no further...
Not fighting... Sorry if I came across as aggressive.
I think having too much gear in an emergency situation can't be a bad thing?
They did what they had to to survive, no doubt it was not all fun, and in some ways I glad I was not in their shoes
My point is I doubt given the choice it's what they'd opt for. If the equipment was there to make there lives easier, safer or more comfortable they'd use it.
Of course they would opt for the modern kit, they would be fools not to. The point is they would have to abandon all their kit sometimes, and survive with what was in their pockets and brains. I'm not saying that that was what we did, but for me it was trying to get into the mindset of an 18th century man.
On a tip from "rg598" I watched a couple of vids with Andrew Skurka who did a six month trip around alaska.
Skurka did have some really good ideas but is in my opinion not what we are talking about here.
His classification of "fun" may be useful:
Type 1: Fun to do and fun to talk about afterwards.
Type 2. Not fun to do but fun to talk about afterwards.
Type 3. Not fun to do and not fun to talk about afterwards.
While we are after type 1. Boone was doing one of the others.
Skurka was out for a long time and covered a lot of difficult terrain but he was constantly resupplying and re equipping (I think his longest bit was three weeks) and never used any part of the environment other than as an obstacle. I am not sure if he could have used the environment to his advantage had he wanted or needed to. Andrew is an extremely accomplished person but I do not consider it "woodsmanship" as the woods could be omitted completely but it IS a piece of the puzzle which I think is what rg598 meant?
Skurka did have some really good ideas but is in my opinion not what we are talking about here.
His classification of "fun" may be useful:
Type 1: Fun to do and fun to talk about afterwards.
Type 2. Not fun to do but fun to talk about afterwards.
Type 3. Not fun to do and not fun to talk about afterwards.
While we are after type 1. Boone was doing one of the others.
Skurka was out for a long time and covered a lot of difficult terrain but he was constantly resupplying and re equipping (I think his longest bit was three weeks) and never used any part of the environment other than as an obstacle. I am not sure if he could have used the environment to his advantage had he wanted or needed to. Andrew is an extremely accomplished person but I do not consider it "woodsmanship" as the woods could be omitted completely but it IS a piece of the puzzle which I think is what rg598 meant?
It would be interesting to hear views of the thing from non Boonie Goonies, if they would give the challenge a try.. and their feelings of the situation, and if they learnt anything and where they see the cross over...
of course moden/ish kit for one example Cotton wool as we know it and Vasilene was not invented/paterned/made at the time, is now widly used as a fire starter.... and it also make it so easy...
My interest is in things like that...and how differnet moden/ish things have made it for us
of course moden/ish kit for one example Cotton wool as we know it and Vasilene was not invented/paterned/made at the time, is now widly used as a fire starter.... and it also make it so easy...
My interest is in things like that...and how differnet moden/ish things have made it for us
Following up on my previous post...
If Daniel Boone had axess to 21 century kit for his job then he would go light. He would have:
Tarp tent of some sort
Light weight rucksack
Light weight sleeping system
He would use a wood fire for cooking as much as possible but may carry a simple "low smoke/odor" stove for use when indians are nearby
He would carry a light rifle with scope to supplement his rations which would be mainly carbs and fat
A light fishing kit for the same as above
He would forage when possible but mainly as a means of adding vitamins and nutrition - not for calories
He would carry some sort of tool(s) so that he could easily cut firewood, improvise shelters and other things when necesarry.
This list is not complete but my point is that he would carry as light kit as possible but still be able to be partly self sufficient in order to expand his range as well as being able to "make it back" if his kit fails or is lost.
A modern lightweight backpacker with some means to live off the land as well as survive an equipment loss/failure...
If Daniel Boone had axess to 21 century kit for his job then he would go light. He would have:
Tarp tent of some sort
Light weight rucksack
Light weight sleeping system
He would use a wood fire for cooking as much as possible but may carry a simple "low smoke/odor" stove for use when indians are nearby
He would carry a light rifle with scope to supplement his rations which would be mainly carbs and fat
A light fishing kit for the same as above
He would forage when possible but mainly as a means of adding vitamins and nutrition - not for calories
He would carry some sort of tool(s) so that he could easily cut firewood, improvise shelters and other things when necesarry.
This list is not complete but my point is that he would carry as light kit as possible but still be able to be partly self sufficient in order to expand his range as well as being able to "make it back" if his kit fails or is lost.
A modern lightweight backpacker with some means to live off the land as well as survive an equipment loss/failure...
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