Steampunk Boone?

[Husky]

The recent "Boone challenges" made me think about the difference between then and now.
I tried to imagine what a "modern" Boone would use, i.e. what did he not use because it was not invented and what did he not use because it is not practical. Of course the whole reason for him to be out there, to find trails across uncharted mountains or to get supplies for frontier forts, do not really exist so they will have to be imagined but what about kit and methodology?
To be out for weeks or months, up to a year, without resupplying and not using a horse, what would he have done different if he had had our choice of kit? The obvious is that he would use a good sleeping bag rather than heavy wool blankets and something other than a tarp.
Or would he?
What kind of shelter would he have used? In order to keep dry and warm, fire from natural fuels is still a must.
He would carry his kit in a modern rucksack.
I guess Lars Monsens trip across Canada can give some guidance but I feel that perhaps not much has changed other than modern, and not necessarily better, materials?
Just fun to let the mind run free a bit.
What do you think?

 

[Clouston98]

I think he would probably still use canvas and wool etc as apposed to modern materials and I think the main difference would be what he Carries food wise and probably footwear as well.

Could be a really interesting thread .

 

[Husky]

Why do you think he would use heavy canvas?
Wool for clothing definitely but surely not blankets for sleeping?

 

[Man of Tanith]

Shortish answer.
Probably a ferro rod rather than flint n steel.
Blanket vs sleeping bag is an age old discussion both have merits.
His diet would be more varied if only in herbs and spices.

Check out Dave Canterbury's 21st century long hunter vids for some interesting thoughts on it all.

I'll add more after I have slept on it

 

[Jared]

I don't think the items would have change much.

But they would be made from maybe better materials or made better.

Like things made from stainless steel rather than hot dipped tin.

 

[EdS]

Simple - he would fly over after check satellite images.

 

[HHazeldean]

Simple - he would fly over after check satellite images.

Now wheres the fun in that??

 

[Corso]

or sit on his sofa watching discovery


personally I believe he would go light all the way

while alot of us (me included) hanker after traditional kit if your life and livelyhood depended on it I bet you'd want to carry as little weight as possible

 

[Man of Tanith]

or sit on his sofa watching discovery


personally I believe he would go light all the way

while alot of us (me included) hanker after traditional kit if your life and livelyhood depended on it I bet you'd want to carry as little weight as possible

Yup if I was to do a whole lot of long distance stuff I'd want lighter kit.
Although if I had a pack horse certain things would still be reasonably heavy duty.
Stuff like a decent kettle, dutch oven. Sacks of flour rice oats etc. Probably I'd throw a blanket in as well as the sleeping bag.

Boone and co used to take stuff to a base camp then travel from that with a light minimal kit

 

[bob_the_baker]

A decent wind-up torch.
A modern hunting rifle with some nice optics on it would definitely make hunting easier.

 

[Husky]

Instead of a horse he would probably have a quad or snowmobile. Does anyone make a woodgas conversion for those?
Even today a horse is hard to beat if you know how to handle and take care of it.
A GPS and Sat-phone with a good solar charger?

 

[rg598]

I think he would use completely modern kit. People go into the wilderness in similar ways these days, and we can see what they carry. Check out Andrew Skurka's circumnavigation around Alaska, or Ed Stafford's trip along the full length of the Amazon river. For appropriate hunting equipment, check out modern hunters such as Mark Seacat or most of the guys from Rokslide.

Here are two posts I wrote about my musings on the subject:
The Incomplete Woodsman: http://woodtrekker.blogspot.com/2013/03/the-incomplete-woodsman-skills-we-lose.html
The Modern Woodsman - Concepts for Redefining Tradition: http://woodtrekker.blogspot.com/2013/05/the-modern-woodsman-concepts-for.html

 

[Big Stu 12]

MOre then likely whould use a mixture of old and new, yes GPS... and Yes Maps/comapss....

As We that did the Boonie weekend can say now we would have doen things slightly differnt, and would differ it to how and where they were going, as Sam said most of teh time Boonie/Mounting men tended to be in a group and have a base, and spur off from that, some times as most of us know the old ways/equipment do the job better then the new/ sometime new kit does better then the old....

 

[Husky]

I think he would use completely modern kit. People go into the wilderness in similar ways these days, and we can see what they carry. Check out Andrew Skurka's circumnavigation around Alaska, or Ed Stafford's trip along the full length of the Amazon river. For appropriate hunting equipment, check out modern hunters such as Mark Seacat or most of the guys from Rokslide.

Here are two posts I wrote about my musings on the subject:
The Incomplete Woodsman: http://woodtrekker.blogspot.com/2013/03/the-incomplete-woodsman-skills-we-lose.html
The Modern Woodsman - Concepts for Redefining Tradition: http://woodtrekker.blogspot.com/2013/05/the-modern-woodsman-concepts-for.html

This was pretty much what I was getting at when I started this thread but you have put a lot of good thought into the subject.
Your blog is now bookmarked and it will give me great pleasure to read threw it.
I tip my hat!

 

[Damascus]

With all this talk of what equipment to take, the one thing which is vastly superior today is the footwear, not necessarily the uppers but the soles, how many times did he have to re-sole those leather soles in comparison to modern materials.

most of you walkers, ex military know the most important thing is your feet and keeping them sweet!!!

IMHO , it would be footwear

 

[Tengu]

When I read Nessmuk and Kephart (My faves, actually) I don't see how traditional they are, I see people who are very modern.

 

[sausage100uk]

how about, rather than a horse, a lightweight mountain bike with panniers. all essential kit in grab bag and rucksack, extras in the panniers. I think the most essential modern addition would be a breathable bivvy bag, once you have this then you are pretty much guaranteed a dry sleep, you could even stuff it with leaves/grass if you lost your sleeping bag/blankets.

 

[crosslandkelly]

I think the most essential modern addition would be a breathable bivvy bag, once you have this then you are pretty much guaranteed a dry sleep, you could even stuff it with leaves/grass if you lost your sleeping bag/blankets.

Problem is, if you lost your sleeping bag/blankets, you've almost certainly lost your bivvy bag too.

 

[Big Stu 12]

Problem is, if you lost your sleeping bag/blankets, you've almost certainly lost your bivvy bag too.

I agree with That Colin... as the bed roll was one bit of kit... and the first thing they shead when they were i a sticky spot

 

[sausage100uk]

I'd disagree, if you were relying on your bivvy as an emergency bit of kit to augment your (for sake of argument) "down bag, alpkit down mat and wool blanket bedroll" you should have it on your person at all times. works as a very efficient light weight, no set-up "cover" from the 5 C's.