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Post by teakmtn on Sept 16, 2015 13:12:18 GMT -7
I just posted this query over on Frontier Folk. I am looking forward to the different perspective and ideas that may come from this group.
Steve Orr's and Issac Walter's articles on Historical canoeing has always intrigued me. Now I have finally got a canoe, and am just getting into Canoe camping and hunting in a big way. My question to the Board is what methods are currently (in a PC matter) used to secure goods. I'm mostly concerned with keeping blankets, Buffalo robe and spare clothing, gun and rifle gear, dry. I mostly travel on flat water and have planed on just wrapping stuff in lots of 10 oz. canvas which I have lots of. Does anyone make canvas bags or use something like panniers to pack gear in? Is 10 oz canvas heavy enough? In Steve's article in "Journal of the Early Americas" he mentions using a "Duluth" type pack. As I am trying to be correct to Western travel circa 1825 isn, not sure if that will fit. I have read of a "piece" but not sure how that would actually be wrapped. I've used my imagination but have not been satisfied with the results. Any help or discussion would be greatly appreciated.
Doug T.
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Post by Leifer on Sept 17, 2015 12:51:24 GMT -7
Hey Doug,
Have you considered the use of oil cloth? You could make some out of the 10 oz canvas using boiled linseed oil and add in iron oxide to make it "spanish brown". Granted, I've never done any historic water travel, maybe this would be an option for you.
Leifer
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Post by teakmtn on Sept 18, 2015 9:23:33 GMT -7
Thanks, Leifer, I think I'm gonna try that. First, I'll wash the canvas in hot water to further tighten up the weave, then apply the oil treatment. I don't intend to hem the canvas as I did on my tarp, since they will simply be wrapper cloths.
Doug T.
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Post by leatherstocking on Sept 18, 2015 11:04:21 GMT -7
Doug Chuck suggested over on FF using manties...........I linked to a couple of on line sources on how to do it.....I'll re-post here because I think it might be even more useful to our era: Chuck makes a good point......here's some links. www.bchu.com/decker.pdfThis one is hard to hear......but shows how to do it I confess I never used a "manty" in this fashion because I never did period packing, always using paniards on either saw buck or modern decker saddles, however always using the manty on the top cover the load before I started tying it down. |
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Post by TurkeyCreek on Sept 21, 2015 7:14:27 GMT -7
When I was packing up in Montana and Idaho we mantied a lot of stuff including hay bales, bags of alfalfa cubes, personal gear for ourselves and our hunters and other stuff as well. When Teakmtn posted this my first thought was to manty up the stuff but I wasn't quite sure if it was PC or not so didn't comment. Teakmtn, I think once you mantied up your gear a time or two you would be really happy to go that route.
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Post by leatherstocking on Sept 21, 2015 8:20:21 GMT -7
TC
where in Idaho did you pack?
Doug
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Post by TurkeyCreek on Sept 21, 2015 9:06:19 GMT -7
That was in the Kelly Creek area of the Clearwater forest in the primitive area. Was there for one season before moving to Wyoming. Just over Lolo Pass and to the north of there a bit.
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Post by Leifer on Sept 21, 2015 9:36:09 GMT -7
I'm pretty sure mantying up gear is rather appropriate. My thought was in regards to the water the oilcloth might be a good option to use. I manty my gear to pack it on my back when I'm out in the woods.
Leifer
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Post by leatherstocking on Sept 21, 2015 10:02:03 GMT -7
Leifer
your suggestion was completely appropriate and I believe very much period correct. Our "manties" have usually been modern poly tarps.....but again not always used as manties but just covers for the load to repel water. Modern panniers often make the use of a "envelope" packed manty not needed unless it is for a top load. I hope to turn my modern experience at some point into "just for fun" packing using manty and period pack saddles........I look forward to learning more appropriate "hitches" than I presently use. Diamond and double diamond hitches are the lashing techniques I have used tirelessly for nearly 30 years......I've only had to retie a load a couple of times with those hitches, but have always known more experienced packers have techniques that no doubt would have saved me several headaches, especially as it applies to various items I have had to pack per client's desire.
Doug
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Post by TurkeyCreek on Sept 21, 2015 11:26:57 GMT -7
Leifer you make sound sense to me. It seems natural enough that they would have mantied their gear, plews, etc for canoe travel and then just lashed the load tight in the canoe and shoved their rifle through the lashings to keep it secure in case of swamping. Sounds like the way to go to me. I hope to do some canoe trips in the future after I retire and have the time. My wife enjoys being on the water in the canoe a lot so that's a good sign. I also wish I could afford a couple head of stock, saddle horse and pack mule, and the tack to go with them. I would dearly love to do that again. Something very soul satisfying in packing up a horse or mule, stepping up on your saddle horse and heading off into the high lonesome!! Always enjoyed it more when I was by myself rather than in a group of other guides and hunters. Boy those were some shinin' times and I have a whole passel of good memories.
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Post by leatherstocking on Sept 21, 2015 14:28:04 GMT -7
TC Sounds like we both know the "High Lonesome" .....but give me the ride of a mule......and if I have to..... I'll pack the horse.  The only other way we differ is that it was always my pleasure to lead folks into the high country in Southwestern Colorado and Wyoming. The only time I packed hunters was when filling in for someone else. The majority of the trips I did was through my men's trail ministry "Lighthorseman Ministries"...so I always had real joy packing/leading guys into wilderness areas...but I knew the stock and could sit back and enjoy the ride. I enjoyed the fun the others were having. I lost all my stock (mules) saddles, tack, pack gear and 24' goose neck trailer back about 15 years ago......and have waited (with exception of a team of Percheron) to re-outfit until now..........  |
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Post by teakmtn on Sept 27, 2015 18:58:35 GMT -7
Really good stuff fellows, thank you. for some reason I never thought of folding gear on the diagonal! Duh, on my part. Thanks Doug for the links. I just wish my 10oz canvas was heavier. But, it's lighter, so that's a good thing.
Doug T.
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Post by leatherstocking on Sept 28, 2015 7:49:14 GMT -7
Have fun with your canoe trek.....I had to sell my canoe last year cause my equilibrium has got so bad that the last time I was out in it I almost drowned................sold it to a missionary who I am sure will put it to good use.......certain I won't drown on the back of a mule, I will stick to 4 legged excursions! |
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luke
Mountaineer
Posts: 66
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Post by luke on Sept 29, 2015 15:55:53 GMT -7
I use a platform that I built that sits in the bottom of the canoe, that keeps the gear up off the paddle drips or even just slow leaks(you always get small cracks and such in a bark canoe, maintenance never ends) from getting my gear too soaked. I dont know where I got the inspiration, but Im sure it came from Tappney? Will get back to you on that. If you forget the platform a new one can be made on site with 2-3 saplings for runners and a 4th chopped up into short lengths and held together with snare wire.
Have manageable bundles on the platform and lashed to the thwarts, come portage time you can attach your tump to them and move out. Have tin cups for bailing on strings, lash everything to the canoe, guns, axes all the cargo.
I lost my ax and kettle bag because I used the kettle bag strap to tie down the ax, when the canoe flipped the kettle bag, with all my rations for the trip acted like a drogue chute and made things worse. Always lash a spare paddle to the canoe so even if you wreck, flip whatever you can go get the canoe and have a way of maneuvering it.
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Post by teakmtn on Sept 29, 2015 19:16:58 GMT -7
Luke, trying to picture your platform. Is it kind of like a ladder? 2 or 3 runners with cross pieces wired together to make it rigid?
Thanks, Doug T.
Sorry I missed you at Bent's. My dog just came back from 4 months with the trainer and it would have been foolish to leave him with the wife.
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