What kind of paint,white wash or oil finish would have been used around the 1820 to 1830 time period by the mountain man? I know he would not have had access to paint while in the woods , so what would he have used to keep his camp box and or supply boxes from rotting?
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camp box colors
- Thread starter bejohnson
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Guest
I've never actually heard of mountain men using a camp box, but I'm sure they would have had access to boxes the traders no longer had use for after rendezvous. I have pictures of dozens of supply boxes from Forts Washita, Osage, and Gibson. All of these are not painted, but plain pine boxes. That doesn't mean that they weren't painted by trappers though. Seal skin trunks were also used during this time period. Pitch and rosin is mentioned on a few trade lists, along with "black varnish". But, this doesn't support the fact that they painted boxes with it. And, at the same time it doesn't mean they didn't either. We just don't know.
Indians out West used red, verdigris (green) and yellow ochre, along with various berries and bark to color moccasins, clothing, parfleche, etc. The mountain men very well could have picked up the use of parfleche, especially if he had an Indian wife.
If you have a lot of camp gear like I do, use a box, parfleche and hemp or canvas for your stuff. These are all documented, and would also show the variety of things the mountain men used to transport their goods.
Just a thought.
Pare-
Indians out West used red, verdigris (green) and yellow ochre, along with various berries and bark to color moccasins, clothing, parfleche, etc. The mountain men very well could have picked up the use of parfleche, especially if he had an Indian wife.
If you have a lot of camp gear like I do, use a box, parfleche and hemp or canvas for your stuff. These are all documented, and would also show the variety of things the mountain men used to transport their goods.
Just a thought.
Pare-
Guest
Also, Dave Mantz at www.bighorntradeco.com makes some really nice camp boxes in a variety of sizes. His small camp box is 18" wide, 12" high and 11.5" deep for $48.00. The coffin lid is 28x14x12 for $56. His dome top chests are from 5x7 on up to 9x18 are made of curley maple for $50. Worth the price, especially being made of curley maple.
Pare-
Pare-
Guest
It dosen't matter what color or type of paint you use on your camp box. You can not use the "right" paint on an item that did not exist!! Quit worrying about it.
I am not usually a stickler for documentation, but I remember not a simgle reference to camp boxes being used by the old guys. Parfletches and portmandous, but no boxes.
Is there even a questionably accurate sketch of a pack saddle loaded with boxes? A square or rectangular form under the canvas pack cover? A box shown inside a shelter?
How did the MM tie the boxes onto their pack saddles?
what did they carry in them?
why did they need them?
We need them because we carry so much junk and tote it in cars and pickups. The mountain men did not have F-150 trucks with 16' trailers sprouting extensions to support the tee-pee poles.
Miller refered to MM camps as sparce, with most of the MM eating with their butcher knives because they had no spoons.
Lewis and Clark issued each man a one pint tin cup and an iron spoon as their total eating gear. A rifle, powder horn, shooting bag, knife, hatchet, blanket and the clothes on their back was their entire issue to travel across the continent. When Colter left the expidition to return to the trapping fields that is all he carried with him.
Most of the sketches and discriptions of MM camps do not show enough gear to fill up a decent camp box!
:m2c:
I use milk paint or varnish on the ten or twelve I carry in my F-150 ::
I am not usually a stickler for documentation, but I remember not a simgle reference to camp boxes being used by the old guys. Parfletches and portmandous, but no boxes.
Is there even a questionably accurate sketch of a pack saddle loaded with boxes? A square or rectangular form under the canvas pack cover? A box shown inside a shelter?
How did the MM tie the boxes onto their pack saddles?
what did they carry in them?
why did they need them?
We need them because we carry so much junk and tote it in cars and pickups. The mountain men did not have F-150 trucks with 16' trailers sprouting extensions to support the tee-pee poles.
Miller refered to MM camps as sparce, with most of the MM eating with their butcher knives because they had no spoons.
Lewis and Clark issued each man a one pint tin cup and an iron spoon as their total eating gear. A rifle, powder horn, shooting bag, knife, hatchet, blanket and the clothes on their back was their entire issue to travel across the continent. When Colter left the expidition to return to the trapping fields that is all he carried with him.
Most of the sketches and discriptions of MM camps do not show enough gear to fill up a decent camp box!
:m2c:
I use milk paint or varnish on the ten or twelve I carry in my F-150 ::
Huntinfool
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LOL! I got to say it. You got to love Ghost's cavalier attitude in tellin' it like it is, well said Ghost! :thumbsup:
That's exactly why I quit trying to please everyone. Like Ghost said about the loading block in another post if the powers that be said to remove it no problem. :agree:
Again well said Ghost. :m2c:
Chuck
That's exactly why I quit trying to please everyone. Like Ghost said about the loading block in another post if the powers that be said to remove it no problem. :agree:
Again well said Ghost. :m2c:
Chuck
Remove what and for what reason? Am I missing something here? ::
Guest
well you see Claude, I was giving them down the road about using undocumentable (although needed and realistic) items items in their camp and then I admitted that I used the same items in my camp! :crackup: :crackup:
It was a-sort-of-a joke. You got to put your stuff in something!
Those plastic milk cartons work well too but you have to cover them with blankets and stuff falls through the holes sometimes!
The thing about removing the loading block is overflow from another post. :thumbsup:
I like these new gremlins! give us more!!
It was a-sort-of-a joke. You got to put your stuff in something!
Those plastic milk cartons work well too but you have to cover them with blankets and stuff falls through the holes sometimes!
The thing about removing the loading block is overflow from another post. :thumbsup:
I like these new gremlins! give us more!!
Huntinfool
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LOL! Your not "The Powers That Be" this time Claude. :master:
I was talking about Dog Soldiers or Bushway. Ghost said if they told him not to use them (loading blocks) like at a juried event that he would not make a stink about it but would readily quit usin' them.
Speaking of gremlins there's not one that says I'm Sorry! :huh:
Chuck
I was talking about Dog Soldiers or Bushway. Ghost said if they told him not to use them (loading blocks) like at a juried event that he would not make a stink about it but would readily quit usin' them.
Speaking of gremlins there's not one that says I'm Sorry! :huh:
Chuck
Guest
This overly sensitive and highly emotional bunch would wear out an "I'm sorry" icon!! :crackup:
Fur Trade business records
Here's some interesting reading. I found Astoria on the Columbia River in 1813 received 8 gallons of "black varnish" and 55 gallons of "bright varnish" from the Northwest Company. Doesn't prove it went on boxes, but it's a start. The above site has shipping manifests (some photo copies) from the fur trade era. I also found Jedediah Smith had a large stock of items in 1831, no paint, but what he listed was cataloged by the chest it was contained in. Those 45 chests had to have been, to have been inventoried, if you get my drift. :winking:
Here's some interesting reading. I found Astoria on the Columbia River in 1813 received 8 gallons of "black varnish" and 55 gallons of "bright varnish" from the Northwest Company. Doesn't prove it went on boxes, but it's a start. The above site has shipping manifests (some photo copies) from the fur trade era. I also found Jedediah Smith had a large stock of items in 1831, no paint, but what he listed was cataloged by the chest it was contained in. Those 45 chests had to have been, to have been inventoried, if you get my drift. :winking:
I am easily confused. ::
I'll get right on it. Ghost will need it to apologize for those "pretty" comments he made about my outfit. :winking: :haha:
:sorry: Ghost, I couldn't resist. ::
Kenney Moore
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Howdy,
If you want to protect your carry boxes, try using a basic color paint like ones in the historic hues. You can check sites associated with Williamsburg, VA. Generally flat paints in dull reds, forest greens, rich blues etc. would be accepted at most rendezvous. If an event is a juried event, the juriors would would let you know if your truck is acceptable or not. :relax:
If you want to protect your carry boxes, try using a basic color paint like ones in the historic hues. You can check sites associated with Williamsburg, VA. Generally flat paints in dull reds, forest greens, rich blues etc. would be accepted at most rendezvous. If an event is a juried event, the juriors would would let you know if your truck is acceptable or not. :relax:
Guest
Guest
OK flint beginner, here is your answer.
Red barn paint.
Go to Lowes or Home Depot and look for red barn paint with a linseed oil base. This is almost the exact same thing as the ferris oxide and linseed based paints used in colonial times.
It is an exterior use paint that will protect your stuff, wear well and meet the "historic requirement" of putting PC finish on a non PC item.
Red barn paint.
Go to Lowes or Home Depot and look for red barn paint with a linseed oil base. This is almost the exact same thing as the ferris oxide and linseed based paints used in colonial times.
It is an exterior use paint that will protect your stuff, wear well and meet the "historic requirement" of putting PC finish on a non PC item.
Flintshooter in Indiana
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Kinda hard on a new feller ain't cha? At least he shoots flint!
Don't know in Indiana where Waverly's at, but come to Friendship next month, if you can, and take a walk around the primitive area. You can get a lot of good ideas there and they ain't got their noses all outta joint with all this PC BS.
If you come, look me up. I'll be set up by the cabins along the tree line on the upper end of the camp towards the blockhouse. You can also e-mail me at [email protected] and we can communicate there. ::
Flintshooter
Don't know in Indiana where Waverly's at, but come to Friendship next month, if you can, and take a walk around the primitive area. You can get a lot of good ideas there and they ain't got their noses all outta joint with all this PC BS.
If you come, look me up. I'll be set up by the cabins along the tree line on the upper end of the camp towards the blockhouse. You can also e-mail me at [email protected] and we can communicate there. ::
Flintshooter
First of all I never said that I had a camp box, which I know is not "period corect". I was just curious to what they would have used. It just seems that for every question that is asked you get 1 or 2 straight answers and a whole buch of :bull:. Its no wonder that more people dont post.
Guest
Sorry if it seemed like I was the one "preaching" to you. I didn't mean to.
Pare-
Pare-
Guest
You camp up close to the rifle range or over toward the archery Flintshooter? You talking about the range blockhouse?
