CANTEEN QUESTION

[Norseman]

I am looking into getting an oak canteen with iron bands that holds a quart of water from either TOW or JAS Townsend. My biggest question is are they water tight and no leaks? Do they hold up under adverse conditions etc? Anyone with experience with these types of canteens? These are the round type not keg looking one al la St Bennard dog.

 

[Swampman]

These are very good, and they don't leak.
[url] http://www.beaverbuckets.com/Canteens.htm[/url]

 

[jbg]

One thing you need to remember is to keep it full of water when you are not using it, and to check it regularly. I check mine every week or 2, and find that every 2-3 months it loses water and needs to be refilled. If you store it dry, the wood will shrink. I have seen one that shrunk so bad it leaked like a seive. Sometimes when they are left dry for a while soaking them in a bucket of water might swell the wood up to make them relatively watertight, sometimes not.
And don't fall on it.

 

[Norseman]

What type of canteens do most of you use? The time pereiod I re-enact is very early 1800's. I need a period correct canteen that doesn't leak, too fragile etc. I will use it also for extended period style hunting this fall and other fun time activities. I am aware of the leather covered bottle type, the kidney type of tin copper or stainless (a little early time period for me), the gourd, the swiggler-small keg type, and the round oak or pine style. Any suggestions and manufacturers of a trouble free canteen would be most benificial. :thumbsup:

 

[CrackStock]

Military or civilian?

CS

 

[Ridge]

I've never had any luck with wooden canteens. Either the damn things continually leaked or else the stopper would swell up and I wouldn't be able to uncork it.

I like gourds.

 

[jbg]

Any suggestions and manufacturers of a trouble free canteen would be most benificial. :thumbsup:

Therein may lie the problem. I don't believe there is a wooden canteen that could be considered trouble free.
They need to be stored with water in them, they definately need a bit more care as far as germs are concerned( I have seen what happens when that is not done) and while they are not especially fragile had a friend take a hit at the 140th Spotsylvania and land on his wooden canteen. It broke in several pieces. A tin canteen may have also broke, but a good tin canteen costs between $30-$50. A good wooden one will cost at least $100, more likely $150. That's why you don't want to fall on it!

 

[Norseman]

Civilian woodsman type.

 

I bought a stainless steel canteen from Smoke and Fire in Waterville Ohio. Covered it with wool. No fuss, no muss and no rust or worry about shrinking wood. The wayer always taste fresh. I have seen some real neat glass bottles covered in cowhide that work great too. No shrinking and the water taste good and fresh. A fella can find this type from various craftsmen that work in leather at Trade Fairs. I have found wood canteens to be a pain. Very expensive and you have to keep fooling with them to keep them from leaking. Also, the water tastes anything but fresh. May as well drink out of a puddle somewhere.

 

[deforge1]

FWIW, I carry a formed leather canteen, and have for 15 yrs. Nada problem one with it, yet

 

[Cruzatte]

I have to agree with some of the other respondents to this thread; metal canteens are best. I have one that is actually tin coated copper. When I bought it I was thinking of doing a military impression, and the unit I thought of joining used tin canteens. I had had a couple of tin canteens rust out on me, and I decided that was for the birds. So I found a smith who had some copper canteens of the general type used by this unit, and I asked him if he could tin coat the outside of the canteen to match the other's. He did.

No rust, water's always fresh tasting, no problems.

Cruzatte

 

[spudnut]

What type of canteens do most of you use? The time pereiod I re-enact is very early 1800's. I need a period correct canteen that doesn't leak, too fragile etc. I will use it also for extended period style hunting this fall and other fun time activities. I am aware of the leather covered bottle type, the kidney type of tin copper or stainless (a little early time period for me), the gourd, the swiggler-small keg type, and the round oak or pine style. Any suggestions and manufacturers of a trouble free canteen would be most benificial. :thumbsup:

The Kidney style was around a LONG time they are still available through britsh army surplus They will have either a blue or OD wool cover with a modern web sling you can discard

 

[Norseman]

Thanks guys. I'll go with a metal kidney style canteen...stainless (definitely no problems)and will cover it with wool and make a better strap vice the thin cotton cord type. I am sure they were still around in the early 1800's.

 

[KHickam]

considering the style was still in use with the british army in WW2 I would say you are safe

 

[Swampman]

Here's an 1812 military canteen.
[url] http://www.jarnaginco.com/1812catframe.html[/url]

 

[Stophel]

I've not really used a wood canteen. I have one here now, but haven't used it yet. Most of them I just don't like the looks of. They look too modern, and don't appear to be made correctly.

I've been carrying a canteen I made from a stoneware bottle with a leather cover I put on. While I haven't done anything "rough" with it, I would imagine it would hold up just fine. Of course, no leaks! Water will stay fresh in it forever.

I have a nice copper kidney canteen I bought at Mansker's several years ago (a big one, about a quart and a half). Paid $40 for it....an absolute steal! I think that strictly speaking, a copper canteen like this would be the best all around choice for use....except that copper at the time was quite expensive and I doubt that anyone 250 years ago would have paid so much just for a canteen! A tin canteen would be the most practical, I suppose, while retaining a modicum of "historical correctness".

 

[tmdreb]

Always remember to put nothing but water in copper canteens.

 

[jelder24]

I have used the tin canteens for a long but finally let it go when I acquired a WWII british one. A lot sturdier and the water tastes alot better. And the price tag is alot friendlier.

 

[Stump Sound]

I post a semi-response here;[url] http://www.muzzleloadingforum.com/fusionbb/showtopic.php?tid/209163[/url]/

 

[tg]

I use a flat glass whisky bottle(pint) with cork stopper wrapped in wool/leather it hangs nicely under the arm, I did not research it for HC content but it works well when hunting.