Getting bummed on gear

[hawkchucker]

Well wife is calling in the tent order tommorrow and by god the cost of all the gear for rendevous is killing me! I still need to get a water barell, table 2 chairs, and Iron for the fire. I just am at the point where I am starting to think that rendevous is never going to happen this year, and I am going to be a daily visitor for the rest of my life. Still also need to get a fly for the tent.

Sorry to post this but I am just trying to figure out. How did ya all buy or make everything that you needed?

 

[flm_shooter]

Well, one of HER resolutions is to try one primitive encampment this year, so I'll let you know. But the tin tepee on wheels we've been using wasn't cheap, either!

 

[76monza]

Hawkchucker,

Sounds like you are one of the vast majority of us doing this hobby. Not everybody has deep pockets and can afford to buy everything you need or think you might need. If you got the clothes, rifle and gear, you've got a real good start. Sounds like you have a shelter coming, that's great you'll be dry now. As to the rest of the stuff, make do as best you can. If you can hide your platic water cooler, ice chests inside your tent under blankets, most folks don't care. As to low cost cooking utensils Look to salvation army stores , Goodwill Stores , any old thrift shop, garage sales, Army surplus stores. You can find alot of basic items there cheap. Don't feel you have to start with everything you've ever seen at a rondy. Remember the golden rule if you pack it in....you pack it out. All that iron ain't light either. It took me several thousand dollars and about 4 years to realize that I wanted to get my camp back to the basics. I still have aways to go. Hang in there and don't fret about all the niceties that you think you might need, in reality you most likely won't need them.

Smokeydays

 

[twobirds]

If you got the clothes, rifle and gear, you've got a real good start.

Amen to that. It took me a while to discover that a lot of "period stuff" is un-necessary. And not really authentic. I once wanted a "George Washington-style folding camp bed" :shake: Not to knock 'em, I'm sure they're comfortable, but would a 1790's trader pack one around with him? When he could pack more trade goods instead? Thankfully, I came to my senses before bailing off into buying or making one. (Yes, I'm leaving myself wide open to be proven wrong, but you get my point). I've got a worderful set of fire irons that I trot out maybe once a year just for show, but have learned to cook without them.

My two cents worth...take it slow when accumulating gear. Think through each purchase. Does it reflect your persona? Is it necessary or merely convenient or comfortable? :hmm: You gotta love vendors, but their business depends upon convencing folks to buy their stuff. Don't get discouraged, SD, see you at the 'voo's. :v

 

[Birdman]

Hawk ya need to remember that if ya can't see it inside the tent it can't bother anybody. If ya freeze gallon jugs of water they can be used in your cooler(instead of a barrel) and then ya can drink the water as it melts, many folks have plastic 5 gallon jugs right out in the open except they are covered with a blanket or canvas. A couple galvanized buckets(outsides painted brown or black) for water next to the fire is fine to begin with. Plain wooden uprights n crossbar like used in the boyscouts can be used to get ya by the first couple years.Or make yer own from rebar. Try to keep your meals simple, one pot style, that way ya don't need to many pots n pans the first couple times out. If you've been a day tripper you have probably seen camps that took years to gather all the stuff. Ask if there is a modern camp area available to use, many of the larger events will have one so people who are just starting out can still camp and participate without going broke trying to have everything they THINK they need the first time out. Best advice anyone I can give ya is to leave your money in your pocket and do your research FIRST! before ya buy anything. Ask folks questions, many questions, I have been doing this stuff for over 23 years and have yet to meet anyone that wouldn't help ya out if ya ask questions. The only dumb question is one ya don't ask , because ya walk away still not knowing the answer.YMHS Birdman

 

[Trina]

we bought our stuff over a several years... bought the tent first (used), and pretty much the first year camped in the tin tipi section because we werent up to snuff for primitive...

We (as in DH) made our 3 tables and 2 chairs and the kitchen box, he also made the bedstead, but this was all done over a 2 year period of time.. not all at once..

we picked up the fire irons about the second year... we add a bit here and there still, but I think we are in pretty good shape now.. we have been doing this for about 3 years now. There is no way we could have bought it all at once.. we have also picked up alot at Rendezvous used.. so you might put the word out what your looking for.

If you are at all handy you can make alot of your own stuff, cutting down on the cost and adding the pride of doing it yourself...Please dont get discouraged and dont try to do it all at once...

P.S we still dont have a water barrel, we use 5 gallon containers and I throw a square of canvas over it..

 

[rvbanker]

I am just getting started in 18th century re-enacting and rondy's. I have been doing mostly medeival (15th centruy not SCA for the last few years and the group i belong too helps eveyone out and works with each other to get the gear they need we push to get new members set up with clothes and the like first year then by the end of the second year we expect them to have a tent of some sort. This policy seems to work out well as we all know the cost of gear whether made or purchased is high. For example I just purchased a bess used and have one full outfit minus leggings and shoes at this point. I am lucky as a few of use have found that there is very little we cannot make from doing the 15th century stuff I kinda like the 18th century alot more of you out there and a ton more events and vendors. I agree with everyone here do not feel you have to have everything first time out. It is alot better to take time and research than to aquire and then find out it is not what you wanted or does not suit your needs. If you have the clothes and a tent the rest can be worked around for sure the tent and clothing are the hard parts. Just my two cents from a newer meber of the time period.

Ryan

 

[donk]

It sounds like you have a good start. It took me several years to collect the stuff in my rig. It helped that my brother was a trader and I got alot of stuff either by trade or at close to cost. I do alot of my own wood working, making boxes and such and I did alot of trading of the things I made for the things we (at least thought) we needed. The wife seems to need alot more creacher comforts than me and my two boys do but we do our best to make a reasonable compramize. If you have modern stuff that you can use just cover it with a piece of canvas or a wool blanket if you can't get it in the tent. Like the water barrel. We still use a 10 gallon Colman water cooler but we cover it with a piece of white cotton duck cloth (Available at Wal Mart for about $5 a yard)
There was also an artical in the last Muzzleloader Magazine called Sticks and stones. It is a great artical about using what is around you to make your camp. It showes how, with a little hemp rope you can make things like a tripod to hang pots from and making camp chairs from, dingle sticks for hanging meat over a fire for cooking and other usefull tricks so you don't have to carry all of the chairs and fire irons and such. Doing things this way is actually more authentic than the stuff most of us call PC.

 

[oomcurt]

Just my two cents...methinks you are thinking you need things you really don't. Table? Er..why? Assuming you are talking a fur trade era rondy...probably the only person at the original rondys with a table was the owner of the outfit..the trader. Same with cooking..one pot or stab the meat with a green branch and cook it over the fire. Now, before I go any farther...yes, I am relatively new at this. Still, from doing some reading..and going to observe what folks use at rondys and what some folks think they need..two different things. As long as you have a reasonably correct camp (No..I have no intentions of ever ever going to one of those juried doings.) You should be fine. I kind of get a kick out of seeing what some folks drag to a rondy...only thing missing is the walls of thier house and the roof. :grin: Bottom line...use the "KISS" principle. After all, your main reason for getting into this is for your enjoyment...make it enjoyable.

 

[hawkchucker]

Yup I am feeling that I need more than actually needed, but my wife is really a girly girl. I dont meen that in a bad way, I mean really she has to put on her face to get the mail when I really will go get it in my skivies.

As for the little things of water barrells and all the gear well that is me. I have a friend that does reinacting for wwII. As a former active duty Recon Marine well I guess it is just ego but I expect people reinacting my marines to be as authentic as possible.

The article in Muzzleloader intrigues me Donk. Does any one have a copy of it to send me. I have no access to the mag in my area and it would be greatly appreciated!!!!!! :hatsoff:

 

[TexiKan]

Yeah, I had "camp envy" when I finally decided to get the gear. I told folks I wanted a small tent and nearly everyone encouraged me to get the bigger version. After all, it was only a few $$'s more. Decided I would never need all of that room and got the smaller tent. Glad I did.

Then, as I added gear, I realized I was maxing out my car to carry it. Now, I have seen others with trailers and trucks. Unless I was going to make two trips or impose upon friends, I never wanted to exceed the carload. So, that is my criteria. Keep it managable and carry only enough to fill the car!

Of course, the bigger camps tend to be the gathering spots. The tourists take pictures of them and they ask questions about this or that. Avoid that "camp envy" syndrome and you won't need to add "semi-trailer" to the list! :winking:

TexiKan

 

[PaulN/KS]

Since we camp as a family,wife and 4 year old daughter,we take more stuff than the single "free" trappers bring.I can get it all into the back of the truck but I do envy the guys with less stuff at load/unload time...

 

Hi Smokey days
I built a set of wooden boxes and lined them with styrofoam (blue) to make coolers. I do rev war so I painted the boxes up as goods and powder boxes. They stack and I can leave them outside the tents. The local period police even thought they were powder boxes. I even put my units intals (Q.Y.) on the sides, and painted them crown blue, with white letters to make sure that it matched the theme.
My best regards Loyalist Dawg
Oops the jigs up... now the fashion cops will be watching for me eh gads...

 

[76monza]

LD

I found some of those styrofoam containers that those real expensive gift hams and other meats come in (about 18"x12"x12") something close to that make perfect little coolers when you build a wood box to go around them... not too big and not small.

Smokeydays

 

[chipper]

I made a teepee at home for $62.40. I use 3 pieces of rebar from Home depot for fire irons. $3.90. Just use bailing wire to connect them.
I'm really cheap, doing this kind of hobby doesn't have to be exspensive. Shop second hand stores. You would be surprised what you can pick up for a dollar.

Regards