What would be....

[gizamo]

A period correct set of accoutrements for a early 1800's day-hunter in the country? Let's say early fall and the hunter is looking to put upland game on the table. Not going out with any intent of spending the night, he's sleeping in his own bed... Perhaps he's only spending the afternoon afield.

What would he carry, figuring the minimum of needs for a afternoon hunt?

giz

 

[Scott_C]

Think small and light - small bag, small 'day'horn and the bearest of accoutrements for a min. of shots: upland birds, maybe a dozen charges? Simplist of extras: turn screw, extra flints, ball/shot & powder.

Perhaps a game bag or game strap to bring home the game.

 

[gizamo]

Agreed :grin:

But what other necessaries would he bring? Knife for guttng and cleaning the game? Would he carry a first-aid kit of sorts? Some food and water. Fire making kit ~ just in case... Or would he forego these things and take his chances?

giz

 

[Russ T Frizzen]

Probably wouldn't go on a hunt without a belt axe or hatchet. Don't know what a state of the art 1800s period first aid kit would look like. Maybe a bar of lye soap and a piece of clean cloth for binding? Needle and thread...

 

[old ugly]

other than the type shooting stuff and what was availible in the old days he would probably take the same type of stuff we would take on a day hunt .
when i go hunting i have a ruff idea of how long i will be gone , how far i am gonna walk ,and know what my time , water and hunger limits are . so i take a bit of a snack , a small bottle of water , dress/prepare for the weather , my knife , and have my shooting stuff , and the odd personal objects that i feel to be important ( small roll of t/p for one).it all fits in a small hunting pack . i have left the house with as little as the clothes i am wearing , a few shells , and a knife . but then on the other side i have loaded a full pack and trodged off for a full day . sooo i don,t really know but i would think if you apply that to the 18th 19th century items availible i think you will be spot on .

 

[gizamo]

Come to think of it...what would a 1700's first aid kit, for hunting, consist of? Guess it would be a accoutrment in a way...

giz

 

[pichou]

Come to think of it...what would a 1700's first aid kit, for hunting, consist of? Guess it would be a accoutrment in a way...

giz

Herb lore, needle and thread. :wink:

 

[Troy Allen Christianson]

Maybe a bottle of leeches. YUCK! It is a good question however.

 

[tg]

Might be some local native herbs in addition to whatever the white men would use for various ailments I need to work up a small kit but have not started yet, a balm of beeswax/wintergrenen or such would probably have been around then, lancets for bleedings, there is likely enough clean linen or other cloth around for bandages, but I may add some extra the nedle and thread are in the sewing kit...time for an 18th century medical crash course.

 

[pichou]

Well, the best sellers of 1790 were Essence of Peppermint, and Turlington's Balsam. You can still buy both: peppermint essential oil, and tincture of benzoin.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tincture_of_benzoin
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peppermint_oil

 

[gizamo]

Interesting. Never gave a medicinal kit much thought. But hunters and hunting parties must have prepared to treat burns,cuts and abrasions,etc..bearing in mind that they would want to prevent infections.

Imagine that scissors, pins, along with some ability to suture would be carried in a hunting party. These guys would use caution in treating wounds...as would the lone hunter.

giz

 

[pichou]

Forgot to mention Peruvian Bark/Chinchona. Very common med back in the day, but we don't have malaria in the U.S. and Canada anymore. :v

 

[gizamo]

Guess a New England hunter would have plenty of birch bark available. As it is the basis for aspirin it would be interesting to know how they rendered it back in the 1700's. I'm actually really intriqued about what a hunter's kit might carry for medicinal products and treatment for injury...Never seen it discussed before.

giz

 

[Stumpkiller]

have plenty of birch bark available. As it is the basis for aspirin it would be interesting to know how they rendered it back in the 1700's.

I believe you're thinking (white) willow bark. That has the same pain killing properties of aspirin when chewed.

Acetylsalicylic acid (my brother worked at Morton-Norwich in the "Aspirin" plant).

 

[Grenadier1758]

I doubt that the 18th century hunter would carry any more than what was needed for hunting. Powder and shot would be carried. Wadding would be made from leaves and grasses found during the hunt. If the flint broke or a ball got stuck or the powder got wet, he would go home.

He might carry a couple of journey cakes or corn pones for a snack other wise he would go hungry. As for water, well as far as he was concerned water was everywhere and no one carried water. That was a military practice. We need to carry a canteen. Hunters would always be close to some sort of stream. They didn't know of the diseases that were carried in the water.

For a short one day hunt, the supplies would be kept to a minimum. Naturally he would carry a knife. The most first aid would be to wrap the wound and head for home.

 

[gizamo]

Guess we're all forgettin' about eatin' :grin:

A food bag would be standard carry for a day hunt :blah:

giz

 

[pichou]

Those were often called "pockets" back in the day. :wink:

 

[gizamo]

Pichou...you really are a card :grin:

Here's what I'm talking about...it is able to sit outside of my haversack and give easy access to the food that I munch on, during the day. I will hit it with beeswax and dye, and age it to match my bag...

giz

 

[Russ T Frizzen]

Pockets, back in the day, were not built into clothing. I've sometimes wondered at the relationship between the words "pocket" and "packet". Too much time on my hands I suppose...

Nice pocket picture by the way! :rotf:

 

[Grenadier1758]

I have found that most breeches would have had pockets at the side seams. Pockets were quite commen. Instructions based on original source clothing have pockets. My breeches have the side pockets and a small watch pocket.

That said the breeches pockets are very cumbersome for anything other than a few shillings and a folding knife. Not to mention that when I use a belt or the belly cartridge box, the tops of the the pockets can be partially blocked.

A small bag of parched corn could be carried by storing the bag in the opening of a split front hunting shirt and held secure by the belt or sash.