A LIVING HISTORY BLOG.

18TH CENTURY LIVING HISTORY IN AUSTRALIA.

Friday 6 November 2009

So What Equipment & Foods Will You Need To Start Your New Life?







You have just arrived in the New World; you managed to pay your own passage so you are a free man/woman. You may be alone, or you may have a family but you should be able to work out what you will need to start this new life of yours.
You are not likely to be carrying a gun unless (A) you worked as a stage wagon driver or a forester in the old country or (B) you had enough money to purchase a gun before you left or when you landed. If you do have a gun then you will need: gun tools, gunpowder, powder horn, shot pouch, lead, ball & shot moulds.
You will need a blanket and you might be lucky enough to have a piece of oilcloth. You will need decent clothing and warm clothing for winter. You could have spare clothing such as a shirt and weskit so you can double up on clothing in winter, wear two shirts and two weskits. You will need mittens and a Monmouth cap would be good.
You are probably wearing shoes at present and they will have to do until you can make yourself a pair of moccasins.
You will need a pack to carry things in and you probably arrived with something you can use, a knapsack, haversack, market wallet, snapsack or a sack. This will be for carrying trail foods, perhaps a small trade kettle and a drinking vessel of some sort. Perhaps a gunpowder wallet/bag and some more lead.
You will need a water bottle, a hatchet or tomahawk, a good hunting knife (a butcher knife works well and is inexpensive).
When you make those moccasins you will also need to make yourself some leggings.
I have often wondered how a hunter on foot managed to carry the meat and skin back to camp/home. If you are not carrying a pack and just have your gun and shot pouch then it may be possible, but if the animal is a full grown deer it will be hard work even after dressing the animal out. I know because I have done it.
Two people can carry the burden between them on a pole carried on the shoulders, I have done this too, but I think a person alone may have to fashion some form of travois. I have never read of this being done, but to me it seems like a natural thing to do for a thinking person. What say you?

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