18th century shelters for Historical Trekking & Camping.

Any port in a storm. This fallen tree will afford you shelter providing you are lying down, though there is room enough to sit up in the entrance. Other animals have been camping in here.

This hollow standing tree has obviously been used before!

This is a termite mound that has been burnt out and a doorway cut into it. These are good for camping in or using as a safe camp fire with your bedroll layed across the entrance for warmth.

A lean-to against a bank. This sort of shelter can also be made up against large fallen trees. You can use tree bark or use your oilcloth to cover it and place sticks on top to hold the roof covering on.

A woodland Indian Wigwam using reed matting as roofing and wall material.

The framework for the Wigwam.

A Wigwam using tree bark as covering and this one showing the doorway. A fire can be lit inside and the smoke goes out via a hole left in the centre of the roof.

Another type of woodland Wigwam using tree bark as a covering. Note the smoke hole at the top.

Another Wigwam of the same style showing the doorway. These too can be covered in rush or reed matting, though this one is covered in tree bark.

This is the simle framework for the conical Wigwam.

Another simple lean-to using two saplings for the main uprights. There is no tieing here. Forked limbs hold up the cross bar and the cross bar leans against the saplings. Timber is layed inside for a bed and the roof can be bark, reed matting or your oilcloth.

This half-faced shelter is basically a large lean-to with sides added. I actually fill in the sides on the small

lean-to in winter time. Once again this can be covered in bark or several of you can use your oilcloths for the roof. I have used an oilcloth to cover one of the sides on this half-faced shelter to stop the rain from blowing in from the South.

Hessians.

Curtesy of Flintlock & Tomahawk. http://flintlockandtomahawk.blogspot.com/2009/11/hessians.html

Water Bottles. Alternatives.

There are a number of alternatives to the leather costrel for carrying water, but they are either heavier or hold less water. But for those who are just beginning or for those who carry less weight anyway, these alternatives may be a viable option.

1601-1700AD. Will suit a later period but this type is heavy to carry. Very good for normal events where little travel is involved.

Similar types of bottle ranging from 17th century to 18th century. I found two modern made replicas in a second hand shop.

Dated 1701 this type of bottle can still be bought today containing port. Does not hold a lot but not too heavy either. Can be carried in knapsack or haversack or you can cover it in leather and add a strap for carrying.

1741-1760AD, Wine bottles were rarely thrown away in the 18th century at least not by the middling sort. These bottles were reused for carrying water or to contain cooking oil. There are modern wine bottles available today of very similar shape.

1530-1550AD. This one is a great find. The leather cover is believed to have covered the whole bottle and included ears for attaching a carrying strap. This is a glass costrel. Once again glass bottles of this shape are still being made and available in bottle shops. Should not be too hard to add a leather cover and a carry strap.

This copper kidney canteen dates to the French & Indian War. This is a replica.

An even lighter and less expensive alternative is a gourd canteen. These you can grow and make yourself. Be careful of mould spores when cleaning out the inside after drying, and make sure you do a good job of sealing the inside with melted beeswax.

The Leather Costrel/Leather Water Bottle.

Above is an original medieval period costrel, note the short length of cordage for carrying.

This Costrel is dated in the 14th century.

A 17th century Costrel.

Both of these Costrels are believed to have been made in the 18th century, dated at 1730AD.

My own 18th century replica leather costrel. Note the short leather strap with a toggle on one side for securing to the waist belt.


Leather Costrels date from the medieval era and into the 18th century using roughly the same pattern right through. I have seen long straps attached to modern replicas of the Costrel but found in use that this just adds more weight to my shoulders that are already burdened carrying a shot pouch, knapsack, and haversack. Then I read somewhere that infact the leather costrel was originally carried on a waist belt by a short strap or length of cordage. I contacted the Reverend and this is what he had to say about the Costrel:

"The costrel pictured here has a short leather loop handle that I thread a waist belt through to carry it when I’m on the march. It sits very comfortably on the hip and can be quickly accessed by undoing the belt. Nothing else is on that particular belt. The original the design was copied from was allegedly worn in this manner".
http://leatherworkingreverend.wordpress.com/2009/10/18/costrels/

I already wear a waist belt which is also used to secure my hunting knife and my tomahawk and I think adding another waist belt would not be very practicle, so using the short strap I have seen on originals I devised a method using a wooden toggle which I carved from a piece of willow to secure the Costrel to my belt in such a manner as I could easily remove the costrel without taking off the belt.
Whether or not this method was ever used in the 18th century I cannot say, but it seems reasonable that a thinking person could easily have devised this method for the same reason as myself. Meanwhile I will continue to research this.

Experimentation on carrying the Costrel on the belt have so far been very favourable, and my toggle method works very well.

Colonial skills. The foot powered lathe.

According to John Seymour in his book "The Forgotten Arts & Crafts", the foot powered pole lath could date back to the Iron Age.

This book is a good read, very educational and instructive.

Colonial Settlement in the New World.

History Of The New World 1497-1763