A LIVING HISTORY BLOG.

18TH CENTURY LIVING HISTORY IN AUSTRALIA.

Tuesday 10 April 2012

My Pack Improvement.

Some of you may remember my posts on the market wallet. Normally I do not use the market wallet, but today I thought of a way of using it in combination with my knapsack to save carrying too much weight in my scrip. I like to use the scrip (later called a haversack) for foraging, and on a long trip perhaps to carry an extra bottle of water, but I would rather not start a trek by carrying extra weight in a shoulder carry bag.
The Market Wallet.

The market wallet can be carried over the shoulder........


Or on a stick over the shoulder as in this 18th century painting.....

Or over the arm as this lady is doing at the Thames in Richmond in this 17th century painting.

This is my pack as I normally carry it.

This shows my pack with the new addition of the market wallet, secured under the flap of my knapsack along with my oilcloth. I have trail food in one side, and rum, snares, cordage etc in the other side.

It has been 3 months since my operation for a complete hip replacement, and I have progressed to uphill walks to the top of Dragon's Tol and beyond. Today I thought I should start carrying a bit of weight, so I took this pack for a trial walk.

It worked well, carried comfortably and well ballanced. I am very pleased with the outcome.

4 comments:

Gorges Smythe said...

You realize that hip-joint won't pass muster at some primitive camps! ;-)

Keith said...

Gorges, you obviously have not seen the xrays of my hip. There is a swivel gun ball forge welded to the top of a long land musket bayonet. The bayonet is hammered down into the leg bone. A Chinese ceramic bowl is wedged into the hip joint & the swivel gun ball sits in this ceramic bowl.
No problem passing muster my friend.
Regards, Keith.

Some old guy said...

Nice idea I may steal if I need to temporarily overload my Frost River pack sometime.

I actually use my market wallet at the market!

Keith said...

Excellent!
Keith.