The Backwoodsman Era In Western Pennsylvania. A PDF.

John Buxton.

http://ojs.libraries.psu.edu/index.php/wph/article/viewFile/2185/2018

By John Buxton.

SPINNING.

Alternatives To The Flintlock Gun.

Some people just don’t like guns, not even flintlocks, but in 18th century few people travelled in the New World without some form of hunting tool, although Peter Kalm did in 1749 (Peter Kalm’s Travels in North America).


So for those people that wish to experience the 18th century colonial lifestyle and carry some form of hunting tool other than a gun, I have been doing a little research on what hunting tools were available from the early to mid 18th century.

The Stone Bow. This crossbow was designed to fire stones or the round lead balls used in muzzle-loading guns.

An 18th century German made crossbow for shooting crossbow bolts. Note the strong resemblance to a musket stock.

A 17th century pistol crossbow.

Woodland Indian style flat bows and arrows.

Primitive Camping, what I think it is and is not.

I looked up Primitive Camping the other day and was amazed at some people’s definitions of “primitive”. Primitive camping for some means not using a modern vehicle to get to the camp site. So I suppose that if one is used to camping in a motor home or caravan, camping in a tent is considered primitive!
So before talking about primitive camping, one must first define what primitive means to you, or in this case what it means to me!
Below is the definition of primitive that can be found in most dictionaries, and I would not argue with that, it seems very fair, and certainly does not mean camping in a nylon tent using a sleeping bag, gas stove, aluminium cookware and freeze dried foods!
primitive definition
primi•tive (prim′i tiv)
adjective
1. of or existing in the beginning or the earliest times or ages; ancient; original
2.
a. characteristic or imitative of the earliest ages
b. crude, simple, rough, uncivilized, etc.
3. not derivative; primary; basic
4. ANTHROP. of or having to do with a preliterate, generally isolated, culture with a relatively low level of technology
http://www.yourdictionary.com/primitive
Primitive Camping to me means pre 1840.
Primitive Skills to me means skills that were first used in pre history.
Any other skills I refer to by date, as in 18th century living skills.
So primitive camping to me means using pre 1840 clothing and equipment, in my particular case I use pre 1760 clothing and equipment and I practice primitive skills and 18th century living skills.
Camping for me started in the 50s. In those days it was cotton canvas tents, open fires, bush poles for fishing, a good sheath knife and a clasp knife, and of course the belt axe. Cooking was sticking some meat on the end of a stick and holding it over the fire.

But as I moved into the 60s, camping got more sophisticated, and this modern equipment that I first thought was fun, slowly took all the fun out of camping for me. For me camping was the thought of camping out like Daniel Boone and other woodsmen of his period and earlier. Digging a small fire pit and cooking over a wood fire was a big part of the attraction. Carrying a sheath knife and a belt axe was compulsory. It was all a part of learning how to be self-reliant.

Putting up a tent or shelter using an oil cloth took some skill, as did making fire, making a bow and arrows, learning to fish with just hook and line. Making a wooden pot hook with a pocket knife and learning how to make snares and snare rabbits. All this the children of today miss out on. Now it is all made for them and little skill is required to set up the modern camp.

So this short article is to try and encourage people to try historical trekking, or primitive camping, it really does put the fun back into camping. If you have kids then for me this is the only way to camp. The skills my three boys learnt have never been forgotten, nor the times we spent together.

First time camper being taught to throw the tomahawk.

Time spent together.

There is much to learn.

A young woodsrunner.

Waiting for that billy to boil.

http://www.womenofthefurtrade.com/wst_page2.html

!

Hawkeye 2.

Hawkeye

http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=6093666650139166859

Hawkeye.

My Father's nick name for me when I was a kid was Hawkeye, and it was early TV series like these that helped start me on a path to 18th century Living History.

18th Century Wilderness Survival, Then And Now. The Flintlock Gun.

The Flintlock Gun.



In my opinion if you are going to choose any kind of firearm for long term wilderness survival, then it should be the flintlock. Even after the percussion lock was invented in the 19th century, those who lived and worked in wilderness areas preferred to keep their flintlock.


You can always find a piece of rock that will work in a flint lock. The whole gun is just lock, stock and barrel. If you carry spare parts they are easy to replace if something should break, and if you have no spare lock parts you can still use the gun as a matchlock.


A .32 cal rifle will easily take any game that a .22 will, and it will do it with only 14 grains of black powder.


A fusil will digest bird shot, swan shot (buckshot) and round ball and will take any game from birds to buffalo. You can also use a combination of any two shot options, such as swan shot and round ball, or bird shot and round ball.


You can adjust the amount of gunpowder you use for each individual shot, and you can retrieve your lead from the game and easily remould it for further use. The lock can also be used for making fire which is a good back-up.

A fusil lock with the hammer forward and the pan open. The cock is on half-cock safety.

A .62 cal fusil. Note the hammer stall/cap tied to the trigger guard. This is an extra safety precaution.

A .32 cal flint mountain rifle.

18th Century Wilderness Survival. Then and Now. The Knife.

I could quite easily have become a knife collector, I have a thing about knives. I have owned quite a few modern knives over the years, but none of them ever shaped up to my expectations. I learnt very early on that knives are individual things, and they have specific uses. There is in my opinion no such thing as an all round knife that can take the place of hatchet and knife.
I like a big knife for a hunting knife, but I don't like heavy knives. Throwing knives are great fun, but they are for throwing and do not perform well on other jobs. A hunting knife is for dispatching, skinning and butchering. In an emergency it may even be needed for hunting and defence.
A short blade can be good for skinning, but it does not have the length to reach an animals heart. Longer blades if heavy can be clumsy for skinning and butchering, but with practice a lighter blade can be used efficiently. As a professional meat hunter I always carried more than one knife, and I still do.
No matter where you are or the climate your working in the main object is to dispatch the animal as quickly as possible and to field dress it as cleanly and quickly as possible. One wrong stroke with a blade can dull it against bone, and that is when the second knife comes out so you can carry on.

The author's hunting knife and sheath. A large butcher knife but light.

Author's legging knife, light and simple construction.

Clasp knives are also good to carry as a spare knife.

Another simple large but light period butcher knife. This one cost the author seven dollars at a flea market.

A period whet stone to keep those blades sharp.

French and English Rivalry in the New World.

FREE Book give away & Recruiting for the New England Colonial Living History Group.

I am extending the offer of the Primitive Skills Book give away until the end of September. The first 5 people granted membership to our group before the end of September will recieve a copy of my book "Primitive Fire Lighting-Flint & Steel".

This is only open to those members who can actually attend our meetings near Armidale and participate in our activities.

If you THINK that you MIGHT be genuinely interested in joining our group then we would be very pleased to have you visit so that we can explain what our group is and what we do.

I can be contacted on Phone: 67 755 292, or you can contact me through this blog.