Carrying Methods. Australia.

Australia.

 “The women make string out of bark with astonishing facility, and as good as you can get in England, by twisting and rolling it in a curious manner with the palm of the hand on the thigh. With this they make nets ... These nets are slung by a string round their forehead, and hang down their backs, and are used like a work-bag or reticule. They contain all the articles they carry about with them, such as fishing hooks made from oyster or pearl shells.”

- From the diary of an early 18th century settler in the Port Stephens area.

http://www.tear.org.au/target/articles/they-dont-know/2009-1

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.

18th century Packs & Bags in Detail Part 1. A Video. By Request. The Knapsack.

18th Century Carrying methods and my Blanket Roll. A Video.

18th Century Haversack/Scrip Detail.

I have recieved a request to show more detail of my Scrip/Haversack. My haversack once belonged to a very close and dear friend of mine who made this bag out of an old canvas stockman's coat he found cast away at the tip. It was originally made for the 19th century, so I have changed the method of securing the flap, by adding three button holes and three pewter buttons.

The leather strap is stitched to the canvas with no reinforcing patch on the inside.

I only use this Scrip/Haversack for carrying trail foods or extra items for a long trek,or for foraging when in the forest.