Carrying Water in The 18th Century. Glass Bottles.

Carrying Water in The 18^th Century. Glass Bottles.

To date I have found no evidence that glass bottles or saddle flasks were ever carried in a leather harness. Leather, wooden & ceramic water bottles with built in loops for straps & cordage are well known, but not so glass bottles. This is not to say that no one ever attached cordage or leather to a glass bottle in order to carry it slung from the shoulder, only that no primary documentation of this has been found to date. 

Glass wine bottles are believed to have been reused as water bottles & for carrying vegetable oil, but I must assume that these were either carried in the hand, or they were carried in a pack such as a knapsack, haversack, snapsack or market wallet. The name “saddle flask” given to a certain type of flat sided glass bottle suggests that it was carried in saddle bags or packs.

Pennsylvania German wooden costrel with strap lugs.

Leather costrels with carry strap lugs dated 1730.

A ceramic water bottle with carry strap lugs, 1601-1700 ad.

18^th century wine bottle.

A 16^th century glass costrel covered in embossed leather. This one I would have expected to have leather carry strap lugs included, but no sign that I can see. Research continues on this one.

American 18^th century leather covered saddle flask.

18^th century saddle flask.

18^th century leather saddle flask with what appears to be a leather carry strap attached that has been folded & pushed into the spout.

One of two modern glass bottles the author covered in leather to replicate saddle flasks.

The author’s haversack that he may use to carry his two saddle flasks.

The author’s knapsack with his market wallet secured under the flap closure. A water bottle or flask could also be carried in this market wallet & one in the knapsack, but they would not be easily accessible on the trail.

The author’s snapsack. If the top were to be left untied, then this too would be a good way to carry water bottles or flasks.

Early American glass. The first factory in what is now the United States was a glass plant built at Jamestown, Virginia, in 1608. The venture failed within a year because of a famine that took the lives of many colonists. The Jamestown colonists tried glass making again in 1621, but an Indian attack in 1622 and the scarcity of workers ended this attempt in 1624. The industry was re-established in America in 1739, when Caspar Wistar built a glass making plant in what is now Salem County, New Jersey. This plant operated until 1780. http://www.texasglass.com/glass_facts/history_of_Glass.htm

http://historical-american-glass.com/hilltown-glass-works-bucks-county-pennsylvania-1751-1766.html

http://historical-american-glass.com/glass-house-whimseys-1750-to-1880.html

http://historical-american-glass.com/wistarburgh-glass.html

More on Packs, Bags, and Equipment.

The four basic packs used in the early to mid 18th century were the knapsack, the snapsack, the haversack, and the market wallet. There is another, the tumpline and bedroll, but I have been unable to find any primary documentation on this one in period paintings. Still there is some information on its use.

Knapsack with bedroll, added market wallet, oilcloth and spare moccasins.

The Snapsack.

The Haversack.

Market Wallet.

One of our group members, Deerslayer, trying out the bedroll and tumpline for the first time.

The choice of which pack you use is not one of period correctness, all four of these packs are authentic to the period, it is simply a matter of personal preference. The choices now are no different to 300 years ago. You simply have to think about what you are going to carry, and then choose the best pack to carry it in.

I think we can all agree that we want to carry a blanket roll and possibly an oilcloth. I tie my blanket roll to my knapsack straps, and my oilcloth is secured under the flap of the knapsack. If you are using any other pack, you need to think about this.
I carry a trade kettle. Not everyone wants to, I do. My kettle carries easily inside my knapsack.

This detail of "Indians Going A-Hunting" by Von Reck shows an Indian carrying a kettle on the very top of his pack.

The purpose of a longhunter was to hunt for deer skins. They did not trap them, they hunted and shot them. This means that they required lead, gunpowder, and guns. They would also need a ball mould and a lead ladle. If the gun broke, they were a long way from home, so it seems feasible that they would also carry spare gun parts and tools. These are the things you need to think about in the abscents of any documentation.

Now what else do you consider you need to carry?

"He was on horseback; I on foot bearing my knapsack".

"After breakfast, I bade my host farewell, buckled on my knapsack and left".

Daniel Boone. The Project Gutenberg EBook of Daniel Boone, by John S. C. Abbott

It is that time of year.

In the New World, winter seems to be the time for making & reparing, same in England & Europe. But here in Australia summer is the time for looking over ones gear and making any needed repairs or changes. So right now, it-is that time of year.
How did you go on your last historical trek? Too much weight? Did anything break? Does anything need adding to your pack to make life easier in the woods?

I added a market wallet to my pack for carrying extra trail foods. It is secured under the flap on my knapsack. I am much better ballanced this way & more comfortable than carrying extra food in my haversack.

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.

Getting Started 2.

Getting Started 2.



In the first article on Getting Started I talked about items of clothing and doing the research on your choice of persona. For part 2 I will cover some basic equipment items.


Equipment:


For ordinary meetings you need very little in the way of equipment, a cup or mug of some description should suffice, plus perhaps a knife & spoon for eating.


A plain pottery or china cup or mug will not stand out. Non lead pewter mugs can be found in second hand shops & op-shops. A tin can with a handle soldered on is good, or failing this just a tin can. If soup or stew is on the menu then a cup or mug will be fine to eat out of.


Spoons these day are not very different to 300 years ago, so you can bring an ordinary desert spoon. Wooden spoons are good, as are horn spoons.

This is a wooden spoon that I purchased in a supermarket, three for $2.00. I cut the handle to size.

In the 18th century your belt knife served as your eating knife & most people carried one of some type or another.

Butcher knives like this one can often be found in second hand shops or op-shops at little cost and are ideal. Just make yourself a plain leather sheath with no belt loop.

This sheath I made from shoulder bag leather & covered with clothing weight leather & stitched with linen thread. The leather came from an op-shop.

Some form of bag is probably a good idea for going to meetings. It can carry your drinking vessel and also some food and anything else you have collected.

This scrip ( called a haversack in mid 18th century. Ref: Al Saguto) was made from second hand light canvas. Your local awning/tarpaulin maker may even sell you some scraps.

A knapsack made from a modern all cotton school bag. Another op-shop find.

The market wallet or market bag. Basically a long tube with the ends sewn shut and a slit in the middle for entry.

The snapsack, an easy bag to make. Often made of leather, but this one made of linen.

Simple inexpensive items are usually best, but please do your research first; this will help you make the right choices.

Snapsack & Market Wallet patterns: http://www.crookedtreefarm.com/history/snapsack/snapsack.html

http://www.18cnewenglandlife.org/18cnel/wallets.htm#Snapsack

http://www.crookedtreefarm.com/history/wallet/wallet.html

http://woodsrunnersdiary.blogspot.com/search?q=snapsack

http://woodsrunnersdiary.blogspot.com/search?q=market+wallet

Water Bottles, Kettles & Packs.

Ross over at Wood Trekker http://woodtrekker.blogspot.com/ has posed some questions regarding items in my post "Where Do I Start ?", & I decided that it was easier for me to answere those questions with a post.

Early to mid 18th century water bottles:

The leather costrel was produced from pre 17th century through to the early 18th century & could have been still in use up to at least the mid 18th century if looked after.

 The wooden water bottles were in use from the late 18th century. Later in the American civil war I believe these were still being made though in a slightly different style, & examples are often painted.

On the left are two water bottles known as Kidney canteens, & on the far right is a "D" canteen. Both these types have been found to have been in use during the French & Indian War, & the American Revolution.

To date this is the only small kettle that I have been able to document for the 17th and 18th century. This is a copy of a brass trade kettle, and it measures 7-1/2 x 4-1/2 high, which is actually NOT a period size, it is too high and too wide.

Although this copper kettle is often recommended for 18th century reenacting & living history, I have found no evidence that it was available before the 19th century. This is representative of the type sold by the Hudson Bay Company. Larger versions were available in the 18th century, but nothing small enough to be carried in a pack has been found so far.

The knapsack has been in use as a civilian & militia item since at least the 17th century & through the 18th century. The style is fairly basic, but the materials they are made from varies, leading me to believe that these were also home made.

The haversack has been subject to considerable controversy with many believing that this was soley a military item. I have researched this extensively, & can tell you that the haversack came in a variety of sizes & has been available to, & used by, civilians from the 17th century through the 18th century.

The snapsack is well documented as being in use during the 17th century through the 18th century. This pack has no one specific size or manufacture as far as I am able to tell from period art works, leading me to believe that this item was also home made as well as being available from traders.

The market wallet or market bag is also well documented for the 17th & 18th centuries & appears to have been used by both civilians & military. This can be a second bag like the haversack, or it can be used as a main pack, depending on your needs.

The blanket roll can also serve as a pack carried using a tumpline. Again the use of this item depends on individual needs.

The Market Wallet. An Xmas Present From My Wife.

The centre opening is shaped and sewn first before sewing the actual bag/wallet.