My Home In Winter. New England NSW.

My Wigwam.

Reconstructed Eastern Woodland Indian Wigwam. Winter Scene.

This is the reconstructed woodland Indian wigwam that I built in our forest. You can see the drying rack to the right, & the outside fireplace with tripod just in front.

18th Century Ice Creepers. How they were made and used.

One Blanket Winter Camping.

One Blanket Winter Camping.

It can get very cold here in New England NSW, but there are places where it can get much colder. So be mindful of the areas you camp in when applying my methods to your Historical Treks.

I only carry one wool blanket all year round. Rather than add the bulk & weight of extra blankets or furs, I prefer to rely on the warmth from a reflector fire built close to my open fronted shelter, and the use of extra clothing. In my blanket roll I carry a wool Monmouth cap, a wool waistcoat, and a woolen shirt. At night in winter I make sure that the clothes I have on are not damp from the day’s exertions, and then I put on these extra clothing items on top of the clothing I already wearing.

I also wear a half-blanket as a cape over my shoulders and pinned together at the front. This too is worn on cold nights, and if too warm to wear on the trail, then I simply drape it over my knapsack. Now I am not saying that this method is comfortable, or that it keeps me warm all night. I am simply saying that I can manage to live this way in the bush. I do not expect to be as comfortable as I would be in my bed at home, I am resigned to the fact that this simply is the way it is if I want to carry less weight and less bulk.

The same applies to my bed, which is simply made of sticks. If there is no snow on the ground, then I may collect some dead bracken to lay upon my bed of sticks. This method keeps me up off the cold ground, and allows any flowing water from rain to flow under me and out again. I store dry kindling inside my shelter just in case my fire should go out in the night, and I build up a good supply of firewood at the side of my shelter nearest my head so I can stoke the fire in the night without leaving my blanket. The close fire also allows me to cook food and boil water for hot drinks in rain or snow without having to leave my shelter and get wet.

Take care.

Keith.

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

Winter Trekking Dates for the NECLHG 1680-1760.

The winter trekking dates for the New England Colonial Living History Group is  set for the 3rd, 4th, & 5th of June. The weather is already turned cold & we have heavy frosts & ice at night, but warm during the day.
Our camp will be made in Fox Valley in Wychwood Forest (same place as last year), so if you come late you will know where to find us.

Living at Hudson Bay 1743.

"The Wall’s of our housses we here Live in are 2 foot thick of Stone, - the windows small with 3 inch wooden shetter’s , which is Close shutt 18 hour’s Every Day, in the winter,



- four Large fires are made in Large Brick stoves (Build for that purpose) Every Day, which as soon as the wood is Burn’t Downe to a coal, the top of the chimnley is close stop’t with an Iron Cover, this Keeps the heat within the houses, tho at the same time the smoa’k makes our heads to ac’h, and Very offencive and unholesome,


- Notwithstanding of which in 4 or 5 hour’s after the fire is out and the chimnly still close stop’t, the inside of the wall of our housses are 6 or 8 inches thick of Ice, which is Every Day cutt away with Hatchetts, - three or 4 times of a Day we make Iron shott of 24 lb. weight hott in the fire, and hang up at the window’s of our appartments, yet will not hinder a 2 Gallon Botle of water freezing by the fire side as already observ’d.


– Cellors we have in the Said housses under the stoves 10 & 12 foot Deep, wherein we Keep wine Beer &c, tho not clear from the frozt, - and in the wett Seasons full of Water &c


"Observations on Hudson's Bay," written in 1743

Southern Cross Free Trappers Newsletter.

http://freetrappers.org.au/2011/04/01/vol-30-april-2011/

This is of course one of our Australian groups. The Southern Cross Free Trappers welcome new members with an interest in colonial living from the late 17th century to the mid 19th century. So if you have an interest in this period, I suggest you check this group out. They are a great bunch to sit around the camp fire with.