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Post by hawkeyes on May 13, 2019 2:35:07 GMT -7
A second pair of socks, stockings, or foot wraps is always a good idea. Keep your feet dry, avoid hot spots that can lead to blistering, and they will be good to you in return.
I carry talcum powder, corn starch or even flour, for chaffing and spots that may be potential blister sites.
A second use, even if it's not completely sterile, is to apply it to cuts and scrapes in order to suck up fluids and speed up the process of scab formation. Flour can also be used, not only for the same process but added to broths and soups as a thickener.
WOW!! Talk about "A thousand and One uses" for flour!! LOL What do you think about the applying "fixing wax" or leather dressing being used between the toes like runners do to prevent blisters? I personally use salves with antibacterial and medicinal properties for that purpose. I make a special black salve from extracted plantain and dandelions mixed with pine tar and beeswax. Essentially this is my go to salve for everything from cuts to bruises and inspect repellent.
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Post by Black Hand on May 13, 2019 4:30:34 GMT -7
Hand, Thanks for the visual of your kit(s). Although this may slightly off topic but not really, I recall Mark Baker mentioning something in one of his videos where he stressed that 18th Century thinking was more "group" oriented. Therefore when a group of men ventured out into the wilderness it was common for the "company equipment" to reflect that thought process. So a larger group would carry a larger kettle rather than several smaller ones (per man)...to site just one example. I suspect this might have a more military application - a mess was issued a pot/kettle (and I've read they tired of carrying the larger pot and left it behind). With a group of men traveling in a common direction, each might have what they brought from home. That said, with one pot it is far more difficult to make stew and coffee at the same time - we use one for each while out. The coffee kettle being in almost constant use.... Large canvas, axe and saw are carried for the company. I'm not quite up to the level of "a scrap of blanket and a tin cup" between 2 guys as was noted in one account. The most I've ever used on a scout was some fresh yarrow and fresh pitch from a tree for cuts. I suspect my moccasin grease could be used for other applications, but I've never needed to use it on anything but my moccasins.
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Post by Black Hand on May 13, 2019 8:52:28 GMT -7
Here's another scenario: A group of men are on a scout in new territory and are attacked by hostiles. When they scatter, who gets the large pot...?
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Post by Sicilianhunter on May 13, 2019 11:19:07 GMT -7
WOW!! Talk about "A thousand and One uses" for flour!! LOL What do you think about the applying "fixing wax" or leather dressing being used between the toes like runners do to prevent blisters? I personally use salves with antibacterial and medicinal properties for that purpose. I make a special black salve from extracted plantain and dandelions mixed with pine tar and beeswax. Essentially this is my go to salve for everything from cuts to bruises and inspect repellent. HawkEyes, That would make for a great thread that I haven't seen much of, "How to make medicinal salves for the trail"
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Post by Sicilianhunter on May 13, 2019 11:23:18 GMT -7
Here's another scenario: A group of men are on a scout in new territory and are attacked by hostiles. When they scatter, who gets the large pot...? LOL!! Who ever is savvy enough under fire to grab it or I guess the hostiles end up with it... Of course, being a Sicilian, if I couldn't rationalize grabbing it I'd tomahawk a hole in that sucker!!
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Post by Black Hand on May 19, 2019 6:36:01 GMT -7
The spoon and cup I carved. Wood spoon is for cooking/serving and the horn spoon for eating. The metal cup is for coffee/chocolate/other and the wood cup is my stew bowl - I don't like soup-flavored coffee or coffee-flavored soup. I also carry a small sheet-steel skillet I made.
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Post by shotdeer on May 19, 2019 7:37:06 GMT -7
That's a nice kit! I'm afraid I don't know what type the wood is though....
SD
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Post by Black Hand on May 19, 2019 7:40:29 GMT -7
The cup is made from Cottonwood (a Poplar). The spoon...? Carved from a piece of wood cut from a tree near my old apartment...
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Post by Sicilianhunter on May 20, 2019 7:24:45 GMT -7
The spoon and cup I carved. Wood spoon is for cooking/serving and the horn spoon for eating. The metal cup is for coffee/chocolate/other and the wood cup is my stew bowl - I don't like soup-flavored coffee or coffee-flavored soup. I also carry a small sheet-steel skillet I made. "I don't like soup-flavored coffee or coffee-flavored soup." LOL !! Well said and good point to make to the uninitiated!! Do you clean your Kuska with Kosher salt? How big is your skillet?
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Post by Black Hand on May 20, 2019 7:56:28 GMT -7
Rinsed with clean water from my canteen and maybe scrubbed with fir twigs and rinsed. Skillet is about 6 inches at the widest diameter.
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Post by Black Hand on Jun 1, 2019 12:32:36 GMT -7
Sicilian Hunter & Shotdeer, Any pieces of your kit that you would like to post? Is there anything you find especially useful when in the field? BH
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Post by Sicilianhunter on Jun 1, 2019 18:49:17 GMT -7
Sicilian Hunter & Shotdeer, Any pieces of your kit that you would like to post? Is there anything you find especially useful when in the field? BH Hand, I have to be honest, my field time with period gear is severely limited and my period trekking/scouting time is non-existent at this point. I can certainly post parts of my kit but it's nothing that isn't embryonic...
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Post by Black Hand on Jun 1, 2019 18:53:05 GMT -7
Anything that we might help you create?
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Post by Sicilianhunter on Jun 1, 2019 22:21:22 GMT -7
My next venture is a Seneca packframe despite the lack of documentation of settlers using them. I steam bent a piece of Elm after failing with two other pieces of Salt Cedar. I will cut it to length after I make the cross members and fit them in place with mortis and tenon joints. After that I will decide on a lower shelf or not and plan out the shoulder straps and tumpline attachment points. I also planned on a rawhide webbing for the lower shelf. Any ideas on how to set the webbing?
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Post by Richard on Jun 26, 2019 21:27:24 GMT -7
I must take exception to you saying Sicilians lie. We don't - It is more a creative massaging and rephrasing of the truth to suit our purposes... As an old Friend of mine was fond of saying: "The Truth is only the truth, but you can embellish a Good Lie." I am late to this discussion, although I did read most of it when it was first posted. I intend to make good use of many of the suggestions above, especially the food. My Wife, Daughter and I traveled to Iceland last Summer, it must be one of the cleanest place on Earth. We were told that you could drink the water everywhere. No, thank you! Everywhere you look there are sheep roaming about, birds and horses. As was mentioned above, who knows what animal is laying dead in the water just around the bend from where you are taking a drink (or left the worst part of itself in the water as it passed by)? We were just day hiking, so we carried our own bottled water - it was from Iceland, but hopefully they filtered it before it went into the bottle! Richard/Grumpa
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