Basic tarp/tent and bedding?

Painted linen canvas (Spanish brown is a good period color for this) or oilcloth tarp and a good period duffel blanket (Rob Stone makes excellent and well documented ones, but they are on the pricier side). I also like original 19th and early 20th c. homespun center seam blankets which can occasionally be had in antique shops, estate sales, etc. I have picked up several of these for as little as $15-20 each. Condition needn't be perfect. These homespun center seam blankets were virtually unchanged for over 200 years.

My two cents.

To keep things relatively simple only a few quality items are needed.

A good 100% wool blanket is a must, off white or white were commonly available during the period. Reproductions can be found with the kings mark and others relatively easy. Look on etsy and ebay. Avoid surplus blankets or blends, nothing can compare to a 100% wool blanket on cold nights and damp conditions.

For a shelter I use a self made 5x5 oil cloth as mentioned above from heavy canvas, .69 caliber roundballs puckered and tied on all four corners with hemp cordage as tieouts. Small river stones can also be used. Shelter options are very personal and I largely utilize what nature has provided in terms of shelter in combination with the small oilcloth I carry. I largely believe one should learn to utilize what nature has provided and work with her for your needs and individuals of the period absolutely learned to work in tandem with nature for shelter needs. Woodsman also during the period didn't always have the option of an oilcloth as well. I'd recommend you do a few overnighters experiencing both areas of shelter exploration.

Keep in mind that comfort and shelter are also relative to your environmental situation. 18th century trekking and bedding down are much different than modern methods and indeed are an acquired taste through experiment and first hand experiences, get out and enjoy the good and the bad by doing. I backpack into the backcountry frequently with my modern gear and often times I feel very spoiled!

My best advice is keep things simple, which is an area I've personally struggled with over the years, less is best and the skills are what matter more so than the gear in my opinion. Quality period gear is essential like a wool blanket, but even that one blanket and the right skillset can keep you comfortable (again a relative term) even with no oilcloth. I urge you to just enjoy the heck out of the journey you've started, you indeed have came to the right place.

I also forgot to mention a base for bedding. Never sleep on bare ground, literally will suck the life from you. I make a earthen base layer from leaves, pine branch, grass.. Whatever you can use to insulate your body. I'm very particular about keeping my woolen articles clean, which a properly made base layer will help keep one, you warm and comfortable (important) and two, your blanket clean.

The subject today got my motivation up to re-coat my cloth.

This is my simple 5x5 oilcloth coated with my homemade mixture of pure linseed oil and iron oxide pigment. No drying agents or other chemicals are used. Takes about 1-2 weeks to fully dry.

In the image you'll notice it's rather red. This is not the case once cured, the color is a deep red/brown hue as it should be. The sun is shining today FINALLY which also intensifies the reddish coloration.

Again, simple roundball tieouts with hemp cordage is all that's used for lashing.

Weight, no idea honestly. When it comes to my 18th century gear I don't honestly worry one bit about weight. I'm used to carrying 30lbs of gear in my Osprey pack and I'm well under that even with my HC gear on treks and events. 30lbs is light even by modern standards. If I had to guess... I'd say 3lbs conservatively speaking.

Now to source, old duck canvas tent. I cut a 61" square on one side which allowed for a 1" hem that was rolled and pressed at 1/2" increments. Then just simply sewed up the two raw edges with a saddle stich.

I largely decided on a smaller footprint for convenience and I'm not a tall person, so I'm able to get away with it easily. Now in a driving rain with just this shelter alone I'm getting wet. This is a tradeoff and an area I have to be conscious of. This is where I utilize what nature has provided coupled with the oilcloth.

woodsrunnersdiary.blogspot.com/2014/04/more-on-oilcloth-and-canvas.html


woodsrunnersdiary.blogspot.com/2012/07/research-and-primary-documentation.html


woodsrunnersdiary.blogspot.com/2016/11/research-update-on-oilcloth-recipes.html


woodsrunnersdiary.blogspot.com/2014/08/18th-century-paint-recipe-for-oilcloth.html



Keith.

This has got to be one of my favorite videos on youtube for so many reasons!

First, BEARD! (I'm not the only guy with a beard now!)

Second, I learned a heap of stuff and how to set up that oilcloth that I hadn't thought of before

Then I get a peak at your whole kit and sitting down to make a list.

Thank you brother!