Post by spence on Jan 10, 2021 14:43:46 GMT -7
Footwear seems to be a problem for a lot of re-enactors, especially moccasins. We are mostly tenderfeet, these days, from wearing shoes all our lives, so having discomfort walking the woods with nothing but a thin deerskin between us and the rocks is not surprising. We are also not accustomed to having our feet wet, especially if they are cold at the same time, and don’t tolerate that well at all.
My main interest in reenacting the old days is to experience a bit of what they did, so I try to get into their frame of mind when such difficulties come along. That has worked for me to a surprising degree most of the time. I was amazed to learn that having cold, wet feet is not as bad as I imagined, once my head was adjusted. For several years when I first began reenacting I hunted turkeys on a farm with a stream through the middle which I had to wade at least once every hunt, sometimes more, and I tried doing it as I imagine the old boys would, just waded it and got on with the hunt. April in Kentucky is frequently cold, ice on the stream, etc., but it didn’t hurt as much as I feared.
Walking on the rocks was not as easy to adjust my head for, but at first I just slowed down, watched where I put my feet and kept going. The old boys may have had a big advantage over us in handling this problem, because they apparently had tough feet, maybe from going barefoot, or from wearing moccasins for years.
In 1779 Daniel Trabue was being chased closely by a group of Indians in the mountains on the wilderness trail. He said, “My shews was wet and too big for me. I kicked them off and went pass them.” Running for his life in rough country he thought nothing of losing his shoes and running barefoot. Tough feet.
Apparently going barefoot was not at all uncommon.
GENERAL MILITIA ORDERS.
Philadelphia, October 27, 1779.
“That every officer and soldier hold himself in readiness at a day’s notice, equipped in the best manner possible, with a due regard to the season. It is expected that tents will be provided for both officers and soldiers, but the insufficiency of the public stores will require their endeavouring to provide themselves with proper clothing. - It is expected that every one will bring his own blanket and haversack, and though the march will not probably be long, shoes will be an important article, which it is hoped each militia man will not neglect to procure.”
I suppose if I were to wear moccasins for several years when out in the boonies I would get tougher feet. I don’t have that much time, so I cheat a bit. I cut an innersole of hard leather only about 1/16 inch thick, skived the edge so thin it is very flexible and will mold to the shape of the moccasin inside. They don’t show, I can’t even tell they are there, and they help a lot with the rough walking.
I also don’t have time to get acclimated to cold weather as the old boys did. Cold wet feet aren’t recommended for ancient men, so I worked on that, too. I have some very thin plastic bread storage bags. I put on wool socks, slip a bread bag over those, add another pair of wool socks and then the moccasins. The bags come a few inches above the ankle and keep my feet completely dry. Dry feet are warm feet. Stay in the shallow end.
Spence
My main interest in reenacting the old days is to experience a bit of what they did, so I try to get into their frame of mind when such difficulties come along. That has worked for me to a surprising degree most of the time. I was amazed to learn that having cold, wet feet is not as bad as I imagined, once my head was adjusted. For several years when I first began reenacting I hunted turkeys on a farm with a stream through the middle which I had to wade at least once every hunt, sometimes more, and I tried doing it as I imagine the old boys would, just waded it and got on with the hunt. April in Kentucky is frequently cold, ice on the stream, etc., but it didn’t hurt as much as I feared.
Walking on the rocks was not as easy to adjust my head for, but at first I just slowed down, watched where I put my feet and kept going. The old boys may have had a big advantage over us in handling this problem, because they apparently had tough feet, maybe from going barefoot, or from wearing moccasins for years.
In 1779 Daniel Trabue was being chased closely by a group of Indians in the mountains on the wilderness trail. He said, “My shews was wet and too big for me. I kicked them off and went pass them.” Running for his life in rough country he thought nothing of losing his shoes and running barefoot. Tough feet.
Apparently going barefoot was not at all uncommon.
GENERAL MILITIA ORDERS.
Philadelphia, October 27, 1779.
“That every officer and soldier hold himself in readiness at a day’s notice, equipped in the best manner possible, with a due regard to the season. It is expected that tents will be provided for both officers and soldiers, but the insufficiency of the public stores will require their endeavouring to provide themselves with proper clothing. - It is expected that every one will bring his own blanket and haversack, and though the march will not probably be long, shoes will be an important article, which it is hoped each militia man will not neglect to procure.”
I suppose if I were to wear moccasins for several years when out in the boonies I would get tougher feet. I don’t have that much time, so I cheat a bit. I cut an innersole of hard leather only about 1/16 inch thick, skived the edge so thin it is very flexible and will mold to the shape of the moccasin inside. They don’t show, I can’t even tell they are there, and they help a lot with the rough walking.
I also don’t have time to get acclimated to cold weather as the old boys did. Cold wet feet aren’t recommended for ancient men, so I worked on that, too. I have some very thin plastic bread storage bags. I put on wool socks, slip a bread bag over those, add another pair of wool socks and then the moccasins. The bags come a few inches above the ankle and keep my feet completely dry. Dry feet are warm feet. Stay in the shallow end.
Spence
