The Advantages of Carrying/Using 18th Century Equipment.

The Advantages of Carrying/Using 18^th Century Equipment.

·      A flintlock smoothbore gun is versatile, you can make fire with the lock without using any gunpowder, you can use various sizes of small shot & round ball, you can if necessary use other projectiles besides lead, you can retrieve lead from shot game & remould it for further use. If the lock should malfunction it is easily repaired with spare springs, if you have no spare springs the lock is easily converted to matchlock.

·      A flintlock rifle has the same advantages as the smoothbore except that it can not use small shot without leading the barrel. A .32 flintlock rifle has more power than a .22 rimfire & is less expensive to shoot.

·      You can purchase an antique flintlock pistol now with no need for licence or registration.

·      Ball moulds can be used as heavy tweezers for removing foreign objects from the body.

·      Gunpowder (Black Powder) can be used to make fire with unprepared plant tinders without wasting ammunition.

·      A trade axe/tomahawk is very versatile. The head is easily removed to be used as a hide scraper, the tomahawk can be thrown for recreation, self defence & hunting. This axe is a good defence weapon for hand to hand fighting, for constructing shelters & traps & for hammering in stakes or wooden pegs. A new helve/handle is easy to make & fit & does not require a wedge to secure the head.

·      The awl is used for making leather items & for repairing leather items. The awl is used to make & repair moccasins.

·      The butcher knife is for skinning & butchering game & can be used for self-defence.

·      The legging knife is a back-up to the butcher knife. If you should dull the edge on your butcher knife you can continue with the legging knife. You do not want to stay around sharpening blades. Your shot may have attracted unwanted attention.

·      The clasp knife is used for camp chores & for making trap triggers. You do not want to use your main blades as utility knives.

·      Flint, steel & tinderbox will enable you to make fire anywhere in all weathers. It will not break or wear out & the process is renewable & sustainable.

·      18^th century woodsrunner’s clothing (men & women) is practicle, protective, hard wearing & renewable.

·      The housewife (sewing kit) is for making & repairing clothing & packs. The needles can be used for removing splinters & if needs be sewing up wounds. The beeswax is used to wax the linen sewing thread & can be used as makeshift tooth fillings.

·      The angling tackle can be used with a rod or set lines, it can also be used for catching ducks & large land fowl. The linen or silk lines can be replaces with hand made cordage made from plant materials. Silk lines can be used as suture thread.

·      The cooking kettle is used for boiling food, boiling water for drinks & sterilising, carrying water & for catching rainwater.

·      Cotton & linen bags can be used for cleaning dirty water before boiling for drinking or adding to your water bottle.

·      Gun tools are used for repairing the lock on your flintlock muzzle-loading gun if needs be, but these locks are very hard wearing. The tools are merely a back-up. The turn screw is used to remove the lock & barrel for cleaning.

·      The whet stone is used to sharpen your blades, as is the metal file though both could have other uses if working with metal.

·      The half-axe is optional & is capable of heavier work than the tomahawk without adding too much weight.

·      An auger is optional & is used for making holes for constructing more permanent dwellings. These augers come in a variety of sizes & weigh very little. Small versions will fit in your pack, where longer versions can be tied to your blanket roll.

·      The sword is also optional but in a hand to hand fight can be very useful. The sword is also used for cutting reeds for shelter & mat construction.

·      The wool blanket is far more versatile than a sleeping bag, & if wet the blanket retains more body heat than a sleeping bag. The pure wool blanket can be used as a matchcoat or a Great Coat & can be used in a sitting position under an oilcloth covering on the trail.

·      The oilcloth shelter is very versatile & can be used in many ways, including use as a rain coat. Used as a lean-to shelter you can use fire for warmth at night & you have good visibility on at least three sides. The lean-to is easy & quick to construct & quickly taken down. It does not need tent poles/rods & it is easy to carry.

Anyone using this equipment is advised to learn the many primitive skills that go with this type of wilderness living. If you are living this 18^th century lifestyle then your level of comfort will never drop below this level. This equipment does not wear out, anything that should break can be repaired or replaces from natural sources. You are also advised to carry a modern medical kit which should include an eye wash glass.

Flint & Steel Fire Lighting-A Sustainable Method.

A selection of different fire steels & siliceous rocks.

Flint & Steel Fire Lighting-A Sustainable Method.

Flint, steel & tinderbox fire lighting is a sustainable method of making fire. Learning about flint & steel fire lighting (NOT the Ferocerium Rod!) will also teach you about the use of plant tinders, the types of plant tinders in your area, & how & where to find dry kindling in wet weather. This information is also useful in case you have to make fire with a fire-bow. Modern fire lighting methods rarely teach you any primitive skills, & they are not sustainable.

Plant tinders often need charring in order for them to catch a spark. Even those tinders that do not require charring usually perform better when charred. Plant tinders are charred directly in the fire, then they are placed in the tinderbox & the lid closed to extinguish the embers. Once this is done then the tinder is ready for use.

Sparks are struck from the steel using a sharp edged piece of siliceous rock; this rock can be flint, agate, chert, quartz or whatever type is available in your area. The easiest way to find suitable rock is to carry your steel with you on walks & simply try any rocks you find along the way. Some rocks perform better than others, but there are an amazing number of rocks that will work to some degree.

The author's tinderbox showing plant tinder contents & a musket flint.

The author's original 18th century fire steel which he secures to the buckle closure on his belt bag with a leather tie so it will not get lost.

This is a greased leather fire bag which contains the author's tinderbox. The top rolls down making it waterproof.

Spare charred plant tinder is carried in one of the author's gunpowder bags when it is empty.

Flint and Steel Fire Lighting Without Using Charred Cloth.

What Do I Need To Get? Part 1.

You need to prepare for any survival situation that you can reasonably be expected to survive.

·         Dried foods and canned foods. It would be more practicle to store the foods that you normally eat, so you can use your store, then replace it. Keeping your stock turning over. However, there may be some dry foods that you do not normally eat that would be good to stock, such as rice, flour, dried peas, oats, lentils, beans, etc.
Canned fruit in juice are also good, but get them when they are on special or at a reasonable price per kilo.

·         Bottled water and soda water, unless you are on tank water.

·         A good medical kit.

·         A good selection of edible plant seeds.

·         A good selection of vitamins. Be careful purchasing Omega 3 in fish capsule form. The ocean is now polluted with radio active material, and some companies are not testing their products for radio active pollution. I recommend that you get Flax Oil capsules instead. Vitamin C is a must, and any others recommended to you by your doctor.

·         Get a decent back pack or knapsack for each member of your family. If they are not into prepping. Get them anyway and stock them yourself.

·         Get a decent butcher knife and make a leather sheath for it. Each member of your group or family should be equipped with these tools. Good second hand butcher knives can be found in second hand shops for very little expense.

·         A good clasp knife with a single blade.

·         A second smaller butcher knife to carry as a back-up, either on your person, or in your pack.

·         A tomahawk. This is to be the round or oval type eye such as is used on pick axes only smaller of course. http://www.mopokesstockandtrade.com/#!products/cq4e

·         Flint and steel kit. This is NOT the ferrocerium rod, this is the real thing. You need a piece of flint or similar hard rock. You need a steel or striker, and you need a tinderbox. These are also available from Mopoke’s stock and Trade as above. Then you need to learn how to use it.

** A quantity of food bags, either cotton, linen or leather. This is for carrying your dried foods if you have to leave home.

** Water canteen or bottles.

Tomahawk, butcher/hunting knife, clasp knife, and the author's legging knife.

A selection of different fire steels or strikers, and a selection of siliceous rocks.

A brass tinderbox.

Tinderbox with plant tinder inside and a gun flint.

A selection of food bags, a rum bottle and a bottle used for holding iodine.

Sustainable Fire Lighting. No "charcloth" Flint, Steel and Tinderbox. VIDEO.