Old School "Survival" Gear

[WETSU]

I scrounged up this random assortment of old gear. This is the type of stuff an outdoorsman would have taken into the woods with him for a day of hunting, even 100 years ago.

Could you survive a week in Autumn in the woods in North America with these items? You should! You should be able to do it with half the gear. Some of it is redundant. Know more, carry less. Much of what you would need could be provided by your environment. Thoughts? Comments? Challenges?

 

[indiucky]

Looks perfect to me...I used to do 18th century trekking where we would trek into the backcountry with only 18th centruy appropriate equipment and I was just as comfortable as if I would have been all goretexed/tacticooled up....

That set up looks pretty similiar to my "tramping around the woods kit" with the exception of I have a K 22 Smith or an old Bearcat as my handgun...


You read Backwoodsman Magazine don't you?

 

[flatlander]

I spent several Christmas vacations out in the woods in NW Indiana with almost the exact same stuff. No compass, Marble sheath knife, single shot .410 or dbl barrel 16 gauge. No .22 pistol but sometime took the .22 pump instead of the shotgun.
Those were the good ol days.

Bob

 

[DanSwanky]

Where is the hat with the ear flaps!?

 

[churchmouse]

Call me silly but I see no redundancy.

 

[WETSU]

Church, the blades. Pocket knife, fixed blade and hatchet. I only need one. I'd probably grab the fixed blade. But I've taught a 2 day survival course and did every bit of work I needed done, with a 3 inch folder. The hatchet is the biggest redundancy IMO. I can gather plenty of building materials and firewood with my bare hands.

To an extent, the guns are redundant too. But having both does give you the advantage of more shots, more selection based on target and range and brush.

 

[BigBoxaJunk]

What, no Iphone?

 

[Sylvain]

What, no Iphone?

This!

How do you get on INGO with those stuff???

 

[Txlur]

Nothing says badass like a good waxed canvas satchel, weighs a ton though. Boots are still leather, knives are still carbon for the most part. I really like the look and feel of the classic gear.

 

[6mm Shoot]

The only thing I would need added to what is in the picture is some thing to clean water with. Other than that it looks good to go to me. Then I guess you could boil it in the cup and let cool then drink it.

 

[LtScott14]

Add a WW2 canteen/cup/ pouch, and a firesteel(or fero rod)and similar to my gear! Simple works well if needed. Needs are the same, work is similar. 5C's, or 10C's are all used all the time. No need having a backpack with 40#of unused gear, humping the woods. Consider the noise factor on your hunt with all that gear.
Read, learn and practice. Tinder is crucial item, cotton balls and Vaseline are your friend!

 

[teddy12b]

I may be making myself look young here, but is the little silver container at the bottom of the page for matches? If so, I don't see why a guy wouldn't have a pretty good chance at being comfortable outdoors for quite a while with all that good stuff.

I've actually been looking for an old single shot 12ga so I can start doing some old school hunting with it. The older I get and the deeper I get into hunting buchcrafty things, the more I start looking back at the much older ways of doing things.

 

[churchmouse]

Church, the blades. Pocket knife, fixed blade and hatchet. I only need one. I'd probably grab the fixed blade. But I've taught a 2 day survival course and did every bit of work I needed done, with a 3 inch folder. The hatchet is the biggest redundancy IMO. I can gather plenty of building materials and firewood with my bare hands.

To an extent, the guns are redundant too. But having both does give you the advantage of more shots, more selection based on target and range and brush.

That makes some sense but a great hatchet and a fixed blade can be a real asset. No more than is pictured I might want it all......I am funny that way.....

 

[6mm Shoot]

You asked could you spend a week in the woods with the gear in the picture. My answer is I don't think I would want to try. It is like asking if you could drive a model T to work every day for a week. Yes it can be dun but why would you want to?

The camping gear of today is much lighter than of the past. We have small light stoves, very light and warm sleeping bags. I have a hunting pack that tips the scales at 25 pounds and makes it a pleasure to sleep in the woods. For me it is well worth the extra weight to have some of the comforts of life. Such as TP, fire starting stuff, a warm comfortable place to sleep. First aid stuff just in case. Game cleaning gloves, ax, knife, water purifier, skunk soap, range finder and a change of socks are some of the things that are in my hunting pack.

Is everything in my pack needed to spend a week in the woods. No. Then every thing that is in my pack has earned a spot in it because of its usefulness or because it makes life easier for me.

My other thought was if you don't have a pack or some sort of a bag how are you going to carry all that stuff in the picture. You hang all that stuff on your belt and you are going sound like a iron worker. For those that don't know a iron worker carries everything that he uses from hammer to wrenches on his climbing belt. They make more noise walking across a job than a brass band.

I am not bad mouthing the stuff that is in the picture or the use of it. I am just saying that there is a way to be more comfortable.

 

[churchmouse]

You asked could you spend a week in the woods with the gear in the picture. My answer is I don't think I would want to try. It is like asking if you could drive a model T to work every day for a week. Yes it can be dun but why would you want to?

The camping gear of today is much lighter than of the past. We have small light stoves, very light and warm sleeping bags. I have a hunting pack that tips the scales at 25 pounds and makes it a pleasure to sleep in the woods. For me it is well worth the extra weight to have some of the comforts of life. Such as TP, fire starting stuff, a warm comfortable place to sleep. First aid stuff just in case. Game cleaning gloves, ax, knife, water purifier, skunk soap, range finder and a change of socks are some of the things that are in my hunting pack.

Is everything in my pack needed to spend a week in the woods. No. Then every thing that is in my pack has earned a spot in it because of its usefulness or because it makes life easier for me.

My other thought was if you don't have a pack or some sort of a bag how are you going to carry all that stuff in the picture. You hang all that stuff on your belt and you are going sound like a iron worker. For those that don't know a iron worker carries everything that he uses from hammer to wrenches on his climbing belt. They make more noise walking across a job than a brass band.

I am not bad mouthing the stuff that is in the picture or the use of it. I am just saying that there is a way to be more comfortable.

You missed the basic premise of the thread.

 

[teddy12b]

You missed the basic premise of the thread.

Pretty much.

 

[wtfd661]

It is like asking if you could drive a model T to work every day for a week. Yes it can be dun but why would you want to?

I would in a heart beat!!!

 

[indytechnerd]

I just wanna know where I can find a coat like that these days without spending $200 on it at some boutique "outfitter". Same goes for a decent field jacket with a game pouch in the back.

 

[Thor]

Finding good, rugged, functional clothing that is not 'tactical' is difficult nowadays. I have several safari coats that I like...got a couple from Cabela's and didn't realize that while the look and pockets were there they were basically shirt weight. Not cheap either. I bought one I really like from another retailer and went back to get more and they were no longer available.

I've got a couple of coats like that but I got them new decades ago...they are woven of unobtanium now.

 

[Thor]

I would in a heart beat!!!

DITTO! A couple of folks I work with get together for a Model T rally in WI every year, sounds like good fun to me.