The Adventurer's Gear Thread

[FlArchaeologist]

A poor attempt to get this back on topic....but what gear did you crazy old adventurer's use during the pliestocene? I'm assuming along the lines of Otzi, even though he's a few thousand years too late (copper age).

Cheers,

 

[nobodyspecial]

Later in life my dad told us kids that while he did have to walk to school daily, somebody usually came along and gave them a ride. Somehow dad managed to forgot to tell us the second half of the story until we were well past the school years.

 

[John in Covina]

A poor attempt to get this back on topic....but what gear did you crazy old adventurer's use during the pliestocene? I'm assuming along the lines of Otzi, even though he's a few thousand years too late (copper age). Cheers,

*****************
Bear skins & Stone knives!

 

[carebear]

Don't forget uphill, both ways! We also discovered fire and began the whole upright walking thing!

Looking back I'm not sure that was much of a gain. Where I come from they saw how much faster we could move bipedaly and just deepened the snow and moved the school further away the next year. :eusa_doh:

 

[carebear]

*****************
Bear skins & Stone knives!

You got to skin the bears? Back in the Garden of Eden we couldn't kill the animals, we had to wear the whole bear.

On a serious note, for extended stays in the woods, I am a firm believer in a quality cruiser-sized axe. If you know how to sharpen it properly you can use it to build shelter, gather wood for a fire, start the fire with the addition of a flint, build snares and tools for food gathering and to perform almost any task a knife can do, including shaving.

A good axe is necessary piece of kit for real long-term survival in the temperate zones.

 

[nobodyspecial]

These aren't vintage, but oh so very nice, someday I'll spring for one.
http://www.gransfors.com/htm_eng/index.html

 

[Curt Dawson]

You got to skin the bears? Back in the Garden of Eden we couldn't kill the animals, we had to wear the whole bear.

On a serious note, for extended stays in the woods, I am a firm believer in a quality cruiser-sized axe. If you know how to sharpen it properly you can use it to build shelter, gather wood for a fire, start the fire with the addition of a flint, build snares and tools for food gathering and to perform almost any task a knife can do, including shaving.

A good axe is necessary piece of kit for real long-term survival in the temperate zones.

And a good hatchet such as the Eswing roofing or dry wall model is very handy and will take and hold a razor edge.I should know I have the scars on my thigh from carrying in a tool belt to prove it.

 

[scotrace]

Does anyone know of some other source for Moleskin breeks other than the pricey Orvis models?

 

[Mojave Jack]

I don't know about the breeks, but I can attest to the quality of the socks (that's all I can afford!). I wear them with my WPG khaki breeches and service boots when I want that 1930s archeologist look. So far that look has been restricted to the living room at the farthest, but surely it will come in handy some day!

Incidently, Adam, welcome to the thread. Good to have another archy around! I don't think we could work in much different environments, though, what with you doing maritime and me doing desert stuff! lol

 

[nobodyspecial]

Does anyone know of some other source for Moleskin breeks other than the pricey Orvis models?

Do you specifically want Moleskin? http://www.bicyclefixation.com/wool_knickers.html

 

[Mike K.]

Adventuring today

A Frickin' Elephant

Jake is 5 and learning to read.
He points to a picture in a zoo book and says,
'Look Mama! It's a frickin' Elephant!'

Deep breath ... 'What did you call it?'

'It's a frickin' Elephant, Mama! It says so on the picture!'

and so it does ...

' A f r i c a n Elephant '

Hooked on Phonics....ain't it wonderful!?

 

[carebear]

That one's getting retold to a friend of mine who loves elephants.

 

[FlArchaeologist]

I don't know about the breeks, but I can attest to the quality of the socks (that's all I can afford!). I wear them with my WPG khaki breeches and service boots when I want that 1930s archeologist look. So far that look has been restricted to the living room at the farthest, but surely it will come in handy some day!

Incidently, Adam, welcome to the thread. Good to have another archy around! I don't think we could work in much different environments, though, what with you doing maritime and me doing desert stuff! lol

Thanks Mojave,

Aye, different environments but one common goal. Just out of curiosity, where do you find those socks? I've been looking for some cheap but comfortable pairs to wear underneath my BDU pants when on survey (I know...blasphemy...but I trash a pair in about 3-4 weeks, and they're expendable...).

Cheers,
Adam

 

[Mojave Jack]

BDU pants are eminently practical when doing field survey! I usually wear cargo pants or shorts when surveying to have somewhere to easily stash maps, GPS, field notebook, compass, sharpies, artifact bags, ad infinitum.... Not exactly Golden Era, but practical nonetheless. I just don't understand how people can wear jeans out there! They're constricting, hot, and have no pockets worth a damn. Even so, I'd bet 80% of our crews wear jeans on a daily basis, all year long...not to mention t-shirts and bucket hats. Your typical archaeology crew. Not that there's anything wrong with it, I just don't know how people can be comfortable that way. In any case, I'm usually the one getting odd looks or comments! lol

The shooting stockings I got from Orvis, for about $25. They are fairly coarse, though, and I've never actually worn them out of the house! Not that I wouldn't, since they are pretty thick and comfortable, but I don't think I could pull it off when I wear shorts! lol I used to wear Eddie Bauer ragg wool socks (very thick wool) with polypropolene liners underneath, and they were great. All my boots were sized for those thick socks, and I wore them year 'round. Then they got harder and harder to find, and my boots wouldn't fit right with anything else. At that point I moved out here to the desert, so I switched to light- and mid-weight hiking socks, mostly from SmartWool, Thorlo, Cabela's, etc. I find them to be extremely durable, they stay up well, and they are just high enough to clear the Swartzkopf-era desert boots I wear most of the time in the field.

Here's my most common field attire (The background is the Virginia Dale mine, active up until around the late 1930s):

Out here the chambray weight long-sleeve shirts are perfect for summer wear, and longish shorts work well, as long as I use sunscreen. In this pic I just have on my chukka-height boots, but the Swartzkopf boots are higher and do a better job of keeping out sand. I'm thinking about a pair of these:

or

and I really like these:

though I'm not really sure they're very practical.

I have a pair of Corcoran Maruaders in black that I wear when in uniform, and am currently awaiting a pair of them in the new (and awful) sage green for wear with the new ABU.

They are extremely comfortable, but I can't rationalize two pairs right now. My Swartzkopf boots are in dire need of a resoling, though, and get a bit slippery when scaling rocks and scree slopes.

 

[Badluck Brody]

What do you fellas think?

http://www.atlantacutlery.com/atlantacutlery/detail.aspx?ID=1406

What do you fellas think about the old WWII rough outs??

 

[Mojave Jack]

I do like the roughouts a lot, actually. The only problem is their lack of traction, especially in the loose soil around here. I am also always a little wary of repros for actual fieldwork. They may be fine boots, but many times they are made to look accurate while not necessarily performing accurately. I had daily use in mind when I got my service boots from WPG, but the leather just doesn't seem quite up to a regular or hard use wear regimen. I have to admit, though, these Atlanta Cutlery ones are pretty tempting! Do you have a pair, Brody?

 

[Mojave Jack]

What I'd really like to find is a larger size of these British Desert Combat Chukka Boots. Anyone know of a source for something larger than a US 9? For those of you with a UK size 7 (US 8) or UK size 8 (US 9) size foot, do a search on OFAS. (Personally, I could use with a US 10.)

 

[RockBottom]

I have a pair of Corcoran Maruaders in black that I wear when in uniform, and am currently awaiting a pair of them in the new (and awful) sage green for wear with the new ABU.

They are extremely comfortable, but I can't rationalize two pairs right now. My Swartzkopf boots are in dire need of a resoling, though, and get a bit slippery when scaling rocks and scree slopes.

How do you feel that Corcorans compare to Danners? Are the Corcorans all made in the U.S.? I've been looking for a new pair of hot weather boots for a planned two month jaunt to Baghdad.

 

[indycop]

I had a pair of corcorans in the Army and they were quite comfortable as a "barracks boot". If I could only have one pair of footwear for my feet for everything in life it would be Danners! I have the Acadias and have worn them for 6 years now. They have been up to my knees in a swamp chasing someone and my feet never got wet. They have been the best boot for duty I have ever used and they will be going back to Danner this year for a resole. I will never get rid of them. Danner's cost more than the average boot but in my opinion are the best boots in the world period!

 

[Mike K.]

I've been toying with the idea of purchasing this model boot and having it cut down to a shorter 6" height (something along the lines of a WWII service shoe). I think it would just be a matter of some minor restitching. Any thoughts on whether to proceed?