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The Adventurer's Gear Thread

Creeping Past

One Too Many
Messages
1,567
Location
England
The kletterjacke(n?) are very nice, Mose. Are these plentiful or scarce in your neck of the woods?

Are you a hobnail wearer at present? I like hobs, but on pavement, cobbles, flagstones, etc., I find myself walking a little daintily, like a secret drunk or old lady.

<cough>chinstrap</cough>
 

Mysterious Mose

Practically Family
Messages
516
Location
Gone.
I'll send the Algots with my other elaborations.

I'm aware of the importance of kletterjackets. I'm on it!
They're scarce. There's an antique clothes market end of June where I might find some good ones. The last remaining storestock is very expensive(+/- €150,=) and has pvc/pleather trimmings. They were the national workwear for decades, black,brown or olive corduroy, with zippered pockets and leather sleeve and pocket trim and adjusters belts.
N_art321_Memo2_3.jpg


No hobnails yet. I'm still figuring out about hammering them in, need one of those shoemakers things. Awful noisey in the street, I reckon.

<Splutter> VINTAGE <hack> chinstrap </cough>
 

Creeping Past

One Too Many
Messages
1,567
Location
England
Probably best to fit hobs to a double sole, as you'll no doubt have pre-thought.

The kind you've got will be very slippy on hard surfaces, but with the few slopes in your neck of the woods you should be relatively comfortable with them nailed in. I was walking in a hilly town the other week on triple hobs (see illustration here) and found myself holding on to railings, both up and down hill.

You can adapt clinkers (see link above) and nail them flat on to the soles of your boots, which can give you a little more grip. But wearing hobs you'll generally be among the noisiest and most unsteady of pedestrians.

Thanks for the kletter-facts.

Ah, I should've spotted that. Itchy=olden. :eek:
 

Gijoe

A-List Customer
Messages
308
Location
SWITZERLAND
Hobnailed Bots with Tricounis are o.k in the Mountains. Hard surfaces needs a bit caution. I wear Hobnail Boots for reenacting but seldom for my Adventures.
The Hobnails wear out fast and if the sole old and dry you lost many. But the biggest Problem: you cant walk with Hobnails trough a Railway Station......



If you walking in snow with Hobnail Boots you get a nice 1970s Disco Shoe Feeling:eusa_clap
 

Creeping Past

One Too Many
Messages
1,567
Location
England
Gijoe said:
Hobnailed Bots with Tricounis are o.k in the Mountains. Hard surfaces needs a bit caution. I wear Hobnail Boots for reenacting but seldom for my Adventures.

They're not easy to wear, that's true.

But the biggest Problem: you cant walk with Hobnails trough a Railway Station......

Yes, you don't walk on those shiny railway station tiles, you skate...
 
Messages
11,579
Location
Covina, Califonia 91722
My dad was in the US Army (99th Infantry Battalion) in WWII and while in England received a pair of hob nail boots to wear. Not being to familiar with them he slipped on a paved area and broke his elbow while throwing a baseball back to some guys that were playing nearby. He said his feet slipped right out from underneath him.
 

Creeping Past

One Too Many
Messages
1,567
Location
England
Not quite as daredevil, but we used to use the 'horseshoe' steels on our shoes as brakes while pedal-biking around: plenty of sparks.

Edit: It seemed like an adventure at the time.
 

Gijoe

A-List Customer
Messages
308
Location
SWITZERLAND
Here are my two favorit adventure Boots.
The US Rusette Service Shoes are stylish an good enough in normal area.
For the High Mountains i use Swedish Army Boots from the 1960s. Those have a vintage look. holds the feet dry and the best, a save Vibram Sole !!!
 

Mysterious Mose

Practically Family
Messages
516
Location
Gone.
Thank you gents, for the encouraging words!
Had a wonderful time envisaging Mr. Past hobnailing.:D
I'm gonna give it a try, anyway.
I had a pair of the Swedish boots, with leather soles and horseshoes, long time ago. Didn't like 'm very much.
 

thunderw21

I'll Lock Up
Messages
4,044
Location
Iowa
John in Covina said:
My dad was in the US Army (99th Infantry Battalion) in WWII and while in England received a pair of hob nail boots to wear. Not being to familiar with them he slipped on a paved area and broke his elbow while throwing a baseball back to some guys that were playing nearby. He said his feet slipped right out from underneath him.


Here's something different.

British-made U.S. Service Shoes (with hobnails and heel irons) that were eventually converted to M43 specifications by the addition of the leather cuffs. Worn by an officer before he got a real pair of M43s, which I also have.

rareDB3small.jpg


rareDB.jpg


Bet he hated those hobnails!
 

Zaxxon

New in Town
Messages
48
Location
Old Europe
I think regular nailed boots are not really advisable for the mountains (unless you are not climbing and stay on paths).
There are special nails, but the regular ones were invented to reduce wear of the soles on military boots on long marches as far as I know.

In fact I have nailed boots for WWI reenactment and more than one or two times I slipped on the stone floors while running through the fort.

Regards,
Zaxxon
 

Canadian

One of the Regulars
Messages
189
Location
Alberta, Canada
Okay,

I'm taking an archaeology (Plains archaeology) course next fall and there are field trips scheduled. Can anybody give me their interpretation as a correct way to dress in traditional fabrics. For work, I generally wear a white, blue or khaki shirt with khaki or grey trousers and an odd coat. I own several safari coats though and want to start looking like a successful archaeologist than some lab nerd.

Yes, I realize modern-day archaeologists wear Patagonia fleeces and REI. But I, like us all are romantics and the romance in my life is with my khaki and tan outfits.

Any thoughts? Milsurp obviously, but my parents, while they permit epaulets and head to toe khaki would draw the line at a forage cap (I typically wear a fedora or other similar lid) jodhpurs and an OD outfit studded with pockets. One of the reasons I'm permitted to dress like I do, is that it's not camo and it's practical workwear.

Thomas
 

savoy6

New in Town
Messages
38
Location
Lithia Springs ,GA
Canadian said:
Okay,

I'm taking an archaeology (Plains archaeology) course next fall and there are field trips scheduled. Can anybody give me their interpretation as a correct way to dress in traditional fabrics. For work, I generally wear a white, blue or khaki shirt with khaki or grey trousers and an odd coat. I own several safari coats though and want to start looking like a successful archaeologist than some lab nerd.

Yes, I realize modern-day archaeologists wear Patagonia fleeces and REI. But I, like us all are romantics and the romance in my life is with my khaki and tan outfits.

Any thoughts? Milsurp obviously, but my parents, while they permit epaulets and head to toe khaki would draw the line at a forage cap (I typically wear a fedora or other similar lid) jodhpurs and an OD outfit studded with pockets. One of the reasons I'm permitted to dress like I do, is that it's not camo and it's practical workwear.

Thomas

well, you need clothes that can stand the abuse of fieldwork.....as an archaeology minor back when i was in college, pants are the most important part of the equation, given how much crawling around students do on digs..
not sure why your parents would have an issue with "milsurp" if it works well in the field.personally i'd recommend several pairs of US M51 OD green field pants....
754-0032.jpg

heavy duty,windproof cotton sateen pants in the 40's-50's high waisted style.they are also cut pretty big since they were made to go over a normal uniform,very roomy and easy to move in.you'll need the side pockets for brushes,field notebooks,trowels and such.picks and smaller items can go into shirt pockets..good boots and good,sturdy pants are what you need to concentrate on.i've also used these type of pants prospecting through much of the southwestern US and they will hold up to anything you can throw at them.
 

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