Vintage Camping Equipment

[Lareesie Ladavi]

I've been wanting to go trekking. My son is 13 now, so now I have a buddy to do it with. Anyone do the sierra Nevada? When I do this, I'm just bringing a sleeping bag and a couple of bear canisters...nothing too heavy.





KY Gentlemen, yeah, I haven't been inside camping world yet. Only reason being, is that I figured they were expensive. I love Bass proshops, but they are pretty pricey.

 

[Mike K.]

Vintage camping equipment sources

Tent:
Trek canvas wall tent - less pricey and more vintage-styled than what you'd find at Cabela's or Bass Pro.
http://www.practicalsports.com/canvas-cabin-tent.html

Cook Stove:
Optimus SVEA brass stove - an outdoor classic whose design goes back over 100 years, it has been proven on countless expeditions
http://www.campmor.com/outdoor/gear/Product___82426?CS_003=2477120&CS_010=82426

Lantern:
Dietz - take your pick from numerous styles which offer different brightness levels and burn times
http://www.lanternnet.com/Merchant2..._Code=WKL&Product_Code=DHL90&Category_Code=DL

Cookware:
Lodge cast iron - you can find these classics just about anywhere

Clothing:
You can't go wrong with time-tested classics from L. L. Bean, Woolrich, Orvis, Cabela's, Filson, and many others (check the Adv. Gear Thread for more info).

 

[shortbow]

Hey Mike, thanks for the pics. I packed one of those Svea's for years, got away from me long ago. Nice memory.

 

[WildCelt]

We mentioned Kephart's Camping and Woodcraft a while back. In my never-ending quest to lighten my load (and being horrified by the thought of disgracing the woods by wearing such eyesores as modern trail runners), I've kept thinking back to Kephart's discussion of moccasins. I've worn moccasins while hiking before, but several problems present themselves. One, my feet start to get sore after about three hours on the trail. I'm sure I could condition my feet to the point that wouldn't bother me (plenty of woodsmen did before my time), but I don't have the time to do so and if I tried to wear them all over town, I'd wear through a lot of leather (and leather's expensive). Two, when wet, moccasins get really slippery (even moreso than bare feet). Thankfully, Kephart had an answer. He recommended soled moccasins.

His moccasins seem to be soled with leather, so although that doesn't solve the slippage problem, I found some '70s style running shoes with the soles half off and planned to cement those to the bottom of my moccasins. Before I got around to it, however, I happened upon a remarkable thing at my local thrift store. Kephart's moccasins were sitting on the shoe rack (and they were the perfect size)!

They even had soles that would help out in the traction department.

I've been wearing them about ever since I got them (about a week and a half ago) and they're incredibly comfortable, almost like slippers. I haven't had a chance to try them out on the trail yet (curse this semester!), but I'm sure they'll work out quite well.

 

[shortbow]

Great find, congrats!

On the slippery moccasin thing, a neat trick I found is to carry a pair of old over-sized wool socks, and if caught in the wet or snow, pull them on over your mocs and tie them on with a bit of thong.

 

[WildCelt]

Great find, congrats!

On the slippery moccasin thing, a neat trick I found is to carry a pair of old over-sized wool socks, and if caught in the wet or snow, pull them on over your mocs and tie them on with a bit of thong.

Isn't it? I think my wife got a little tired of me exclaiming over them, though.

The wool sock thing sounds interesting, I never would have thought of that. I don't suppose it helps much in mud, does it? I'd imagine the socks would just get caked.

 

[der schneider]

who was it that use to camp with Ford in one of his model T's Edison?
or that genius guy?

you can probably find some pictures of their adventures.

 

[Daoud]

A word of caution about moccasins, moccasin boots, et al.- they have NO support whatsoever. I guess that back in the old days folks were inured to many discomforts we would find intolerable today (e.g. coarse wool underwear). And I suppose if you are a slender/lightweight person this kind of footwear would be OK- but for many folks these old-style shoes will lead to some very current foot woes. Same goes for neat old canvas shoes like the great L.L. Bean Maine Guide Shoe. If you're going to wear this kind of footwear, especially while carrying a ruck, pack or what-have-you, IMO some good supportive insoles would be a wise investment.

I've spent a lot of my life on my feet under all sorts of conditions in footwear that is inadequate by today's standards, and I have severely arthritic feet to show for it.

 

[David Conwill]

who was it that use to camp with Ford in one of his model T's Edison?
or that genius guy?

you can probably find some pictures of their adventures.

Ford, Edison, Harvey Firestone, and... I'm drawing a blank on the famous naturalist that used to camp with them. Or was he a horticulturalist? Ford had some interesting friends.

-Dave

 

[Creeping Past]

What Daoud said. And it's not only your feet that'll protest. Your knees certainly won't thank you for the extra pressure from each unsupported footfall, especially if carrying more than a daysack.

I guess going down the moccasin route is a tribute to indigenous North Americans, who were experienced in that environment and chose to wear something suitable for their purposes. The indigenous peoples even further north educated the early arctic explorers on wearing fur and hide to protect against cold and wind.

Horses for courses. And moccasins for occasi[o]ns. :eusa_doh: Not as funny is it seemed on typing. But what the...

 

[WildCelt]

A word of caution about moccasins, moccasin boots, et al.- they have NO support whatsoever. I guess that back in the old days folks were inured to many discomforts we would find intolerable today (e.g. coarse wool underwear). And I suppose if you are a slender/lightweight person this kind of footwear would be OK- but for many folks these old-style shoes will lead to some very current foot woes. Same goes for neat old canvas shoes like the great L.L. Bean Maine Guide Shoe. If you're going to wear this kind of footwear, especially while carrying a ruck, pack or what-have-you, IMO some good supportive insoles would be a wise investment.

I've spent a lot of my life on my feet under all sorts of conditions in footwear that is inadequate by today's standards, and I have severely arthritic feet to show for it.

Hey, I like my coarse wool underwear!

I agree, if you're going to be carrying a heavy pack, most people probably need some support for their feet. On a three-day trip, however, my pack only weighs 20lb (and it gets lighter the more I eat) and that 20lb packweight shrinks the more I perfect my kit. I do have supportive insoles for my boots, but the stronger my foot muscles get, the less support they need. When you look at the feet of people who live barefoot (even those who carry heavy loads), their feet are often in much better condition than those of us who wear shoes all the time.

 

[Creeping Past]

Wildcelt, now we're talking! What's in your pack?

 

[Mike1939]

I've worn moccasins quite a bit in the woods and have enjoyed the experience. I find that I walk differently in moccs, I take care where I put my foot, toes down first like the Native Americans. I feel more in tune with nature in moccasins rather than stomping up the trail in boots. Though I prefer boots for trips that are more than 3 miles, on rocky trails, when traveling fast or in wet weather. Yet even when hiking in boots I carry my moccs to change into once at camp.

 

[Creeping Past]

I was looking at moccasins earlier this year, from various rendezvous and re-enactor vendors, but put the search to one side as I really didn't know what I was looking at.

Mike, do you have a favourite moccasin seller/type? Are we talking old time, handmade, leather ones or some newer version?

 

[Mike1939]

I was looking at moccasins earlier this year, from various rendezvous and re-enactor vendors, but put the search to one side as I really didn't know what I was looking at.

Mike, do you have a favourite moccasin seller/type? Are we talking old time, handmade, leather ones or some newer version?

I wear Arrow moccasins. I've got two pair, the Ligonier and the Center Seam. They've held up rather well over the years, the only problem being they don't come in half sizes, but nothing that a pair of thick wool socks wont solve.
http://www.arrowmoc.com/

 

[Creeping Past]

I wear Arrow moccasins. I've got two pair, the Ligonier and the Center Seam. They've held up rather well over the years, the only problem being they don't come in half sizes, but nothing that a pair of thick wool socks wont solve.
http://www.arrowmoc.com/

Excellent moccs. I saw those but didn't know if they were any good. Are these leather-soled?

 

[WildCelt]

Wildcelt, now we're talking! What's in your pack?

Well, it's not all vintage-style, but it's getting more so as time goes by.

Clothing: in addition to what I'm wearing, I take extra socks, fleece jacket, and rain jacket (and overtrousers if it looks like colder weather)
Sleeping: tarp (homemade, silicon-impregnated nylon), sleeping bag/poncho liner (depending on the season), sleeping mat, and ground cloth
Eating: food (dehydrated at home and mixed into meals in freezer bags; boiling water poured into the bag reconstitutes the meal and saves cleaning up after), stove and fuel (made of Heinekin cans and runs on denatured alcohol), pot, cup, spoon, fire kit, cordage (for hanging food), and water purification tablets
Miscellanea: TP, first-aid kit, bug dope, toothbrush/paste, map, flashlight, compass, tomahawk (for firewood if I'm in an area where fires are allowed), and sheath knife

As time and money permit, I'm replacing some of the things with lighter items I make. Right now, for example, my (empty) backpack accounts for almost a quarter of my total packweight; that's unacceptable. That's the next project.

 

[shortbow]

Superb bullet-proof moccasins; carldyers.com

 

[WildCelt]

Shortbow, I looked at those a while ago (esp. the 5-eye lace boots), but starting at $215 was too rich for my pocketbook.

 

[Mike1939]

Excellent moccs. I saw those but didn't know if they were any good. Are these leather-soled?

Yes indeed, about a 1/4 inch of leather between your feet and Mother Earth.