What did 1910's-20's hikers/climbers brought or wore?

[Alistair-L]

Hello this is my first post and glad to be here!I was wondering.I am wanting to assemble a basic attire on what hikers or climbers wore in the early 20th century.I was wanting to know what pieces of gear,clothing,ect. that would of been appropriate for that time.Items I am interesting in are the equipment,hats or headgear,jackets,and clothing.I would love to learn more and share it here once everything is obtained.

Thank you

 

[Heathfox]

Hi Alistair! I'd recommend you read some of the early 20th century books on "woodcraft", a genre flourishing especially in the US. One of the biggest classic authors is Horace Kephart, his books (especially "Camping and Woodcraft"), another prolific writer would be Warren H. Miller. Both can be found for free and legal download on www.archive.org -I'm sure a few other forum members can extend the list.

Incidentally, many of these old-timey writers are very entertaining with a wry sense of humour...! I learned a lot from them, having read into the topic about a year ago. It so happens that I've grown to hate modern "outdoor clothing", I just could not stand the feel of artificial fibre any more when hiking or otherwise crawling throught the woods. Kephart converted me to wear nothing but wool, except for the unmentionables!!!

A basic list of gear, off the top of my head, would be (from head to toe, for a moderate climate in spring or autumn):

Light felt hat
Light wool shirt
Light wool undershirt (optional, very good merino t-shirts are getting popular again with hikers)
Bandana
Waistcoat, wool or canvas (with pockets for essentials like a match safe)
Suspenders/ braces (Kephart hates belts...)
Belt (optional)
Khaki trousers (robust pair of chinos), moleskin for cooler weather
Medium-weight wool socks
Ankle boots (the purists use hobnails....)
Gaiters or puttees (optional)

Pocket knife
Match safe
Compass
Sheath knife
Light hatchet
Canvas backpack --- the list goes on....


If you don't mind wearing a lot of green and khaki, sellers of reproduction military uniforms and equipment are a good source for gear from your time period. Writers like Kephart frequently recommend military gear in their books. One good source is that tried and trusted firm of military tailors, What Price Glory.
Cheers,
Philipp

 

[Alistair-L]

Thanks for your reply.I plan on getting plenty of wool.My friend knows the outdoors more than I do I've learned some stuff from him.I've spotted a nice pack online and hope to obtain it.I have a few more items that I can include as well.

 

[Dinerman]

There was purpose made hiking clothing from companies like Duxbak. Originals from the 1910s-1920s can still be picked up surprisingly reasonably. There was a lot of overlap of what was used for hiking/camping/expeditions and what was made for the hunting market.

You'll probably want a felt hat, canvas cap with earflaps or wool flat-cap, pullover shirt, either wool, chambray or khaki twill, breeches and brown lace-up field boots. Waxed cotton/oilcloth was also a popular choice, depending on the weather. Filson still makes some good stuff in that world. I recommend looking through the vintage workwear thread, reproduction workwear thread and the vintage hunting thread.

 

[JackieMatra]

Robert Donat and Greer Garson stranded on a mountain by heavy fog while climbing.
(The fog is below them.)
Depiction of pre-WWI mountain climbing in the Alps in the great classic 1939 film "Goodbye, Mr. Chips".

 

[Alistair-L]

Wonderful!I looked into the caps such as that and found some from the Swiss military.I am in need of appropriate trousers and breeches seems to be a good option.I will look at those threads and get some more ideas.Thanks for the pic Jackie as good period photos are what I am looking for as well.

 

[JackieMatra]

The Greer Garson character had finger sandwiches in her bag.

I would think that a cigarette lighter would be preferable to matches as you wouldn't have to worry about dampness, although Zippo didn't start manufacturing their "windproof" lighters until about 1936, so I don't know just what sort of lighter, if any, would be appropriate.
The film "Goodbye, Mr. Chips" has the title character, portrayed by Robert Donat, using matches on the mountain to light his pipe.

 

[Alistair-L]

I was thinking of purchasing a small side pack to contain items like matches,rations,and other stuff.I am also researching on Alpine mountain climbers and hope to find new stuff there.

 

[AdeeC]

Here are intrepid climber George Mallory's boots. He disappeared in 1924 when climbing Mt Everest. His body and boots were found in 1999.

 

[AdeeC]

Here is also an interesting link.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/5076634.stm

 

[JackieMatra]

Here's a few screenshots from the film "Goodbye, Mr. Chips", portraying mountain climbing and hiking in the Austrian Alps prior to WWI, where the male amateur climbers wear neckties, suits with waistcoats, and carry walking sticks, when hiking and climbing while on vacation.

Robert Donat climbing a mountain.


Robert Donat climbing with a view of his boots.


Paul Henreid and Robert Donat hiking.


Robert Donat with a view of his rucksack.


Paul Henreid and Robert Donat with a view of Henreid's rucksack.


Robert Donat and Paul Henreid. Donat's character is English and he was English himself. Henreid's character is Austrian and he was Austrian himself.

 

[Alistair-L]

Wonderful images especially of his rucksack.Luckily rucksacks are easy to find.A nice turtleneck sweater will be good too.I'm looking into finding some breeches as suggested.

Plus wonderful link on the Everest climbing clothes

 

[RBH]

Here is a shot from 1912 Australia.

 

[Heathfox]

Hi Alistair,

I should have asked this earlier: What exactly are you planning to do? Are you actually going to hike or climb in classic clothes and equipment? And in what sort of terrain at which time of the year? Knowing that, we can give you some more specific advice.

For climbing clothes, illustrations in books on the 1920s Everest expeditions are a good guide. The actual climbers looked a lot less natty than the chaps in the movie! I'm neither a climber nor a climbing expert, but for the historical background, I enjoyed Wade Davis' "Into the Silence", a history of the 1920s British Everest climbs. It has several good illustrations.

Makers: I second Dinerman's recommendation of Filson gear. They make excellent jackets and waistcoats in wool Mackinaw cloth, they also have a great light wool jacket made of what they call "Forestry cloth" which looks like thin whipcord. This jacket is really excellent.

Side pack: If you have a jacket and/or waistcoat with roomy pockets, you can go without a shoulder bag or haversack on short trips. I found that a shoulder back keeps getting in your way, slipping off your shoulder and being a nuisance in all sorts of other ways if you have to do any climbing over boulders or ducking underneath low branches. Having some essentials, like pocket knife, compass and matches, on your person at all times might also be handy in an emergency. Imagine you are sitting at your campfire, your haversack with all your small gear sitting on a tree stump nearby, and the Abominable Snowman emerges out of the underbrush with bloodcurdling cries.... No time to grab anything, you have to run in the clothes you stand in..... If you want a side pack, by all means get one. WW2-era gasmask bags are great, so are reproduction military haversacks like this one: http://onlinemilitaria.net/products/4629-WWI-Officer-Musette-Bag/?bc=no

Matches vs. lighter: Lighters similar to a Zippo were available in the early 20th century (here's a reproduction: http://www.sofmilitary.co.uk/ww1-brass-trench-lighter--product,15809 ), and there is no objection to carrying one. However, they need frequent refilling and are a bit awkward for lighting a campfire. But then I'm a pipe smoker, I am biased towards matches.... Matches can be carried in various kinds of waterproof containers, like the plastic screw top tubes sold in hiking stores. They may not be period perfect, but they had Bakelite back then....

Long boots vs. ankle boots: Dinerman mentioned the long lace-up boots worn by hunters. They are mighty good when you do a limited amount of walking in wet conditions, like on a hunt when you alternate between walking and standing still. I have a pair of those: http://onlinemilitaria.net/products/2124-US-M31-Mounted-Service-Boots/ - However, for longer hikes I find the long boots to heavy, I follow the advice of the old-timers and wear ankle boots, which I find lighter, airier and generally more easy on the legs. Wool puttees or canvas gaiters can be added for further protection against wet grass, thorns, snakes etc. -- This is something you need to figure out for yourself, depends on what you want to do.

Breeches and sweaters: Any sweater will do, one with a collar or turtle neck has the added advantage of protecting your neck. Try to get one that is all wool or mostly wool, avoid cotton like the plague as it won't warm you when it gets wet. The old button-neck US army sweater is a very good, medium weight piece of kit. As for breeches, they can be had in cotton or wool by the aforementioned dealer in reproduction military stuff, What Price Glory. (I don't get any commissions from them, I just like their products......). Vintage breeches still show up online or in shops, it takes a bit of diligent searching. You can also search for "breeks" or "plus fours", as breeches worn for shooting were often calles.

Backpacks: I love the old Swiss army backpacks, made from a sturdy grey-green canvas (often referred to as 'salt and pepper') with leather bottom. If you search for them online, plenty of information should come up. Here's a whole video about them:

-- For further backpack reference, see http://www.thefedoralounge.com/threads/show-us-your-vintage-rucksacks.17544/

More items you might want to carry:

*Canteen/ water bottle with carrier to be worn on the belt
*Drinking cup -various varieties, those with folding handles are good, so are cups that 'nest' with the canteen, i.e. the canteen fits inside the cup, like the US or Swiss army canteens
*Map case
*Leather belt pouch for small items (especially when it's too warm for jacket or waistcoat)
*A small first aid and repair kit that can be carried conveniently in a trouser or jacket pocket (brass tobacco tins make good containers.)
*Some form of rain protection like a poncho (I usually cheat and carry a modern nylon poncho that packs smaller and lighter than the canvas or oilskin affairs of bygone days
*A good sturdy walking stick for a "third leg" -having one really makes hard going easier
*A hip flask with something heart-warming in it.....

 

[Heathfox]

Here is a shot from 1912 Australia.

Great picture! Looks like the chap on the right carries some of his duffle down his shirt front...?! Or is that a bag slung over his shoulder...?

 

[Dinerman]

Alistair- another question- are you looking for US or European type hiking/climbing gear? The two were very different in that period.

 

[RBH]

Great picture! Looks like the chap on the right carries some of his duffle down his shirt front...?! Or is that a bag slung over his shoulder...?

Here is the text from the site.

"Miles Dunphy and Bert Gallop pictured in 1912. Their equipment was still common among walkers in the 1920s, not to mention swagmen. Their basic load-carrying system is identical to that of the traditional Australian swagman – A bedding roll in which blankets, a sheet, coat, socks and underwear are rolled. Food is carried in a dilly bag hung off the swag strap to act as a counterbalance. The dilly bag (also known as a tucker bag) carried the dry rations as well as the men’s eating gear – plate, enamel mug and knife/fork/spoon and their cooking equipment – a billy can with lid. In this photo we also see a couple of rifles – a .32/20 lever gun and a .22 bolt action. The Dunphys and their bushwalking companions lived off the land wherever possible to supplement their rations and save weight. Wallaby, kangaroo and rabbit were the favoured game."

https://thejungleisneutral.wordpress.com/category/skills/campcraft-skills/page/2/

 

[Alistair-L]

Thank you for the very informative post Heathfox.To answer your question,I plan in middle of winter to go on a group woodland trip.There will be hills,rocks,caves,ect.I mainly want to learn what period winter hiking items that I should bring or wear.

EDIT:Answer to Dinerman:I'm looking for a European style particularly English or Alpine.

 

[Dinerman]

http://www.thefedoralounge.com/threads/the-adventurers-gear-thread.10666/

 

[Alistair-L]

Lots to look in that thread,thank you Dinerman!