Stone age pack list

2013-08-21

Author: Jess

The time to actually go out in the wilderness is coming up soon, so I thought I'd give you all a glimpse of my pack.

here's the list:

Clothing:
Buckskin tunic
Buckskin skirt
Buckskin leggings (basically pants without the crotch, which attach to the garter belt to keep up)
Garter belt (not pictured, for holding up leggings and menstral pads)
Felt vest with buckskin sleeves (borrowed)
Two tanned adult coyotes to be tacked into a rough vest with buckskin thong
Tanned coyote puppy to be sewn into a hat
Barktan belt

Foot wear:
Rawhide buffalo sandals
Moccasins
Broughs
Felt booties (For cold weather)

Food:
5.75 pounds of dried berries
About the same amount of dried buffalo meat
About 6 cups of dried mussels
2 cups mussel bullion
a handful of roots
a few California bay leaves
a bit of salt
A coconut of duck fat
A gourd of maple syrup!
Other things I'm forgetting. :)

Bedding:
Felt blanket (7.6 pounds, which is on the thin side)
Tanned sheep skin

Other:
Pack basket (Dogwood staves, rawhide netting, buckskin and felt pack straps and buckskin tump line)
Clay pot (borrowed, mine broke in the firing)
Coconut bowl
Alligator juniper spoon
Fire kit (Salmon skin wrap, hand drill kit made of buckeye and canadian flea bane, bow drill kit)
Journal (One of the not stone age items)
Menstral pad (Not pictured, Stuff with dry moss and tie to garter belt to use)
Bow (Beautifully handmade by Brewer out of hickory.  The string isn't primitive and I don't have any arrows, so it's not super practical... especially since I can't draw it to full draw length yet, but I want to bring it so I will assuming the pack isn't too heavy)
A water gourd

Tool kit:
Bone fish hooks (horse mane will be used for the line)
Bone awl (for mending)
Cattail fluff for tinder
Bow drill socket (borrowed)
Mussel shell (for drinking from very small streams)
Save pot with deer fat, bear fat, yarrow, plantain save

It currently weighs in at 24 pounds before the food and bow.  Not ultra light, but not as heavy as I expected

Things I'd like to have that I don't:
A more reliable way to start fires.  Hand and bow drill can be really reliable, but I need to practice more to get there.
A hip belt.  These basket packs just don't really work with a hip belt in any simple way so I'll have to make do with the tump line and shoulder straps

In less happy news one of the two goats in camp fell and tore the ligament in his leg.  He'll probably have to be put down as fully severed ligaments don't generally heal without surgery and his job in life is to be a pack goat.  He's a sweety though and it's really sad to see him go.

Anyway, to the mountains!  See you next month.