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First let me make it quite clear that I have nothing against using modern equipment. But some modern equipment has its limitations. Firearms are a prime example. If you are going to carry a modern breach-loading firearm into a long term wilderness living/survival situation, then you will need (a) the ability & skills to look after that firearm & repair it if it malfunctions (b) spare parts (c) lots of ammunition or lead, mould, lead ladle, gunpowder, & reloading gear.
The brass shells add weight, & if you can't fix the gun should it break, then you are left with a goat stake & a fancy club. A flintlock on the other hand does not require brass shells, but if it is a smoothbore then you can make paper cartridges for faster reloading. The smoothbore fusil is light & versatile, it can digest round ball, buckshot & bird shot, or any combination of two of these.
The flintlock ignition only requires a piece of rock, so this is renewable in a wilderness situation. The lock is easy to work on & with a few spare springs & simple tools it is easy to repair. If you have no spare parts & the lock breaks, then you simply turn it into a matchlock & continue using it. As a plus, you can use the lock to make fire without using any gunpowder.
Spent ball can be retrieved from shot game. Large caliber flintlocks hit hard & generally will stop game wherever they are hit. The lead retrieved lead from shot game is easily remoulded & used again. This means that you do not have to carry as much spare lead in your pack. You can instead carry that weight in gunpowder so your ammo will last a long time, especially in conjunction with a trap line for procuring most of your game.
As soon as people think primitive, they think hard labourious work & uncomfortable living. This is not the case. 18th century living skills worked 300 years ago for the colonial settlers in the New World. They had to carry all the tools & equipment, often on foot, that they needed to survive & construct shelters in the wilderness. This & defend themselves against the woodland Indians & later, if they were English, against the French. Now think about that scenario in regards to what we might expect to encounter today if we have to "Bug-Out".
In our group we do this all the time. Our historical trekking is our training ground. Some train as Scouts & Rangers, these people are important. They will scout the area ahead as we move toward our new home. When we get there & establish our settlement then the Rangers will constantly be ranging the area to help keep us safe from intruders.
We know who is to carry what. If we have the room & people, we can also carry some modern gear such as some modern firearms. These would be kept for defense purposes only, it is the flintlock muzzle-loaders & the primitive bows that will carry us through.
If this does not convince you to at least try 18th century historical trekking, then at least think about the advantages in using at least some of this technology. If you start off with ALL modern equipment, boots, clothing, gadgets, firearms & it runs out, wears out or breaks, you will be back in the stone age. But if you start off with 18th century technology, you will NEVER drop below that level of comfort.
Regards, Keith.
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The brass shells add weight, & if you can't fix the gun should it break, then you are left with a goat stake & a fancy club. A flintlock on the other hand does not require brass shells, but if it is a smoothbore then you can make paper cartridges for faster reloading. The smoothbore fusil is light & versatile, it can digest round ball, buckshot & bird shot, or any combination of two of these.
The flintlock ignition only requires a piece of rock, so this is renewable in a wilderness situation. The lock is easy to work on & with a few spare springs & simple tools it is easy to repair. If you have no spare parts & the lock breaks, then you simply turn it into a matchlock & continue using it. As a plus, you can use the lock to make fire without using any gunpowder.
Spent ball can be retrieved from shot game. Large caliber flintlocks hit hard & generally will stop game wherever they are hit. The lead retrieved lead from shot game is easily remoulded & used again. This means that you do not have to carry as much spare lead in your pack. You can instead carry that weight in gunpowder so your ammo will last a long time, especially in conjunction with a trap line for procuring most of your game.
As soon as people think primitive, they think hard labourious work & uncomfortable living. This is not the case. 18th century living skills worked 300 years ago for the colonial settlers in the New World. They had to carry all the tools & equipment, often on foot, that they needed to survive & construct shelters in the wilderness. This & defend themselves against the woodland Indians & later, if they were English, against the French. Now think about that scenario in regards to what we might expect to encounter today if we have to "Bug-Out".
In our group we do this all the time. Our historical trekking is our training ground. Some train as Scouts & Rangers, these people are important. They will scout the area ahead as we move toward our new home. When we get there & establish our settlement then the Rangers will constantly be ranging the area to help keep us safe from intruders.
We know who is to carry what. If we have the room & people, we can also carry some modern gear such as some modern firearms. These would be kept for defense purposes only, it is the flintlock muzzle-loaders & the primitive bows that will carry us through.
If this does not convince you to at least try 18th century historical trekking, then at least think about the advantages in using at least some of this technology. If you start off with ALL modern equipment, boots, clothing, gadgets, firearms & it runs out, wears out or breaks, you will be back in the stone age. But if you start off with 18th century technology, you will NEVER drop below that level of comfort.
Regards, Keith.
