Traditional Muzzleloading Association
The Center of Camp => People of the Times => Topic started by: Truth Speaker on June 27, 2009, 12:57:48 AM
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Hey all,
Trying to figure out a period correct lodge for a longhunter...
From some reading I have done it seems there would have been a base camp where the longhunter would keep his primary lodge and then there was something for travel. Any help would be appreciated!!!
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What I use are a couple of painters tarps. One I use to cover a three sided shelter made from dead falls @10x10,taler in front than the rear,and another smaller one for use "on the trail"as a diamond. Used deck"paint" on the latest ones,worked great!
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A period shelter would have been a half faced log structure. Personally I am not aware of any period refrences to longhunters using any kind of cloth shelter. They probally would have slept under the stars, under a rock shelter( most likely), made a brush shelter, under a tree ect. They might have used a spanish tarp so to speak. Just a simple cloth tarp. Not a diamond fly. I highly doubt a hunter would want to carry something extra since the mountains and the kentucky area are littered with rock shelters.
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Yes it seems either they used natural stuff or got wet and cold. So a rock "castle" or such, or made natural shelters. Even the British Light Infantry would do the same, making shelters from brush, instead of lugging about a small piece of oil cloth.
[size=150]BUT[/size]
Some places frown on you stripping bark off of a tree to make a shelter, so you may have to for the sake of the environment, and your wallet [avoiding the fines] carry a small piece of oil cloth instead of making a 100% natural shelter.
LD
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IF you decide to use a piece of cloth for a shelter, set it up as a simple leanto, or as an open-ended wedge tent. Those two styles are well documented.
That "diamond fly" or "plow point tent" are not documented at any time before the very very late 1800's and early 1900's. Yes, the Diamond Fly has become .... accepted ... almost universally for "longhunters" - even at juried events. Yet documentation for it just has not been found. Lots of people have searched, but still haven't found it.
So the ... longhunter culture ... that has evolved has clasped the diamond fly/shelter to their bussom and run with it. Ditto their folding handled skillets and corn boilers.
This all assumes that you want to do an accurate historical interpretation. But, in the end, it is all a matter of personal choice. So choose what will work for you.
Mikey