‘Backpacking Gear’ From Centuries Past

Always trying to lighten that load as you plan your next trip? Check out what our forebears had to haul along on theirs…

If after loading your gear into the packs, you’ve still lamented the overall weight of your stuff… whineth no more.

Have a look at this gallery (and this one too) of what 17th- and 18th-century travelers used on the trail. Compiled by a blogger who not only studies the era, but enjoys re-living it, the images of gear could teach us a few things today.

What kinds of things?

Like how far we’ve come: (Hydration bladders vs. wooden casks for canteens? Casks, as in, made by professional barrel-makers, all slung around your neck? God bless you, Camelbak!) Or how about toting around some copper kettles in your mess kit? That’s like a kettlebell workout right there.

On the other side of the coin, I’ve never seen a modern backpack that I’d call ‘beautiful’ like the knapsack, or pretty much any of the drinking vessels shown. And the simple design of that snapsack actually seems to be enjoying a revival nowadays (albeit it’s usually used for carrying not grubby clothes or muddy boots, but actual human babies – go figure.)

All in all, it does give one more appreciation for those scant few gearmakers (like these guys and these guys too) who still employ time-honored materials known for beauty and utility. And hopefully, inspire us to make a few more things for ourselves. Actually, those wooden canteens are kinda growing on me… can anyone recommend a good cooper in town?

Image: A Woodrunner’s Diary