Woodsdrummer

Eric,

I am currently reading Kephart's Camping and Woodcraft and I just ordered Wescott's Camping in the Old Style.

I have always been enamored with the old ways whether they be Native American primitive, mountain man era, 1800s pioneer skills or early 1900s camping.

I am at the point where I want to actually combine a modern hobby of mine, hiking and backpacking, but using the gear of the early 1900s. I wanted to pick an activity that I could do with my family and friends, but that I could do in a traditional way, even if everyone else was using modern gear.

I am looking for a pack design that is traditional but that will meet the needs to carry tent (modern for now then later canvas tarp), sleeping bag (or blanket), water, clothes, food, pot, etc. Kephart praises the packsack (Duluth). I have read your review of your Frost River Pack (what exact model is it?), and I have been looking at pack frames details as well. What would you recommend for me that will carry 30-40 pounds loads for 5-7 miles in a day, but that will feed my desire to use traditional canvas, wood, traditional gear?

Sorry for the long email but I wanted to give you an idea where I was coming from. Thanks in advance for your assistance.

Lou

Hi Lou,

The books you mentioned are, in my opinion, two excellent books on the subject of early 1900's camping and compliment each other very well. Even though Mr. Wescott did an outstanding job of gathering what appears to be a great deal of information from that era both written as well as visual (there’s some great photographs in this book!), I'll admit that from a learning standpoint, Horace Kephart’s Camping and Woodscraft is still my favorite.

I believe you will enjoy blending modern day backpacking gear and techniques with those from the past. Many of the earlier techniques you read about today have withstood the test of time but you do have to be careful about a lot of what you take in especially when it comes to first aid and medicine. As one can imagine a great deal has happened since those earlier books were first written, advancements in medicine being one of them.

I guess for me it all comes down to having something to do besides hiking. I like to work and think things through while I'm out there which in turn provides me with a greater sense of satisfaction. All play and no work makes Eric a dull boy!

I think that in the present age of Goretex and synthetics, certain outdoor skills such as fire-making and shelter construction, are being lost in fact many will argue that the "old days" of cooking over an open fire are indeed over. Much of my enjoyment comes from the actual camp building process like choosing a good shelter and fire site. Harvesting the evenings dinner always generates a feeling of satisfaction not to mention carving the utensiles to eat it with. Old days over? Not a chance!

As far as recommending a particular Duluth style backpack (I own a couple), I'm afraid I can’t provide much in the way of advise. Here’s why...

Unlike a good many other gear “reviews” you read about on the internet, I’m not going to toss a bunch of things into my pack, walk around the local park for a few hours, then return home and write about it. That’s not what I would call a test under real conditions and it would be certainly be irresponsible for me to to say that it was. In other words, I’m not going to make something up just so I can go on how great I think my new pack is. So until I can actually get out there and put my pack(s) through the real wringer, the wilderness, I'll keep quiet.

Sorry for the above to sound so harsh but seeing that you and others enjoy learning about some of the things I do, I think I owe it to you (and myself) to admit when I don’t have all the answers.

Returning to question at hand, I think you’re off to the right start. Frost River and Duluth Pack are two great sources for old style backpacks and as I mentioned in my article on old style packs, the Frost River pack appears to be made really well.

The link below will provide you with some more information on the No. 762 Medium Utility Pack, the model that I have. Keep in mind that it's a very basic design so be sure to check out some of their more "deluxe" models such as the Timber Cruiser and the Old No.7 Pack.

Frost River Utility Packs

The nice thing about old style packs is that they’re relatively inexpensive so later on if you decide the pack just isn’t working for you well, you can simply chalk it up as another lesson learned and move on to another size or style. Not always easy to do with a $300 pack.

The biggest problem with old style packs lies in not being able to walk into the local backpacking shop to try one on so obviously you’re going to have to take a few chances if you end up ordering through the mail. Because of this you’ll want to ask about the company’s exchange policy in case need to exchange/return the pack.

So let’s go into this pack thing together. Once you decide on which pack you’d like to try out, go ahead and use it on a trip or two then write down some of your thoughts on how you thought it performed. Then, with your permission, I’ll post your findings here so others, including myself, can learn from them. And once my Frost River pack has taken on some more character of its own (smoke, charcoal, marmot blood), I promise I'll do the same. Deal?

Best of luck with your search for the right pack and I'm sorry I couldn't provide more answers.

Eric