Good question. Of course, it depends on the exact people and place. Some did it one way, while others did it another. One source from Osborne Russell indicated that a group he met made fire using friction. You might find it interesting. Thanks for your comment Billy Bob! www.frontierlife.net/blog/2021/4/16/mountain-man-osborne-russell-describes-a-nearly-uncontacted-tribe-in-1834?rq=russell
They had to use a bow drill or friction of some sort before Europeans brought steel. I think they took up firesteels quickly, as they were a popular trade item. In their villages they probably kept a fire going continuously.
Good stuff - I wish more of those guys back then would have written journals or descriptions of life experiences. They're so fun to read and be transported back in time. Thanks for sharin!
You bet. I agree that I wish more sources were available. For this particular topic, the tips and tricks could still be helpful for people who enjoy getting out and riding! Thanks again for your comment, San Juan!
Definitely not much glamorous about life on the frontier. However, if you get a chance, you might enjoy the video I made about Billy Dixon. It's his reflection of his time on the frontier. Not easy, but a good life! Thanks for your comment.
The time a man lives and the way the world is at that time belongs to him alone and his generation, change and time shape it for the next generation and good and bad blend into memories shaped by the path that man takes during his time. I have often thought that the greatest gift a man can give to himself is to be present and equal to the time and place that was chosen for him, while realizing that life is not predestined, it is shaped and experienced by the courage and desire for adventure a man chooses as his own, and as uncontrolled as the need to simply take that next breath or the occasional dumb luck that makes life possible to begin with. The one thing all dead folks have in common is they lived, everything else, the how why where and when is theirs alone. Perhaps if we look hard at how they lived we can get a small portion of how we can live, and maybe just maybe leave something to help those who will live after us.
@@FrontierLife When I visit a museum or historic site, I am always looking for something I can use in my own life. I try to picture how the people lived. Most people just rush through and only see a bunch of outdated items of no value in modern life.
@@FrontierLife The lowly froe is a useful tool I am learning to use more and more. Once common on farmsteads, it is now unknown to most people. I saw scythes and figured I would never be strong enough to use one. I started investigating and found a video of a barefoot 10 yr old girl wearing a white dress scything a field. Not to be outdone by a little girl, I ended up buying a European style scythe. Haven't used my gas mower in 3 years now. Actually, the scythe is pleasant to use.
@@earlshaner4441 Really appreciate that, Earl! I hope the other people interested in more traditional ways appreciate it as well. Keepin' it simple is the way to be.
The texas Ranger covered over 1000 miles of land in the day! And once sworn in very simple one hand on bible HE WAS DELIVERED THE POWER OF GOD BY THE GUN TO USE AS HE NEEDS FOR SO MUCH LAND THAT ONE MAN HAD TO TAKE CONTROL AND MAKE QUICK DECISIONS TO MAINTAIN GOD RIGHT GUN TO UNDERSTAND THE WAYS ADX8👈🫂👉
Hey Brett, thanks for the comment. I'll bet a guy could. I live in the North Platte River Valley and see people fairly regularly riding/walking the Oregon Trail. If you're interested in checking out a resource that shows the trail on a modern map, this link will help. It uses landmarks identified by Charles Goodnight himself. www.frontierlife.net/blog/2021/11/16/all-you-need-to-know-about-the-goodnight-loving-trail Also, I have to say I really enjoy your channel! Born 100 Years Too Late, I get ya! Thanks for making the content. I enjoy riding and camping myself and getting in the backcountry. Good for the soul. Appreciate you stopping by and hope the map helps.
I have read some stuff that says they were eating something like 6k calories. These particular entries come from when they were crossing the Bitterroot Mountains and we reduced to eating things like horse, ravens, and other things they didn't normally have to consumre.
Mt man so I would think a muzzle loader. I doubt he'd be dumb enough to use less then a .50. but the pure lead most used then didn't get much penetration. The vitals on a buffalo are also kinda difficult because of their shape. I remember reading that once you skinned one out they seldom made this kind of mistake.
Good questions, and I'm afraid I can't get you any clear answers. However, it might be worth pointing out that he said, "I now prepared myself for the first time in my life to kill meat for my supper with a rifle.." Now, back to your question; I don't think he knew where he was supposed to aim. He was just figuring it out as he went. To me, that's what makes this journal entry so surprising. According to him, it's his first hunting experience. If you're still interested, you might check out the article link for some more commentary. Thanks for your comment, and I appreciate your questions, Billy Bob.
@FrontierLife Thanks for answering my questions. I love this time in our history. It was a rough time compared to ours. And there is little history about it. Written down. Yes there are movies and some TV shows. But that is Hollywood. And we know they don't care about historical stuff. Have a good one, see you in the next. Later
Sour dough biscuits and black coffee transcend time, and a woman that has earned the right to wear white at the altar has a wedding night that can only be experienced that night. Photos are frozen moments in time, and the images in our memory belong to us for as long as we have the strength to safeguard them. Bear claw once asked Jeramiah if it was worth the trouble, and is answer was trouble what trouble? Remember the good it has more Longterm value to the soul.
Very cool. You've got some good stuff going there. This is a very informative video. Just for a side note, matches were invented in 1826. You don't have to bang Flint to be traditional
Thanks for the comment and subscription, Casey! Also, I appreciate you pointing out about the matches. I actually covered some of those lesser-known items in a different video. If you're interested, you might enjoy the link below to "Unexpected Gear of the Mountain Men" if you haven't already seen it. Thanks again for the comment, and enjoy the channel. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-3J56QsUe564.html
I doubt it's correct to imagine that all the cattle were shod on the trails (In the video, Bratt describes they couldn't hardly get the yoke on the wild ones), but there definitely were shod cattle. Here is a link to a brief article talking about shoeing oxen and ox shoes. Thanks for your comment, and hope you enjoyed the video. www.bbc.co.uk/ahistoryoftheworld/objects/jxG5GC0vSmGsLOyXMcA-Fg
@@FrontierLife I think your videos are great. Did you ever do a video about a cattle drive? And what a cowboy's life on a drive was like? What did he carry in his saddle bags? I saw a short once. They didn't get much sleep.
@@BillyBOB-sm3rl Thanks, and I'm glad you enjoy the videos. I enjoy putting them together and sharing these old stories. As far as cattle drives, I have put together a few things. I have one called Cowboy Life and one titled Charles Goodnight Describes Life on the Trail. I'll include the links below. If you check them out and don't find what you're looking for, let me know and see what I can hunt down. Thanks again, and here are the links ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-J2-YJAcOF0k.html ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-hujCsVPkt0U.html
80 percent of this is untrue. This is the WHITE MANS way. We would NEVER beat a horse because we are one with nature and understand frequency. we don’t need to.
Not many, you're right. I know there are still some old school packers out there who probably can appreciate this story more than anybody. There are certainly still some, but not many! Thanks for your comment.
Marxist education and hollywood blamrs thr white man,but their primotive ways is how their food went extinct. Funny because white people are the ones who taught conservation.
Ruxton was a fascinating Englishman. His books are well worth reading. He died at age 27, and he did more in his short life than 10 average men do in their long lives. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-xFjUo5_LawA.html
You bet. One of the fun things about this point in history is that in certain places you really can see things more or less how they were. It's also a great way to learn history!
Not a troll I promise. But that’s not a Hawken. Yeah it is as marketed as a hawken I know. Label on the box said hawken, yep I get it I understand. But that rifle is a very rough interpretation of what a hawken was. Biggest clue?? Where’s the second barrel wedge? There is only one rifle known to exist that was built by the hawken brothers with on one barrel wedge. But again I get it I know the difference between a CVA hawken and a true replica.
I read Journal of a Trapper as a boy, and growing up in the Portneuf Valley, it completely shifted my understanding of my home. I am so greatful of the brave men who made our land what it is today, but it saddens me that i never got to truly experience it in it's primitive glory.
Thanks for pointing that out. Yes, flintlocks were most common in 1830, but by 1840, percussion were most common for the reason you stated. As far as the mountain men trapping beaver to near extinction, it gets a little complicated. Most of the deliberate trapping to extinction was done by the British in order to create a "fur desert." This was a political move to maintain control of the Northwest. I'm not saying American mountain men were conservationists by any stretch of the imagination, they certainly over-trapped. Just pointing out that extermination was a policy adopted by the British and not the Americans. Thanks for checking out the video. Here is a link to more about the fur desert: onda.org/oregon-the-beaver-state/
@@FrontierLife The reign of King Charles I of England (1625-1642) witnessed high demand for beaver top hats, spurred by the evolving fashion trends across Europe. By the late 17th century, beavers had become nearly extinct in Europe due to this skyrocketing demand. However, the European hat industry found salvation in North America, which provided an alternate source of supply, thus leading to the birth of the fur trade.
I'd be happy to give you my understanding of fringe. First, fringe is supposed to help water run off of your seams. This applies to all articles of buckskin and keeps things more dry. Secondly, the fringe can serve as a thread if you have clothing/gear repair. Other natural threads would have been plant cordage and sinew, both of which take a good deal of effort to produce. I hope this helps.
