Urthgard Hard Kit (pic heavy)

Hard Kit is all other accoutrements that are not clothing, weapons or armour. This includes pots and tents, and flint & steel, and other things like that.

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Urthgard
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Urthgard Hard Kit (pic heavy)

Post by Urthgard »

Here is my Hard Kit in it's current state of evolution. Please forgive any spelling and grammar errors. I really should not be allowed to type late at night.

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HARD KIT
1 Oilskin Ground Cloth
2 Oilskin Tarp
3 Swag Strap/Towel
4 Blankets
5 Jute Rope
6 Spare Wool Socks
7 Shoepack style moccasins
8 Hemp Cordage
9 Personal Kit
10 Pipe Bag
11 Rune Bag
12 Food Bag/Tucker Bag
13 Food
14 Cook Kit
15 Water Carrier
16 Camp Ax
17 Bow
18 Quiver
19 Quiver Pouch


SLEEPING/SHELTER
1 Oil cloth ground cloth 87" x 43"
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2 Oil cloth shelter/bivy tarp made from a 100% Egyptian cotton queen sized bed sheet 84" x 96". Waterproofed with boiled linseed oil and mineral spirits mixed 50/50 then thoroughly dusted with dirt to reduce the chance of spark taking hold. Dusting it is not foolproof and vigilance is still required. The tarp is still very flammable if it gets too close to an open flame or a large ember lands on it.
Shown here in bivy mode.
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3 Piece of scrap cotton cloth that serves as the shoulder strap for the swag and is much softer on the shoulder than piece of leather. Cotton was chosen because once in camp it will become my camp towel. This particular piece of fabric is "fresh". It won't be that bright white color for long.
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4 Two Wool Blankets - one thin with a very tight weave, one thicker with a very lose weave. Loose weave blanket goes inside the tight weave blanket for more effective insulation. Can be "pinned" together to form a sleeping bag with some carved sticks. Blankets can also be a part of a medical kit and can be used for such things as shock treatment or padding for splinting/immobilizing.
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Rolled up in the bedroll are:
5 50' length of jute rope primarily for bear bagging, hanging my food bag in bear country. Other camp or emergency uses as needed.

6 Spare wool Socks
Dry socks and footwear are a little slice of heaven.

7 Crude brain tanned shoe pack type moccasins. For camp wear and to let boots air out or dry out, as needed.
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One moc gets packed with:
8 Two 16' lengths of hemp cordage
9 Pigskin Clasp Purse containing: Tin of personal meds, wooden comb, small tin of tallow soap, brass container of baking soda for brushing teeth, bone handled boar bristle toothbrush, which seems to have disappeared. Now where did I leave that?
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The other moc gets packed with:
10 Embroidered Silk Bag containing: Churchwarden style Pipe, Tobacco, Tobacco Tin w/magnifying glass, Tinder Tube
11 Brain tanned rune bag and bone runes (water buffalo) Currently studying runes
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Here it is all packed up and ready to be rolled up into the bedroll
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If heading into an area known to be very rocky and/or thorny I'll add a pair heavy sole Kiabab style mocs as well.
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FOOD AND COOKING
12 Tucker Bag/Food Bag
A simple oil cloth drawstring bag to carry food and cooking gear in.
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13 Food
Food is always a variable and I always seem to be trying different things. What food I carry depends on the variables of trip length, season, whether on foot or horseback, pack weight, Carbs - Protein - Calorie requirements, Taste, and Prep/Cooking time.
A. Red & Brown Lentils. Will probably switch to just red lentils as the brown ones take too long to soften.
B. Homemade leavened baking mix - homemade Bisquick basically. Great for ash cakes, dumplings, stew/soup thickener, or bread fried in pemmican fat.
C. Rolled Oats and Barley. Hot oatmeal and barley with some dried apples, cinnamon and honey makes a good dinner too!
D. Dried Vegetables and Fruit - kale, cabbage, carrots, turnips, parsnips, potatoes, mushrooms, apples, onions. Also some apple/blackberry fruit leather. A lot of fiber in here, use with caution! Much of it can be eaten raw but is of course much better in a soup or stew, including the fruit.
E. Black Tea Brick, Tea egg and Coffee Beans. Brick Tea is an ancient way of packing tea for trade on the Silk Road and was used as a form of currency. Tea from this brick tastes like it is millennia old too! The coffee beans I pound into grounds as needed. I used to carry green coffee beans and roast them as needed but it required a skillet (more weight) and added too much time to make a simple cup of coffee. Remember I'm getting old, my modern sole boots and I want coffee now!
F. Dried meat (plain dried beef, no seasoning) eat as is or add to soup or stew.
G. Thin oat & barley cakes (crackers) made from: course oat flour, barley flour, flaxseed meal, cinnamon, salt, butter, honey, and egg. These aren't that good actually and may play around with the recipe. What drew me to the recipe was the fact that I could make my own oat flour simply by grinding up some old fashioned rolled oats in a blender.
H. Pemmican made from: dried beef, suet tallow, dried blueberries, dried flathead cherries, and dried cranberries. Can be eaten as is and isn't bad but it is really tasty fried up into a hash. Summer mix, rather crumbly. Winter mix would be made with more tallow. More fat = more calories.
I. Cheese sealed in wax. These get eaten within the first day or two.
Depending on exertion and calorie needs I would consider this about five to seven days worth of food. Augmented by - but not dependant on - foraging for wild edibles in a given area (not an expert by any means, always learning). Hunting or snaring small game - rabbits, squirrels, rodents - where and when legal. As well as aquatics like fish, turtles, frogs, crayfish etc.
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14 Cook Kit
A couple of tin billy cans that nest nicely together. A pair of well used old friends.
Inside the nested billy cans goes a linen drawstring bag that contains:
Honey in a very non-traditional bottle (Never have found a consistently reliable yet period way to carry the stuff without it leaking.) Food and medicine all in one. Multitude of uses in or on a body (Natural antiseptic, Energy, Wound care, Sore throat/coughs, Itching dry skin and many more)
Wooden Spoon
Poudre Douce (Sweet Powder) in a sterling silver encased blue glass shaker containing: Cinnamon, Nutmeg, Cloves
Rawhide bottle with a mixture of dried Herbs: Basil, Rosemary, Thyme, Sage, Tarragon, Cumin Seeds, Bay Leaves.
Poudre Forte (Strong Powder) My old flintlock priming horn repurposed. A small scrimshawed cow horn on twisted leather hanger containing: Black Pepper, ground Ginger, ground Cumin & Cayenne Pepper

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Food and cook kit fits into the food bag with room to spare.
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WATER
15 Enameled British style canteen.
Someday I'll get around to making the carrier and strap more period but it's been so durable and just plain works as is.
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WEAPONS
16 Camp Axe
In lieu of a sword I carry a camp axe while trekking. The leather wrist loop helps give it more chopping or pounding power while keeping it under control. Though small it can be used as a weapon if the need should arise.
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I carry this handy little camp axe in a very adjustable shoulder sheath.
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17 Bow
I don't always carry my bow and quiver on a trek as I'm rather a noob when it comes to archery. However, if I'd have known how much fun this stuff was I'd have been shooting a bow a long time ago. Anyways here's what I've got now.
60" Hickory "You-Finish kit " hunting longbow from Ringing Rocks Archery - 45lbs@26".
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18 Quiver
Made from scraps from the local leather store and recycled belts from the thrift store with a somewhat elven influenced design. Holds 24 arrows with bodkin style tips.
The straps that wrap around it can be used to lash my bow to the quiver or multitude of uses. I also use these straps to secure my bedroll/swag.
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I designed this quiver with flexibility in mind. Using the ladder system on the back I can configure it to be worn slung over one shoulder, backpack style, at the small of the back, or hung from the hip simply by reconfiguring or adding straps.
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19 Quiver Pouch
This pouch seems to be in just the right spot on my quiver to be out of the way, yet convenient. For those times when I don't trek with bow and quiver it could just as easily slide onto a haversack strap or my belt.
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Inside it I carry:
Fishing stuff in small tin: variety of hooks on deer sinew leaders, lead strips for weights.
20' Length of thin brain tanned leather. Several strips tied together to form one length. Multiple uses (fishing line, guy line, general cordage around camp, repairs and more).
Two spare arrow tips
A spare bow string
Tin of beeswax/tallow mixture (need to make up some more). Multiple uses - sun block, chapping relief, fire starter, leather treatment and many more.
Two glover's needles, embedded in brain tanned leather scrap, for repairing equipment - and humans. Glover's needles have a triangular cross section rather than round which helps to punch through leather which eliminates (almost) the need to carry an awl.
Deer sinew for repairing equipment. Can be used on humans in a crisis.
Small amount of linen thread on bone shuttle for repairs. Also used for dental floss. If I need more thread than this it can be (and has been) pulled from the hem of my shirt(s) or from a silk bandana.
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Another piece of archery kit that I have been playing around with is this archer's thumb ring, made from recycled sterling silver spoon. I'm not experienced enough with it to go into pros and cons. I stumbled onto this website - http://www.primitiveways.com/archer%27s_thumb_ring.html - and it triggered my curiosity enough to try it out.
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Knives
I carry two knives on my main belt. One is a small utility knife recycled from an old carbon table knife. The other is a nice sharp long knife, another old friend.
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I own two swords, neither of which I pack on a trek.
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One, an Irish Bastard Sword, is strictly a costume piece. It's a cheapo costume sword for show only that never comes out of it's scabbard. In fact I have it solidly "peace tied" with a set screw securing it to the scabbard.
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The other sword is a Cold Steel Grosse Messer, MAA version. This thing is heavy and sharp. It's a beast. The weight to use ratio is just to high for me to justify packing this guy on a trek but I love the thing though, including it's blackened blade. Makes me think of Túrin Turambar and his cursed black sword Gurthang, re-forged from Anglachel.
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In my Soft Kit write up I mentioned my belt pouches and haversack but not the contents, so...
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Small Belt Pouch Contents
Tinder box
Flint
Steel
Char
Tow
Pitch Pine
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Large Belt Pouch Contents
Somewhat dwarven looking wallet for modern requirements (ID, plastic, cash, permits & licenses, spare vehicle key, etc.) In it I carry pages printed out from internet (double sided) texts, diagrams, pics etc along with handwritten notes. Basically a field "To do list" for skills training that I want to accomplish for this trip. Typically a mix of new stuff to learn along with old stuff to revisit, lest knowledge grow stale. Blank paper for general notes and recording info that medical personnel will want to know regarding an emergency (onset, vitals, mechanism of injury, application times, subject data). A map of the area printed out on coffee paper - used more for marking caches and/or for exploratory goals than for way finding.
A small antique silver pencil.
Two small sharpening stones in greased leather pouch; a fine grit stone and a honing stone.
Folding knife, with a folding fork that separates from the knife.
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Medieval Purse
This where my modern stuff gets hidden.
Camera or smart phone - not shown. (I got tired of not taking pictures because my camera or phone was too buried to be convenient.) This well built little bag hides my camera from view, offers some decent protection and is easy to get to. I sometimes carry a smart phone & spare battery(s) in here too. I am finding that a smart phone, though obviously modern, can be a great training tool on the trail as it can hold a lot of notes, full texts, diagrams and pics while weighing far less than a full size book. Battery life and risk of damage of course are it's biggest drawbacks.
Leather wrap pouch for spare batteries
Leather wrap pouch for spare SD cards
Bleach in a small eye drops bottle. (I can't use iodine due to thyroid issues.) An eye drops bottle is just right for counting drops. Don't want to over do it. Filled fresh each trip. Combined with filtering and boiling works for living organisms. Toxic metals and chemical contaminants are another story and require a modern multistage filter (carried in the haversack), which I will bring depending on the area and type of trip.
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Haversack/Forage Bag
No-cook trail food for the days hike consisting of: dried meat, apple & blackberry fruit leather, almonds, walnuts, pine nuts & cheese sealed in wax.
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I will also toss in a few toilet paper packets from MRE's in here as well.


FIRST AID KIT
As far as a first aid kit goes I don't really carry one per se. As I've alluded to in these Soft and Hard kit descriptions I've tried to identify and incorporate medical uses of gear wherever possible. Though not a professional by any means I do have a keen interest wilderness medicine/backcountry first care and continue to build on that interest through self study as well as coursework. I know that whatever kit I carry into the backcountry is going to be incomplete to some degree so I figure the best kit is knowledge. These words sum it up best for me: "Do the best you can, with what you've got, where your at." - Theodore Roosevelt


The weight of the packed bedroll alone is 11lbs. The food bag/cook kit is the variable and is the only thing that would be dropping in weight as a trip progresses. Alone it weighs 5lbs.
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Total weight of bedroll, food bag, axe, and filled canteen comes to 23 lbs. Add the bow and quiver and that brings the total up to 28lbs.
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Last edited by Urthgard on Fri Aug 21, 2015 2:16 am, edited 2 times in total.
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Eothain
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Re: Urthgard Hard Kit (pic heavy)

Post by Eothain »

Wow! This is incredible! Your hard kit is so detailed and surprisingly compact! I still can't conceive how you and some of the other rangers here get so much stuff into a non-encumbering pack. I love your quiver and your messer by the way, but those aside this is a great and through and well assembled hard kit! Bravo good sir, bravo!
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Mirimaran
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Re: Urthgard Hard Kit (pic heavy)

Post by Mirimaran »

Super loving that quiver, and all your gear. Well done, Ranger :)

Ken
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Greg
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Re: Urthgard Hard Kit (pic heavy)

Post by Greg »

Very well thought out pile of goodies, and the strap system on that quiver is ingenious. The quiver's gorgeous in its own right, too. Thrilled to see a new member with something so complete already...very cool that you had something this functional all on your own.
Last edited by Greg on Sat Aug 01, 2015 7:10 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Urthgard Hard Kit (pic heavy)

Post by Manveruon »

Once again I am basically blown away. I will, without any doubt, be using much of this as inspiration for my next kit iteration. I took mine out on my first ever ranger trek over the weekend of July 11th, and while much of what I had with me bore resemblance to this set-up in some way, it was by no means anywhere near as well-thought-out and streamlined as what you have here (my own bedroll, for instance, came out to about 15 pounds on its own, and I feel like I somehow packed less than you did).

Like the others have mentioned though, what I especially love (LOVE LOVE LOVE!!!) is your quiver! That thing is simply GORGEOUS. It's nice to see, too, that someone else used the sort of criss-crossing strap design in a way somewhat similar to my own quiver. You're absolutely right about the straps being useful, too. I designed mine to be able to strap the bow to the quiver, and to be able to strap the bedroll to the quiver as well, and I found it worked extremely well (although I'd venture to say that yours is a lot more versatile than what I came up with). Your "ladder" strap system up the back astounds me, and if you would be so kind, I would absolutely love to get a more detailed breakdown of how you designed it. Once my current quiver finally bites the dust, I really want to make something based on the system you've devised here.
Last edited by Manveruon on Sat Aug 01, 2015 5:12 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Urthgard Hard Kit (pic heavy)

Post by Manveruon »

Oh, as an aside, my friend Bryan (MasterStrong on the forums) has a you-finish-it bow from Ringing Rocks Archery too, and has really liked it so far. For the price, they seem to make some very nice archery equipment.
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Re: Urthgard Hard Kit (pic heavy)

Post by Rifter »

Awesome looking kit!
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Re: Urthgard Hard Kit (pic heavy)

Post by Laothain »

Wow awesome job I love your quiver.
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Re: Urthgard Hard Kit (pic heavy)

Post by Elleth »

Now that is a veteran's kit! Your long experience really shines through - it's great hearing all the little lessons buried in those descriptions. :)

The quiver is fascinating - would you mind posting a drawing of the pattern you created - and how you affixed the "boot" at the bottom of it? Is it purely aesthetic, or does it have a practical purpose as well? Looks awesome either way. And I LOVE the "ladder" implementation! :)
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Re: Urthgard Hard Kit (pic heavy)

Post by Manveruon »

I've made two quivers with "boots" like that, myself, and I just affixed them with glue. I originally saw the design used by a gentleman from France (I think) who makes beautiful Elven garb and gear. The purpose of the "boot," for me at least, was to finish off the bottom of the quiver in a more aesthetically pleasing way than simply sewing the bottom edge shut. However, it could have a practical aopplicaton, in that one could theoretically replace it if/when the arrows eventually wore through the leather, as opposed to a simple sewn edge, which could render the quiver useless if breached.

Those are just my two cents, of course, and purely conjectural. I'm curious to know what Urthgard says about it, himself.
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Re: Urthgard Hard Kit (pic heavy)

Post by Greg »

The purpose of the "boot," for me at least, was to finish off the bottom of the quiver in a more aesthetically pleasing way than simply sewing the bottom edge shut. However, it could have a practical aopplicaton, in that one could theoretically replace it if/when the arrows eventually wore through the leather, as opposed to a simple sewn edge, which could render the quiver useless if breached.
On that topic:
My quiver has a stitched seam at the base, but I also have an oilcloth sock inside the quiver which can be pulled up over the fletching in the rain, and doubles as a means for keeping the arrows from rattling. The bottom 2-3" of the sock is not oilcloth, but rather a lightweight leather "pouch" of sorts that fits the shape of the bottom of my quiver. This makes the sock removable, protects the oilcloth, AND is cheaply replaceable, with zero damage to the actual quiver's bottom. FYI.
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Re: Urthgard Hard Kit (pic heavy)

Post by Mirimaran »

Greg wrote:

On that topic:
My quiver has a stitched seam at the base, but I also have an oilcloth sock inside the quiver which can be pulled up over the fetching in the rain, and doubles as a means for keeping the arrows from rattling. The bottom 2-3" of the sock is not oilcloth, but rather a lightweight leather "pouch" of sorts that fits the shape of the bottom of my quiver. This makes the sock removable, protects the oilcloth, AND is cheaply replaceable, with zero damage to the actual quiver's bottom. FYI.
Greg I did the same thing with my arrow bag, maybe I stole the idea from you lol I thought I have a pic, but it is a good idea. On my plains quiver I have a rawhide cup inside it for the same purpose, as well as to carry kindling.

Ken
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Re: Urthgard Hard Kit (pic heavy)

Post by Manveruon »

Yeah, that's a darn good idea. I actually did something similar, but all I did was sew a triple-layer of the same linen in the bottom of my arrow-sock, which obviously isn't quite as sturdy.
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Re: Urthgard Hard Kit (pic heavy)

Post by Urthgard »

Thanks you all for the kind words. It's so good to be among like minded souls.

For those interested, here's a bit more regarding the quiver
Elleth wrote:would you mind posting a drawing of the pattern you created - and how you affixed the "boot" at the bottom of it?
Here's a pic of the pattern pieces...
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The cap is basically just two shaped pieces stitched to an extended welt.
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Elleth wrote:Is it purely aesthetic, or does it have a practical purpose as well?
Let's call it "aesthetic utility".
Manveruon wrote:The purpose of the "boot," for me at least, was to finish off the bottom of the quiver in a more aesthetically pleasing way than simply sewing the bottom edge shut. However, it could have a practical aopplicaton, in that one could theoretically replace it if/when the arrows eventually wore through the leather, as opposed to a simple sewn edge, which could render the quiver useless if breached.
You nailed it Maveruon as to the reasoning for bottom cap as well as where the inspiration for the overall design came from. (Absolutely beautiful quiver here: http://www.ipernity.com/doc/63166/29584227)

My design creates two small pockets on the front and back. I have the option of stashing an extra bowstring in the back one. In front the pocket an arrow or two could be stuck in there while the rest are bundled up in the sock. The theory being is that a Ranger, I think, would want to have at least one arrow "at the ready" rather than fumbling with a closed arrow sock while it's on his back.
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Re: Urthgard Hard Kit (pic heavy)

Post by Elleth »

Since Photobucket crippled their users' photo archives, here's Urthgard's images reposted (some slightly reduced in size)

0 Everything with key
1 Oilskin Ground Cloth
2 Oilskin Tarp

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00_Urthgard_Hard_Kit_zpssnm3sqsq.jpg (34.46 KiB) Viewed 23357 times
01_-Urthgard_ground_cloth_zpskdzqapj0.jpg
01_-Urthgard_ground_cloth_zpskdzqapj0.jpg (65.92 KiB) Viewed 23357 times
02_Urthgard_Tarp_zpsky4ymeij.jpg
02_Urthgard_Tarp_zpsky4ymeij.jpg (75.17 KiB) Viewed 23357 times
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