Winter Traction: Fornost Style

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.

Moderators: caedmon, Greg

Post Reply
User avatar
caedmon
Balku'npâ
Posts: 962
Joined: Sat Feb 16, 2008 4:30 am
Location: Palmer Alaska

Winter Traction: Fornost Style

Post by caedmon »

This came through on my historical renactiont side, figured I'd have to share.

http://sagy.vikingove.cz/scandinavian-crampons/

Image
-Jack Horner

----------------------------
Impression: Cædmon Reedmace | bronze founder living in Archet, Breeland. c. 3017
User avatar
Elleth
êphal ki-*raznahê
Posts: 2932
Joined: Wed Nov 03, 2010 5:26 am
Location: in the Angle; New England

Re: Winter Traction: Fornost Style

Post by Elleth »

AAA! This is great, thank you!! I've been wondering about this for ages! I've about broken my shins on clear ground in slippery period shoes - come the winter ice it's been essentially impossible. I'd been looking at the crampons banged out of iron stock in the colonial catalogs, and wondered how correct they were. This is an awesome pointer.

Do we know of anyone making these things?

On a related note - like you we can get pretty significant snowpack up here. I've always thought that sinew-webbed showshoes are a native American thing - do you happen to know of a European analog? I think I've seen short skis of some sort on at least latter-day art. Are those documented / have you guys tried them?
Persona: Aerlinneth, Dúnedain of Amon Lendel c. TA 3010.
Straelbora
Haeropada
Posts: 937
Joined: Mon Feb 11, 2013 7:00 pm
Location: Indianapolis, IN USA

Re: Winter Traction: Fornost Style

Post by Straelbora »

Viking era snow boots used seal fur, which apparently has bristly traction. The front half of the shoe would have the fur pointing backward, the back half pointing forward.

And I believe skis are attested to in Scandinavia way back, but I've also wondered if there was a European analog to the Native American snow shoe.
Vápnum sínum skala maðr velli á
feti ganga framar því at óvist er at vita
nær verðr á vegum úti geirs um þörf guma
Hávamál
Post Reply