Winter Clothing/Bedding Options

[Greg]

I have recently begun shifting my shirts over to wool for winter wear in the field, and have been working with our dear friends at Ravenswood Leather to aid me in warming up for the winter. I've been getting out more and more lately, but the weather is getting colder, and I desperately want to trek a time or two in the snow this year. Aside from building a pair of small snowshoes to aid in getting around, I've got a few more irons in the fire on the cusp of happening.

My new article of clothing is a variant on Ravenswood's Champion Jerkin. I went with Style #1 (which includes the flared bottom edge, which I think will work better with my waist for mobility purposes...#2 looks a little restrictive down at the base) with the Hunter's caps, due to my dislike for leather sticking way out over my shoulders. As cool as it looks, it's going to get caught on everything, and my cloak won't hang as well or easily with them there. As for the collar, I actually requested that they leave the collar off completely to keep my neck freed up, which is something they've apparently never done before. But then we come to the problem of those shiny, troublesome, caught-on-everything, way-too-many-of-them-for-their-own-good buttons up the front. Zilch. Nada. They're gone. Ravenswood's going to just stitch up the front of mine like the rest of the seams on the jerkin, leaving it as a pullover jerkin which adjusts and cinches tight with nothing but the side lacings. I've requested that mine be two-toned, in "Medium Brown" with the darker "Chocolate Brown" down the center of the front and back, to help break up the silhouette a bit. Keeps me from being one big torso-shaped tan blob. Once I throw a new sword belt over the top of it, I think it's going to fit in quite nicely as a new addition to my ever-growing kit.

To add onto this new goody, which I imagine coupled with a long-sleeved wool shirt or two will do a fairly nice job of warming me up, I'm in the market for a cheap deer hide. I've been searching mostly on ebay. I'm going to leave the edges almost completely rough, with as much as the skinner could get off the animal. I'm cutting a slit in the center of the hide and wearing it like a poncho/mantle to cover the top half of my torso, a bit down my back, and my shoulders and upperarms. It can keep me warm, stay out of my way during swrd OR bow use, and can be removed and used as either an additional blanket OR additional padding underneath me while I sleep.

Any thoughts on either the jerkin or the hide? Suggestions on further ways to keep warm clothing-wise? Also, are there going to be enough natural oils in the deer hide to make it somewhat water repellent, or is it going to require rubbing in some oils myself? If so, any suggestions as to what kinds/how much/where to oil it?

Side note: R.D....if you're reading this...I finally got off my lazy bum and sent that money order!

[Willrett]

I think the jerkin looks good. I'm looking forward to seeing the finished products. I have checked out several items from ravenswoods and have a few of their pouches on my wish list.

If I can get any hides this year I will let you know.

[David]

Sounds good, man! I was thinking of getting the #2 Paladin jerkin with the hunter caps & collar one of these days.

Honestly, Greg, if you can find a way to keep your feet, head, & hands warm; the jerkin and 1 or 2 wool long-sleeved shirts will do fine, especially when you're wearing your cloak. I know the black leather gloves you have are very good warmth-wise. Finding a way to keep heat from escaping your head in a period manner might be a little tricky since beanies aren't period. Maybe putting some form of pelt/fur on the inside of the hood of your cloak would work? I don't know...

[R.D.Metcalf]

Willrett, I cant absolutely promise this but I should be getting at least five hides in the coming months which will be probaly more than enough for my projects...If that turns out to be the case if you want I'll send you one. I can send raw which is basically fleshed and dehaired/ IE rawhide which you can finish tanning yourself or tanned. And dont worry I wont send you junk, all my hides are pulled and the only holes you'll see are from the bullet or arrow, not from careless skinning or scraping.


Greg, Sounds like you have some very cool gear You'll have to post some pics in your new jerkin.

Take care all.
Kindest regards,

~RDM~

[Greg]

I'll post pics of the jerkin, but not until it's here. That'd be a little hard to photograph while it's still being made, ya know?

Though if I had a wizard handy, it might be possible...

[R.D.Metcalf]

Thats why I said *in* your new jerkin.

[Greg]

Ooo...I found a wizard! I'll have a photo done by tonight!

[Greg]

To continue logging the process of my winter kit's formation, a deer hide is officially on its way, and I finished stitching the edges of the extra wool blanket now tucked into my bedroll today. I'll be sleeping on the ground in my apartment tonight to test it out.

[Greg]

Alrighty.

It's getting colder at night here in Vacaville. It's in the low 50's to mid 40's at night, so last night I decided to opt out of my bed and give the ground a shot with my bedroll and all.

I woke up a few times during the night, during which I changed my setup a little bit to see what works best.

I had two wool blankets, my canvas bedroll (which is big enough to go under me once and over me once, like a taco), and a deerhide that covers a little more than my torso.

After moving things around a bit, I've found I slept most comfortably with my bedroll folded under me, and stuffed with pine needles, followed by a wool blanket on top of that, me on top of the blanket, blanket #2 on top of me, and then the deer hide. I tried both blankets on top, as well as both underneath, but the even distribution worked best. I'm sure the same setup would work well in a damp/wet situation if I were to simply take everything underneath one layer of canvas, and put my wool blanket directly onto the pine needles. Alternatively, I could use the canvas as a tent, and simply make a natural padding under myself, and use some branches and the like to blend my tent into the foliage.

Once it's cooled off a bit more, I'm going to try it out on a rainy night and see how things go.

Any thoughts/suggestions?

[David]

Trust me Greg, there'll be plenty of rainy nights in Vacaville for you to test that out. I would advise bringing the canvas or even a tarp every time you go out, just in case. Rain can come out of nowhere sometimes. Just wait til it gets below freezing at night!

[Greg]

Dave, I've backpacked in Yellowstone. I know you're all about Nor Cal's "crazy rainy season", but you haven't seen sporadic rains until you've spent a week up there. Granted, I'm sure some of you out in the midwest have even more sporadic and unpredictable weather than WY.

As for a tarp...I don't want to have to carry that much. It's bulky as all get out just trying to get two blankets and a canvas in my backpack while still having room for gear. When you're home for thanksgiving, you'll have to help me figure out how to fit it all in a bedroll.