Rangers Kit

[Dailir]

What do you think a beginning ranger should acquire for his kit? And to add to that what kind of a skill set? I'm mostly asking for myself, but it would be good for other beginners too.

[Peter Remling]

The basics of a Ranger's kit would be:

Fire kit (flint, steel and tinder)- Fire starting is your #1 skill set
a heavy knife with a wide spine for batoning or a handaxe/hachet
several candles
cook set
eating utensils
wool blanket (wool blend in warmr climes)
fish kit
small utility knife
emergency medical kit- read up on some 1st aid books
pack or roll to carry everything

These are the very basics and are virtually the same as a modern kit.

Even those expert in firestarting will generally carry weatherproof matches or a lighter. The ability to start a fire in any weather is the single most important and possible life saving skill you will need.

Obviously these are the minimum but it's the first leg of your journey to a complete Ranger kit.

[Willrett]

wool blanket (4 for 35 at sportsmans guide) 1 for blanket, 1 for cloak, 1 for clothing and a extra.

Fire kit. I have a few options I carry. In a pouch I have flint and steel and a bunch of jute twine that I can rat nest for tender. I also carry I firesteel http://firesteel.com/categories/FireSteel-Blank-Rods/ as a back up, and matches for a second back up.

I picked a bunch of candles at walmart in the camping section that were open packs so I got them cheap.

I carry both a cold steel sax and a small hand axe on my belt, with my small camp knife.

If you starting out you can go cheap and easy with a mess kit and bota from in camping section or store.

And like Pete said a bag to put it all again for a cheap start you can look at sportsmans guide or cheaper than dirt.

[Chris Russo]

I like to look at Civil War, Revolutionary War, and French and Indian War kits for inspiration and guidelines. Of course, our kits will be different--no musket gear, for one thing--but it helps to give me a sense of scale.

http://www.26nc.org/Articles/knapsack%2 ... 20roll.pdf

^This is a good overview.

For a proper trek, lasting at least two nights, I would want with me:
* Blanket roll
* Tarp and/or oilskin ground cloth (may double as cloak)
* Longarm (bow, spear, sling, sword--but preferably one of the first three)
* Belt knife
* Seax or hatchet
* Fire-making kit, candle and dry tinder
* Canteen/waterskin and water purification elements (modern filter or iodine tablets)
* Food
* Small kettle or pot
* Compass (never mentioned in Tolkien, but I wouldn't go into the woods without one), map
* Fishing kit (horsehair line, period hooks, corks for bobbers, three-pronged head for spear)
* Fishing and hunting licenses (if appropriate, in period container)
* Med Kit (any prescription meds, plus some basic painkillers, disinfectants, and antihistamines)

As for skills set, start working on:
*Firemaking (practice whenever possible)
*Foraging (recognizing edible plants, etc.)
*Trailcraft (tracking small animals, concealing one's own presence)
*Campcraft (making what you don't have out of natural materials, for example building a shelter or stretcher out of branches and bark cordage)

Before going out on a trek, even if you're going with others, you should be confident in your ability to (at the very least) find and identify a proper campsite, start a fire, keep it going safely, set up shelter, and make it back to civilization.

[Steve b]

I like to look at Civil War, Revolutionary War, and French and Indian War kits for inspiration and guidelines. Of course, our kits will be different--no musket gear, for one thing--but it helps to give me a sense of scale.

We may not carry musket gear as such, but one of the major things that is part of musket gear that is much neglected in our type of period is tools. I carry a small pair of hand forged pliers, a hand forged turnscrew, oil bottle, grease pot, and soft and hard stones. Weapons maintainance is a much forgotten issue when we are only out for a day or two and the weapons are as much for show as anything else. I carry kit as if I'm going into hostile territory for a couple of weeks. That means I need to be able to fix things as needed.

I'm not suggesting that this be one of the first things acquired, but once the basics have been got and the kit fills out, then I would add this.
Hawk

[Greg]

We may not carry musket gear as such, but one of the major things that is part of musket gear that is much neglected in our type of period is tools. I carry a small pair of hand forged pliers, a hand forged turnscrew, oil bottle, grease pot, and soft and hard stones. Weapons maintainance is a much forgotten issue when we are only out for a day or two and the weapons are as much for show as anything else. I carry kit as if I'm going into hostile territory for a couple of weeks. That means I need to be able to fix things as needed.

I'm not suggesting that this be one of the first things acquired, but once the basics have been got and the kit fills out, then I would add this.

Well said. Just because orcs aren't very prevalent these days doesn't mean we should be lax. Carrying a sword is as much of a burden as it is a blessing; things break down, and we should know how to (and be able to) repair them.

[Dailir]

Hmm... Okay. Looks up from notes I asked the right people.

Just because orcs aren't very prevalent these days doesn't mean we should be lax. Carrying a sword is as much of a burden as it is a blessing; things break down, and we should know how to (and be able to) repair them.

There may not be too many orcs anymore but there are still wild beasts such as bears and wolves. As a side note on the kit, I was thinking of getting a knife striker combination like they had in colonial times. Does anyone know where I could get one, maybe even a fellow ranger could smith me one?

[Steve b]

As a side note on the kit, I was thinking of getting a knife striker combination like they had in colonial times. Does anyone know where I could get one, maybe even a fellow ranger could smith me one?

I've tried using one and, like many combined tools, is not as good as two individual tools. The grip on those things is very uncomfortable, especially if you need to put real pressure into a cut. When using the striker, you have to be careful on the upstroke. I've seen people come very close to stabbing themselves in the face.

Hawk