Gear Lists:

Stewart White (Book of the Forest):

hat with medium brim

socks, wool, 3 pr

wool underwear

shirt 

sweater

wool blanket

rubber blanket

tent, Egyptian cotton, 7x7, 8#

mosquito netting

ax

sheath knife

compass

match case

fishing tackle

firearms (.22 pistol)

cooking utensils. For one: Cup and frying pan. For 2 or 3: Cup, fork and spoon apiece, 1 tea pail, 2 kettles, 1 frying pan

fly dope

needles and thread

cathartic

pain killer

bandages

soap

(He specifically recommends no extra trousers, no coat)

Paul Provencher ("The Last Courier du Bois):

In hand or pockets:

axe

fishline

hooks

knife

matches

snares

cordage

whetstone

slingshot & ammo

In packs:

saw

crooked knife

frying pan

kettle

cups

plates

spoons

forks

muskrat trap

rifle & ammo

magnifying glass

wall  tent

sleeping bag

face cloth

toothbrush

stove

lamp

mirror

tobacco

Calvin Rutstrum listed a Canadian Cree's kit in the early 1900's: 

single-shot .22 rifle

moosehide musette bag containing fishing gear and ammo

blanket rolled in a canvas tarp

knife in a moosehide sheath

Edna Calkins Price ("Burro Bill and Me") :

pots and pans

.22 rifle

30-30 rifle

pyramid tent

"the clothes on our backs and one extra set"

axe 

shovel

bucket

Dutch oven

Lance Corporal George McDonald Fraser's kit during the Burma campaign of WWII ("Quartered Safe Out Here")

Two shirts

Two pairs of trousers

Puttees

Boots 

Socks

Bush hat

Web belt with cross-braces and pouches

Small pack

Large pack

Lee Enfield rifle

Pull-through, for cleaning rifle

Oil

Ammunition, 50 rounds

Grenades, two

Bren gun magazines, two

Bayonet

Kukri or machete

Entrenching tool

Mattock

Rope, 15'

Field dressing, two

Razor

Toothbrush

Mess tins, two

Mug

Fork, knife, spoon

Needle and thread

Water purification pills

Malaria pills

Rations

Canteen

Blanket

Ground cloth

Poncho

Gear that Works: K &M Match case and REI Matches.

This month's theme seems to be matches. 

Good gear stands the test of time. I have a book containing a photograph of a civil war Union infantryman's personal gear, among which is a waterproof, tubular case filled with "Lucifers", as early friction matches were known.

I bought a K&M match case because internet reviews made it sound better than my Silva match case. It is. And as before with other high-quality gear, I contacted the makers and discovered salt-of-the-earth people behind the product. Keith and Marge ("K&M") Lunders machine these at their home in Elk River, Idaho. 

They're made from either aluminum or brass, with an excellent Suunto compass inletted into the top. Two O-rings make it waterproof, and a clever lanyard arrangement keeps it closed.

$21 plus shipping may cause you to balk at buying one. But when you hold it in your hand and see the quality of the materials and workmanship, you'll realize that it's a bargain. It will please you every time you use it, the compass won't let you down when you need it, and you'll be able to pass it on to your heirs. 

The Lucifers you should put inside your case are REI "Stormproof Matches". They look like larger versions of the NATO "lifeboat" matches. $4.15 for a box of 25, but worth it when your hands are numb, the wind is blowing and the tinder is damp. A dozen of them will fit inside the case, along with the extra striker strips that come in the box. They burn almost like little sparklers for about ten seconds, and can't be blown out. If you dip them in water, they'll reignite as soon as they're exposed to air again. If you're as cheap as I am, they'll even improve your fire-laying skills, because at 17 cents apiece you won't want to waste any.

www.kmmatchcase.com

www.REI.com

Shelf Life of Matches

I was going through a closet and found a book of those green matches that come in MRE's. The cover says "designed especially for damp climates", so they're obviously better than run-of-the-mill book matches, but I don't know how much better. 

Anyway, I think the last time Uncle Sam fed me an MRE was the summer of 1991, so they were more than 16 years old, possibly quite a bit more. They all lit on the first strike.