BCRider
Member
OK, so I've gotten my first few period clothing items for my black powder events. So I guess the cordura messenger bag for holding my "stuff" has to go.... 
I've been looking at a lot of the bags the other shooters are using and here's what I've come up with so far.
Powder horn will have it's own strap so it doesn't need to go in the bag.
BUT, for the days that I shoot a cap&ball revolver I need room for a flask.
So, here's what I have so far;
Can you guys see anything obvious or even not so obvious or even something you think I should try?
The touch hole pick wire is already on my gun at the end of a leather lace attached to the trigger guard.
Along with all this I'll be carrying the usual and typical full size knife on the main belt.
Looking on You Tube for how to set up this stuff I saw some videos by a fellow that calls himself tetontodd. He made good points about keeping the bag up high enough that it's not dangling too low and where the arm can trap it as I bend over. But not so high as to make it hard to get into it.
I've only got enough leather of the type I want to use to make ONE bag. So I'm going to start with a fabric prototype to iron out the handling issues. I've got some really heavy old cotton "duck" canvas which I'll use. And really that means that it would not be far from period correct anyway. But I want to do it in leather for the final version since it's so often so wet around these parts. But the canvas version will be an excellent prototype.
One really slick feature I saw on one fellows shoulder strap mounted goodies was that he used leather laces to tie the stuff to the strap. The laces were a snug pull fit through holes in the strap. In use the laces were pulled through and hung loose. But when he was done he just reached in behind and drew them tight to secure the ball starter, primer flask and whatever else he had on the strap in place. This all seemed to work most well.
Oh, one last thing. All the folks are saying that I'll eventually break my wood ramrod. And I'd like to get one with a nice rounded "T" handle on it anyway. So I'm going to have a new ramrod in a sheath that I wear on my main belt. I like the idea of a proper sheath instead of just a belt loop so I can keep it from dragging in and picking up dirt.
So how does all this sound?
I've been looking at a lot of the bags the other shooters are using and here's what I've come up with so far.
Powder horn will have it's own strap so it doesn't need to go in the bag.
BUT, for the days that I shoot a cap&ball revolver I need room for a flask.
So, here's what I have so far;
- On the shoulder strap I will have sheaths for the ball starter, powder measure and a small patch knife.
- The round balls will be kept in the bag in a leather flask that I'm going to make up.
- Spare flints along with a small knapping hammer will be in a flint wallet in the bag.
- The flint knapping hammer will also be the screw driver for the flint clamping screw.
- patches will be in a shallow side pocket of the supplies bag that is easy to reach into.
- Because I use Ballistol and water as my patch lube there will be a small period correct tin oil can that holds the "moose milk" in another small side pouch inside the bag. Or possibly this may also end up on the shoulder strap in a little sheath since it's small and used for every loading.
- Probably loose in the bottom or possibly in a pocket in the flint wallet will be the ball screw and a tow screw. Or if the flint wallet gets too big I may go for a separate tool pouch and keep the flints on their own. In fact that IS the way to go so if I don't need flints I don't need to carry them.
- The pan primer will also be carried in yet another side pocket inside the bag so it's easy to use.
Can you guys see anything obvious or even not so obvious or even something you think I should try?
The touch hole pick wire is already on my gun at the end of a leather lace attached to the trigger guard.
Along with all this I'll be carrying the usual and typical full size knife on the main belt.
Looking on You Tube for how to set up this stuff I saw some videos by a fellow that calls himself tetontodd. He made good points about keeping the bag up high enough that it's not dangling too low and where the arm can trap it as I bend over. But not so high as to make it hard to get into it.
I've only got enough leather of the type I want to use to make ONE bag. So I'm going to start with a fabric prototype to iron out the handling issues. I've got some really heavy old cotton "duck" canvas which I'll use. And really that means that it would not be far from period correct anyway. But I want to do it in leather for the final version since it's so often so wet around these parts. But the canvas version will be an excellent prototype.
One really slick feature I saw on one fellows shoulder strap mounted goodies was that he used leather laces to tie the stuff to the strap. The laces were a snug pull fit through holes in the strap. In use the laces were pulled through and hung loose. But when he was done he just reached in behind and drew them tight to secure the ball starter, primer flask and whatever else he had on the strap in place. This all seemed to work most well.
Oh, one last thing. All the folks are saying that I'll eventually break my wood ramrod. And I'd like to get one with a nice rounded "T" handle on it anyway. So I'm going to have a new ramrod in a sheath that I wear on my main belt. I like the idea of a proper sheath instead of just a belt loop so I can keep it from dragging in and picking up dirt.
So how does all this sound?
