Crossing America in the 1600's

[Fat White Boy]

I'm not sure, Art, where this belongs. Please move or delete as needed. After seeing the 1 Rifle thread, look at this...

This is borrowed from another site but we have a lot of fun with it. You are going back in time to cross America in 1650. You can have:

1 Long gun w/500 rounds of ammo
1 Handgun Revolver or Auto w/200 rounds of ammo
2 horses/mules
Hatchet/Machete
2 knives
Necessary camping/bedding equipment.

What would you take?

 

[Mosin44az]

An odd bit of time travel.

A scoped M1A would do for hunting, and defense against bands of hostile natives. A six-inch .44 magnum for hunting and defense backup.

 

[Fat White Boy]

I would probably take a .30-30 rifle and a pistol in .30-30 for ammo commonality. I would also use mules instead of horses. I thought about a .45-70 Lever action Guide Rifle with a Big .45-70 hog leg pistol. But that is a lot of recoil to deal with...

 

[MTMilitiaman]

My M1A, probably with a Leupold Mk 4 MR-T 1.5-5 and some 168 gr HPBTs. I'll cut my ammo load in half if it means I can carry a couple spare parts and maintenance gear.

Right now I have a crush on the 1911, so I'd take one of those. Full size, Gov Model, probably along the lines of SA's MC Operator.

A Gerber or Leatherman multi-tool, a good fixed blade along the lines of Cold Steel's Recon Tanto, and a machete.

An MSR bivy, my Mountain Hardware sleeping bag, and the usual amenities in a good internal frame pack, such as the several models by "The North Face" that I am looking at now--first aid, fire and food, 3L hydration system with a water purifier, 550 cord, duct tape, compass, flashlight (x2) with batteries...

And back up. I ain't doin this alone. My bro, at the very least, is tagging along.

Fun thread. 1600s huh? If I could go back in time, I could think of better times and places to go...

 

[Fat White Boy]

Well, 1650 is before true Westward expansion began and the land and the people were relatively unspoiled.

 

[Bmauser]

hmm

I would take a M-14 because of its large calibre and stopping power, and range. I would also take a .45 handgun.
This is a good thread.

 

[Magnum Wheel Man]

While I think it's goofy to take moden equipment back in time ???

but I guess I'll play... with things I already own...

1) a rifle... my Browning Stainless Stalker in 338 Win Mag shooting Trophy Bonded Bear Claw Federal factory ammo

2) a handgun... my Witness 10mm with XTP's

3) Horses / Mules... I'd take horses ( I'm always in a hurry )

4) Hatchet / Machete... I'd take one of those new machete's with the bone saw style back

5) 2 Knives... 1-Browning field dress tool, 1 Leatherman

6) camping / bedding... a simple A-Frame tent ( fast set up / take down, with few & simple parts ) several mini Bic lighters,back up magnesium fire starter, cooking would be done with ( wire cooking rack, 2 qt aluminum pot, 10" aluminum fry pan, aluminum plates, & coffee cups, stainless forks & spoons, tongs, spatula, & laddle ) hot water provided by ( I have an old conductive hot water heater, that uses a copper tube coil you put in a camp fire, that connects through hoses to a small plastic tank, it's light weight & foolproof ) a pack of sanitizer drinking straws would be nice for areas of questionable water purity, as well as several plastic canteens, a nice self inflating matteress pad, good quality down sleeping bag, 2-3 space blankets per person, several rolls of duct tape, several coils of heavy rope, several coils of parachute cord, some pocket fishing gear, & a spool of fishing line... a good 1st aid kit, a large plastic bottle of Everclear drinking alcohol, a big bottle of asprin, antiacid & another of Tylenol, a good sized bottle of sun block, mosquito repellant, perscriptions to last the trip, a tub of powdered soap several packs of toilet paper, & a bag of terry cloth towels a good felt cowboy hat with retaining cord, 2 pairs of leather gloves, an Outback style waxed canvas duster, a small pair of binaculars, a compass, & good topo map of the U.S., a couple of LED mini Mag Lights & a pack of battery's for them, a box of 1 gallon sized zip lock bags, enough waterproof ( white water rafting style ) gear bags, enough of the apropriate clothes, & a good pair of goretex hiking boots, a good mix of both dehydrated foods, along with a few packs of MREs, & the normal staples of jerky, flour, salt, sugar, dried milk, tea & instant coffee etc. add in a couple of bags of fun sized Snickers bars

I'm ready to go... lets do it...

 

[Musketeer]

Toilet Paper. Lots of Toilet Paper.

 

[joshua]

Wow! Going back in time had always been a adventure in my dreams, but not that far back.

1 Long gun w/500 rounds of ammo - I want to say 45/70 gov't so when I run out of rounds I can probably make blackpowder and find lead somewhere.

1 Handgun Revolver or Auto w/200 rounds of ammo - This is tricky because I want my rifle and handgun to be chambered in the same caliber, but I will have to say 45 Colt.

2 horses/mules - I'll take one horse and one mule, if I can have 2 of both even better.

Hatchet/Machete - One of each please.
2 knives - Cold Steel Trailmaster and a Gerber Fairbain and Applegate Combat folder.

Necessary camping/bedding equipment. Sleeping bags, 4 man tent just in case I find squaws everywhere , folding chair, an umbrella, a Parka, Gortex gloves, thermals, A pair of sandals, Rocky boots, Sorels, lots of lighters and firestarters, hooks and roll 35 lb test line, a golden labrador, books, reloading dies for 45 colt and 45/70, RCBS Rockchucker, bullet mold for 200 grain and 400 grain bullets, Surefire flashlight with lots of batteries and my handheld GPS with a few satellites - ok I'll take a compass. josh

What would you take?

 

[Art Eatman]

Ya better start with a map, and look at the rivers. You gotta figure out how to get a horse across such as the Ohio, the Mississippi and the Missouri.

That means at least giving thought to crossing in late winter, up north where they might be frozen over. You northern guys might have some input on that. Trouble is, when it's all snowy and frozen, finding fodder for horses ain't the easiest chore.

Skills: Are you okay with flint and steel? Know how to find dry kindling on a rainy day? Do you know how to make a bow drill for starting fires, if you lose your Bic lighers? For that matter, do you know how to make a bow of at least 40 pounds pull, and how to knapp flint?

Do you know what plants are edible, and which plants can give you the whatzits? Do you know the various uses of rawhide? And, can you tan hides? After all, you're gonna be "out there" for right at a couple of years.

Don't forget the nail clippers...

, Art

 

[Mike Irwin]

Is it obvious?

An airplane.

 

[Mike Irwin]

"Are you okay with flint and steel? Know how to find dry kindling on a rainy day? Do you know how to make a bow drill for starting fires, if you lose your Bic lighers? For that matter, do you know how to make a bow of at least 40 pounds pull, and how to knapp flint?"

Oddly enough, yes to all of the above.

 

[Magnum Wheel Man]

I guess I have to answer yes to those questions as well...

 

[tyrajam]

Rifle: 45/70 with hard cast bullets
Remember, in the 1600's grizzleys and elk roamed coast to coast, and Bison herds covered the plains. Most animals hadn't seen a human before and didn't have the natural fear, so close shots would be the norm.

Pistol: Find me a handgun chambered in a 45/70. I doubt I'll shoot it, I just want the extra 200 rounds for my rifle

A mule to pack and a horse to ride. Flint and steel, 2 good light skinning knives, a machete and ax for chores, a hammock and tarp to sleep between trees up off of the wet ground, mummy bag and wool blankets, a pot and a skillet, water filtration system w/ extra filters, and as much rice and cornmeal as I can load up on the mule.

Most importantly, a compass and a good field guide to wild edible plants.

I'd cross the rivers in the summertime at their lowest. Horses are good swimmers, lash a few logs together to float my supplies on. Lets do it!

 

[Scorch]

OK, I'll play.

Skills: Are you okay with flint and steel? Know how to find dry kindling on a rainy day? Do you know how to make a bow drill for starting fires, if you lose your Bic lighers? For that matter, do you know how to make a bow of at least 40 pounds pull, and how to knapp flint?

Do you know what plants are edible, and which plants can give you the whatzits? Do you know the various uses of rawhide? And, can you tan hides? After all, you're gonna be "out there" for right at a couple of years.

Yes to all of the above.

Rifle: 45/70 with hard cast bullets
Remember, in the 1600's grizzleys and elk roamed coast to coast, and Bison herds covered the plains. Most animals hadn't seen a human before and didn't have the natural fear, so close shots would be the norm.
Pistol: Find me a handgun chambered in a 45/70. I doubt I'll shoot it, I just want the extra 200 rounds for my rifle

Oddly enough, I have to agree with that line of thinking.

That means at least giving thought to crossing in late winter, up north where they might be frozen over. You northern guys might have some input on that. Trouble is, when it's all snowy and frozen, finding fodder for horses ain't the easiest chore.

I would never try to cross a river in the winter. Lots of people did, but a lot of people were found washed up on shore the next spring, too. Or never found. I would do what the voyageurs did: go around them by going north during the summer, or build a raft for your goods and float them across while the horses swim.

Horses or mules? Even though I understand that mules are better saddle mounts, and they are better pack animals, I also know they can be troublesome at times. Make mine horses. Even though this means avoiding really dry areas of the country. They are dumb enough to keep going even though they are scared witless or totally exhausted. They need very little that cannot be found in most areas of the continent. One reason the Natives found them so useful.

I doubt any of us will ever have to go through the types of hardships the first explorers went through, but the skills are still valuable. A hunting trip in the mountains of Idaho or Montana can go bad really quickly if you're not prepared. Good thread!

 

[dglockster]

I would take a bolt action, scoped (4X) 30.06 with a sling and 1,000 rounds of 185 gr. FMJ (the rifle would also have adjustable rear and front sights to offset damage to the scope) and a full sized Glock 9mm with IWB kydex hoslter and 1,000 rounds of 125 gr. FMJ ammo. In addition, I would take a recurved bow, 60" length w/50 pound draw, primarily for hunting. The arrows would be a mix of field points and broadheads and I would take six dozen along with a leather quiver.

Two fixed blade knives with kydex sheathes. One with a 5" blade and one with a 10" blade. A table spoon.

Two axes, one a camp axe and the other a full size ax. I would also take a Vietnam-type tomahawk. Files would also be part of this package.

Three mules, one to ride, two as a pack animals. This assumes the appropriate gear for riding and packing as well as a medium to large back pack for me. A "possibles bag" would also be part of this gear.

A dozen "life straws" to filter water. Water would probably be pretty pure except for the "beaver fever" microbes. At least three gallon sized canteens.

Clothing, including socks and scarves, would be wool and/or silk and loose fitting with long sleeved shirts. A hat with at least a 3" brim and a chin cord. Insulated gloves for winter and for daily use, gloves such as the Mechanix gloves.

Footwear would be moccasins and insulated, waterproof boots for winter wear. I would also take an awl to use if footwear needed to be constructed or repaired.

Initial food suppy would include coffer, sugar, salt, flour, dried beans, peas, and some meat. Hunting will provide additional meat.

To make fire, waterproof/windproof matches as well as flint and steel once the matches were gone.

First aid would include a well supplied first aid kit with additional antibacterial cream, aspirin, and butterfly bandages.

A supply of trade goods would round out the outfit.

 

[Slopemeno]

Mike Irwin kinda stole my fire, but I would have said a ship...

I just drove over Hwy 50 from Sacramento to Hwy 15 in Utah last week, and the distances were pretty staggering. How those Pony Express guys did it is beyond me.

 

[ARmasterzach]

1. A cobb mcr-400 in .338 lapua for hunting and far off shots.

2. A full auto HK MP5 to fend off those pesky indians

3 A mule to haul the equipment and a horse in case I need to make a fast getaway.

4 Id want a samuraii sword instead of a machete and one of those Kershaws that are like a small machete. they cut like a hatchet though

5 Id want a good sized kershaw like a boa or that new one theyve got out an d probably a leatherman multi tool with all the options.

6. As far as bedding Id want one of those canopies with the screen walls so I could have good look at my surroundings. A nice thick blanket or two would be good enough to lay on and id need a pillow. Id want some lighters and maybe a couple small tanks of propane and just regular camp equipment.
id want to take a bullet proof vest to help protect against arrows and a good first aid kit. Night vision is also good and maybe a few flashlights.
Id have to study up on surviving in the wilderness too.

 

[VA9mm]

Springfield M1A 700rds 180 Nosler partition, 300rds ball with Leupold scope.

S&W 460 4" barrel 500rds Corbon Hard Cast. Hopefully the Smith and Wesson doesn't lock up. May have to rethink that one.

One axe and machete with sharpeners.

Waterproof matches and some lighters.

My Tops recon Bowie and dress kit.

A well stocked first aid kit.

Food- MRE's, jerky, hardtack, flour, sugar, salt, powdered milk, and some bottles of Johnny Walker Blue.

Camelbaks.

Maglites 4 D cell with led bulbs. Supply of batteries.

Two German Shepherds. I don't how practical that would be. It would be nice to have them at night to warn of two legged creatures with bad intentions.

Blankets, pots and pans, tents, summer and winter clothes and footwear.

Two mules and horse.

 

[James K]

The usual "time travel" contradictions. I would simply load up the Camry and take off on the Interstate. You say they didn't have Toyotas or Interstates in 1650? Well if you can have M14's and auto pistols, I can damn well have my Camry and I-70 (and Exxon stations, Mickey D's, and Comfort Inns) and those are no more absurd than your M14.

Jim