It wasn't the shock I thought it would be. It took a few minutes for the cold to set in.

I imagine it would have taken on an earthy tan color after only a few days of use

You're a mite touched! Way too cold for me.

I bet there were a lot of bullet holes arrow holes , and spear holes in them beaver hides they sold . I bet they crawled right in them dens with them beaver and killed them any way possible there wasnt enough traps to drive them to neer extinction by strictly trapping . there would be more black smith made traps still around if that was the case . Beaver in small water can be hunted efectivlly by groups of determend men not harnessed by the ethics we have today . They were also an ingenious bunch , many probably had some special leggings made by their sqaws that still had the hair on that they could wade with if they needed to . deer hair still insulates when wet . buckskins can be sealed with oil and pitch pretty well .

Im not saying they weren't tough because they were . just that they had ways of doing things we will never conceive because. we can just get some rubber waders and wade right in there . If beaver were $500 apiece and you could not get waders or conibers you would figure out a way . They had time and incentive so anything was possible

You sound like a -

Just tired of people ASSUMING information and taking posts off track. I was only trying to share some living history. Not asking for safety lectures.

iI sure dont mean to come off that way . If the OP feels that way I will sure delete my post . I think what the op is really cool and dont in any way meen to belittle his endeavour .

Bigfoot, your post is good. A lot of the muskrat and beaver in the great Lakes was speared. They would chop into the hurs and spear them as they ran out.
The western trade was a lot of trapping or trading with indians.
As the hides were for the hatter market, holes would not have mattered as much.

Pretty sure the comment was directed at me.

This is his post that is literally the one right above yours where you give the safety lecture. Lighten up mom.

K snow, are you going to check them mountain man style?

I can peek over the bank and see if the trap is still in the bed or not. If there is a catch, maybe I will have to suit back up. We will see.

Beat me to it.....lol

I think ist awesome K Snow....keep doing what yah doing

I can't rember the exact quote, but trappers clothing was described by one observer as black. Muddy black, dirty black, charcoal black, greasy black.

Thanks guys.

Wearing your mocs and socks into the water isn't "tough," its just not smart. I don't believe for a second the mountain men did that because there is no writing about frozen toes and lost feet to frostbite. My thinking is that they went in barefoot and came out and put their dry and warm footwear back on. Their footwear may have gotten got wet during the course of the day working the edges of the marsh but got dried out by the fire at night.

Lots of writing about soaked mocs every day. Mocs were reported to last only 2 or 3 days. Also writings on how their leather pants had the legs rot off from the constant wetting of setting traps. When gone, they replaced the legs with wool.

As said above, trapping was done in spring and fall, not winter. Winter was for hunting.

From Journal of a Trapper by Osborne Russell, pages 94 and 95.

"The weather was very cold but I felt extremely comfortable whilst walking about in the warm water but on coming out and running as fast as I could to the camp 40 rods distant my feet were both frozen. I soon drew out the frost however by stripping them and holding them in the cold snow."

He had to be wearing at least mocs, as he "stripped" his feet.

in my mind I would be making sets while laying on my belly up on the bank.
Thats a pretty sweet outfit, I hope someday I have the time to get into the mt man stuff. Rondevo's and all. I got hooked on the muzzleloaders a couple years ago..

Did you make that or have it made by someone?

All but the hat was made by me. A friend made the knitted hat.
Here's a selection of capotes I've made. My wife is in the middle, her rifle was made by my dad. I'm on the right.

If you shine down towards Sheboygan county, I am the VP of Smoky Hollow Muzzleloaders, our range is just west of Cascade.