Its been a while since we talked about what the Trappers carried with them on their hunts.
Since we are all getting ready for the upcoming trapping season, I thought this would be a good time to revisit this.

From Russell:
Trappers made preparations for starting the next day to hunt Beaver
as we had set but few traps since we left winter quarters for the Crows had destroyed nearly all the
Beaver in the part of country thro. which we had been travelling. Early next morning about 30 of
us were armed equipped and mounted as circumstances required. A Trappers equipments in such
cases is generally one Animal upon which is placed one or two Epishemores a riding Saddle and
bridle a sack containing six Beaver traps a blanket with an extra pair of Mocasins his powder horn
and bullet pouch with a belt to which is attached a butcher Knife a small wooden box containing
bait for Beaver a Tobacco sack with a pipe and implements for making fire with sometimes a
hatchet fastened to the Pommel of his saddle his personal dress is a flannel or cotton shirt (if he is
fortunate enough to obtain one, if not Antelope skin answers the purpose of over and under shirt)
a pair of leather breeches with Blanket or smoked Buffaloe skin, leggings, a coat made of Blanket
or Buffaloe robe a hat or Cap of wool, Buffaloe or Otter skin his hose are pieces of Blanket lapped
round his feet which are covered with a pair of Moccassins made of Dressed Deer Elk or Buffaloe
skins with his long hair falling loosely over his shoulders complets his uniform. He then mounts
and places his rifle before him on his Saddle.

Well equipped trappers on expedition, Rocky Mountain Outfit, American Mountain Men

Very interesting was just at the museum of the fur trade in Chadron looking at the exhibits trying to imagine getting by for a winter with such a meager amount of gear Thanks for sharing this stuff k snow

Most of them also had one or two pack horses or mules, along with their riding horse.

From Meek:
The trappers and hunters have two horses, or mules,
one to ride, and one to pack their traps.

From Campbell:
The trading companies from the states would start from the Western boundary of Missouri, about
the first of April when the grass was good. All mounted on pack animals, each man riding one
and leading two. It took usually from 60 to 70 days to get through to the place of destination in
the Fur Country.

Thank you Mr. Russell for deciding to include this kind of minutia in his account of his years in the Mountains.

Good stuff K

Had to google Epishemore to know what it was!

I did to when I first read Russell.

For those who also need to know, it is a saddle pad made from buffalo hide, with the hair/wool left on. Also used as a sleeping pad by the trappers.

thanks guys ,i learned something, a good read also,

Thanks for Sharing...good stuff.

Some tough men right there...

Wouldn't be bad..if you didn't have to deal with the Indians and other

Thieves trying to kill you and steal your goods.

With my bad eyesight I would have lost my hair before I lost my hair

Six traps . . . precious indeed.

Precious for sure. That's why they would spend hours looking for lost traps, and dive into cold mountain ponds to find them under water.

When ambushed by Indians, they would often throw their traps into deep water, and return to collect them later, if they lived.

I did that 27 years ago just before I got divorced.