This is where you can send your questions to the staff of Armory Hill. We'll do our best to answer them and
get them on the Web. Send your questions to us at
staff@armoryhill.com.
Is there a good source for period tentage?---G.R. in Harrisburg, PA
We like the folks at Panther Primitives. I have a bell tent and fly from them and have used them for years. Check them out on our links page.---JBL
What kind of cookware do you use in camp?---M.S. in Wilcox, SASK
In camp, we use different forged items for cooking - the grill, trammel hooks, food hooks, etc.are all made by different black-smiths (they were added, piece by piece, at different events where we found good blacksmiths). Also added piece by piece is everyone's separate cooking and eating implements. Usually, in camp, someone brings a Dutch oven and a round-bottom soup pot. Then, if it's a small camp, everyone eats on their trekking gear (which is always with us). If it's a larger camp, we might throw in some extra plates for unexpected guests. Usually, though, guests bring their own plates, cups, and utensils.---JBL
What do you do about drinking water when camping or trekking?---R.B. in Chico, CA
Because of airborne spores and protozoa, most of the water you come across in the wild is no longer safe to drink out here in the West. Spring water is ok, but for the most part, lakes and rivers carry contaminants that must be filtered, boiled out, or chemically removed. In camp, we usually bring enough drinking water to do all the cooking and cleaning, etc. On the trail, we carry a water filter capable of removing the harmful contaminants. It's not period, but safe, and a sick comrade really hampers a good trek.---JBL
Jean Baptiste, what kind of rifle do you carry?---E.M in Salt Lake City, UT
I carry a French Fusil type C, made by Mr. George Dornbach, a West Coast gun maker. He has contributed several fine guns to this sport, and many of my friends also shoot Dornbach's. My smoothbore shoots shot and roundball very well, and has enabled me to put fare to the table more times than I care to count. Thanks again, George!---JBL
[Look for Jean Baptiste interviewing Mr. Dornbach in an upcoming issue.---Ed.]
Where can I find really nice period shoes for my wife and myself?---M.M. in Mt. View
Fugawee Shoes in Tallahassee, FL is a great place to start. They offer shoe styles for both men and women
from the middle 1700s to the post-Civil War period. I have a pair of their Franklin's which are made on
left and right lasts (Don't let 'em tell you that "handed" shoes didn't exist until the 1830s when the
Blanchard lathe was used for making commercial shoe lasts as well as gunstocks. They had 'em. They were
just expensive!). I have large feet (12EEE) and the Franklin's are a good fit and very comfortable. Check
our links page for their on-line catalog.---JBW
