The 17th and 18th Century Long Gun Hunting Bag
Before our modern pouches, and bags to support our modern rifles. The early 17th and 18th Century hunters, soldiers, and woodsman carried all they needed in a hunting bag. These bags were found in outfitters, and stores. Even military issued. But most often, the man himself produced one or probably more than often a female family member did it for him.
These bags were just large enough to carry the essentials needed to carry what was needed for the Black Powder (Long Gun).
The objects inside were a list of items with names unlike anything we are used to today with our modern weapons.
Gun Worm or “wiper”
Ball-Screw
Adjustable powder measure
Turn screw
Cone wrench
Pistol brush
Pistol tool
Bullet mold
Capping
Tinder mix
Patch knife
Gunpowder flask
Bullet bag & wadding
Compass
Pipe and tamper
Oil bottle
Spare powder-ball-caps-wadding
Char-cloth
Striker and flints
Often the hunters carried medical items inside of the bag, although unknown to most of us today, items used to treat hurts, pains, and other elements.
Gunpowder made in a past used as a treatment for poison ivy.
Hardwood charcoal to treat wound infections. Or poisons from tainted foods.
Hardwood ash for gastrointestinal parasites.
Tobacco is a painkiller forwounds, and infections. Bee stings.
Small pouch of herbs like Wild mint, Ginger, Elderberry leaves, Mormon tea, Desert holly, and Mesquite leaves.
The 17th and 18th Century Long Gun Bags were a bag of many uses.
What was carried in the Eastern parts of North America weren’t necessarily what was carried in the Western parts.
Along with the Long Gun Bags were carried a Powder Horn. This carried needed gun powder and often a measuring horn for the small pain that was ignited to fire the weapon. Also carried was another bag called a Possibles Bag. Which was used to carry all sorts of goods needed for daily living, cups, fire making kits, cooking pot, food, extra socks, sewing kits, etc..
The Long Hunter traveled light and carried all he could on him. Some used animals, like horses and mules to help transport goods, equipment needed. But none allowed their Hunting Bags to be separated from them along with their Long Gun, Hunting Knife, and Hand Axe.