Medieval Style Hammock
Hello everybody,
in the next few weeks I like to attempt a hammock build which makes use of materials which would have been available in (let's say) the 11th century. Linen fabric(s) and laces, wooden buttons, diy oilskin (you know the linseed oil coated cloth), woollen army blankets. Obviously zips, para cord or any other modern plastics are off the menu. Weight may become an issue, I know.
Aside from the hammock I most likely need an under quilt and a roofing tarp. Possibly a over quilt and bug net too.
On the bug net I will probably have little choice but to use a modern fabric for that, which is fine.
as a sleeping bag I will be using a cotton sheet (sewn into a bag) and a woollen army blanket.
I plan to use the hammock setup to do foot journeys along routes or to places of historic interest, starting with a walk to Hastings in the UK in mid October to commemorate the Battle of Hastings of 1066. Dressed and largely equipped as a 11th century traveller: from a woollen tunic and a hood, a (made) portable camp fire, a round shield (could double up as an umbrella and table top in camp and a spear shaft as a walking stick and as a ridge pole. To stay dry while walking an oversized oilskin rain coat/tunic is in the making. All clothing and equipment with the viking/anglo-saxon theme and technology in mind.
I have looked at WW2 jungle and US Navy type hammocks the last few days and I like the clew and nettle ideas to incorporate into my Hastingas Hammock (possible) A clew and nettle based design should have that more old fashioned look I think.
Also I think a drape-over weighted-down type bug net would be best since zips are out. I am not a fan of using plastics in the insulation also but I need to be realistic (because of weight) and may have to resort to some (out of sight) use of modern insulation materials, which I can live with or could wool do nicely?
October in the southern UK can get wet, cold and windy so I need some protection against the English weather. My thoughts are that linseed oil based oilskin will suffice when waterproofing a roofing tarp is concerned. Mixing equal parts linseed oil and odourless white spirits will most likely do nicely as I was made to understand.
I wonder if people here on the forum have any ideas on which design to use for the mentioned items and how a medieval them could work ? How the various parts of a hammock setup could work and be made to make it a viable thing to use and carry around on an Ötzi type backpack.
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regards, Sander.
PS: I had thought about using a slightly modernised version of a Roman style 1 person pup tent but I kept running into issues with the mattress it becoming heavy and bulky very fast if it was going to be of any comfort level (especially using natural fibres like wool or even straw). Also waterproofing from underneath seemed to be a mayor challenge, so the tent idea was abandoned fairly quickly.
EDIT FOR THOSE INTERESTED/HAVING REPLIED OR SUGGESTED:
I have several woollen army blankets kicking around, most likely the under and top quilts will be fashioned with these. Also I have several couch cushions with (as I understand it) some sort of down (goose or duck) in them which I can fashion anything with insulating value with (possibly an under quilt too)
In my town there is a large fabric outlet which I can find almost any type of fabric I may need: wool, cotton, artificial fibre fabrics and all sorts of blends. Most likely heavier canvas and various silk blends too.
I also have sitting in the materials shed 2 big (100 L plus) garbage bags packed full of (totalling 8 kg) clean and non smelling fibre fill cushion filling (harvested from several leather couches) which could be useful as well at some stage or point.
I am aware of the hammock as a thing wasn't introduced until after the discovery of America in 1492. Vikings did discover the America's much earlier (as early as the 10th century as we all know) but it is unclear if they encountered the hammock in the parts they visited/inhabited and if they used it or even brought it back to Iceland or Norway. To be very honest I do not care if the hammock was used by early medieval Europeans or not. Most re-enactors representing the period seem to share the sentiment towards the use of fibres when it comes to tents. Most sleep in so called plastic camping grounds (away from the main event, peeing in dixies, ordering out pizza, using the cell phones to check the approaching weather and doing there modern thing away from the living history event and the general public. If they DO sleep in so called period tenting, cooking on open fires and acting like they stepped back in time, these tents are made largely of heavy woven (very modern) canvas (which is of course cotton and cotton was not (according to the largely accepted teachings that is) not known to the early medieval Europeans, which I doubt highly btw but that is another discussion and seems to boil down to many matters of various kinds of opinions/beliefs and even more kinds of assumptions)
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Also, to the best of my knowledge there wouldn't have been hammocks in Europe until after Columbus.
Originally Posted by OutandBack
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