Weapon & armour carrying when travelling or adventuring - advice for roleplaying games from history
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@NoForksGiven7 жыл бұрын
Little do you know, I can store everything in an alternate dimension and equip them all in seconds. I like to call this...my "inventory"
@LarsaXL7 жыл бұрын
NoForksGiven "Hammerspace"
@Fjuron6 жыл бұрын
Yes 😅
@dougzack45656 жыл бұрын
Bag of Holding?
@shadowedambition5 жыл бұрын
@Howard Pearcey - I dont know. Sometimes, sacrificing a set of enchanted items is the perfect way to get rid of an assailant. It's expensive, but it can be the difference between life and death.
@harrysarso5 жыл бұрын
@@LarsaXL where does this hammerspace come from i heard someone say it before
@jamesgordley50008 жыл бұрын
Fast-travel by trebuchet should help.
@The_Captain_Crow7 жыл бұрын
Fallin' in style at an angle by fifty feet an' proceedin' to break th' majority of th' bones in yer body to help get to where ye need always beats doin' that goal by foot. Man... If only I could sexually identify as a trebuchet. Damned be genetics, I say.
@aleksandrneprimerov2787 жыл бұрын
You have no idea that within a glimpse of an eye after being launched you are already a flying dead bag of loose meat. Consider the acceleration.
@joewhitfield55615 жыл бұрын
James Gordley 😂
@xenophanesiamnot9 жыл бұрын
No wonder The Hound from Game of Thrones is always so angry. That guy never takes his gear off!
@Vlad_Tepes_III4 жыл бұрын
Even his dastardly brother was shirtless onscreen once.
@garethworthy28189 жыл бұрын
After some time in the infantry, and going to Afghanistan, I can visualize this all too well. That, and being in the Canadian infantry has given the added perspective of trying to do it all in deep snow come winter. Layering and armour work against each other. Something people don't think about is weather changes. I have been out on military exercise that included extremely hot sun, rain, and snow. Trying to carry all of the food, bedding, etc with you, as well as your weapon, and having the ability to dress up/dress down for the weather takes a lot of space. When working dismounted we didn't exactly have a horse to carry stuff, which I think is another point, not everyone had a horse back then. A lot of poor sods had to just carry their stuff. Even with a back pack, if you get in a fight, likely you are not going to drop it, you will have to fight with it on, because A: it takes time to take it off unless you have modern quick release straps B: if you have to retreat, and you took it off, you just lost your stuff, and you now die tonight from exposure because you have no bedding, campfire kit, or food. Axes were also quite popular, depending on the area and period as they were cheaper to make, also they double as a tool to help set up camp. When hiking or soldiering it is key to have as much of your stuff multipurpose as possible (eg new Canadian bayonet is also a useful knife, and has a lug in it to use with the scabbard as wire cutters).
@screwtape27139 жыл бұрын
Thank you for this interesting comment from someone with actual relevant 'real world' experience. As a fellow Canadian, I can certainly agree that winter weather can add extra challenges to travel and camping. And I certainly wouldn't want to be wearing mail - never mind plate - in a blizzard, even with a couple layers of wool underneath. (Now to be fair, as an 'adventurer' it is possible to save somewhat on the camping gear by regularly using your helmet and breastplate as your cookpots. I understand that Napoleonic era cuirassiers found that their breastplates worked very well as squad-sized skillets over the cookfires, which was some consolation for the nuisance of having to cart them around.. I do wonder though, what effect would regular use as a cook pot have on the tempering of a steel helmet or breastplate?)
@indianakingston5285 жыл бұрын
@@screwtape2713 you would devastate your armour piece with that kind of practice...
@carloscaro91214 жыл бұрын
A good insight. As a former US Medic, another point from the above discussion is that soldiers will trade-off some of their combat ability if it means being able to get along in the wild. Case in point: my infantry unit never carried their bayonets! The marginal utility of a bayonet is small in modern combat, and given the choice between having some giant "Rambo" knife that has very little chance of actually ever being pressed into service, or a small and much more useful multi-tool that can do far more jobs (even if it's worthless in a fight), we'd pick the multi-tool every time. It saved a few pounds. The odds that having a bayonet might actually make the difference was not worth the added weight and inconvenience. In a realistic medieval or fantasy milieu, this means people will not wander the land carrying an "optimal" load-out for a fight if it compromises their ability to just get along in the world. And my addendum: I said a realistic medieval or fantasy milieu. I would add the following criticism: the rule of fun trumps realism. Consider comics. No one cares if Batman's utility belt is unrealistic because accepting his unrealistic but awesome gadgets is part of the price of buying into enjoying Batman. For a heroic fantasy that runs on the rule of fun and awesome, we can suspend disbelief. If the game pitches itself as realistic and grimy, sure, make the players deal with all the little annoyances of their gear and kit. If the game is a power-trip fantasy of that runs on preposterous heroism, don't sweat those details.
@arnijulian62414 жыл бұрын
Quick release straps? They had an equivalent called quick release knots such as a highway man hitch or a bight in a bend like a sheet bend. you pull the cord and off it falls. sprung broaches as well.
@PalleRasmussen3 жыл бұрын
I live in Greenland. Cold and cold weather gear is a killer when straining- like moving non-slow or fighting- you get soaked, and after, you freeze.
@Everest3148 жыл бұрын
An adventurer meets a highwayman coming at him with his sword drawn. Says the adventurer: "Hold on good Sir, might you have a minute for me to put on my plate armour? I should have it somewhere in one of these cabinet-sized saddle bags. And oh, if you wouldn't mind and be so kind as to assist me with the cuirass so we can get to business quickly..." If life but had an inventory screen with an auto-pause function...
@Egilhelmson8 жыл бұрын
An adventurer WAS a highwayman, and vice versa. Real Europe had no monster races that one could pillage with no consequences except for an occasional TPK :-)
@Everest3148 жыл бұрын
I didn't say that the highwayman was an orc :D Are you saying that every adventurer used to rob every wanderer that he came across? Also, I was taking the highwayman/adventurer clichee from the videogames just as much as luggage problem.
@secularnevrosis8 жыл бұрын
An oldschool 4x4 and trailer would help..AKA horse and cart :)
@Everest3148 жыл бұрын
Problem: That rarely fits through the average dungeon doors... And you wouldn't want to have to make a choice of what equipment to take everytime you enter a cave or an old castle ruin...
@secularnevrosis8 жыл бұрын
Everest314 It would encourage thinking about what's important about the place you are going into. Good material for problemsolving and it makes people think about having skills that can minimize the amount of gear to lug around.
@callumsymons79919 жыл бұрын
you know it would be really interesting to play a game where the inventory was limited, survival was a focus and perhaps even carrying certain weapons/poaching illegal so that you have to be sneaky about it and make a judgement whether the armed men up ahead are law-men or bandits and so do you keep your sword hidden and unaccessible.
@scholagladiatoria9 жыл бұрын
officechair general Real world challenges normally make games of any kind more rewarding and interesting.
@markdobbins83939 жыл бұрын
officechair general Check out Torchbearer. It's specifically a dungeon delving game but the rules definitely have a focus on limited resources and surviving under the pressures of time, human need, and environmental hazards.
@callumsymons79919 жыл бұрын
thanks i will do
@huehuecoyotl28 жыл бұрын
+scholagladiatoria They can, but they can also become cumbersome and homework-like. It depends on what the players are looking for out of a game.
@stormxlr23778 жыл бұрын
+Bill Wood seamless integration is important definitely
@44SCB9 жыл бұрын
Who's going to carry all that stuff... Lydia...
@44SCB9 жыл бұрын
I am sworn to carry your burden...
@reltihfloda72105 жыл бұрын
I don't know. Lydia is always gathering dust in whiterun. I often end up bringing Mjoll the lioness from riften or Eric the Slayer from that inn in rorikstead.
@charlottewalnut31184 жыл бұрын
# reltih floda # Mods bring them all
@kevinsullivan34484 жыл бұрын
Go Inigo or go home.
@notsoprogaming97894 жыл бұрын
I am a mage, not a pack mule
@p0ck3tp3ar9 жыл бұрын
Would you please do more videos about realism in role playing games? This is very helpful!
@lughfiregod169 жыл бұрын
Alright so for maximume practicality. Main Weapon: Arming sword + Buckler or Longsword on the left hip. Projectile: Recurve in specialty quiver, either on horse or right hip. 10-20 Arrows. Tertiary Weapon/Utility: Knife or dagger on the back of the right hip. Torso and Arms: Quilted jacket. Head: Padded Coif + Wide Brim helmet (protects eyes from sun as a bonus). Legs: Just your normal clothing. Back: Your pack with living essentials. Horse: Bed Roll, Saddle bags with extra food/water (and SPARE BOOTS). Sound about right? A mail shirt in an oil cloth bag on your horse might not be a bad plan either.
@Anndgrim9 жыл бұрын
Jane Murphy Or buy a cart.
@lughfiregod169 жыл бұрын
Anndgrim A cart would slow you down, or require more money if you got a second animal to pull it.
@Anndgrim9 жыл бұрын
Jane Murphy Or just detach the horse if you need to move fast and it won't slow you down given that you can ride on the cart as opposed to loaded horse. Not to mention a cart is pretty much mandatory if you're going to carry plate armour, gold (which is extremely heavy or large pieces of equipment.
@lughfiregod169 жыл бұрын
Anndgrim I never stated plate armour, or gold. Hence why I said "efficient" not "how much I could carry if I absolutely had to, and have a lot of gold".
@HaNsWiDjAjA9 жыл бұрын
Sounds just like what a typical livery English mounted longbowmen would have with him. Except the wide-brimmed helmet, you wouldn't want that as an archer.
@xxhellspawnedxx8 жыл бұрын
This is why I love the Paksenarrion series. Elizabeth Moon really did her research in terms of military life and applied it to this quasi-high-fantasy world she made.
@MrRollerDutch8 жыл бұрын
:0! Someone else read it.......
@danluckins40719 жыл бұрын
Just one point, I realize you most likely don't wear an axe all day and wouldn't know whether an axe or sword would really be easier to wear all day. As an avid canadian woodsman who has worn an axe and long machete (very similar to a falchion) I would have to say the axe is much easier. It has a mask (sheathe) so it doesn't cut me up, its a 3.5lbs head which is situated on my hip (not belly) so it doesn't jab my ribs and is very non-encumbering. and its length from tip to tip is about 28 inches the entirety of which is smooth and rounded except the blade edge. All in all less cumbersome than a machete/falchion/sword
@danluckins40719 жыл бұрын
Dan Luckins oh and yes, everywhere an axe has been, and in every age, there has been axe masks
@supershane19605 жыл бұрын
Dan Luckins; So I can see this was 4 years ago but was interested in what you had to say. So did you wear it like a holster?? When you say "mask," is that like a holster that the head sits in?? I'll go looking for photos but if you're still around maybe you could respond. Thanks in advance, cheers for now mate... ;-}
@paulwayner77325 жыл бұрын
@@supershane1960 Axe sheath. www.amazon.com/Hide-Drink-Lumberjack-Essentials-Handmade/dp/B07L33WGW5?SubscriptionId=AKIAILSHYYTFIVPWUY6Q&tag=duckduckgo-exp-b-20&linkCode=xm2&camp=2025&creative=165953&creativeASIN=B07L33WGW5 A short axe is easy to carry in a holster/sheath.
@utubebgay4 жыл бұрын
i know this is really old, so you likely won't reply... that said, i was wondering - would i be correct in assuming that you are referring to a wood cutting axe... and how much difference would there be between a wood cutting axe and something specifically designed for combat? I can imagine a larger head with a longer edge being more inconvenient to carry, but I wonder how much more.
@adreabrooks114 жыл бұрын
@@supershane1960 I'm not the original poster, but I do share his experiences and opinions (with one difference described below); maybe it's a Canadian thing... -_^ An axe mask can be considered a kind of sheath. However, where a sheath usually encompasses the whole head of the axe, a mask tends to only cover the bit (the sharp area). It consists of a strap of leather or heavy cloth, that surrounds the bit, and a strap. The strap fits around the back of the axe head - usually tucking between the butt (blunt part opposite the bit) of the axe and the top of the handle. These days, the strap is usually secured by a heavy snap, but they would generally use a string, leather thong or other method in older days. A quick image search on Google should give you a few examples. A mask on its own is no use for carrying an axe; simply for protecting people and the cutting edge from damage, so I can't speak on how the OP actually carried his axe. For my own purposes, I tend to use a full sheath with a belt loop, worn on the hip. The sheath has a hole in the bottom for the handle to pass through, and a sort of flap at the top (think of a postage envelope) to keep the head secured. Again: secured by a snap today; by laces and whatnot in the past. Gravity tends to keep the axe situated, but the upper flap prevents it from jostling out when one is highly active. All of this is well and good when camping, hiking and working. However, it takes a few seconds to remove the axe from its sheath/mask. If I were in a situation where combat might happen at any moment (and I could afford it), I would prefer a sword - which can be drawn from a scabbard in perhaps half a second. The difference is minuscule when one is taking part in bushcraft activities, but could be a lifesaver in battle.
@Greywander878 жыл бұрын
I've always liked the approach Elder Scrolls games have when it comes to looting fallen enemies, namely that you can take anything (weapons, armor, potions, etc.) that the enemy might have used against you. Obviously, this can screw with game balance due to an overabundance of weapons and armor. Seems like using more realistic encumbrance/carry rules would alleviate this, giving you a valid mechanical reason _not_ to pick up those 8 swords, 7 axes, and incredibly valuable suit of plate armor you found on those bandits you just killed. I would like to see an RPG that distinguishes between carry weight and carry volume, with the former requiring more strength or endurance while the latter is merely a function of how many pockets, sacks, and backpacks you have, perhaps with a sprinkling of how space efficient you are at packing. This makes me wonder how encumbrance would differ between items worn/equipped versus those in your pack. For example, worn armor would obviously use no volume, and I'd think the effect of the weight would be reduced when worn versus when carried in a pack due to being more evenly distributed over your body and closer to your center of mass. The question would be how much. Some items, like gauntlets or boots, might actually [effectively] weigh more when when worn as they would be further from your center of mass than they would be in a backpack, and would specifically weigh down your limbs, slowing you down and tiring you out. Try holding even a light weight in your hand with your arm stretched out for even a few minutes, it's not easy.
@mikeeasley66702 жыл бұрын
I love the Elder Scrolls games, and I feel this in my bones. My yearning for challenging game play and a certain degree of realism often bangs right up against my nature as a pack rat who wants to hoard all the things. Especially with mods that make more items usable as crafting materials.
@LaughingOwlKiller9 жыл бұрын
Does that shirt show the evolution of Rambo's knives?
@scholagladiatoria9 жыл бұрын
LaughingOwlKiller Yes :-)
@SanktBeautancus9 жыл бұрын
Dude, you rule. Really, few people can both deliver that kind of endlessly valuable reference information *AND* manage the delivery in a Rambo's knives shirt. Almost willing to say you won the Internet for today but it's not quite lunchtime here yet, so there might still be challengers. Unlikely though.
@LaughingOwlKiller9 жыл бұрын
scholagladiatoria Awesome.
@CarnalKid9 жыл бұрын
LaughingOwlKiller Yep, totally rad.
@CarnalKid9 жыл бұрын
While in some ways more over the top than any of the rest, John Rambo was the best since first blood. Stallone managed to book end his two franchises with the best movies of those series'
@NetVoyagerOne8 жыл бұрын
The takeaway from this is that the Bag of Holding is a GODSEND!
@Islacrusez8 жыл бұрын
+NetVoyagerOne Pretty much the first thing I took off the players when I wanted to run a more down-to-earth campaign (as opposed to the stab-fests we had been running previously).
@icantnamethingswell17788 жыл бұрын
I guess it's a philosophical question and has much to do with what kind of roleplaying game you want, but once you have dimensional transcendentalism as a commonality is your game still primarily a fantasy or is it primarily a sci fi? Or are you retaining more of the element of fantasy by adopting the style of "The Legend of Zelda Roleplaying Tabletop Roleplaying Game?" Intuitively, myself, I would prefer to have interdimensional spaces as some sort of rare or singular dramatic McGuffin. I'm not saying that is the only solution for a good game, just what I think would be interesting and would likely suit my tastes, depending on the execution of course.
@DeHeld89 жыл бұрын
Slings! the most convenient kind of ranged weapon there is! easily storable and especially in stony countries: free ammo everywhere!
@christosvoskresye8 жыл бұрын
+Bobby Siecker Assuming, of course, that you have time to run around and collect stones before a fight. If you're planning on finding them DURING a fight, things will not go well for you.
@christosvoskresye8 жыл бұрын
Tiberiotertio Sure, which means you have to carry around a bag of lead bullets. But Bobby Siecker was talking about "free ammo everywhere". And to be honest, I think slingers make more sense in a battle between armies than in, say, defending oneself against bandits. If there's a big wall of men over there, I don't have to bother aiming very much; if I can get my stone or bullet into that mob, it's bound to hit someone. In smaller-scale combat, more precision is necessary, and my impression is that the sling is not a reliably precise weapon.
@christosvoskresye8 жыл бұрын
Tiberiotertio Practice is necessary for any weapon. Usually, people will only practice until the result is good enough for their purposes. If you're just scaring off predators, it's probably not necessary to hit them. As for carrying around your ammo, that's something you will have to do if you suspect you might be surprised at any time, but it undermines one of the chief benefits of the sling, which is that it is light and easy to carry. I'm not sure a sling and bag of rocks has a carrying advantage -- or really, any advantage whatsoever -- over a small bow and quiver of arrows.
@christosvoskresye8 жыл бұрын
Tiberiotertio Fair enough. I also would not carry either while just walking around town and doing whatever my business was.
@julietfischer50566 жыл бұрын
Shepherds used slings to protect the flocks from predators. They probably nailed more than a few, either killing them or driving them off.
@shade95929 жыл бұрын
There's a reason that recurve composite bows didn't catch on in Europe. These bows were only really popular in places that are very dry. This type of bow was laminated and had horn on the belly. It was glued together with glue that didn't take moisture well. Europe, being notably wetter mainly used self bows or 2 layer laminated bows. Also, the ancient Japanese use several types of back quivers.
@JZBai9 жыл бұрын
I believe they become popular throughout India after the Mughals introduced them, and South Indian is most definitely not dry by any stretch of the imagination. My guess as to why they didn't make it big in Western Europe: Central Asian nomads didn't make it that far, and their construction was much more complicated and took a longer time when compared to the longbow so Western Europeans didn't bother with it.
@VT-mw2zb9 жыл бұрын
Well, the Europeans made composite constructed crossbow, after coming into contact with those during the Crusades. So I don't think it was that crucial in Europe. Though I'm not sure why they did not adopted the bow. However, we know that the Byzantines (modern day Greece and Turkey), Bulgars and Magyars (modern day Bulgaria and Hungary) all used composite recurve bows. Though yes, definitely composite bows are affected by wet weathers. Treaties on war against people with such bows (including the Koreans) all advises attacking them during wet weathers.
@HaNsWiDjAjA9 жыл бұрын
Xuan Vinh To Well there were ways to make a composite bow more or less waterproof for most war purpose, this generally involves lacquering the bow as practiced by the Mughals in India and by the Japanese with their yumis. Neither place were particularly rainless, in the case of Japan the precipitation was similar to most places in Western Europe. The composite bows of the Central Asian nomads were so affected by weather because the common glue they used was water absorbent. I agree that the most likely primary reason for Western Europe's lack of composite handbow use was their lack of mounted archery culture. Most Western European military archers shot on foot, and for this purpose a self bow work just as well as the more costly and difficult to make composite - at least well enough that the extra expense was not judged worthed. Also we should note that the primary missile weapon across much of Medieval Europe was the CROSSBOW, which was primarily of composite construction until the perfection of steelmaking in the 15th century.
@shade95929 жыл бұрын
John Huang Yeah... Coating the bow in lacquer would protect from moisture, more or less. The Japanese yumi however didn't need to be that well protected from moisture since it was made to be able to get deformed from use and exposure but could then be bent back into shape by a bow craftsman. I don't think however, that the main reason that composite bows were never popularized in Europe was because they didn't practice mounted archery for warfare. During the crusaders, as +Xuan Vinh To mentioned, Europeans adapted the composite bow while in the middle east but didn't popularize the technology back in Europe.
@HaNsWiDjAjA9 жыл бұрын
shade_grey Well, I am just going with the weight of historical evidence here. The Europeans actually made great use of the composite bow technology a great deal - in their crossbows. Which shows that weather was most likely not a big problem with proper care of a composite bow. The main advantage of a composite weapon - which justified its greater expense and difficulty in manufacture, was its compactness, a great asset for a mounted archer.
@lucasexempligratiasmith82668 жыл бұрын
Are you implying that you can't hunt with a rapier?
@scholagladiatoria8 жыл бұрын
+John Smith You can hunt with anything, or nothing. Your success rate however, that is a different matter.
@lucasexempligratiasmith82668 жыл бұрын
scholagladiatoria I have killed 100% of the deer I have hunted with a rapier. I admittedly have never hunted deer with a rapier.
@snipa2988 жыл бұрын
+John Smith So 0/0 success rate... would that be 100% or just "undefined?" @.@
@lucasexempligratiasmith82668 жыл бұрын
Matthew Traver FINE. I've killed an undefined percentage of the deer I have hunted with a rapier. HAPPY NOW?
@snipa2988 жыл бұрын
+John Smith well, it made me chuckle. So yea, I guess I am. :P
@godzilla511969 жыл бұрын
In the case of missile weapons, let me present another exception in the sling and staff sling. The sling fits in one's pocket, and the staff sling works as a walking stick as well. The staff sling/spear idea presented by lindybeige covers the idea of this, and it has the knife, the spear, and the sling covered in one general item.
@ZiePe9 жыл бұрын
But for some reason the sling was really out of use in most of europe during medieval times. Wonder why though. I use to carry one around whenever I leave the city and when I stumble across some nice round little stones, I launch a few shots :)
@LazyMaybe9 жыл бұрын
ZiePe Possibly because people were used to using bows to hunt, so they became more popular in general.
@JZBai9 жыл бұрын
There's an even bigger exception that is by far the undeniable king of portable missile weapons: The pistol... :P
@qutini9 жыл бұрын
I've heard that learning to use a sling efficiently takes alot of time, when you compare it to a bow. that might be one of the reasons they went out of fashion. I'm still pissed that the sling sux in D&D :/
@entropy119 жыл бұрын
qutini If spears and slings were as good in D&D as in real life, I'm not sure adventurers would use anything else. XD
@mariusreinecker15562 жыл бұрын
The edge of an axe was covered by an axe sheath tied to the head, often made of wood. At least in the viking age. There a good number of finds. Carrying an axe in your belt is no problem at all.
@Bulsh1tMan9 жыл бұрын
Question: If I had a big wheel of cheese in my backpack, would it block arrows?
@arronjerden9159 жыл бұрын
Bulsh1tMan Cheddar? maybe, Swiss? only if your lucky.
@Duke_of_Lorraine9 жыл бұрын
+Bulsh1tMan not if the cheese is hit in the "mouth of the Pacman"
@Bulsh1tMan9 жыл бұрын
I'll need conserve to my cheese ration then, until I leave the more dangerous parts of the road...
@ianthered92839 жыл бұрын
I can testify to the drudgery of wearing a full plate harness for too long. I am, in my mind, too old to buy a Halloween costume but I refuse to not dress up. I didn't have work this past Halloween and only one class at school, so I decided in my infinite wisdom to wear my armor, consisting of a gothic plackart and bevor in conjunction with brigandine and boiled leather arm and leg armor over a mail-enforced arming dublet, for a total of 18 hours or so. by god! my waist was killing me were the plackart sat on mu hips, I took the gauntlets off after about an hour because I couldn't do simple tasks, I couldn't drive (for fear of ripping the seat), by the end of the day my shoulders and knees burned whenever I stood up. in short it was awful.
@ianthered92839 жыл бұрын
the main reason I wore it so long is it would take my girlfriend (who puts it on me weekly for my reenactment club) 20 minutes to get it off of me, and I would have to walk anyone else through the process step by step. so in the end the above statements were my own fault.
@jcorbett96209 жыл бұрын
Matt, please correct me if I am wrong, but I was under the impression that bows, especially longbows in particular, were mostly transported unstrung to stop the bowstring from stretching and getting wet or damaged and also to stop the bow getting a "set" so reducing the power of it. Were this the case, it would not be possible to transport it slung across the body anyway. Yet another item to be loaded onto the back of that poor horse :-)
@scholagladiatoria9 жыл бұрын
J Corbett Yes longbows were, though recurves were often kept string because they were so difficult to get strung in the first place (one treatises describes using pegs mounted in the wall of your house!). This is another reason why the bow holster was invented for recurve bows, to keep them and their string dry when travelling.
@Gongasoso9 жыл бұрын
scholagladiatoria I saw an unstrung recurve bow once, and I couldn't recognise it as a bow! I DO NOT want to be grabbing one of those if the string snaps...
9 жыл бұрын
scholagladiatoria Actually, I cannot confirm that. I have some recurve bows and can be strung easily, and when I check with asian archery members, they all unstring their bows. The holster were mainly used at war, in campain, in a battle : it was put in the holster to do other things, and it was mainly in horse. As you said, it is impossible to do more than one thing with one hand, so if you want to put out a sword, or drive your horse with more hability, or simply do anything else, your bow is on it's holster. Plus, often they used (depending of the timelines and cultures) two bows, for an unknown reasons, and the second bow was always holstered. Some say it if a spare bow since those horse archers were the main weapons of the army, some other says that it was a lighter bow for other purposes. But bows were strung and unstrung. If you wait a bit, I will try to fetch you some pics.
9 жыл бұрын
Here is a scythian vase : "Greek-made electrum vase, from the Kul-Oba kurgan burial near Kerch.". I bring to you scythian representations because I don't do a lot of researches in other steppe cultures archeology. xenohistorian.faithweb.com/russia/scythian%20warriors_3_kul_oba.jpg
@_DarkEmperor9 жыл бұрын
scholagladiatoria Bow in a holster and what weapons warrior could have with him , picture shows Polish cavalry type "pancerni" : img22.imageshack.us/img22/9779/seventeenthcenturypolis.jpg
@stanislavkuznetsov25009 жыл бұрын
Just right now I'm setting the rules for a role-play, so for me this video was really helpful and came just in time of great need in any guideline. Thanks a lot. :)
@GrayNeko9 жыл бұрын
This is what I love about this channel and others like it. Thinking about the past in logical, realistic ways. Cheers!
@jancello9 жыл бұрын
For the polearm : if you go on a journey on foot, wouldn't you take a walking stick ? A spear works fine then ! Even Odin told to always take a spear with you when travelling. A halberd might be a bit more cumbersome. For the axe : either you can take a small hatchet as a tool / secondary weapon attached to your backpack (just like shovels for modern soldiers), or you can secure the edge with a leather protection if you wear is at your belt, althought I don't know how historical would that be.
@ZiePe9 жыл бұрын
Remember: Odin is a God :D A spear has a different weight distribution than a walking stick, but I guess if you are going to travel through a dangerous part of a country, it might double as a less comfy walking stick.
@ViktorBengtsson9 жыл бұрын
Odin told to always stay close to your weapons in war, because you never know when you need them.
@ZiePe9 жыл бұрын
IN WAR. there you have it!
@jancello9 жыл бұрын
ZiePe Havamal (Saying of Odin the High One) : "A wayfarer should not walk unarmed, But have his weapons to hand: He knows not when he may need a spear, Or what menace meet on the road." It's about travel, not war (having your weapons in war is so obvious that it doesn't need mentionning, does it ?). Travelling with a sword or/and seax at your belt and a spear in hand makes sense. More weapons, as Matt pointed out, would be more a hindrance than a help. And come on, a spearhead is so light that it makes almost no difference to have a spear of a walking staff.
@ViktorBengtsson9 жыл бұрын
jancello What part of Havamal is that? What I found would be better translated (from the Swedish version I found) into "From his weapons A man does not move On the field a single step; To unsure is to know When out on the road The tip of the spear may be needed" (Found it from runeberg.org/eddan/se-02.html) The same part in www.beyondweird.com/high-one.html translates "on the field" as "in the open country". From what I could read of the original text the last link above is probably the best translation in this conversation.
@TheOhgodineedaname9 жыл бұрын
I got two points. One: Traveling in a medieval world would not require a bedroll and enough food for the journey, a big purse filled with coins will do. You are not going to travel through the endless frigging forest that is 300 kilometers in every direction, those forests were by and large gone in western medieval Europe. Grab any old map of France, the Western part of the old HRE or southern England and what you will find is that there is a village about every 2-5 miles. If you are traveling one foot at a normal pace than you could have breakfast in one village, lunch in one of the next few and dinner in the last. Mind you not all of these villages would have a Tavern or an Inn but no farmer is going to turn away five travelers who want to sleep in a barn, have loads of stories on different countries/strange beats etc etc. and a gold coin for food. Need to go to the capital or a big city? You could probably Hitch a ride on a river barge and sleep in a river port every night. Two: I believe those fancy bow holsters are called Tarqais's
@arx35166 жыл бұрын
with a gold coin the farmer could probably buy another cow or two!
@PhyreI3ird6 жыл бұрын
I wanna add that while you won't need em for going town to town, the bedroll and rations cliche is still relevant if you were exploring and trying to find the location of some old ruins or what have you out in a wilderness.
@KTo2886 жыл бұрын
The more gold you are carrying the more attractive a mark you will be, you better have enough gold to keep some armed men on retainer.
@mikem90016 жыл бұрын
Actually, just having news or stories to tell could be enough to get a meal. There were no newspapers in those days.
@Tennouseijin6 жыл бұрын
Do keep in mind this assumes: 1. You are in friendly territory. Adventurers and mercenaries would sometimes (often) be expected to sneak through enemy territory to carry out their missions. 2. While a 'farmer' would likely be willing to offer you food and place to sleep if you paid well (and assuming you don't look like some riffraff bandits)... keep in mind that 'farmer' likely belongs to a local noble. If you are on good terms with that local noble, sure, he probably won't mind his peasants offering you food and services. However since adventurers and mercenaries may have varying reputation... and could actually be enemy spies, saboteurs, or just bandits... strangers weren't always welcome. And some peasants may refuse to serve you simply because they'd be afraid if their lord will approve. Though it probably depends on a lot of factors. During peaceful times, strangers may be more welcome, though someone may still want to tax their spendings ;)
@MsDjessa9 жыл бұрын
I remember reading of hearing that Zulu warriors would have traveled with very little food as they managed to forage so well. Of course this would require a very specific terrain. And what I understand about documentaries is that English archers would have carried their bows unstrung on their backs inside fabric cover or something with strings on like a rifle sling. Obviously they had other weapons to deal with surprise attacks. I like how Tolkien in LOTR mentioned that the reason why Gimli could travel while wearing mail armor was that he was a Dwarf and therefor lot stronger than human.
@RealLuckless9 жыл бұрын
While I would agree that I have abused some role playing game mechanics a fair bit, I would also argue that things aren't really as cumbersome as many want to make them out to be. And much of my opinion is based on a long youth spent outdoors working in Canadian rural regions. We weigh ourselves down a lot in the last few decades with modern bits of kit. Camp stove and fuel? > bit of flint or something and your knife. Weeks worth of canned and dried food? > The squirrel and plants you picked up that afternoon along the way. GPS and maps? > Ask the next farmer which way to go. (Thing burn his farm and steal his goats... They have legs, no need to carry them!) What a person carries also depends on how many of them are in the group. Where a 5000 man army needs to carry lots of food and resources with them to make do, a dozen or so people may pass by and collect what they need as they go. Water only gets heavy in a few environments, simply because in most environments you didn't bother carrying much of it at a time. A few cups would be more than enough to get you to the next brook or stream, and unless you're in a really wet environment you would just fill up your water container every time you stepped over a stream. As for carrying pole arms, I would argue they are less cumbersome than you seem to suggest if you are carrying it on your shoulder and supporting it with one hand. Sure, the new guy doing it is going to annoy a few people because he isn't used to just where the back end is as he is moving around, but this is no different than working on a modern construction site: You learn to look out for the 'new guys', dodge when they're doing something stupid, and tear them a new one for being an idiot. They either learn to watch what they're doing with the pole as second nature, or they don't last long in the group. Sling part of your kit in a bag looped around it, and now your spear helps you carry your bedding, while still being fairly quick to unshoulder and let the bag slide down the shaft to the ground if you're surprised by something. When I was a teen I carried a surveyor's rod for some trail work for a summer, and it was easy enough to lug around with all the rest of my kit. It was an old beast of a tool, collapsing down to about 12 feet or so, and heavier than a lot of spears I've handled, but still easy enough to shoulder. I would imagine being able to handle the spear more casually for things like dropping the butt to the ground when you stop would have made it even easier. (And I even led a horse for a bit when one wandered up to us one afternoon, and it was fairly easy to hold both a lead and the rod in one hand, with a good bit of the weight taken by the shoulder. Horse was a little displeased with the arrangement till it figured I wasn't actually going to bonk it in the head however.) A largish shield isn't exceedingly awkward to carry on the back I've found. I've also found that it can double as a lovely umbrella in less than pleasant weather. Personally I kind of think that the "mid-sized" round shields of the later eras possibly represent more of a refinement in fighting styles as they are easier to move and respond with than their larger cousins. A middle ground between the movement and responsiveness of a buckler and the cover/concealment of a far larger round shield. The amount of clothes you really carry doesn't need to be excessive while still staying reasonably clean. You would likely want to dress in layers, but only have changes for the underclothes. And as often seen in modern hiking you will stop for the evening, set up camp, and change. The over clothes get a light brushing as needed, and the old under clothes get washed (Along with yourself) and left to dry over night. In the morning you put the over clothes back on (Some of which also doubled as part of your bedding. Possibly even the underclothes you just washed got used as your pillow if you dried them over a fire or something.) stowed the rest of your kit, and headed off again after breakfast. You aren't exactly in a ready state to be presented to a king, but it is more than good enough to get by for a few weeks at a time without much issue.
@MrDmitriRavenoff7 жыл бұрын
You mean my barbarian with an 18 strength can't really walk around with 4 suits of full plate in his backpack?! Sacrilege! Nice video man.
@drdogface38 жыл бұрын
Wouldn't a sling be an ideal weapon for traveling with? Takes up virtually no space, could carry multiples, ammo wouldn't be too tough to find and could be carried relatively easily in bags/pouches. Only downside would be hunting and responding quickly.
@indianakingston5285 жыл бұрын
right... you would count every single piece of equipment to carry it as light as possible - and then a few bags of stones... That seems practical... The stones should be in quite special shape and weight to be used as projectiles, so you use them effectively with enough force and "stopping power" etc.
@utubebgay4 жыл бұрын
definitely - so long as your target isn't wearing heavy armor or carrying a large shield... then you want the arrows lol... on the bright side, if you are traveling light, you may well be able to outrun anyone wearing heavy armor.
@AnimeSunglasses4 жыл бұрын
There's a reason it's been the favorite weapon of shepherds forever. They have to walk with their flocks day after day, but a small bag of pebbles is enough to drive off predators, and a sling itself weighs almost nothing and fits in a small pockets!
@AnimeSunglasses4 жыл бұрын
@@utubebgay Honestly, larger sling-stones are MORE effective against armor than many arrows. A rock the size of a small fist falling from the sky will dent any armor you can march in. If that's your helmet, you're lucky if a concussion is all you get, and if it's not your head, you're looking at broken bones and armor that doesn't let you move smoothly anymore. Iberian armies were using sling-staff troops basically until the invention of flintlocks!
@Spyk3y8 жыл бұрын
I really appreciate this Matt, I run a lot of campaigns where my friends strive for realism. So this was quite nice. Cheers.
@tobiashagstrom41689 жыл бұрын
"You cannot fast travel while over encumbered."
@Onewiththecheese8 жыл бұрын
well, if you've got enough money for full steel plate armor then you may very well be wealthy enough to have multiple horses, and thus more stuff
@Ilamarea9 жыл бұрын
YoU HAVE PLATE ARMOR!? AND YOU HAVEN'T SHOWN IT YET!? THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU!?
@AnimeSunglasses4 жыл бұрын
...I think he has a few videos showing it getting fitted...
@Kairos0x9 жыл бұрын
A series of videos on advice on aspects of medieval gear and life would be pretty cool, especially if geared towards roleplayers and writers. There's so many misconceptions accepted as fact in fictional works that it's hard to be authentic.
@ididthisonpulpous65266 жыл бұрын
I think a pretty analagous historical setting to consider are the Conquistadors in the New World. Fairly small groups, by comparison to actual armies of the period, covering a lot of ground and concerned with the aquisition of treasure. Yes the period falls into the gray area of Late Medieval to Early Modern era, but in terms of the weapons primarily used they are essentially the same as roleplaying games in the fantasy mold. They did carry polearms, but primarily swords and bucklers. The armor they had was primarily breastplates and helmets. Just a thought...
@olajohannessonborge34188 жыл бұрын
what?? I can't carry 15 swords, 8 pole-axes, 4 crossbows and 2 longbows, coupled with 300+ arrows and bolts before I am overencumbered? together with my sneak armour, my close fighting plate armour and my +crit Archer armour? I have been lied to!!
@Khornedevotee8 жыл бұрын
+Ola Johannesson Borge I expected to be able to use twice the amount you mentioned. >:( What trickery is this? I want a refund.
@Everest3148 жыл бұрын
You both should have spent more attribute points on strength on your recent level-ups... And did you forget to pick up that bottomless bag from that highwayman a few miles back? Noobs!
@Everest3148 жыл бұрын
Another option is to use quest-related gear. That stuff is usually weightless. Just never hand it in. The quest-givers won't mind waiting until it has served its purpose on your countless adventures. ... Or until you find even better quest-related gear and find yourself in need of a couple of quest rewards. Such as to purchase the next inventory space upgrade.
@cdgonepotatoes42196 жыл бұрын
Remember that if you enchant and add a bunch of little pockets, you could carry an additional 15 swords with you, you can basically set up shop with what you can carry alone and would still have enough capacity to bring an entire workshop, everything's possible if you abide by the realms of impossible space
@kotarouinugami17456 жыл бұрын
It gets worse in sci-fi. Every "survival" game claims you can always build a house, a car or a spaceship with the stuff lying in your pockets. Most of them don't even give you a backpack. In a recent discussion about one of them, somebody mentioned the player character can carry 50000 cubic metres of steel and still float in water.
@melkior139 жыл бұрын
this is why you need a bag of holding +1 ;)
@coot339 жыл бұрын
With a village in it, featuring a blacksmith , a wizard tower and all of the necessities for your travelling wizard , battlemage or demigod. Miniature giant space hamster optional.
@arsarma18089 жыл бұрын
Ew, no. Handy Haversack and a Quiver of Ehlonna, all the way. It's much easier to retrieve gear that way. :P
@KirstenBayes9 жыл бұрын
Good to see this. I was visiting the Wallace collection yesterday, and was reflecting what an absolute pain polearms would have been to carry around. They were seriously big and heavy. If you are moving from one place to another with a polearm, that's your job, basically acting as part of the wagon train. On the subject of which, don't forget carts and wagons, which definitely are pictured moving shields and bits of armour from place to place.
@Rodiacreed8 жыл бұрын
Most knights had 3 horses, one for traveling called palfrey with a gait suitable for long distance traveling, a destrier for battle and tournaments that were too valuable for simple travel in case they got injured, and a rounsey for the squire that serves them. Plate armor, weapons, clothing, and provisions can easily be carried between three horses. Either way there were towns nad villages along the roads and when traveling in the deserts people usually do it as part of caravan.
@Draconnor8 жыл бұрын
You should add that you simply can't transport a bow with bowstring on - longer than maybe hour ;) And backquiver were quite popular in hunting to be honest - I spent 6 hours in forest yesterday with backquiver without any problem. But quiver on the belt is definetly better in case of the rain for sure - its much easier to shield arrows with your cloths then ;)
@ellentheeducator8 жыл бұрын
Could you use a bow staff as a walking stick, then string it when you need it? Secondarily, about back quivers, would the AC1 idea work, with throwing knives held in the right shoulder quiver? Finally, as you mentioned having people to help you, I'm reminded of something 5th edition DnD does. Nobles get to have three retainers travelling with them, to cook and clean and dress them, as you suggest would be helpful
@WastelandSeven8 жыл бұрын
Another missile weapon in the early medieval period that might be more practical would be the sling or Scottish sling stick. Light, compact, good for hunting. (so long as the woods aren't too dense)
@NoahWeisbrod9 жыл бұрын
I've noticed that this channel has one of the best, nicest comments sections on KZfaq. It makes me happy.
@CarnelianUK9 жыл бұрын
With respect to axes, presumably they had leather pouchy scabbardy things to cover the head, just as many tool hatchets nowadays have? In a lot of fantasy stories the heroes often wrap up in their cloaks at night (something I've also heard tell of highlanders doing with their big long tartan blanket-toga things). How accurate would that be? Lastly, with respect to holding a polearm and leading a horse at the same time - you can just wrap the reins around your hand then hold the shaft of the weapon and still have a hand free for munching your food or whatever. Admittedly this could go poorly if something makes the horse bolt, but as a modern day example sometimes things can go poorly when holding coffee, or a mobile phone, while driving a car, but people still do it...
@Duke_of_Lorraine9 жыл бұрын
13:40 "exception" quickly followed by "mongol"... remotely reminds me of something.
@SevenDayGaming8 жыл бұрын
+scarfacemperor Roll the Mongoltage!
@Xandros9998 жыл бұрын
+scarfacemperor That one episode where Hank implies swords to be weapons of war, accompanied by an image of medieval armies, all but a forest of spears.
@danmenard69178 жыл бұрын
+AVMUploads Dah! Dah-dah! Dah-dah! (Mongoltage)
@RandomAllen7 жыл бұрын
Why let a few Mongols get in the way of a good crusade...
@sambakich74947 жыл бұрын
Redman Allen If I recall correctly, a Mongol king actually tried to convince the Europeans to start a crusade sometime after the end of the last official one. He was Buddhist, I think. I always found that story interesting, but I can't remember any of the details.
@antoyal8 жыл бұрын
Great video. I recall a line from the GURPS roleplaying game's description of sollerets (articulated plate armor for the feet): "Extremely uncomfortable, except in combat." Cheeky, but it gets the point across!
@CountArtha6 жыл бұрын
- Would you carry a staff or walking stick? Might as well carry a polearm, then. - You only need two sets of clothes. One is for sleeping; the other is for everything else. A doubled wool cloak will keep the rain off you quite well and should always be ready to go at the top of your pack or saddlebag. - Fortified foods are your friend. Nuts and dried meat and crackers will give you 100 calories per ounce or more, so a day's rations should only weigh a bit more than a full canteen. - You need some kind of shelter for rain and wind. A canvas tarp might be enough if you're travelling alone, with a bedroll to keep you an inch or two off the ground and your cloak for a blanket. If you're travelling with a companion, that gives you more options for tents and things. In any case, you'll need rope or cord, which is multi-purpose and can also be used to repair things. A patch kit, needle and thread for repairing your clothes and other gear would also come in handy, along with some kind of first aid kit for repairing yourself.
@bambam1449 жыл бұрын
maybe a strange question how had the roman legions handled that travelling problem, when they were on march? i mean they have to carry a lot of equipment, weapons and huge shields. were there auxiliary units, who helped them? horses or other pack animals? a fleet of wagons? how worked their logistics? any ideas
@johncarper28169 жыл бұрын
I'm not an expert, but can offer a couple of points. Soldiers on campaign are a little different from what Matt's talking about. Their purpose is to engage in combat, so the kit they need to do that job is of prime importance. Different armies in different periods used all the things you mention, and furthermore would forage along the route. Legionaries apparently called themselves "Marius' Mules" after his reforms, one of which required them to carry their own kit so as not to clutter up the column with pack animals or carts, which could slow it down considerably. An excellent book covering such things in great detail is Engels' "Alexander the Great and the Logistics of the Macedonian Army": www.ucpress.edu/book.php?isbn=9780520042728
@ZiePe9 жыл бұрын
Well afaik (and there is actually a lot of literature about that, maybe check wikipedia). They had to carry their own armor and weapons. They had even a long wooden stick with a cross shaped end to carry over their shoulder and hang stuff on. Here is one objection I have to make against Matt's statements: He generalises a bit too much (generally speaking ;)) When you train carrying around a lot of staff, you will be able to carry around a bit more then the average person. I dont say that you could go on a Marco Polo-esque voyage wearing plate armor and a pike and a longbow in one hand whilst steering your horse and reloading your handgun with the other hand, but as for the roman soldier eg., he was trained to be a transport donkey. I'm still astonished how much they could carry on their own. Maybe that was also a key feature to roman military success: Being more nimble due to a smaller baggage train. And I'd wager that later (medieval) armies didnt have this kind of training auto sufficiency... Mongols being an exception of course ;)
@edi98929 жыл бұрын
I don't know in this case, but allmost every army requires support troops that bring food, water and gear but is not fit for direct confrontations. In the context of the 30years war it is known that entire families followed the path of the mercenaries carrying the food etc. They were also the ones that were feared for torturing and looting once a city became conquered.
@ZiePe9 жыл бұрын
edi For sure, but the if the ratio of fighting troops vs support troops is in more in favour of the aforementioned, that means your army is generally less vulnerable and you just have less people running around, needing to be organized.
@krotenschemel85589 жыл бұрын
there's a series called conquest with I think his name is Peter Woodward, which explains your question in detail. Long story short, Romans worked in units of depending on the period about 8 men, which were given one donkey to help them carry stuff, they could disribute some of their gear, for example their tend, but in the end, they had to carry a lot of stuff.
@theandkamen9 жыл бұрын
where am I going to carry my 10k+ gold coins now :)
@scholagladiatoria9 жыл бұрын
theandkamen Put it in a bank?
@rallaa9 жыл бұрын
Your magical money sack of course. What do you think bags of holding are for?
@jasonslade62599 жыл бұрын
Clearly you store it in a really big chest in a giant underground cave, guarded by a small army of Skeletons and Zombies. Maybe a nest of giant cave spiders if you're feeling extra paranoid but those things really make a mess of the place with all their webbing. Banks are for suckers.
@CountArtha6 жыл бұрын
That's why jewelry exists. It's essentially money that you wear on your body.
@MsDjessa9 жыл бұрын
I would like to write some fantasy stories so this is very helpful for me. Having specific details right makes the stuff that is done imaginary on purpose seem more believable. Thanks a bunch.
@stepover129 жыл бұрын
Great informative video! I'm amazed that you can talk continuously, and coherently with great points 20 minutes with no notes. About the long bow, I've always assumed during travel/march the bow must be unstrung and stored in your back pack or horse. I don't think it's a good idea keeping the bow strung all the time when travelling just in case of a bandit attack or something.
@WolfKenneth9 жыл бұрын
Holsters for Bows did exist in Europe. During medieval times primarily in Hungary. When the renaissance starts almost all Polish cavalry (well it's missile part) turns from using crossbows towards bows, by 1514 and battle of Orsha there is no crossbowmen in Polish military they all changed to bows or guns. I don't know how quivers for bows are called in Hungarian or other languages but in Polish its "łubia" and together with arrows quiver they form "sajdak" or "sahajdak"
@jancello9 жыл бұрын
That works well to transport short recurve eastern bows. A bit more difficult with a 2m longbow :D
9 жыл бұрын
jancello It is strange that there was no holster for medieval hunting bows. They were less long and often smaller than recurve oriental bows.
@Frostblast79 жыл бұрын
Hungarians used recurve bows. Their military mostly consisted of horse archers (at least when they invaded Eastern Europe - after they settled in the Carpathian basin, crossbows became more popular) Btw quiver in Hungarian is called "tegez".
@WolfKenneth9 жыл бұрын
jancello true but not all bows in Europe were long bows, Roman army had recurve bows and so on.+Frost Blast true, Poles did learn a lot from Hungarians there is saying in Polish "Pole and Hungarian are two brothers both in saber and in glass(drinking)"
@edi98929 жыл бұрын
The best armor that fits in a small box: Yoroi (Samurai armor) PS: if your poor horse carries the armor, food and the water, who carries the horses water? -I believe a horse requires 10x more than a human...
@JustGrowingUp849 жыл бұрын
Horses can go longer than humans without water, so they could drink when reaching a stream or lake or something. A human needs water on the go. Also, a human is a little more sensitive about water cleanliness than horses, limiting his potential sources or forcing him to boil it - not very practical when you're on the road and thirsty.
@edi98929 жыл бұрын
JustGrowingUp I only knew that it was a big problem in the crusades.
@JustGrowingUp849 жыл бұрын
edi Yeah, but they were in a very arid environment. Also, most of the crusades were quite poorly organized, and pretty much a logistical nightmare. If you want a good example of horse logistics, take the Mongol invasions. :)
@HaNsWiDjAjA9 жыл бұрын
edi Well technically a mail hauberk is even easier to store, you could roll it up into any shape you want. ;)
@VT-mw2zb9 жыл бұрын
Hmm, if I were an adventurer with a horse, then my equipment will probably be: On person: - Helmet - Brigandine or mail, with plate greaves and gauntlet (probably not too heavy and restrictive). - Sword and buckler. - Composite bow or crossbow (depending on my strength) and quiver. On horse: - a bec de corbin, or poleaxe type weapon: longer than a sword, shorter than a spear or halberd. For anti-armor use. - a larger shield, say for when I need to take cover from arrow attacks. - a stick. Could serve as a walking stick, quarterstaff and to extend the reach of my poleaxe, turning it to a halberd-like weapon, for anti-cavalry use. There are records of long pikes (like Alexander's sarissa) being transported in 2 halves.
@wyrdwildman16894 жыл бұрын
Bedding 2 wool blankets, reindeer hide, pine boughs surrounded by logs in a lean-to fashion and covered with more pine boughs, moss , what have you . Fire with a heat wall to radiate heat toward lean-to. Great points about full plate, typically 45mins or so with assistance to get in and out of full plate. Gambeson with leather armor and/or riveted chainmail with constant supply of oil, two horses perhaps, one as a pack mule, the other battle ready while on the move.
@edi98929 жыл бұрын
Did people carry multiple blades? I can only think of Sikhs and a few people today that depend on being fast with the knife. The problem with a weapon is that you have to be able to draw it in time. If you get surprised you might have to draw the dagger instead of the sword to save time. Both could be impossible if someone grabs our right hand (or you get bitten there). Thus some people also have a blade that can be drawn with the left hand, or one that they could draw when they are on the back and someone on top of them (e.g. a boot knife).
@teakew82179 жыл бұрын
Have you ever tried to get at a boot knife when lying on your back and pinned down? It's an absolute nightmare. About the only time they're convenient to access (as opposed to convenient because they're hard to spot) is when you're sitting down in a chair. Otherwise they're miles away from your hands. A dagger worn at the hip can be drawn fairly easily with either hand, either way up. Until you start going for modern-style combat knives carried upside-down near the shoulder, there's not many more convenient places than around the belt area.
@edi98929 жыл бұрын
Tea Kew you can draw a bootknife when your legs are bent and standing. When yomeone is on top he will probably not even see you drawing it and you can backstab him. Of course this wont work, when hes pinned or got an armbar.
@HaNsWiDjAjA9 жыл бұрын
Canadian frontiersman typically carry a tomahawk and three knives, one in the belt, one in the boot and one strung around the neck. Although only the belt knife was meant as a killing tool, the other two were small utility tools.
@deadextra9 жыл бұрын
Well we can look at a few finds for a few data points. The Bocksten man was carrying two knives for example, and if you look at archeological reports for other bog finds and sites such at Visby and the Mary Rose you can probably find more concrete answers. I carry two for my living history impression and a case can easily be made for three. I have a utility knife and a dagger. Other options would be an eating knife or another sort of working knife that is particularly suited for the trade of the individual. I don't feel that having hidden knives would be much of a priority for these people. The fact is everyone could be assumed to be armed all times and if you want more protection, it was more worthwhile to carry a buckler and sword or other systems Matt talks about than to hide a short blade.
@DamienZshadow9 жыл бұрын
13:40 MONGOLIANS; THE EXCEPTION!! If anyone watches Hank Green on Crash Course History, you would catch that. Haha!
@Dethfield9 жыл бұрын
Videos like this, that compare reality to games, are really great. Alot of folks (including me) have pretty much no knowledge of experience with medieval weaponry or even modern weaponry, and so our only knowledge of them is in the concept of games. I would imagine this is why you are getting alot of strange questions like this.
@teatowel117 жыл бұрын
Even in later periods where they have better technologies the historical accounts of what explorers took with them is immense. The idea of a lone figure getting around in the wild is very romantic. In reality, especially in cold climates the necessities required make for very slow travel. The vast majority of people from these periods wouldn't have travelled more than 100km from their home. This also shows why ships were so invaluable for trade and transport and why cities were built near oceans and rivers.
@Cal60099 жыл бұрын
Wouldn't a long cloak work as bedding?
@WastelandSeven8 жыл бұрын
+Cal6009 It would certainly help. But, you need insulation under you and above you. If you make a bed of boughs or dead grass it can insulate your body from the ground (which will suck your body heat out like a starved vampire drinking your blood) A cloak is helpful, but, most would carry a second blanket to go over the grass or what have you. If you want more info look at some bushcraft videos on using wool blankets, because they use blankets as cloaks too sometimes.
@MegaFarinato9 жыл бұрын
i hope somebody in Taleworlds watches this video D=
@TanitAkavirius9 жыл бұрын
I always role-play that part. My character only wears normal clothes (or gambeson), and puts its armor only before a battle. But it is a great idea for a mod. To automatically change your normal everyday gear to your "war gear" before a battle.
@GurniHallek9 жыл бұрын
JuliusAkavirius And if you were ambushed while marching or resting, the game will roll a dice to determine in what condition you were attacked. So depending on your luck you could be forced in a fight naked.
@pingusbror5 жыл бұрын
Just have to wait until Thursday. Yes, yes... Thursday is the day. Next Thursday, yes. It's not far out now. Not at all, no, no, just the next Thursday.
@pixelfairy2 жыл бұрын
So Link. Arming sword, heater shield, boomerang, tunic and hood for warmth, small but strong recurve bow and quiver, a few small items and rupies that would fit in a small belt bag or hand bag, and a magic ring that protects like armor but is far more comfortable to wear. Even with links boots, gauntlets, and mail he's sometimes depicted with, I think most fighting shape humans could easily run around all day with this setup.
@brottarnacke9 жыл бұрын
In my role playing group, we have a nice ship for transporting all our loot. We try our best to think about the practical arrangements of moving and carrying equipment, even though it's easy to forget about it sometimes. In our case, knowing magic and thus having the ability to fly and communicate telepathically also really helps for scouting unknown territories without having to move so much stuff.
@captainkronos79688 жыл бұрын
Melee scrubs. Stop clanking about, play a Wizard
@VoyagerLife8269 жыл бұрын
why dont you ever show us your plate armor ?
@Pudgeinatube9 жыл бұрын
On the large shield note, I started thinking about roman/hellenic troops, who traditionally (to my limited knowledge), had their infantryman carry most/all of his equipment and living kit. For most legionaries this included some type of really large heavy shield, and metal torso protection (lighter obviously, although their mail shirts were still heavy), so it can't have been too inconvenient to carry around kit (possibly minus food as they had a baggage train) and shield. Travelling around Europe I think would largely depend on solo vs group travel. With a group you can potentially divvy up the living kit into a tent (which houses multiple) and pot (which cooks for multiple). In a military group setting, I think a cart for the companies polearms and large weapons of war would not be out of the question, leaving the kit and sidearms to the individuals. Lastly on the bedding note, a heavy cloak/coat was probably mans best friend in europe, doubling as a blanket and mattress, so 'wearable bedding' I guess. Spare clothes and a bedroll are probably luxury items in a medieval sense (perhaps a merchant/civilian would bother with them). Interesting video though, love the channel.
@jayteegamble5 жыл бұрын
In addition to their baggage train, the Romans had 2 slaves and 1 pack animal for every 8 soldiers.
@raylastname58645 жыл бұрын
A note about wearing a bow across your back. with a modern longbow you can unstring one end and slide the unstrung portion of the string down the arm of the bow. doing this keeps the other end from dragging, and would prevent the pressure on the chest you are talking about. important note: i don't know if this would work with a historic bow because I don't own one to try.
@i2tree9 жыл бұрын
thumbs up if you thought the thumbnail was some kind of mech
@CarnalKid9 жыл бұрын
I was just re-watching this and had a thought, although you've covered it (although not in this context, I think it was mentioned). Weapons laws. I haven't played a pen and paper RPG in 14 or 15 years, but when I did, that was always a good way to suddenly make "weak" enemies serious. Seeing as how RPG skill sets tend to be very specific, those angry youths with cudgels and daggers can suddenly be a serious threat if your man hasn't got plate and a pollaxe anymore. The game I played was a point-buy system, not class based. Knowing they weren't gonna stroll into a city ready for a pitched battle, it made them seriously consider sticking a few precious points into unarmed combat or knife skills.
@tatsuvoid8 жыл бұрын
Thanks for that. I'm a keen roleplayer and that was massively interesting. A lot of it kind of matched up to what I thought but there were things in there that I hadn't considered previously. Really good video.
@edi98929 жыл бұрын
I wouldn't be surprised if travellers carried a hatchet and a quaterstaff. The hatchet for firewood and the staff for difficult terrain (swamps, gravel; very uneven and slippery ground). Today even when we walk in the countryside we hardly ever see what difficulties ancient travellers faced.
@VTPSTTU7 жыл бұрын
I don't know how much American history you've studied, but the hypotheticals that you mentioned at the end of this video reminded me of an event from the settling of the American West. The traditional, stereotypical settler going west was in a wagon drawn by a couple of horses, oxen, or mules. Before that, the traditional trapper/trader was on foot and leading a mule much like you describe. As I remember, the trapper took his mule, his traps, a knife, some clothing, some trade goods, and a rifle. The settlers packed their wagons with all kinds of household goods including furniture. As the settlers moved westward, they ended up disposing of many of these items that added weight but were not immediately practical for the hard road. The previous paragraph is a lead up to the fact that in one year (maybe 1856) the Mormon emigrants tried a different strategy. The church was having trouble raising the money for every family to have a wagon and team. Instead of trying to outfit every family this way, every party had a few wagons and teams carrying community supplies, and individual families carried their family goods in a handcart. These carts had big wheels and a platform about five or six feet square if I remember correctly. They had long shafts protruding forward and a bar on the front between the shafts. In some ways, they looked like bulky rickshaws. They required some work, but they weren't that much slower that big wagons drawn by livestock. I mention the handcarts because I think they would be an ideal means of carrying things in the scenario that you describe. A small cart like that could be drawn by a single horse or mule or could be pushed by a man as they were by those Mormon emigrants. In that situation, I would make the forward shafts about the right size to use as pikes or staffs. I might even carry a couple of spares that would give me quicker access to use as a weapon and yet still be available for replacing a broken cart shaft or axle. I'd put my extra clothes, bedding, and similar things in the cart. I could put arrows in the cart. If I had the cart being pulled by a horse or mule, I'd keep a bow and a few arrows in a scabbard on the mule's back. I could keep a wood ax in the cart, and I'd probably have some fishing gear there was well. I agree that a sword would be convenient to carry because I wouldn't need an extra hand. The other side of the sword issue is that a sword can't really be used as a walking stick. In the Lewis and Clark Expedition across what became the western United States, Meriwether Lewis was famous for taking long walking journeys ahead of the party carrying an espontoon and pack. If I were journeying with one hand holding the mule's reins, I might want some kind of implement to let me use the other hand for balance. A light staff with a spear tip on the upper end would function as a walking staff but give me the instant availability of a pointy, metal weapon.
@antonymash95869 жыл бұрын
Woolen Cloak; Warmth, weather proofing bedding and a defensive ward Armor; gambason or brigandean if anything at all Weapon: small axe, knife, sling and staff Food, water utensils (spoon, bowl, cup, pot of some sort)
@charlottewalnut31184 жыл бұрын
To be fair a lot of medieval era RPG’s have what is called the bag of holding which is basically a bag that you can hold a semi infinite amount of things in like a small rooms worth of stuff and it only weighs 10 pounds and that’s a common magic item or relatively common like any adventuring party probably has one and it lets you carry about 5000 pounds of stuff so that solves one issue it also calls the object that you’re looking for to it you just have to know that it’s in there
@denniskostrzewa94949 жыл бұрын
A real life example is my 24 hour pack. I work in disaster response and we're required to be able to go without support services for 24 hours. So I carry 1-3 MRE's 2 Liters of water, some cold weather gear (40 F) rain gear, PPE, survival stuff etc. Pack weighs about 35 lbs or so depending on loadout. Thank God for waistbelt and chest strap that is a fair amount to carry for any length of time.
@danielhale19 жыл бұрын
Another very good video on the full story of choosing which weapons and gear you carry. Thanks!
@BronzeTheSling6 жыл бұрын
Thank you so much. Nowhere beyond Lindeybeige have I found practical, informed information like this.
@justindonk768 жыл бұрын
Great Rambo tee shirt . always insightful breakdowns. for a Yank who may carry a kuhkri in the woods during hunting season besides my rifle; its always interesting to consider the daily kit of men at arms . thanks again for the great show
@2bingtim6 жыл бұрын
Longbows were often carried in a canvas sleeve which can have a strap to carry it over the shoulder or across the back like a rifle.
@Usammityduzntafraidofanythin9 жыл бұрын
So, in descending order... Level 1 - Sword, dagger, sling, possibly a quarterstaff, buckler, light armors (chainmail, helmet), etc. Level 2 - Axe, larger shield (2 foot diameter targe, ie.), club, short bow, recurve bow, javelins, medium armors (splint armor, brigandine, gambesons), etc. Level 3 - Longbow, large javelins, crossbow, big shields (3 foot diameter), etc. Level 4 - Biggest hand-shields (hoplons/aspis, scutums, etc.), polearms, etc. Level 5 - Pikes???
@Observerofworlds9 жыл бұрын
The author and well-known war romantic Ernst Jünger had an interest anecdote from western front ww1 where a korporal (I think) had the eccentric behaviour of carrying around a large number of weapons. Beyond his rifle he carried a number of pistols, knifes and several grenades. For a while he carried egg-grenades (not the potato mashers) in his pants pockets. While digging around for his pipe he pulled a sprint by accident on one of these, he tangled himself in panic while trying to get it out. The grenade turned out to not explode. Though this korporal was killed in service later.
@mountainhun8 жыл бұрын
It's interesting that in Lord of the Rings Tolkien specifically points out that the Fellowship are lightly armed when they set out from Rivendell. He specifically noted Gimli's hauberk and Boromir's shield, and the other companions' weapons.
@BBrainsTube9 жыл бұрын
I agree with Orkar Isber. In many roleplay games (computer/table/live action - doesn’t matter) the main purpose of leaving a town is not to get somewhere else, but to fight and kill. So, in such cases you should compare adventurers not with a pilgrim, but with a soldier on a battlefield. If you do not have suitable armor and weapons you will likely not live long enough to prepare food, have a rest or do any other ordinary hiking things. Another point (maybe as idea for future videos) - need for weapons variety. Swords are pretty effective against human brigands - that’s good. But if you run high risk of encountering giant ogres, or super armored giant tortoises, or small creatures who hunt in large packs, or mages who shoot lightning from distance, etc. - you will need something which is at least more or less effective in all these situations. That is definitely more than one or two weapons. So, if you have to sacrifice movement speed, comfort, extra supplies, change clothes, etc. just to be able to survive in inevitable numerous battles - you will do it. Of course, main unrealistic thing is that humans simply cannot exist in such dangerous world for significant time. But my main point is - adventurers are not travellers, they are fighters who carry only the necessary minimum of things not related to combat.
@superfluous97264 жыл бұрын
Sidesword (don't really need a shield), two gambesons (one breathable for hot times, one for colder, use whichever you aren't using as a pillow), hornbow (hunting), double sided axe, lots of knifes, kettle helm, and maille (leave on horse except when you need it). There you go.
@angmordagnithil71279 жыл бұрын
Now, I actually really enjoy thinking about this kind of thing in my roleplaying. When I think of a particular character, I enjoy figuring out the logistics of what they're carrying, how they're carrying it, which way they have to reach with which hand for a particular weapon, how the gear they're carrying would restrict or allow certain maneuvers when they're attacked suddenly. When they have to drop gear, keeping track of it, and returning for it later, or having to abandon it. I'm a bit of an odd duck in a few groups for that reason, as most people subscribe to the common weightless, invisible Bag of Holding that no one ever mentions to carry their stuff, with weapons that just magically appear in their hands whenever needed, regardless of how those hands might have been previously occupied. Can't really blame them. It's not like my own endeavors have been all that realistic. I have a character who wears heavy plate and carries a shield around, and their packs would never be large enough to hold everything someone would actually need on a camping trip. But still, I think it can actually make for more fun roleplaying if you account for characters having to fumble a little.
@TheOldSchoolCrisis9 жыл бұрын
I'm digging the new intro logo Matt! Glad to see you took the community input on your video editing software video.
@davidrushworth47872 жыл бұрын
This why the "Jack" was so popular. Basic protection, flexible and reasonably comfortable.
@genericpersonx3339 жыл бұрын
+scholagladiatoria I assume the reason you did not include the Roman legionary in the list of people who carried their shields all the time is because the Romans usually carried their shields on their backs with special wrapping, & so it was not available for immediate use, whereas the targe could be fairly quickly deployed?
@davidducker9 жыл бұрын
thank you very much matt. i'm sending this out to all my players and posting some links up around the RPG community. great vid :)
@NanamanTheLEGEND9 жыл бұрын
Travelling frum Londom to Dublin, on mid 13 hundreads. Maybe running from the plague, or to sell Spaniard/Portuguese literature translations, i'd simply pack my mule with basics of living(bed,foodwear,lamp and what have you), on the other side my merchandise, i'd wear a simple gambezon and maybe if i had the money to buy, or inheritted it, a suit of mail. I'd carry a handy sling on my pocket (most under-rated utencil ever, and a great topic for future videos) for gathering and self defence, a sidesword and a buckler or targe. And my all-trusty situational awareness. Oh, and hope to the gods that the Sawney Bean isn't around :D
@Baker_74989 жыл бұрын
Did you just forget your chaos two hander and grass crest shield? What are you, a casul?
@NanamanTheLEGEND9 жыл бұрын
But... wouldn't Dublin be the actual place a man would get such a sword? Also, i tried to glue a pach of grass to my buckler but people tought i was crazy i just yelled at them STA-MIN-A BONUUUUS
@mouthforwar179 жыл бұрын
The targes you mentioned would be a late-16th, 17th, 18th century thing. There is some contention that depictions of round shields on medieval Scottish grave slabs are in fact bucklers rather than targes. As far as what a medieval Scot would have worn on the road goes...I imagine a medieval Scot on the road would have his side arm with a dagger maybe, wearing an aketon (light protection and warmth), maybe a helmet and maille, as well as a mantle (which could double as bedding), some kind of rucksack with his miscellaneous kit, MAYBE a bow or javelins (but packed away). It seemed common amongst Gaels in Ireland and Scotland to be lightly armoured.
@cyrinaefox68287 жыл бұрын
You can carry a re-curve longbow fairly comfortably with the string over your shoulder if it's not strung (with the string on it backward.)
@NathanielNow8 жыл бұрын
Thank you for making this video! I run roleplaying games using the Pathfinder system, and your advice really helps me create my own rules to make up for all the bull that the system has written. At this point, I'll probably end up making my own system! Daggers and Longswords have the same reach... what is this world coming to...
@MrVvulf9 жыл бұрын
Quivers were not used in medieval times (from my understanding). Instead, arrows were kept in "arrow bags" which were made from waxed linen, and included a separator at the top to keep the fletchings from rubbing together, and also a top flap to keep out rain, etc. For more on the subject, I'd recommend "Longbow: A Social and Military History" by England's own Robert Hardy.
@Mike286259 жыл бұрын
Great video! Interesting food for thought. Assuming that I was traveling with at least a wheel barrow; above and beyond regular camping gear, I would travel with a well made gambeson with jack chains on the arms, a sleeveless mail shirt, a helmet, thick gloves, a buckler, a small knife, a small hatchet, a sword with a complex hilt like a side sword, a spear and a sling. Heavy in a barrow but feasible I think. A horse cart would be better but you have to feed the horse. A pair of strong goats to pull the cart might be better. They can forage easier even in winter and if you have to help push the cart up hills or through mud, well boo hoo. A block and tackle and stout rope is handy for unsticking carts but would also add to the overall weight of the thing day in day out.
@Tectonix269 жыл бұрын
Although considerably earlier, Greek/Macedonian Hoplites and Roman centurions carried quite enormous shields as they marched on campaigns, typically on their back. (I know a much earlier time period, but it is still possible.)
@MGOtaku9 жыл бұрын
I'm not sure if many people has played or heard of this, but there is a Pen and Paper Role-playing system called The Riddle of Steel that addresses this and various other aspects of realism in it's rules. Encumbrance is enforced to keep things sensible, as just as you said Matt if you have one large object to carry around expect to have less of everything else. The system's combat is also very detailed and overall it's one of the only (if not the only) system that is approved my the Association of Renaissance Martial Arts.
@a.j.williams56609 жыл бұрын
Probably one of the best traveling weapons for most of history was the simple Shepard's Sling: -Light weight -Relatively plentiful ammo -Good for hunting small game -Simple to maintain and repair -Can be carried rather easily, rap it around your belt and possibly even your arm. A question I have though is about bows, specifically the classic self-bow. Couldn't one theoretically just unstrung it and carry it in some type of tube shaped back holster for convenience purposes? Seems that would solve the problem of having to literally carry it in hand leaving you hands free.
@camwyn2569 жыл бұрын
Really enjoyed this video. Especially the bit about armor. The one part that I think you should have talked about, full plate (to be put on properly) can not be donned by one's self. The other reason you had a squire. Not just to take care of and transport the plate mail, but also to put you in it.