Primitive/Natural Containers

Discussion in 'Survival and Wilderness Skills' started by Caleb O, Mar 13, 2018.

  1. R Stowe

    R Stowe Moderator Staff Member

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    I found this style of gourd container on Primitive Ways. It's an awesome site if anyone hasn't checked it out. I've got a couple of more suitable gourds to make a few more of these, but I also have some seeds from this one started. Fingers crossed. The key is to trace a circle, I used a mug, in a flat plane on the gourd. Otherwise, your edges won't meet. After cutting it out I sanded the edges smooth a little, used an awl for the lacing holes, and braided up some raffia grass for the connecting cord. Any cordage would work. I'll probably use leather for the next one. It currently holds some natural cordage for handlines and other primitive fishing tools.

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    @Caleb O I think I have a gourd that will work for your gathering basket as well.
     
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  2. BlueDogScout

    BlueDogScout Member

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    That’s cool
     
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  3. Caleb O

    Caleb O Member

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    That's awesome!
     
  4. Caleb O

    Caleb O Member

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    Made a net and strap out of jute since my paracord net was so ugly that I ended up rarely carrying the gourd canteen. This is how it turned out. CC87C9BD-6EC6-4992-B10D-2FFF0E711537.jpeg 86D4F3D6-7CDF-44D0-B634-6DEDD05F77BB.jpeg 2C029E4E-C42C-453F-A8F1-C0E45221CFA7.jpeg ADE7547D-677E-42E4-B9FA-8D3AD7875555.jpeg
     
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  5. Strigidae

    Strigidae Administrator Staff Member

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    Beautiful!
     
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  6. Caleb O

    Caleb O Member

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    Thanks!
     
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  7. Caleb O

    Caleb O Member

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    Finally got my hands on a bunch of container gourds. Waiting for them to dry currently. Definitely will be some fun in the future. 7CE5C729-4510-49CC-A1EC-F13359211AC6.jpeg
     
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  8. Wisdom

    Wisdom Member

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    354D1374-1D6E-4AD9-B20B-E15D0329C66C.jpeg Here’s some river birch baskets I made for berry picking and egg gathering.
     
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  9. Caleb O

    Caleb O Member

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    Those look awesome!
     
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  10. RocketmanDane

    RocketmanDane Member

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    SO as “naturally available” source material is hard to find locally... Does anyone have a recommendation on where some could be bought? I seem to remember at Bushcraft class someone mentioning that maybe Lowe’s had something like Untreated fencing board or similar that could be used?
     
  11. Twoody88

    Twoody88 Member

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    Spend the money on fuel and make a day trip out of it ! Lumber is frickin expenisve right now!!!
     
  12. Twoody88

    Twoody88 Member

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    Awesome thread btw @Caleb O thanks for the read eveyone !
     
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  13. Caleb O

    Caleb O Member

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    Another gourd canteen crafted. Holds a lil over 32oz of water. Flavored with mint tea. 3A9441D4-75D8-419E-8A56-240F71FAEE68.jpeg
    Cut the top off the gourd 89DDFD5E-DE8B-473A-83CE-9D42C98BB90E.jpeg
    Made a scraper stick from a mesquite branch 02FC6AC3-62AE-4E65-8532-FF7727620272.jpeg
    Started scraping the pith off the gourd walls
    B703F23A-B64D-414C-9D93-6334B5D518FB.jpeg

    At this point it’s just a lot of cleaning out and dumping 25BFE1D3-1FF1-4DF9-82AE-3661C390D1F0.jpeg
    Once the larger bits of pith are out it’s time to get the remainder out. So added rocks and started tumbling 96BAA27B-D7FF-4A83-A71D-95FD5731CECC.jpeg
    This part of the process took the longest F9BC7D14-AF30-4558-8952-F89346F223C0.jpeg
    After this I flavored the gourd with 3 changes of mint tea C51510B3-A626-4C6C-82D2-83118D2E6724.jpeg
    And then made a carrying net 27D66F96-1B2D-4F25-B221-223E298E4537.png E293C26A-94AB-411A-98BA-D9298EE00A89.jpeg
    I reverse wrapped and braided a strap 3C333CBF-5A07-470E-8602-E911D75B14B0.jpeg
    And then carved a cottonwood stopper. And was done! BD60817D-EA86-44DE-B311-6DC01AA3C74F.jpeg
     
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  14. JMick

    JMick Member

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    Very nice work!
    I have melted beeswax down and lined gourd canteens with that, leaves a nice honey smell/flavor and seems to keep mold and mildew from forming due to the anti-bacterial properties of honey.

    The mint is a great idea.
     
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  15. Caleb O

    Caleb O Member

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    I’ve definitely thought of doing that. Haven’t yet though. Does it interfere with the evaporative cooling effect that gourds naturally produce when filled with a liquid? Curious as that’s one of my favorite things about them (desert rat here lol).

    Thanks! I’ve done a few different tea flavorings in the past. Mint definitely gives a subtle cooling effect from the gourd afterwards. Probably my favorite.
     
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  16. JMick

    JMick Member

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    I made my canteens back in Missouri, there is no evaporative cooling. Here in Wyoming that would be a nice deal, but I have'nt grown any; season is to short.
     
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  17. Caleb O

    Caleb O Member

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    A little hard to see details, but these two gourds are what I had exclusively for water containers in Utah for a couple weeks. Definitely gets a little old drinking gourd water for two weeks straight, but it’s nice to be able to travel with water. Especially in the desert southwest. AF4A146C-200F-48A0-83AD-3DA3E5A02E6A.jpeg
     
  18. Caleb O

    Caleb O Member

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    Also made a clay container for boiling while out there. I’ll try to post a solid picture later. My primitive pottery skills are rubbish though. :D
     
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  19. Caleb O

    Caleb O Member

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    D93E04D9-11B2-4EB9-9B4D-59FC5B4BFF04.jpeg Yet another gourd canteen. This one is small and only holds about 20 fl oz. B2F61CF3-0389-4BD8-9A2E-DC242AF8014D.jpeg 351DC4DC-88EF-40DF-8954-325568EBDA50.jpeg A493EADB-58EC-4F5C-A49E-6474FC841110.jpeg 6E1BF23F-F802-4619-AE5F-A1277D33FF75.jpeg 1E6DFFEC-35C4-4866-9F23-3E47CF25F328.jpeg 32D64943-96BA-4072-88A5-9613B9D80657.jpeg
     
  20. Caleb O

    Caleb O Member

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    Currently working on a Palo Verdy long bowl. So far so good. More of an eating container than a carrying one, but a fun project nonetheless. (Need to get a gouge for sure, but the hook knife works for now.) 08FD486C-CF16-4777-AFBE-3725336ABBFA.jpeg 78220A26-CB15-4527-B0A5-D571D6339861.jpeg D43CAE21-A3BF-44A8-B707-A89604876341.jpeg F110C148-D84C-48CA-BEFC-009BFFF3801F.jpeg 5F697B39-28F4-453D-AEEB-1D5619C51ED3.jpeg
     
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