What's in your possibles bag?
 

Interested in seeing what's carried in some of your possibles bags. Any pics? This is my first year with a smokepole, and I have all the basics needed, but am interested to see what some of you experienced fellers take into the field...

What is in my bag depends on where I am hunting and how I am hunting. I carry a fanny pack. The fanny pack has three compartments. One (the center which is a hand warmer) holds a quart of water. The back one holds a GPS, compass, matches, candle, alcohol, patches and binoculars. The front one holds my tubes of powder, and my container of projectiles along with some patches.

My jacket pockets also carry a lot of gear.

Now if I were going to a shoot, I take my possible bag which has tools to break the rifle down, caps, primers, capper, de capper, short starter, powder tubes, projectiles, patches, etc..

Most of my hunting is on a 900 acre hunting lease. I'm never more than a mile or so from camp, so I don't need much. I use a small zipper top, belt mounted pouch with the essentials for a morning or evening hunt - a few loads in powder tubes from LandNebraska, a few cleaning patches in a plastic box or old musket cap tin, some basic tools, pipe cleaners, and alcohol swabs. If I plan to be out all day I use a small backpack with some lunch/snacks/liquid and an extra jacket and socks.

Not sure if you are thinking about inlines or sidelocks but here is what I carry to keep my flintlocks working...

My loading block and powder measure are on a leather thong attached to the pouch's strap, which also has a thong for the powder horn...I also have a short starter, extra flints, balls, a roll of greased ticking, a few cleaning patches, a knapping hammer with built in turn screw, a frizzen cover and wing bone turkey call...

Nice stuff so far. I should've specified...I'm using a sidelock. Goofy question from the goofy new guy...what do you guys do with the alcohol swabs? I'd imagine they're for cleaning...but cleaning what? Any more pics or input to share?

I use the alcohol swab to swab the bore after a shot. Could just as well use a spit patch but I know for sure the alcohol is not going to leave a damp ring of fouling against the breech.

So you run the alcohol swab down with your ramrod after each shot then?

Yup. With a cleaning jag on obviously or it might not come back out. 1 alky patch followed by a dry patch then carry on loading as if on a clean barrel. I use the ready made alky swabs from the med supply house where my wife works. They're cheap and don't dry out. Just don't leave the wrappers laying about.

Ok, great. Thanks! This is the kinda stuff I was hoping to gain from this thread. Anybody else willing to share their possibles?

I have about everything a person could think of. Bullet starter, tools to take the gun apart, cleaning patches, cleaning jag (extended length), TC Presoaked Cleaning Patches, four speed loaders loaded, flask that holds apr. 8 100grain charges, extra bullets, and range finder. Some of this stuff I have in my backpack. I always have my backpack. I start walking early in the morning and wont come back until dark, so I have to make sure I bring EVERYTHING. Oh and throw in a couple gun wipes. Remington and a couple other companys make them indiv packaged. They work great if its a rainy day or if your gun just needs a wipe down.