Attending your first rendezvous, most don’t know what is allowed or how to get started. We suggest you find someone more experienced to camp with and show you the ropes. You can usually borrow clothing and other items you need from them, and not spend much money to get started. This way You’ll also have a better time if you look like you fit in.

We suggest you attend two or three rendezvous so you can get better ideas and maybe develop a persona so you spend your money on things you will be happy with for a long time.

Beginners must understand those of us who are wanting to have everything period correct, have spent many dollars and hours of time to correctly make our clothing, shelters, and other belongings pre-1840. When you hear we are trying to keep it primitive to recapture the spirit of the Mountain Man Rendezvous it is because in 1840 not much was manufactured but hand made. That's one of the reasons we have rules, to try to keep the primitive area primitive, and to recapture some of the spirit of the fur trade.

The word ‘rendezvous’ is French for meeting, Early trappers and mountain men had meetings of this sort to trade furs for food and supplies.

A Booshway is the Planner and Boss of the Rendezvous that his name appears on. He has volunteered to plan and run the whole show, from start to finish by the other amateur actors who actually live for a duration of time as people did during pioneer days at a Rendezvous.

A Segundo is the second in command under the Booshway and normally helps in the planning and running of the Rendezvous.

Dog-Solders who are the Rendezvous Policemen appointed by the Booshway, checking camps to make sure everyone is following the rules. (Mainly keeping everything pre-1840 in view.)

Now you ask, will there be insects? Well, it depends on the weather. You better be prepared for ants, ticks, redbugs and other pest.

Wood is NOT always furnished, Water may not be available for hauling to camp you might want to check for an individual Rendezvous to see if it is.

Most Rendezvous have many events during the whole time period from setup all the way through the last day and night. Some of these events can be:

Learning how to make soap

Learning to make arrowheads

Learning to cook pre-1840

Listening to the Booshway explain who will run the competitions.

Tomahawk Competitions (Throwing the hawk at a chunk of wood

to see who is best at it)

Note: Kids as well as Adults have a lot of fun at all competitions

Stick Horse Races (Seeing how fast you can run with a stick

between your legs)

Knife Competitions (Throwing Knifes at a chunk of wood to see who is best at it.)

Archery Competitions (Shooting a bow similar to the Indian bows.)

As you can see Kids as well as adults get involved in Archery Competitions!

Rifle Competitions (Shooting a round ball and black powder at targets to get points.

Frying Pan Throw Competitions (Women will throw the frying pans to see who can chunk it farthest.)

Fire starting Competitions (Using flint and Steel to start a fire in as short a time as possible)

Using flint and steel to strike an ember then blow to make fire

Examples: (Calico with both sides the same color will be pretty hard to find (authentic). Using the newer materials found in modern sewing stores (accepted).)

A buckskin outfit obviously is appropriate. So are breechcloth and leggings. Cotton or linen trousers, breeches and stockings, or pants also work. The prevalent style was the drop front.

Muslin and leather

Note all leather on the men above

Note Leather and Cotton used for kids

These boys pants and shirt were made from muslin at Walmart

Beware of the fabric you use. Today's calico is much different from the original. Original calico usually consisted of broad checks in red/white, blue/white, black/white or solid colors. The fancy prints offered today are a far cry from the originals but are accepted. (Calico with both sides the same color will be pretty hard to find (authentic). Using the newer materials found in modern sewing stores (accepted).)

For ladies and girls, dress and skirts of the same material are appropriate. A simple, loose tube-type dress with a sash and sleeves works well. Drop sleeve shirts of linen, wool and cotton are acceptable. Most of these were pullover style with one button at the collar.

Stay away from blue colored blue jeans. You can buy some painters

pants, dye them if you want, cut off the hip pockets and belt loops, and you've got a pair of pants that will get by.

With no pockets the mountain man used pouches of leather and canvas to carry his loose things in.

Bag made from Canvas and bone buttons and made from muslin

Do not wear modern hats, cowboy hats, watches, Buck folding knives, modern shirts, modern belt buckles, or plastic anything. Avoid any and all Civil War, Pow Wow, and most Boy Scout paraphernalia.

This is a pre-1840 event. If you don't have a Period hat, make a bandanna. A good bandanna is nothing more that a piece of cloth 3 feet square. Get the color you want (no synthetics!), and cut to size.

Take a few minutes time to learn how to tie the bandanna

No Cowboy boots, No sandals, tennis shoes, or other modern stuff even for kids. Rubber soled mocs are a no-no.

Solids color wool or cotton socks are appropriate.

This is the toughest thing for a beginner to get without spending a good bit of time making moccasins or spending some hard cash, unless you go barefoot. Mocs are the best, whether they're Dyers or homemade. You can buy some from Tandy, Academy, and several other discount stores that will hold up to a week at rendezvous, but many people start with these. Note in a pinch rubber-soled moccasins might be acceptable for the first rendezvous only, but leather bottoms are available at discount stores and mail order houses. See the examples below

The South Western style mocs have thick rawhide sole. The cactus can’t get through it, and neither can most of the rocks.

Round-toed boots such as Wellingtons are acceptable as long as there is no decorative stitching.

The SW style mocs offered by a couple of firms that have a thick rawhide sole. The cactus can't get through it, and neither can most of the rocks.

Tents in the primitive camp must have started life as white or tan

canvas. Obviously medicine lodges or tents with personal decorations are acceptable. Poles must be wood, and stakes should be wood or iron.

Above: Tent stakes, Rifle and bow rack, water barrel

No plastic or aluminum. No nylon ropes or plastic/metal line tighteners. If you have modern stuff inside your tent and someone can see it, keep the door closed, no matter how hot it is.

Your First tent may just be a big chunk of white canvas (this comes in 6 feet wide at the store.) to make a small Fly Tent.

A Fly Tent is nothing more then canvas sewed together in 9x9 or 12x12 squares. A simple long pole in the middle and two side poles make a complete tent.

Example of a Fly Tent

Make some wooden boxes about two-three feet long and the width

of a 1x12 with a hinged lid. Use rope handles. This hides a lot of stuff (like all your cooking cans and boxes) plus gives you something to sit on around the fire.

A lot of beginners start with enameled cookware as a basic set. Get the darkest blue you can find. Although this blue enameled cookware is accepted it is not pre 1840 period gear. Old tin pie pans are great to use. If you can find an old fork and knife it’s even better.

Note the steel frying pan in the center used to fry and eat out of. Also note the wooden spoons carved out of pine board, and the horn for salt. Some use glass bottles with a cork for the salt and pepper.

Have a period mug or cup to drink out of. Open your beverage, pour it into the mug, then get rid of the container. All pots, pans, and skillets should be either tinware or cast iron.

All pots, pans, and skillets should be tinware, steel or cast iron. Note: if you buy a painter tin bucket make sure no lead was used to seal it. If it was sealed with plastic boil the plastic out of the bucket so as not to ruin your first meal.

Note: the simple candle lantern above bought from Hobby Lobby.

Lighting is a touchy subject.

Candle lanterns and oil lamps are appropriate.

Keep all modern cooking stuff under cover.

Keep all coolers and water bottles out of sight at all times.

Burlap bags work nice to hide a trash sack, and are needed to

convey bags of ice from the ice wagon to your camp.

Remember, if someone else can see it, here it, or smell it, and it is modern, it has to go. The dog soldiers will be enforcing that rule

Canteens can be animal skin, Wooden, Jugs with a cork plug and so on.

All shooting will be done from the pouch, patched round ball

only. Expect random bag inspection for before, during and after

shoots with points deducted for modern stuff.

You may need an ax to split firewood. Most of the time you can gather squaw wood (small chunks and branches on the ground) and would not need an ax. If you like the rendezvous and are going to continue, An old-time bow saw and a shovel may be in order.

Bring guitars and banjos and dulcimers and expect to sing around the fire.

Most of the ideas for this have been given to me by several friends and some of their words are here because they expressed the thoughts so well I just had to use their words. A few friends also checked over this page and offered small changes and I’m sure I will get more comments to improve it as time goes by. All of the pictures are mine and taken over the years at several camps. Some I took just for this beginner’s page and was not at a Rendezvous.

12-07-2004 Ron "Doc" Obenhaus