Waterproofing Gear...or Not

    

A common thing we see in the hobby is the notion of waterproofing. While we do see the military knapsacks of the era being waterproofed to some degree with paint, is this a common thing men of the backcountry were doing when hunting etc? 

    Nicholas Cresswell is one of the greatest resources for understanding some of these conundrums we face as reenactors. He talks about having to stay shut in during heavy rains, or that heavy rains prevented them from an activity. But he never mentions waterproofing gear. Two quotes give some insight into what was to be done in a rain. 

    Monday, May 8th, 1775. Heavy rain this morning which obliged us to make a sort of awning with our tent cloths and blankets

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    Tuesday, June 27th, 1775. Very stiff current all day, heavy showers and very sultry. It is a custom with our company, as soon as it begins to rain to strip naked and secure their clothes from the wet. I have attempted it twice to-day, but the drops of rain are so disagreeable to my skin, that it obliged me to put on my shirt.

    Now, Cresswell and his company were on an extended hunting trip. Most people who farmed and hunted from their cabin would simply stay indoors during a heavy rain. Our modern time constraints make it difficult sometimes to avoid the rain. But here are some period methods that I think inform us as to how they dealt with it. 

    If you have any documentation for waterproofing that I don't know about, I'd love to see it. Or if you're reading this and want to try the above methods mentioned by Cresswell, I'd love to hear about your experience. Next warm weather rain shower, I'm gonna go out and try my luck.