Traveling Around

[MystiqueRain]

In my novel series, the characters do a LOT of traveling, whether it's by foot or by horses. Usually journeys can take up to several days or weeks, depending on where they're going. Although I do like time-skipping forward so all the boring details of waking up, eating breakfast, setting up, talking, etc. aren't there, sometimes important scenes are set during a traveling section.

So my question is to you: In a late medieval-ish fantasy setting, what would travel be like?

Things that I'd like clarified:
1. How people sleep at night (sleeping bags? trees? ground? tents?)
2. Food (packing vs. hunting, hardtack, types of non-perishables, amount needed for a group of about 8-10)
3. Water (in a place without a definite water source, how much would they need to carry?)
4. Necessary supplies (matches, flints, etc.)

Right now I'm finding that we've been packing too much and not hunting at all as well modernizing many aspects of traveling. So please keep it in the time-range I'm looking for and keep it realistic.

And if this is in the wrong forum category...oops. xD

EDIT: And one more thing...I know there's been a thread on this already, but how do your characters travel?

 

[Caged Maiden]

1) towns were close together, but small, so realistically, you could spend every night in an inn or maybe even a monastery, if you were inclined to switch things up.

2) well, can people fish? lines and hooks are easy to store. Water is the main thing, because it's heavier than grain, so people would probably replenish water most often. They would be able to barter for meals and purchase supplies at local markets. Bows are a good way to hunt, but in say England, in the medieval time, people were held to strict poaching laws. You were not just allowed to hunt in the forest. Most people were only allowed small game, and killing a noble's deer was a punishable crime.

3) water can be contaminated. Rain, dew, snow, all are drinkable, but streams and ponds are best avoided. The stiller the water, the more contamination. A person needs a gallon a day in warm weather, and animals, more.

4) Matches or flint would work. Also don't forget the things that make travel more comfortable, soap, cooking utensils (even if everyone eats out of one pot, they need plates or spoons), and repair items like awls, thread, whatever they need for their gear.

I camp a lot, and typically rough it, baths in a field with a gallon jug and a small bar of soap, a few changes of clothes, and I have to carry my gear wherever I go, so I often bring a wagon. In the medieval period, people didn't travel a whole lot, but there were certain types of people who did, tinkers, for instance, who would go town to town and repair pots. The idea of traveling a long way, was not common, and villages were not well-equipped to accommodate large groups. I would think your party might sleep in stables where available, find inns, or maybe carry a canvas tent they all pile into. In an uncivilized land there is threats of wolf or bear attacks, but in a more civilized land, there will be more laws against poaching, trespassing, or the towns might turn travelers away at the gates. A lot of your decisions will be based upon your particular world

Hope that's some help.

 

[Saigonnus]

1. Linseed oil (among others) typically was used to waterproof fabrics for use as a a shelter in case of rain. A simple shelter could be made of a piece of fabric a rope using a tree or bush or even tent poles carried on a pack horse (or many for a party that size). Bedrolls have been used by military forces since ancient rome (or before) and they are typically a course fabric stuffed with wool or layers of other cloth for warmth. If you have wagons, you could sleep beneath them or inside for box wagons (like gypsies used). Pines often provided shelter for travelers as well, since the bottom branches are often very close to the ground and the foliage thick enough to keep most of the rain off. You could even have a small fire against the trunk of the tree for a bit of warmth.

2. Beans/grains including flour, oats, dried fruit (whatever is in season), Jerky (smoked or dried meat), Dried fish, potatoes, onions (kept in a dry place), biscuits (hard tack), some types of hard cheese, anything pickled (onions, olives, carrots etc.). Some even carries spices they came across in their travel. You could find wild berries, roots, wild onions, mushrooms and eggs from birds aside from the local game (rabbits, squirrels, deer etc.) and often travelers would carry slings to fell small game as they travelled to suppliment what basic fare they have on hand.

3. Males typically need 3 liters (13 cups) of water per day to have enough and to prevent dehydration. Women need 2.2 liters (9 cups) per day for the same purpose. It may have been a bit less in medieval Europe, since their physical stature is somewhat shorter than the average now. Often times for extended trips you'd have to have a pack horse (or several) or a cart to carry casks of water or wine (since water was dangerous back then due to diseases) beyond what was carried on a person in a waterskin or flask.

4. Basic necessities would vary but generally includes rope, flint (which can be found lying on ground) lanterns, lamp oil, cooking stuff (utensils, plates/bowls, cups, cast iron/bronze pots.) iron spikes (for tents or tethering animals) a hammer or mallet, hand axe or hatchet for collecting/splitting firewood. A shovel or mattock for digging a latrine pit. Fabric/leather for tents, bedrolls for sleeping. There may be others, but I can't think of any at the moment.

For my characters, it depends on the work in progress how they travel. For my main WIP, horseback and by walking, but the area really isn't any vast distance they need to cover. I inferred at the beginning though, that for longer journey's wagons or carts are the preferred mode of transportation. The area has "waystations" placed along the main road as safe havens for travelers to stop. They could simply be a place with water and a flat spot for tents/wagons or more elaborate with a communal sleeping room and hot food available. All are patrolled by the king's guard so they are relatively safe. Other cultures use giant lizards as mounts, live in wagons (like gypsies) take ships between islands or even magical means (though none really make an appearance in the WIP).

 

[Helen]

Things that I'd like clarified:
1. How people sleep at night (sleeping bags? trees? ground? tents?)
2. Food (packing vs. hunting, hardtack, types of non-perishables, amount needed for a group of about 8-10)
3. Water (in a place without a definite water source, how much would they need to carry?)
4. Necessary supplies (matches, flints, etc.)

You need to hike some more, pick up the lingo and habits. Doubt much changes. The woods are the woods.

If you can't find shelter, you have to wildcamp. Maybe sleep near the trail but not too close in case of dangerous passersby. Know what wild animals are about.

Water is heavy so you carry waterless food. Beef jerky. Have a knife and catch something if you can. Know how to light a fire and keep it burning. Light, sweet energy booster candies.

Hydrate in the morning and carry two litres of water. But you have to know where the next stream or water stop is. Maps. Info from people coming the other way. If you don't know where the water is, you'll die.

Hikers are always bragging how light they're travellin'. Two pairs of socks, one to wear one dryin' on your pack. That sort of thing.

 

[MystiqueRain]

Thanks for all the information so far!

To clarify, I'm looking for more of olden times traveling rather than modern times traveling (I'd hike if I could, but I don't have that much time on my hands. Love hiking though when I'm on vacation in the mountains ). It's less of what to do and more of what to take that stays within the boundaries of the time I'm writing in.

If you've already done that, thank you! If you haven't stuck to that, thank you anyway! Any helpful information is welcomed.

 

[CupofJoe]

Thanks for all the information so far!

To clarify, I'm looking for more of olden times traveling rather than modern times traveling (I'd hike if I could, but I don't have that much time on my hands. Love hiking though when I'm on vacation in the mountains ). It's less of what to do and more of what to take that stays within the boundaries of the time I'm writing in.

If you've already done that, thank you! If you haven't stuck to that, thank you anyway! Any helpful information is welcomed.

I've been trying to find out more about horse and long trips. In my recently shelved WIP there was a lot of travelling too and I found a lot of conflicting information about how far horses could travel in a day.
Longriders [sort of Iron-man/point-to-point race] trained horses can cover 100 miles and more in a day but those horses are bred and trained for this and may only do 2-3 races in a year and take 2-3 months to get back in to peak fitness.
Your average cattle drive could cover 30 miles a day with the cowboy riding up to 100 [riding back and forth around the herd] but he would have maybe 5 horses to use on rotation...
When on expedition using horse they were often lucky to cover 10 miles a day.
Cavalry frequently moved as little as 20 miles a day. I'm not talking a deploying cavalry to a battle but the process [day-to-day] of packing up one camp travelling somewhere new and making another camp.
Then you have to factor in that you should not ride a horse for hours [3-4] without walking it to give its back a rest [maybe an hour].
Then I discovered that much exploration and prospecting was done with mules that were tougher and hardier than horses in rough conditions. They were a lot smarter to apparently...
Horse/mules can't walk and eat so you have to stop to do that. Also they can't live on just dry food [grain, oats etc.] or grass or change their diet too quickly...
And then you have to factor in that horses 1000+ years ago were more like ponies today. The large war horses and draft animals being fairly modern inventions.
In fact I can't see why the first humans thought they were worth the bother...

My rules of thumb and I think they sort of hold up is that a horse or mule can cover 20 miles each day as long as nothing goes wrong [land, weather etc.]. It would have to be rested [allowed to graze and not ridden] at least 1 day in 10 [1 in 5 would be better].
For every 5 riders they needs to be at least 1 pack animal. Actually that is an underestimation I think its closer to 1 pack animal per 5 riders per week travelling...
This all presumes that water, forage and weather are favourable that fresh meat can be hunted for the riders.

[It was about now that I started to hit my head on the desk and began planing a story with no horses...]

But has been said in other topics — if your story isn't about wilderness travel then as long as it seems reasonable [no 500 mile overnight marches, for example] then let the reader fill in the blanks.

 

[MystiqueRain]

But has been said in other topics – if your story isn't about wilderness travel then as long as it seems reasonable [no 500 mile overnight marches, for example] then let the reader fill in the blanks.

Yeah, I'm currently deleting a lot of the boring traveling parts that don't have important moments. It's just when there are important moments that's when the details sometimes play a part. Either way, it's good for me to have a picture of how it works.

 

[Zero Angel]

My one annotated copy of Art of War talks about marching in it, but I cannot find the notes I took on it. Once I am able to access it I will share.

For now, I will share the following links about what Roman soldiers carried with them:

Sarcina - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Roman soldiers equipment

The second link has better visuals, but goes pretty in-depth into their shoes.

 

[SeverinR]

Just adding some horse exp;
On a frosty winter day, we gave our horses 5 gallons of water each, and would remove the bucket with 1/3 of the bucket in ice.
SO they drank 3-4 gallons est per day in freezing weather. (Electric was 300 ft extension cord to electric fence, so no chance of using a heater on the trough.) That is just a lazy no work day, too.
If you have streams and rivers, horses can drink, but if more desert like, water would have to be provided.