Water Skins- query

[RikJohnson]

Most of us love to carry a bota-bag. At least we who cannot afford those really neat leather water bottles.

The Botas that we normally see are covered with leather and plastic.
I have one fully leather but the bladder popped and I can find NOTHINMG that will patch that plastic.

So, since a bota is little more than a sheep stomach with a cover to protect the stomach, is it really necessary to cover it with leather?
Why not canvas? Anything that will protect the stomach/bladder should work.

Anyone know of any historical precedents?

[deadextra]

Proper botas are not covered with leather, the bladder or stomach is durable enough by itself. Water skins are the same way, just animal skins bound off at the limbs and filled with water. So far as I know, nobody in our group has used this sort of water carrier since they are not generally available and for sanitation. I've looked into them a bit and just determined that if I want to go in that direction I should just buy a goat and do all of that preparation myself.

An alternative is to use a costrel, defiantly more easy to get a hold of and they aren't made of untreated animal parts.

[Cinead]

I am a stickler for almost everything being "correct"...except for my water bottle.....I use a leather covered bota....

[RikJohnson]

Beryl raises goats. She is inbreeding them so badly that I have to go over and dehorn them for her as the horns are growing into their skulls!
Shes a Control Freak who doesn't think things through!!!!!
She even grabs the male's penis and shoves it into the female's vagina! Something I hadn't seen since in Arabia with the Arabs breeding camels. (go ahead and ask me why they do that. I dare you!)

She occasionally sells one to the local moslems for ramadan so....

nah, I'm through with butcheing animals just for a couple parts. i'LL stick to Tandy Leather and plastic insides and what I loose with a water bladder and machine stitching, I'll make up in other areas.

[Straelbora]

Beryl raises goats. She is inbreeding them so badly that I have to go over and dehorn them for her as the horns are growing into their skulls!
Shes a Control Freak who doesn't think things through!!!!!
She even grabs the male's penis and shoves it into the female's vagina! Something I hadn't seen since in Arabia with the Arabs breeding camels. (go ahead and ask me why they do that. I dare you!)

She occasionally sells one to the local moslems for ramadan so....

nah, I'm through with butcheing animals just for a couple parts. i'LL stick to Tandy Leather and plastic insides and what I loose with a water bladder and machine stitching, I'll make up in other areas.

Too bad you're so far away (or that I'm so far away, depending on how you look at it). I picked up a taste for goat meat while living in the Dominican Republic, and it's expensive here in Indiana. I don't mind butchering animals at all.

Now you've got me hungry for goat meat. And wondering about the camel breeding.....

[RikJohnson]

I bought leather from Tandy because it was across the street from the DMV where I have been trying to register my kayak trailer since January. The company in Vermont thinks Arizona laws are stupid but since they sold me the trailer in Az, they are required to meet Az rules. Assuming that they remain the same. ADOT has changed the rules three times in the last 4 months! I am so tempted to switch the plate from my smashed trailer to the new one and bypass the AzDMV!!!!

I collected a bunch of pics of leather canteens and chose a pattern I liked AND could accomplish. Later I'll make another one and do the first choice but...

Traced the pattern onto cardboard, cut it out, soaked it and made a very simple geometric pattern (i'm not an artist) then marked the edge holes.

Punched the holes, glued the edges with rubber cement.
sewed the pieces to find that most of the holes on the bottom didn't match. Aaarrrgghhhh!!!!!

Ok, finished the first stitching. Looked it over, made a new set of holes and sewed a second seam between the first seam and the edge.

Set it in the sink under a bunch of hot water and went to the swap meet.
Bought a leather punch (lost mine), a prybar I cut down to pocket size to match my 4" drawknife and pocket chisel/adze for my kit.
Stopped by a thrift store and found a set of thread snips that I've been seeking for years. they look like mineature sheep shears.
AND, found a set of brass candle-holders with the base in the shape of a 6-pointed star as in the Star Broaches" design under the "Soft Kit" entry. I'll make a pin for the back and either leave them brass or paint or plate them silver. I'll have to check on that.
Plus a few other finds for my kit.

Dragged the bota form the sink, dumped the water and ... OH NOOooooo, I don't have any pearl barley. No biggie, I can use rice! It's basically the same size and shape. oh, oh! not enough rice! quick, raid my camping food box. Still not enough. Well, tomorrow I head for the health food store to buy pearl barley at .. oh way too much.
WAIT!
There is a Food Club 3 blocks away. For you northerners, Food Club is a very cheap grocery chain that caters to the poorer Mexicans who live in town. They sell rice from bins at a low price.
Quick, dump the bota back under water and take off.

Buy some Merlot, and at the last minute, change from rice to pinto beans! Does it really matter as the only reason for the barley is to bulge and shape the leather?

At the check-out I am asking the attractive cashier, "I'll bet you are wondering what recipe requires three bottles of fruity wine and 6 pounds of pinto beans?" I want to be a slut, I'm just not very good at it.
"a little"
"Actually it is for a leather canteen."
Blank look. she now flashes her wedding ring.
I got the message and left.

Pulled my big funnel I use for making Mead. Yes I make excellent mead. I even got an email from the butler for Prince Charles asking for a bottle.
Filled the bota.. oops, no stick!

Hey! plunger! I ran for the bathroom and....
In walks my daughter. "Mum says I'm anemic and you need to feed me liver! What the **** are you doing!"
"I'm making a leather bota! Grab the plunger and pack the beans as I load the funnel!"
"No way! I'm not drinking from that. And I'm telling mum you're being weird again!"
"well I'm not going to the store again right now. You have a job, buy your own liver."
She grabbed the Merino wool I found for her knitting (she'll have to spin it on the drop spindle I made her as the Castle Spinning Wheel I made her got left in Texas when she moved) and left telling me she'll see me Saturday for the Lake Clean-up.
I am so glad I turned her bedroom into a storeroom.

Ok, the bots is packed and the neck stuffed with a D-cell battery to keep it shaped. Now to let it dry.
I suppose the cat-lady next door could use 6 pounds of (mostly) unused pinto beans. If not, the new girl next door who works for the VFW (i never joined) may want them.

more later......