Middle Earth Ranger Forum

So I recently finished work on a nice simple linen snapsack as my old chrome tanned leather one was a bit too narrow for my cook-pot. My question is what do you guys think would be the best way to add some waterproofing to it using authentic methods? My plan at the moment is just to give it a heavy treatment of beeswax and call it a day, but I'm a tad concerned that the finish might heat up when riding against my body and turn into a sticky mess. I thought I'd just check and see if anyone here has some experience with this method. Any help would be greatly appreciated!

I've never experienced anything like that with waxed stuff, but it will be flammable and it won't breathe- so it might get funky inside if you don't keep it cleaned and dried out.
Everything's a tradeoff.

Personally I'm quite happy with an untreated linen snapsack: unless it's really pouring, it'll be just fine under a cloak.

I've only waxed small pieces of cloth for use as jar 'lids', but I don't think it would 'turn into a sticky mess' if heated just by your body (left in the sun...perhaps) I know some folks like to use those wax pellets in the oven or actually dip the cloth in melted wax; my method is slower but more economical in that it doesn't leave a lot of excess wax that might create a mess. You do need a large piece of beeswax - the more rectangular the better (for better surface area coverage). Lay the cloth flat on a baking sheet and rub it (in the direction of the thread) with the brick of beeswax. 5-10 passes only...don't expect a ton of wax to come off onto the cloth. Then you simply heat the cloth up with a hair dryer to soak the wax into the cloth, and repeat. (I would imagine this would probably be easier to do before the cloth has been sewn into a garment or item.)

Elleth wrote:I've never experienced anything like that with waxed stuff, but it will be flammable and it won't breathe- so it might get funky inside if you don't keep it cleaned and dried out.
Everything's a tradeoff.

Personally I'm quite happy with an untreated linen snapsack: unless it's really pouring, it'll be just fine under a cloak.

Interesting! My issue is that I'm wanting to rig it up along my quiverstrap, and I'm not too sure that I'd be able to fit the whole thing under a cloak. Your snapsack also seems to be made of a much heavier linen than mine which as of now is quite capable of carrying a lot, but doesn't offer much in the way of protection against the elements. (In fact I'm beginning to second-guess my choice in fabric. Such are the perils of ordering online I suppose.)

Udwin wrote:I've only waxed small pieces of cloth for use as jar 'lids', but I don't think it would 'turn into a sticky mess' if heated just by your body (left in the sun...perhaps) I know some folks like to use those wax pellets in the oven or actually dip the cloth in melted wax; my method is slower but more economical in that it doesn't leave a lot of excess wax that might create a mess. You do need a large piece of beeswax - the more rectangular the better (for better surface area coverage). Lay the cloth flat on a baking sheet and rub it (in the direction of the thread) with the brick of beeswax. 5-10 passes only...don't expect a ton of wax to come off onto the cloth. Then you simply heat the cloth up with a hair dryer to soak the wax into the cloth, and repeat. (I would imagine this would probably be easier to do before the cloth has been sewn into a garment or item.)

Thanks for the tip!

Your snapsack also seems to be made of a much heavier linen than mine which as of now is quite capable of carrying a lot, but doesn't offer much in the way of protection against the elements.

The fabric is Wm. Booth Draper's "Coarse Unbleached Linen, WLG 101"
https://wmboothdraper.com/store/index.p ... ucts_id=29
.. and is one of my two favorites for bags and such.
[EDIT November 2022, I think their WLG 101 has changed - it's not quite so thick as it used to be. I don't know if I'd use it for this application anymore]

Another awesome choice (a bit stiffer hand, probably more durable but taking a bit longer to wear in) is hemp canvas:
19 oz Hemp Canvas, WHD 019
https://www.wmboothdraper.com/store/ind ... ucts_id=11

( I'm sure you can get comparable fabrics elsewhere - that's just the reference I had to hand. )

At least those fabrics I listed above are fairly wide, so if you're willing to do some piecing you can get by with as little as a quarter yard, though I'd probably get at least a half yard to make it easier on yourself.

You can also reinforce the first inch or so with the same fabric prior to opening up your lacing holes, which will both stiffen up the mouth a bit and be easier on the fabric once it's carrying some weight:

If it's any help, I use gold label wax:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Gold-Label-Wat ... %3A2334524

It's not fully authentic but if all your after is to add a little weatherproofing to something without risking making it completely not breathable/messy, you just need to rub on a very thin layer, then gently heat it with a hair dryer or heat gun to make the wax soak in. It won't be fully waterproof unless you use a thicker layer but the more you use the more risk there is that it will rub off on other things, and the finished item will take much longer to loose the paraffin smell

I waxed a linen haversack with straight beewax, it didn't come off or rub even in the heat of summer. I melted it in a pot, brushed it on, then ironed it repeatedly while wiping away the excess - I'll post some pics later

As promised! Sorry it took so long, slipped my mind

nice

Very cool! I love the color!

... and is that an apron dress underneath?

I'm flabbergasted you could tell from that picture, but yes, it is!

The colour darkened considerably in the waxing to that lovely burgundy - the bag actually was made from the same fabric as the apron-dress originally.

It definitely has a more flexible, less 'plasticky,' feel and different look to it than the mix i use for non-historical stuff (80/20 parrafin to beeswax, basically diy greenland wax), and I suspect it isn't quite as waterproof, but it seems to do the job well enough! It's kept books dry in a good rain

Sorrel wrote:I waxed a linen haversack with straight beewax, it didn't come off or rub even in the heat of summer. I melted it in a pot, brushed it on, then ironed it repeatedly while wiping away the excess - I'll post some pics later

I have to second this comment, even in the Australian heat we don't see any of our waxed linen degrading or liquefying. We use ours mostly for food wraps and bags where it would be immediately obvious in taste and texture if it did so.

Beeswax has a melting temperature around 62°C (144°F) so unless you're out in some pretty extreme sunlight you're unlikely to have an issue. Even then the worst you're likely to get is the same as if you polished a shop bought apple on your shirt.

Thanks again for the advice everyone! Sorrel that bag is stellar, I love the style of it.
A quick update to this project! One of my favourite local fabric stores recently closed down which is pretty sad but on the upside they had a massive clearance sale. To cut a long story short I managed to find some beautiful heavy weight linen at a ridiculously cheap price as well as some other supplies I have many plans for. I remade the snapsack with the thicker stuff and I'm very pleased with the results. Here it is alongside my first attempt. I'll probably sew up one end for use as a more general browse-bag for gathering kindling and the like as it doesn't take up much space and I'm still very happy with the actual construction of it. I'm still trying to work out the attachment method for it. At the moment the drawstrings tie to the quiver at various points but this doesn't seem all that secure. I would like to also be able to attach a strap to wear the snapsack on it's own but I kinda want it to be detachable as well. I could just be over complicating things though. Better mull it over.

Nicely made

as for attachments, I have tied wooden toggles onto each end of mine, so it can be quickly attached to bag straps with loops ready tied through small holes in the leather, or attached to a length of thin rope that's eye-spliced at both ends to make a separate strap

That's awesome!

I second the toggle idea - or even a ring attached to the drawcord opposite the side where it ties.
... the advantage there is that the weight of the bag is carried on the ties themselves, which means that there's much less pressure on any stitching.

(You can't see it in the snapsacks I've sewn, but underneath the leather the drawcords pass OVER the d-rings, for exactly that reason)