As much as slings and such are important;  to me what items they carried,  ate and drink and so on are as equally significant as those items can help them through harsh times like survival etc..  So we should make a thread with your opinions and such as to what slingers toted along on long treks,  campaigns,  or just out and about on business.

Are we talking in the Army?  Civilian? What Time Period, Roman? Classical Greek? Bronze-age or Homeric?  Where? North America? Europe? China? Africa?

We'll need more information to get a real picture, but there are good sources out there from Archaeological evidence.

I was thinking from pre-history all the way up to idk whatever

than,pretty much everything that other guys had  ;)

lol

jlasud wrote on Sep 8^th, 2012 at 3:27pm:

than,pretty much everything that other guys had  ;)

This, even more so because as far as I recall, most ancient armies were pretty rag tag and didn't have many standards other than flag. It wasn't until the Romans, and much later periods did armies even have uniforms. Weapons and equipment were whatever the soldier brought with them, and whatever they were able to pillage or trade for.

In my studies,  I think the standardization of equipment really came through after Alexander the Great's father made the Macedonian Army.  But yes,  the Romans really did improve on this with the advancement of food/water supply/production,  shelter,  weapons and training,  marching,  adopting and adapting to different circumstances etc...

i think that the greek citystate sparta did a good job standardizing arms and armour.

There are lots of stone tablets showing ranks of identical Sumarian infantry (spearmen) from 3K BC.

Indeed on the Sumerian infantry... but in general most historical soldiers looked fairly similar... they wore the clothing of their people (in the case of the sumerians the leather skirts and little else) and used a spear and a shield... and often had a knife/dagger and some other sidearm like a club or ax (sword if wealthy... very wealthy in bronze age). Although it is possible that one city state or another went through the trouble of standardizing or requiring the ownership of certain battle gear... still full on organization seems the exception not the rule.

At least 3 slings: Short, medium, long
Lengths of leather
Balls of twine
Good hunting knife

Slings +means to make slings, tbh. Thats what I would carry in pre-gunpowder Europe. Also, money.

Oh, and maybe a sheep or two just to use the wool for making more string.

[smiley=thumbsup.gif]  :)

And possibly a staff, for a staff sling, and a screw-on spearhead.

hassan wrote on Jun 2^nd, 2013 at 11:18pm:

And possibly a staff, for a staff sling, and a screw-on spearhead.

Staff with pointed steel butt end so it serves as a walking stick, 3 slings, 13 lead glandes, a screw on spearhead, and a good knife.

A computator maybe? http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:RomanAbacusRecon.jpg

On the nose, Squirrel.

3 slings
12 or so glandes
Enough pre-prepared material to make or
repair the 3 slings I have
Cook/fire kit
Good knife/dagger  ::)

12 glandes? you gotta be a crack shot.
wouldn't start my mission as a slinger,assuming it's going to battle,without 30 pieces of uniform ceramic glandes of 120gram each,total 3.6kg. Or if i had the money,or i was given lead shot...at least 50g/piece and at least 50 pieces.
I would carry them with 3-4 slings in a sidebag,of course a knife,a small,light axe, clothes, flint and steel,and 2-3kg of flat bread.

other than in an organized military setting, I highly doubt anyone would be carrying 12/13 lead glands. that would become very heavy,very quickly on a trek. In my opinion, any old rock of the right size, found on the ground would have probably been used. The knife would be a no brainer. as for extra slings, 1 would of probably been the norm, if that. some bread and whatever you could gather along the way.      

I agree,that in peace time, not many would carry 12 glands.  Sometimes when i'm crossing places with big,mean shepherd dogs, i take 3-4 stones with me for defence. Often find them useful. And dogs get to learn about slings too.

12 glandes, about 1.5 oz each- 18 oz. A little over a pound. Not much. Enough to have a chance in a fight.

Keep in mind guys that slings were very widespead... while lead glandes were not. The Greeks used them starting some time in the first millenia BCE (anyone got exact number on this?) and the Romans picked up on this afterwards until some time around 300 CE when the lead fell into disuse (for what are still unclear reasons to me). We could probably get decent info on the Roman and Greek slingers... but this is only about 1,000 years of history or so and only two culture families in a world with dozens if not hundreds across some 5,000 years of time when we know slings were used in warfare. And the vast majority of them used stones while some few used clay. In general most armies were indeed quite ragtag and likely carried several slings (I'd bet on at least 3), a knife, a satchel for ammo (most cases stone), clothes, footwear, cloak, and some sort of bag, pack, or other satchel with bedroll, perhaps alternate clothes and footwear, and food... things likely to last like salted meat, dried fruit, nuts, hard cheese, dry bread, raw edible grains, and perhaps oil (like olive oil), butter, and/or honey (if wealthier). Also many historical slingers would carry a light shield as well, and perhaps some melee weapon like a one handed ax.

:thumb:

SchlrFtrRkMystc wrote on Oct 24^th, 2013 at 12:28am:

Keep in mind guys that slings were very widespead... while lead glandes were not. The Greeks used them starting some time in the first millenia BCE (anyone got exact number on this?) and the Romans picked up on this afterwards until some time around 300 CE when the lead fell into disuse (for what are still unclear reasons to me). We could probably get decent info on the Roman and Greek slingers... but this is only about 1,000 years of history or so and only two culture families in a world with dozens if not hundreds across some 5,000 years of time when we know slings were used in warfare. And the vast majority of them used stones while some few used clay. In general most armies were indeed quite ragtag and likely carried several slings (I'd bet on at least 3), a knife, a satchel for ammo (most cases stone), clothes, footwear, cloak, and some sort of bag, pack, or other satchel with bedroll, perhaps alternate clothes and footwear, and food... things likely to last like salted meat, dried fruit, nuts, hard cheese, dry bread, raw edible grains, and perhaps oil (like olive oil), butter, and/or honey (if wealthier). Also many historical slingers would carry a light shield as well, and perhaps some melee weapon like a one handed ax.

I am curious as to what historical information is leading you to believe that everyone carried several slings with them? nowhere, have I seen reference to men of this time period carrying extra slings. a good reference to the time period you speak of is the Trajan's Column (113 AD) depicting slingers.    

Balaric slingers carried 3 slings. Roman slingers carried at least 2.
Roman slingers were well equipped, and b/c of the roman empire they would use lead- we have found many lead glans.

squirrelslinger wrote on Oct 27^th, 2013 at 12:39pm:

Balaric slingers carried 3 slings. Roman slingers carried at least 2. Roman slingers were well equipped, and b/c of the roman empire they would use lead- we have found many lead glans.

I have only found one reference in the "Iberians and Carthaginians" as to Balearic slingers carrying 3 slings. This is the only reference that I am aware of. All depictions, weather on a column, vase, earn, coin, illuminated manuscript, etc... show only one sling being carried, along with a dagger, and pouch or just part of a tunic to hold projectiles. This leads me to believe that it was simply not the "NORM" for people to carry extra slings. If you know of any historical information to correct me please forward it.    

Depictions are not 100% accurate representation of what it was. They don't show what it was in the bag or tied on the belt for example.
Just like looking at media of today,from the future, you wouldn't get a 100% clear and true picture of what really happened,even in the age of internet,cameras etc.

Slings are cheap. Natural materials are prone to be damaged rather quickly. You don't want to loose your main weapon in a battle. Solution : braid 2 more slings, put them in your bag.

jlasud wrote on Oct 28^th, 2013 at 9:46am:

Depictions are not 100% accurate representation of what it was. They don't show what it was in the bag or tied on the belt for example. Just like looking at media of today,from the future, you wouldn't get a 100% clear and true picture of what really happened,even in the age of internet,cameras etc. Slings are cheap. Natural materials are prone to be damaged rather quickly. You don't want to loose your main weapon in a battle. Solution : braid 2 more slings, put them in your bag.

I agree that depictions are not even close to 100% accurate, but if you reference all depictions you will soon find that the evidence leans heavily to one side.

I also agree that slings are cheap, however I Do not agree that a sling made of natural fiber is prone damage. That is (Damage from using it.) I do not disagree that it may be a wise idea to carry extra slings, but I don't think it is wise with a severely unbalanced sample of information to assume men of "OLD" Carried more than one sling.

The standard reference for multiple slings is the description of Balearic slingers: Strabo 3.5.10, Diodorus. 5.17.18-- one long, one mid-range, one short; and worn on head, at waist, and in the hand. I'm not aware of any other textual references from antiquity.

Jumping in here after a long hiatus...

In no particular order my 'slinger's survival' kit is:
2 slings
water bladder
scrap leather for slings/footwear
needle/awl and thread
knife
flint or other fire making gear
cord/string
dried meat or pemmican equivalent
Small (6" diam) metal or ceramic cooking pot/bowl
Medical and/or recreational herbs/medicine
blanket/cloak to wrap everything in

Recreational herbs???
do you mean drugs ;)
lol....
I think that bilitong would be a good survival food for slingers or pemmican. Both are dried meat... pemican is half fat and half meat.
they don't keep super well though...
i think they would also carry a good pouch for stone/lead.
I wonder of anyone ever thought of using an animal stomach for carrying ammo???

StaffSlinger wrote on Dec 10^th, 2013 at 8:19am:

Jumping in here after a long hiatus... In no particular order my 'slinger's survival' kit is: 2 slings water bladder scrap leather for slings/footwear needle/awl and thread knife flint or other fire making gear cord/string dried meat or pemmican equivalent Small (6" diam) metal or ceramic cooking pot/bowl Medical and/or recreational herbs/medicine blanket/cloak to wrap everything in

There is no need for fire making insruments. Armies usually carried glowing embers for such purposes.

I shall revise my earlier list.

Six Foot Staff
Screw-on or -in spearhead
Long Knife (bowie, dagger, maybe a machete)
Tons of cordage
Three slings of varying length
A fanny pack with lead bullets or stones