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If you lived in the old west


Alpo

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But were not a cowboy, would you carry a rope on your saddle?

 

It seems like such a handy item to have. But, if it was handy back then, it would be handy now, and I don't have one in my truck. :huh:

 

I was looking at this Charles Russell print. IT'S NOT MEAT TILL IT'S IN THE PAN

 

attachment.thumb.jpg.35887271f96829e4baf175728aae199b.jpg

 

My first thought was, "I believe I'd just drop a loop over his horns, and have my horse pull him up".

 

Then looking again, I realize that since I cannot see the off side of the horse, I don't know if the guy has a rope. He certainly does not appear to be a working cowhand - not with that loaded pack horse, and being up in the mountains. Although I suppose he could be going to a line shack, and the pack horse is full of grub. But I digress.

 

A rope would be such a handy item, out in the boonies. Whether or not you were using it to catch cows.

 

Would you carry one?

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I carry several ropes in my truck, along with nylon tow straps, at least one chain, and any number of other various implements of destruction.  Of course I am woodsy as well as nautical.

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I carry 50 ft of nylon rope, 2 sets of ratchet straps, and multiple bungees in my truck. Yeeeehaw!

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3 minutes ago, Capt. R. Hugh Kidnme said:

I carry 50 ft of nylon rope, 2 sets of ratchet straps, and multiple bungees in my truck. Yeeeehaw!

I have pretty much the same. I do also keep some small paracord as well. Maybe 50’. 
 

Except I don’t say “Yeeeehaw”. I say “Wahoo!” ;)

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Yup, rope, bungees and cord, along with jumper cables and 4 way lug wrench are in the emergency box in the truck.

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Best to come equipped, not stripped.

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Ratchet straps, lightweight line (what you lubbers call ‘rope’), duct tape, an old cell phone w/12vdc power cord (you don’t even need a SIM card to call 911 on a deactivated cell phone), IFAK, jumper cables, heavy gloves, a few other odds and ends ride in a plastic tub behind the seat. 

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I have 4, maybe 5 15' 5/16" braid on braid nylon ropes behind or under the set of both my vehicles.

This rope is for tying down loads or what ever.

This 5/16" rope is rated 4000#.

Not a problem using 2 together to pull another vehicle. (not on the paved road)

 

Years ago, I was a steeple jack and carried various ropes.

Tie down pieces, 250' repelling line, 2 or 3 600' spools for re roping flagpoles.

I have 600' in 4 lengths for tethering hot air balloons which I flew for 18 years.

 

I have a barrel full of old flagpole ropes.

 

Damn, I have a lot of rope in the shed out back.

 

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1 hour ago, Yohanaqua said:

Best to come equipped, not stripped.

Or, as a good Pard of mine, Bingo Montana says " The chrome don't get you home".

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4 hours ago, Grass Range said:

I always have a lariet in the trucks. The guy in the painting has a rope tying down his pack on the pack horse. These are usually 20-30 feet long.

And I'd probably carry another rope in the pack,  just in case plus a hank of twine

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@Alpo Pard, our trucks ARE our horses today!

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I would have carried a rope for sure back in the day. It was a needed tool for lots of things back then. 

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The rope, as the knife, is one of mans earliest and most useful tools.  This has not really changed. A prudent man still keeps one (or more) near to hand. This is all I have to say on this subject.  Thanks to you all for your input.  

 

ML

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Yes, otherwise you wouldn't be able to stake your horse out so it can feed or make a picket line.

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Darn you guys, now I have to think about getting a rope to carry in my car!!:o

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Well, gee Alpo, the question was too vague.

 

Living in the Old West, would I carry a rope on the saddle?

 

What is my occupation?

 

What is my purpose in riding at any particular time?

 

What part of the Old West?

 

Who is riding with me? (Who is riding against me?)

 

If you want an answer, you need to be a little better with the questions.

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I live in the new west and do carry a rope when out on horse society distancing on a  extended ride into the woods or desert.  If hunting, most certainly.  I carry about 75 ft of 5 mm climbing line and 3 climbing carabiners.  Over the years it has been used to get inconsiderate deer and elk out of of bad spots.  Fortunately never to self rescue ourselves.  

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9 minutes ago, Ozark Huckleberry said:

Well, gee Alpo, the question was too vague.

 

Living in the Old West, would I carry a rope on the saddle?

 

What is my occupation?

 

What is my purpose in riding at any particular time?

 

What part of the Old West?

 

Who is riding with me? (Who is riding against me?)

 

If you want an answer, you need to be a little better with the questions.

I don't know. I thought vagueness was required for this question.

 

"If it was 1876, in Denver Colorado, and you were a blacksmith, and you were riding out to hunt for mushrooms for supper, and it looked like it was going to rain, and you took your friend Bob with you, would you carry a rope on your saddle?"

 

Is that what you're after?

 

Old west - anywhere between 1860 and 1900, and any place west of Arkansas.

 

Occupation - not a cowboy. Not someone that needed rope to do his job.

 

Purpose of the ride - going hunting, going fishing, going berry picking, looking for a good place to picnic with your girlfriend next week, bored hanging around the house and want to just get out and get a little fresh air.

 

 

I can think of several things it would be useful to bring along on a ride. Couple of blankets and a slicker rolled up and tied behind the saddle, in case you didn't get back before dark and you need to spend the night out there, or it started to rain. A pair of saddlebags containing a cup, some matches, a bag of jerky, couple or three spoonfuls of coffee, some spare ammunition for your gun, and a hatchet. A canteen filled with water.

 

But most people would not just go for a ride, and have a blanket roll and packed saddlebags. Why should they - they're just going out of town for a little bit.

 

A rope would be a very handy item to have in many instances. And most of the time it would just be hanging there on the saddle in the way.

 

So if you were a store clerk, or a school teacher, or the town mayor, or anybody that did not need a rope to make their living (am I being precise enough here?), would you have a rope on your saddle?

 

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If I were with my family in the old west, it would have been Wise County, Texas, and we would have been too poor to have a horse, let alone a saddle.  The rope would hang over my shoulder until I got to whatever needed the rope.

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51 minutes ago, Alpo said:

I can think of several things it would be useful to bring along on a ride. Couple of blankets and a slicker rolled up and tied behind the saddle, in case you didn't get back before dark and you need to spend the night out there, or it started to rain. A pair of saddlebags containing a cup, some matches, a bag of jerky, couple or three spoonfuls of coffee, some spare ammunition for your gun, and a hatchet. A canteen filled with water.

 

 

I carry most of those things in the car, including rope already.  There is always a thermal blanket in the car and once it starts getting cold, a small backpack with an army blanket, MRE crackers, water purifier, multi tool, fire starter and some 550 cord goes into the backseat until it gets warm again

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Well nowadays I carry ratchet straps in my trunk, but seeing as how those weren't around back then, a rope would've been the next best thing

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2 hours ago, Alpo said:

I don't know. I thought vagueness was required for this question.

 

"If it was 1876, in Denver Colorado, and you were a blacksmith, and you were riding out to hunt for mushrooms for supper, and it looked like it was going to rain, and you took your friend Bob with you, would you carry a rope on your saddle?"

 

Is that what you're after?

 

Old west - anywhere between 1860 and 1900, and any place west of Arkansas.

 

Occupation - not a cowboy. Not someone that needed rope to do his job.

 

Purpose of the ride - going hunting, going fishing, going berry picking, looking for a good place to picnic with your girlfriend next week, bored hanging around the house and want to just get out and get a little fresh air.

 

 

I can think of several things it would be useful to bring along on a ride. Couple of blankets and a slicker rolled up and tied behind the saddle, in case you didn't get back before dark and you need to spend the night out there, or it started to rain. A pair of saddlebags containing a cup, some matches, a bag of jerky, couple or three spoonfuls of coffee, some spare ammunition for your gun, and a hatchet. A canteen filled with water.

 

But most people would not just go for a ride, and have a blanket roll and packed saddlebags. Why should they - they're just going out of town for a little bit.

 

A rope would be a very handy item to have in many instances. And most of the time it would just be hanging there on the saddle in the way.

 

So if you were a store clerk, or a school teacher, or the town mayor, or anybody that did not need a rope to make their living (am I being precise enough here?), would you have a rope on your saddle?

 

 

Okay, now that you’ve gotten a little more precise, it’s possible to give an answer. 
 

 

Maybe, maybe not. It depends. 

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Maybe you're the guy that rents a horse from the livery or you're like Bat Masterson who liked to ride trains. If I had a horse back then, of course I would have a rope. How else can you hang the bad guys you come across?

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