I have a rather dumb question about wearing a kettle hat and carrying a spear. How do you carry the spear properly? Every time I carry a spear while wearing a kettle hat, the spear shaft (held in my right hand, resting over my right shoulder) keeps banging into the brim of the helmet. It also pushes my head to the left. I really have to tilt the spear backwards or tilt my head to the left to prevent that. It's at its worst when we are marching.

How are you carrying your spears?

Have you tried carrying it in the crook of your elbow.

Nope, but I'll give that a try. Thanks!

Just carry it thumb down. Thus, it will rest more closely on you shoulder, and you can tilt it so that goes under the brim. Unelss you have an obcenely wide brim.

Here is a thought... maybe an infantry men wouldn't be wearing his helmet while on the march. I think the Roman (not 100% on this) wore their helmets on their front while marching. Once it is time to wear the helmet (business time), the spear would be at the ready. Just a thought.

umm no Romans carried there own gear on the march. they did have pack mules yes, but not for their gear

Thanks for the tips everyone.

Quote:

However, precise drill is mostly a renaisance thing. In the middle ages you can carry your spear any way you like.

Got sources? I'd love to read more about drilling in the middle ages. We have been basing a lot of what we do off Roman reenactment (a few from our group also do Roman reenactment).

Lack of sources, rather! But I do remember seeing several different ways of carrying polearms in the illustrations to the Maciejowski Bible, so at least that source seems to support the idea that there was no standard position for carrying a spear on the march.

As a modern soldier, I always clipped my helmet to my LBV or IBA when not wearing it. I didn't care if it banged against my other equipment or not, because it was worth not having to wear it. You get tired of having the weight on your head for extended periods of time - moreso in the heat. I can only figure that soldiers on the move in antiquity might do the same thing - but it would be interesting to see some sort of historical documentation as to what the most common practice was.

Chuck; Seems they did in "Marius" system. I was confusing it with late legions, where armour was more scarce...

JE: I do the same with my modern helmet, either by a quick relase shackle or a lanyard. There is however significant differences; medevial helmets are heavier, and, most importantly, the only attatchment point is the belt. This means that walking around with your kettlehat in the belt, while handier than having it on the head, strains you hips. It is of course still freqently done, but not ideal.

You can of course attatch the helmet to some other baggage carrying equipment. I have at times carried mine on the strap of my medevial shoulder bag.

A lot of 16th and 17th C morions have a suspension hole or ring matching a hook on the cuirass, not derectly relevant to 14thC, other than same role and type, but indicative of what a pest a heavy helmet is. By the way, my osteopath recons long term wearing of a heavy steel helmet permenantly damaged my neck, so, I'd advise the carry slung option.