1830's era Oregon territory Mountain Man/Trapper persona

[De_LaLonde]

Hi all.  While waiting for my rifle to be built, I'm starting to piece together the shooting necessities and some historical "kit" to use along with it.  I'm currently in South Carolina, but will be relocating to the Grant's Pass area of Oregon by the end of the summer.  Mr. Lange has stated that the trade rifle being built would have been in use in the 1830's or so.  I'm figuring that I should build the persona around a fur trader/trapper of that era from the Oregon territory.  This is my first attempt at this so I'm looking for some help.  Any books or documentation you could direct me towards on-line would be a great deal of help.  I don't think it's too complicated of a persona to outfit.  I do have some specific questions you all might be able to answer for me and see if I have the main parts right.

Pants.  Fall front full length trousers along with braces?  These would seem to be a better choice than fly front trousers, as those seem more second half 19th century?  Not sure.

Shirts.  This one is a little harder there are many different styles and I'm sure they all overlapped at some point.  Collar or no collar?  Anything to steer clear of as not period correct?

Hunting shirt/frock.  Would these have been worn during this era or would it have been too late?

Capotes.  Were these the standard winter cover besides wool blankets and animal skins?

Shoes.  I've been reading and looking and I think that "Jefferson booties" would have been used during this period.  If so would they have been undyed, or black?

Leggings/gaiters.  Would these have been worn during this period?  If so what kind of materials and length?  I was looking at tarred gaiters (black), but not sure if these were used much for non military applications.

Headwear/hats.  I know tricorns are out.  What kinds of hats could fit in this period?

Any other details you might be able to give or point me in a direction would be greatly appreciated.

[Red Badger]

I am just going to spit out some thoughts here and as I am not one of our historians DO NOT Quote  me, Origon at that time would have been still under British control but with some possible Russian influence... 

for hats I would say go with a Fur hat or possibly a voyagers touque...

Jacket would be a fur coat or Capote

Footwear Moccisons

Shirt - 1830 you could get away with collered or no coller, and unless yo are gentry no ruffles!  If you were a fancy man yo might even have a union suit ( I beleive they were just coming into style then)

I am sure ourt local historians will now jump in to show that I don't know anything 
Good luck and when you get your kit togather lets see a picture or two!

Jim

[mongrel]

The British didn't turn over control of the Oregon Territory till very late in the 1830's, possibly the early 1840's. The first year for the wagon trains headed west was, I believe, 1841, and that was in direct response to "Oregon" having become United States territory. Especially in the later years of their rule, there, the British in charge were civil and actually often very helpful to "lost" American trappers and traders, but they made it plain that once they'd been polite and helpful it was time for the Americans to leave.

I know I said, and this is true, that the "Western Trade Rifles" I build are correct back to the mid-to-late 1830's, but they would have been a new product at that time. As a common item they were really more an 1840's and later product. If anyone cares to dig up a topic of mine which I think is entitled "The Time In Between", I go into some detail regarding the period between the end of the fur trade in the late 1830's, and the Civil War, being every bit as wild and dangerous as times that had gone before. That time gets overlooked because everyone seems hung up on longhunters and mountain men, but there were thousands upon thousands of tough men who never longhunted or went to the mountains as trappers. Somehow they aren't seen as being as romantic or glamorous or however someone cares to describe it, but they raised families in a howling wilderness that advanced westward from the Colonial forests all the way to California, they fought Indians, they died in a hundred highly unpleasant ways, and though they're largely ignored they did as much as anyone and a whole lot more than most in the way of building this country. I was thinking of them and of modern-day hunters wanting a relatively inexpensive PC firearm when I decided to start making my Western Trade Rifles.

[De_LaLonde]

Yeah, I'm not too concerned with being super historically detail oriented.  I just want to get an outfit to wear when shooting and to meets/rendezvous more or less.  I was just looking for the generic clothing list for the late first half 19th century.  Not looking to do any historical education or suck per se.

It is very interesting the history of the Oregon territory as Mongrel says.  It is much more interesting than I would have thought before I seriously started researching it.