Capotes - My Favorite Hunting Coat

[Jay Edward (deceased)]

Capote:  



For cool and cold weather the Mountain Man would wear a capote.  



A capote is a long coat of simple design often with a hood.  It was made from wool blankets, or wool blanket material which could be cut and assembled in the mountains.



Capotes were also available for trade at rendezvous and at the posts.  The capote dates back to at least the early 1700's and was popular to at least the 1870's.  Although designed as a coat, the capote could also be used as an extra blanket for sleeping during cold weather.  



The capote alone is warm and comfortable, however, it was large and loose enough that it could be worn over multiple layers of winter clothing.  



Blanket coats shown by Miller are commonly blue, blue-grey or green in color.



Below is a fair reproduction.

[bowhunter 51]

You can do alot of things with a blanket...I bought a woodland camo
blanket from Walmart for $5 some time back...doubled it and cut a
slit for my head to go through it...Wear it like a poncho, Clint Eastwood
Western fashion...great for 4-wheeler ride'n in cold weather........BH51..

[Jay Edward (deceased)]

What is the wool content of that blanket BH51?  As usual I prefer wool which is warm even when wet.

My first Capote was mid-calf length and was so warm (even in very cold weather) that I had it shortened to mid-thigh.  Since I generally wear wool pants in that type of weather... it didn't seem an issue.

I have found that wearing a very light thinsulate vest under the Capote really cuts the wind on those days when it is most inclement.  I do not care for bulky clothing, certainly not goretex or down... I need my upper body to be free to move during the hunting phase and so I dress in layers.

Hunting with blackpowder and wood bows almost demands this sort of dress.  Every once in a while I'll use my old Krag but for the most part it is percussion, flintlock or paper cartridge.  Sometimes I use my old .45-70 lever with blackpowder or, perhaps, 4759 but it's been many a year since I went hunting with a modern cartridge.

[Jay Edward (deceased)]

Here's a view of an reproduction early style Capote.

[bowhunter 51]

:smiley: Ain't no wool in this poncho blanket I got, Jay....I wish I could get my
hands on one of those old wool Army blankets, that would've been thing
to use...Yea, wool  is the way ta go....Just did that on a wim', but the thing
is, it has been most useful for a number of years in a multitude of ways...
I'm not  all'that with needle and thread to manfacture an early style
capote like the one in the picture...I can see where it's design would allow
less interferance to bow or smokepole tho...Poncho is bulky..........BH51.....