The gear of the "Mad Trapper"

 A few months ago I was lucky to receive a link via email from a friend for the Discovery channel Canada show about the autopsy of “The Mad Trapper”. It was an excellent show but a little inaccurate as to the equipment Johnson carried on his run from the law. The documentary showed TMT with a small partially loaded ruck sack instead of a Trapper Nelson frame pack and he was carrying a rifle saddle scabbard tied to his pack. A saddle scabbard for your rifle would be a very impractical item due to its weight, bulk, and once frozen in the extreme temperatures of the arctic it would be like sheet iron thus making getting your rifle into play nearly impossible.

Also, the documentary showed the character playing Johnson wearing cotton military style clothing – another inaccuracy. Its just me, I have not watched TV in years but when I do I expect things to be portrayed accurately. I find that TV types are extremely vexing and annoying in the liberties they take. Portraying anything with inaccuracies only detracts from the true story and tends to cloud any issues involved in the story. I digress.....

Recently, I was staying with a friend in New Hampshire and happened to find the book “The Mad Trapper of rat River” -  by Dick North. Appendix “A” - Exhibit “C” lists all of the equipment Albert Johnson AKA “The Mad Trapper” had in his possession at the time he was killed by the RCMP.

Pretty cool to me and I'm sure to many others. I had personally never seen this list before and found it interesting to note that Johnson (according to the RCMP list) didn't have extra clothing of any kind, no socks, wool cap, extra mittens, undies and he didn't have a blanket or sleeping bag or food, just some salt and red pepper. During the manhunt He was never known to build a fire to warm himself or cook a meal. I'm just guessing but Perhaps he made small twig fires cook small game like the whiskey jack and squirrel or to brew some spruce or pine needle tea in his lard bucket cooking pot. If he didn't stop to cook or make a brew, I can only imagine that he was chewing snow for water and eating the small game he shot raw.

Looking over this list of equipment I think it shows definite wilderness savvy and potential skill. The Gear Johnson was packing was practical ad functional and suited to the environment. His choice of rifles was excellent, one each for large and small game. Johnson even had an oily rag to swab down his guns. The axe, knives (2), sewing kit, matches, Compass, fishing gear, and babiche to repair his snow shoes all show that Johnson was no tenderfoot and knew what to carry for an extended stay in the wilderness. Smart, functional and practical but about average for your typical “sour dough” I think.

Many of the items Johnson carried on his run from the RCMP closely resemble what I have in my pack now....Like red pepper, salt, sewing kit, fishing gear, .22 rifle & ammo, Matches, cooking pot, small mirror, buckskin rifle case, match safe, cash, razor. I do have a blanket, tent or hammock, minimal food and clothing.

I would like to find one of those old trapper nelson packs though, They look pretty cool but are getting hard to find. I might have to locate a craftsman who could make me a copy of one. I like the simple design of the wooden frame and the canvas pack sack. I did some research into the Trapper Nelson packs and found that they first hit the scene in 1927 and were popular up through WW2 and were used by the Alaskan Army scouts during the war.

In fact, I watched the movie “Death Hunt” with Lee Marvin and Chuck Bronson, which is based in the “Mad Trapper” story and noticed that “Johnson” was wearing a Trapper Nelson pack in the film. You could also see his extra rifle and axe handle sticking up out of the pack.

Below I have copied the list exactly as it is written in the Dick North Book about “The Mad Trapper”. I'm too old and broken down now to do it myself but Id like to see someone replicate Johnson's run from the law using this same gear. Personally?? I doubt anyone could do it.

 I especially doubt that any of the new generation of TV survival "Experts" could match this mans epic run from the law.

Tomahawk – Scouts Out!

Albert Johnson “The mad trapper”
(Gear)

When Johnson was killed he had the following possessions in is pockets and pack;
$2,410 in Canadian and American money.

A small glass jar containing 5 pearls valued at $15.00

5 pieces of gold dental work valued at $3.20

another small jar containing 13 penny weight of alluvial gold valued at $9.36

a model 99 Savage “Featherweight” rifle in 30.30

an Iver Johnson sawed off shotgun in 16 guage

a Winchester .22 rifle model  58

39 30-30 shells

4 16 guage shotgun shells

64 .22 bullets

a compass

a package of 32 pills

an axe; a trapper nelson pack ; lard can with lid in old sack; a dead squirrel; a dead whiskey jack

knife made from a trap spring

match safe

Gillette safety razor

envelope containing a piece of a 3 cornered file, an awl and a chisel made from a nail.
a small knife with a moose skin cover.
moose skin rifle cover, moose skin pouch, moose skin sewing bag containing needles and thread.
small spring, nails wrapped in tin foil, Matches wrapped in tin foil, 30-30 cartridge box containing a small empty bottle and a small piece of wax.
7 pieces of moose hide, a sack containing 6 empty sacks, 15 pieces of babiche, 1 large bundle of babiche snow shoe lacing,1 bundle of sewing thread, 1 moose skin lace.
Calico rifle cover
Large envelope containing;
1 box pony matches
1 bundle sulfur matches wrapped in tin foil
1 bundle sulfur matches wrapped in paper
1 tinfoil packet containing 2 pills
1 paper package of 6 pills
1 paper package of fish hooks
1 tinfoil package containing oily rag
1 leather cover containing comb and sewing materials
4 loose .22 shells
a moose hide container holding a small mirror
1 packet of red pepper
1 packet of salt
1 bundle of rag twine