9. Rain slicker
Storms could come up suddenly in the West, especially for those who were in the mountains. Those could be dangerous for cowboys, drenching them and causing hypothermia. They’d keep their rain slicker tied behind their saddle, either in a small blanket roll or alone, where it was ready at hand.
10. Blankets
An actual blanket roll was much bigger than what we are used to seeing in the movies. It could be as much as a foot in diameter. That was too big to carry while riding the range. On the trail, the cowboys would leave their blanket rolls in the chuck wagon, retrieving them at night.  No matter what, a cowboy would have a couple of blankets tied behind their saddle.
11. Coat
Just as today, coats were seasonal things. But you’d never find a cowboy leaving the home ranch, without a coat, if there was any chance of it getting cold.
12. Bandana
The bandana was a useful part of any cowboy’s kit. More than anything, it was used as a dust filter over the nose and mouth. But the bandana served many other purposes, as well, including protecting the neck from the sun, being a handy washcloth and serving as an emergency bandage.
13. Tobacco
Even cowboys who didn’t smoke tended to carry tobacco. Tobacco was the ultimate trade good. Offering someone a smoke was often the start of many a conversation, especially out on the trail.
14. Books

Many cowboys carried books with them. A large number were much more highly educated than you’d expect, having come from the East and being products of eastern schools, even universities.
Reading material was highly prized in the West. Cowboys would carry books along with them, trading them with each other as the opportunity arose.
15. Extra clothes
While they didn’t have an extensive wardrobe, most had a couple of changes of clothes, including one nice suit.

As you can see, cowboys carried many of the essentials with them including food, a canteen of water and guns and ammo. They also carried things like books to read and trade with and they also carried tobacco for trading as well.  They also carried basic fishing supplies so that they could have fish to eat. They may sure to only carry what they needed to save space. When an emergency occurs, you will be glad if you have the same supplies they did. It just might help you out in a tricky situation.

To learn more about what cowboys carried with them to survive off the land, you can visit:

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