Canvas Water bags

Dio. You have forgotten the big-bosomed virgins carrying pitchers of cider, waiting on the every need of the workers in the field. But yes, the flavour of 'water bag' water was kind of special - especially when we were thirsty!

How old are you blokes to remember those days??

John, I remember the waterbag flavour but I don't remember the big-bosomed virgins!

Allan I guess finding a virgin, big bosomed or not is quite an achievement these days in itself :-)

Let alone one that will get you a drink of any sort :-))

How old do we have to be to remember water bags John ?

I'm under 50 and can remember having on on the front of the car.
I can also remember the round canvas bag ( like the round canvas showers available) that hung in the shade of the railway station. They had a 'spout' on the side that hooked up up to the top rim when not in use. What a treat it was to get a drink from this on a hot day when we were at the station.

Mrs s

No I do remember the water bags it was all the other stuff, sewing bags of wheat, draught horses in the fields and virgins bringing drinks to the workers that I'm to young to remember :-)

All the virgins are waiting for the Muslim bombers to blow 'emselves up. Each bomber gets 47 virgins so if you want one you'd better buy yourself a 2000 model Nissan Patrol and wait for the BANG!!!! ;-)

Barry, we had an old kero fridge and do remember Mum making home made icecream. Only problem it was hard not to set it too cold and to stop the bloody things from smoking.
Ian

Yes Ian I also remember the home made ice cream from one of these old frigs, in fact I still have a tray from the freezer compartment of Mum's & I now use it as a watering trough for the many small lizards that live in our back yard!!

Mum used to use a thing that I think was called"gelatine" that was supposed to somehow make the ice cream "set" but it somehow made the ice cream a bit sort of crunchy!! A bit like as if it was dosed up pretty well with uncooked rice!! Anyway, poor old Mum used to feed us pretty well so I only have fond memories of what by today's standards were "hard" times, but back then were just normal for most people & I would not swap them for quids.

I'll let you know a little secret Barry, SWMBSO used to work for Streets Ice Cream making the Ice Cream hahahahahahaha

Nothing wrong with a Canvas water bag, they are just like the mighty MAROONS, gotta "Love 'Em" hahahahaha


Cheers Kev

With this recent very hot weather we've been experiencing , I decided to make some "Ye Olde Worlde Homemade Icecream". You know the one that was allegedly in the "sealed section" of the Black Label edition of the CWA cookbook.

Ingredients:-
600 ml of whipping cream
2 tins of sweetened condensed milk
3 teaspoons of vanilla extract

Method:-
Into a large mixing bowl ,add the cream and vanilla extract, beat until the cream has increased in volume and is firming into "soft peaks".Add the tins of condensed milk one at a time while constantly beating the mixture. Once thoroughly mixed turn into an empty icecream container[ this recipe makes 2 litres] and place in freezer for at least 24 hours. Next lick clean the beaters, spoon, mixing bowl and emptied condensed milk tins, then reach for the insulin. This recipe doesn't need any further mixing as the air bubbles in the whipped cream keep it soft enough to spoon out of the container.

For a slightly less sweeter/fattening version , substitute one of the tins of condensed milk for 4 well beaten eggs.

Enjoy, I know I have:)

Welldone

Hi,
Sorry I haven't answered my original message but you have to soak the bag in water for at least 2 days or more and to kill the baggy taste put a little white vinegar in this water.
Hope this helps
Ian

also note THEY ARE SUPPOSED TO "LEAK" - that's how they work

The water that 'seeps' through the bag actually cools during the evaporative stage, which in turn cools the bag and contents - same principal as any evaporative cooler

Why a lot of people hang them off the front bullbars is that the air that hits the bag during driving also helps with the cooling process ( and it saves the back seat getting wet if you tried leaving them inside :-))

How do I know all this?

Well being a Kiwi I had never seen a canvas water bag until I came to Oz. So wanting to ensure I was 'suitably equipped' I too bought a canvas water bag (still can get them from most camping and BCF stores) did all the 'seasoning' as described in the 'operators manual' and, full of expectations, filled it up only to see water seeping through the canvas.

So I went through the seasoning process again - same result

Applied some Kiwi ingenuity and sprayed the entire outside with, spray on waterproofing' - still 'leaked' so threw the stupid thing into the rubbish bin

It wasn't until some years later when I was on a trip and had about 6 mates sitting around a camp fire all telling stories (both true and false - as you do) and I told them the story about 'that stupid canvas water bag' that I threw into the bin.

Couldn't understand why they were all rolling around the camp fire laughing like bloody Hyenas !!!!!

Needless to say I have now bought a 2nd canvas bag and use it with pride :-))))

add to above


The bags are 'usually' not made of canvas but actually a woven flax

add to above

sorry but I keep on thinking of things to add about 1 millisecond after I push the ' submit' button

It is the fact that they are made of flax that gives the water that 'distinctive' taste that you will remember for the rest of your life everytime someone talks about water bags :-))))

like we are now ----ahhhh---- waterbag water--mmmmmmmmmmmmm :-)))