[Ansteorra] GW camping in cold/hot weather tips

[Padraig Ruad O'Maolagain]

Footwear:  Multiple pairs of shoes/boots can make War much more enjoyable. Have a pair of shoes/boots that will support your feet well for a lot of walking, because you will do a LOT of walking.  Have a pair of comfortable shoes/moccasins for wear in camp - also good for the midnight dash to the privies if you don't have a porta-potty in your tent.  A big plus is a pair of gumboots/wellies/other waterproof footwear, because while you will be uncomfortable in wet clothes if (when) it rains, you will be miserable with wet, cold feet.

Ground preparation/Fire Safety:  As with any campsite, you want to remove twigs, branches, rocks, etc, from the area you're going to set your tent on, so a lawn rake is an excellent thing to have on hand.  Some folks are proponents of trenching (a narrow, shallow ditch around your tent to guide water away) in case of rain, so a spade is also useful.  Make sure you don't channel water into someone else's tent.  The spade is also useful for digging firepits, waste-water holes, etc, and for use in fire control.  Make sure your firepit is at least 10 feet from any tents or structures.  Clear the ground around the pit of leaves and other flammable debris.  The dirt from the pit is good for fire control, but it doesn't hurt to have a bucket of water and/or an extinguisher located nearby.  You should also have an extinguisher handy to any area where there are cook stoves or heaters.

Padraig



________________________________
From: Hillary Greenslade <hillaryrg at yahoo.com>
To: ansteorra <ansteorra at lists.ansteorra.org>
Sent: Mon, February 1, 2010 3:27:10 PM
Subject: [Ansteorra] GW camping in cold/hot weather tips

Greetings, 
With Gulf Wars looming on the horizon in a month, I thought I'd post a few questions about camping in very cold/hot and perhaps wet weather, and hopefully get some answers from folks to prepare those on our list for whom this is their first war:  

1)  Garb:  recommendations on fibers, layers, under/outerwear, headgear, footgear? 

2)  Tents:  recommendations on rain protections, ground preparations? 

3)  Bedding:  ground/above-ground beds, bed clothes (blankets, sheets, furs)?

4)  Cooking/firepit safety:  emergency fire extinquishers, ground preparations, wood to use? 

5)  Heaters in tents:  proper use of tent heaters, venting, carbon monixide poisoning issues?

6)  Health issues:  Hyperthermia, overheating issues,  insect prevention and treatment?
Irritant plants presention and treatment (poison ivy/oak)?

Anything else forgotten that might be good to share with newcomers preparing for their first camping?

Here are a few links that might help in your preparations from a variety of great SCA war websites: 
http://www.gulfwars.org/rules.html
http://www.gulfwars.org/faq.html

Camping ideas from other great wars, these may not apply to Gulf Wars:
http://www.estrellawar.org/Portals/EstrellaWar/articles/PACK-LST.pdf
http://www.estrellawar.org/PreparingToAttend/Weather.aspx
http://www.pennsicwar.org/penn39/GENERAL/pack.html
http://www.pennsicwar.org/penn39/GENERAL/guide.html

Happy planning and packing, 
Cheers, Hillary