[Ansteorra] GW camping in cold/hot weather tips

Mon Feb 1 20:39:26 PST 2010

Just a note, many people will bring cameras. When not using it, store it and any extra film in a plastic tote. Pictures don't turn out well if the film gets wet. I learned this after my first War, when two rolls of film got wet, then didn't develop properly.

Lady Gabriele

Kingdom of Ansteorra

The pursuit of truth and beauty is a sphere of activity in which we are allowed to remain children all our lives. (Albert Einstein)

> Date: Mon, 1 Feb 2010 19:47:01 -0600
> From: eithnethehealer at gmail.com
> To: ansteorra at lists.ansteorra.org
> Subject: Re: [Ansteorra] GW camping in cold/hot weather tips
> 
> >From one who has been to a few GWs,
> 
> Linen is the best fiber for garb, it is not too hot in summer nor too cold
> in winter.
> 
> I cannot afford 14 gowns for a week at war. So except for a couple of Feast
> nights, The dress I wear during the day is my underdress every evening.
> For GW, wool overdresses are great for evening and you can comfortably be
> out in the cool of the evening.(the wool overdress can be short to save
> on costs and it's appropriate to my period.) Then add your cloak for
> comfort.
> 
> Another way to dress up the gown you wore during the day and stay warm is to
> make one or two cotes.
> Make a simple tunic, long, split down the middle add, soutache braid around
> the edge, add a cloak pin to close and you are set.
> 
> Ice is brought around to each camp at least 4 x a day.
> 
> Don't forget to get the heaters that shut off if the carbon monoxide level
> goes up.
> 
> Wood is usually available free on site, if there is wood laying around we do
> the landowner a favor by burning it.
> 
> Some years we have downpours, so bring parkas to be able to work in the
> rain.
> 
> Speaking of rain, we would all love to have period storage, but use plastic
> tubs to assure drying garb or keep your garb in plastic bags.
> 
> The most important advice, keep a set of mundanes in your car in case you
> somehow have wet clothes.
> 
> 
> 
> In Service to the House, the Shire & the Kingdom, and to the Pursuit of True
> Honor,
> Lady Eithne ingen meic Cináeda
> GrandeDamme FalconRose Keep at Loch Callendre,
> Kingdom of Ansteorra, SCA
> 
> 
> On Mon, Feb 1, 2010 at 18:49, Sonja Crocker <sonja.crocker at gmail.com> wrote:
> 
> > We attended Gulf Wars last year and this is what we learned from that
> > experience.
> >
> > 1. Garb: Cotton fibers are best. Dress in layers! It was wet and extremely
> > cold (in the 40s) at night and cool to warm during the day. The average
> > temp
> > was between 65 and 75 during the day. I suggest wearing headgear with a
> > wide
> > brim or with long scarves. Most of us had sunburned necks and shoulders. I
> > also suggest wearing very comfy shoes. Expect on walking around 1-2 miles a
> > day at least. There are many things to see and do but they are very spread
> > out and can be far from camping areas.
> >
> > 2. Tents: Use rain flies or tarps over the roofs of your tent/s and/or
> > pavilions. It rained a lot and it rained hard. I also suggest putting a
> > tarp
> > down as a floor and connecting the corners to make a sort of bath tub. This
> > will help in keeping the rain out of your gear. We packed all of our garb
> > in
> > plastic storage bins. We plan on having a mesh bag to hang from our
> > pavilion
> > frame. We will use it to keep our dirty garb in.
> >
> > 3. Bedding: We used cots and they were wonderful. The ground gets cold at
> > night. Be sure to bring plenty of bedding or a tent heater. We had three
> > quilts on us and still had to borrow a heater to keep warm. The kids each
> > used a sleeping bag made for cold weather and they were fine. Being cold at
> > night and early morning were our biggest problems. I hated changing into my
> > garb in a cold tent.
> >
> > 4. Cooking/Firepit Safety: You can buy a cord of wood on site. That is what
> > we did. We bought one cord for a group of 30 people and it lasted all week.
> > We still had some left by week's end.
> >
> > 5. Heaters in Tents: Be sure to use a heater that has an automatic cut-off
> > system in place in case it turns over or runs out of fuel. Also be sure to
> > keep your windows and doors cracked open. This will help with proper
> > ventilation. The small cans of fuel will not cut it. It will be best to use
> > the big 20+ pound container. We used the small ones and they did not last
> > the night.
> >
> > 6. The most important issues to be aware of are sunburn and dehydration.
> > There are MANY water bearing tents so please make use of them. There is
> > also
> > one tent that serves the best pb&j and bacon sandwiches. They are offered
> > for a donation. They are wonderful and the protein is a definite plus. Be
> > sure to take plenty of snacks that are full of protein. This will help keep
> > your strength up during the day. We took lots of peanut butter and crackers
> > and beef jerky. They really helped keep the kids happy and full.
> >
> > 7. Camping with Kids: We had about 10 kids in camp with us. Here are some
> > ideas for keeping the tots happy. There is a Minister of Children area. It
> > is a wonderful resource. They have classes every day. They are offered for
> > kids 6-12. They have classes for a couple of hours in the morning and a
> > couple in the afternoon. Gulf War policy is that kids must always be in the
> > line of sight or in hearing distance of their designated adult. There are
> > also youth archery competitions and youth combat. As long as an adult is
> > with the child, he or she may also attend various demonstrations which are
> > fun and worth it. My kids are 8 and 11. They loved playing in camp, going
> > to
> > class, and watching the fighting. They also loved watching the blacksmith
> > in
> > the Early Period Encampment. A lot of the camping is very open. This year,
> > we are setting up tents in such a way as to have a closed in area for the
> > kids to play in. Having kids running around a fighter's tent at o dark
> > thirty was not a pleasant experience for the fighter I am sure.:) Pack many
> > snacks for the kids. They will eat more than you think. We had a 12" by 12"
> > by 36" box full of snacks. I thought it would be plenty. It lasted three
> > days. I have a better idea this year. We plan on having a gallon baggie for
> > each child per day. This will be full of snacks (peanut butter crackers,
> > goldfish, jerky) for the day. I noticed that the kids ate more while in
> > camp. We plan on grabbing a snack bag each and leaving for the day.
> >
> > More good info:
> >
> > There are plenty of places to eat there. There is The Goode Bakery. They
> > sell meat pies and pastries for a reasonable price. There is also a grill
> > and a cafeteria onsite. The grill is a little pricey, but the cafeteria is
> > not really. The cafeteria sells meals for about $6.50 a piece. For this you
> > get a main item, two sides, bread, a drink, and a dessert. The helpings are
> > very generous. They have a weekly meal plan. You can by meal tickets. You
> > get a discount when you purchase them I think. There is also a gas station
> > at the entrance with a grill. It is inexpensive and they have great food.
> > They also sell ice onsite. They have a golf cart that comes around and
> > sells
> > it to each camp once a day. I think it ran about $2 - $2.50 a bag. They
> > have
> > onsite showers and toilets. They installed better water heaters last year.
> > Now, the water actually gets hot and stays that way through most of the
> > shower.:) They are well lit and have power outlets. Our bath house had two
> > showers each and about 5 unisex toilets. There are also porta-potties but
> > they had queues constantly and they were smelly. Be sure to get EVERYTHING
> > out of your car that you will need. Cars must be moved early in the week
> > and
> > it is a good mile's hike to the car parking area. We forgot some things in
> > the car that first day. After trekking out there once, we made sure that
> > did
> > not happen again.:)
> >
> > This will be our second war. I am hoping to be better prepared this year.
> > Take lots of garb. Figure at least one outfit per person per day. For the
> > kids, I suggest two outfits per day. My kids were constantly covered in
> > mud.
> > This will happen. I have heard that there will be lots of rain again this
> > year. Bring an umbrella too. I wouldn't care if it isn't period. I will be
> > dry.:)
> >
> > I hope I covered everything, but I am sure I forgot something. I usually
> > do.:) It's that Mommy Mushy Mind Syndrome, you know.
> >
> > Lady Cait O'Hara
> > Camping at the End of the World with Loch Ruadh
> > Come find us, we don't bite - much!:)
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > On Mon, Feb 1, 2010 at 3:27 PM, Hillary Greenslade <hillaryrg at yahoo.com
> > >wrote:
> >
> > > 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
> > > _______________________________________________
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> > >
> >
> >
> >
> > --
> > Cait O'Hara
> > mka: Sonja Crocker
> > _______________________________________________
> > Ansteorra mailing list
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> > http://lists.ansteorra.org/listinfo.cgi/ansteorra-ansteorra.org
> >
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