[Sca-cooks] other things they dont explain about Pennsic

Mon Jun 7 08:25:55 PDT 2004

i will add a safety note to this otherwise excellent list!
like many events,  there are vehicles coming on and off site after dark.
there are also the infamous Pennsic Golf Carts, used for security and
medical.

it is VERY hard to see people walking on the roads after dark.
(or at smaller events, walking to the parking lot)

this is why i started merchaning reflectve trim that could be used on period
clothing without looking TOO odd....
i suggest at least one pale colored, white, or reflective surcoat to be worn
when walking near roads to the porta castles, etc.

and carrying a light source will help a lot.

if you are driving, PLEASE remember that people in period clothing are often
invisible at night.
reds disapear when the light level drops, and so do dark blues,  browns,
greens, and black (duh)
unlike in mundania, you rarely have reflective sneakers or anything to help
you spot these folks. and NO street lights.

and those people who over imbibe and are tottering home from parties usually
think they are VERY visible, when they are not.  some of them decide to nap
on the road, and can look like a speed bump....
Kirsten Houseknecht
Fabric Dragon
kirsten at fabricdragon.com
www.fabricdragon.com
Philadelphia, PA     USA
Trims, Amber, Jet, Jewelry, and more...

I worry about you, wear a reflective sweater...
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Sharon Gordon" <gordonse at one.net>
To: "Cooks within the SCA" <sca-cooks at ansteorra.org>
Sent: Friday, June 04, 2004 9:32 AM
Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] other things they dont explain about Pennsic

> A few more to add to the list:
>
> 1) In the evening just before dusk on a clear night, walk up a hill where
> you can see a good section of Pennsic.  The incredible view will take you
> back 400+ years.
>
> 2) Usually a professional photographer gets quite a number of aerial shots
> including some amazing close up shots of Pennsic.  The battle scenes are
> particularly amazing.  I really like the Pennsic-Town-Map shots as well,
and
> amazingly you can usually spot your tent along with the rest of your
> encampment in these.  At some point these will be posted and you can order
> the ones you want.
>
> 3) It's really nice to have a subscription to the Pennsic newspaper.
>
> 4)  If you'd like to do Pennsic without ice or cooler, there are several
> helpful articles at
> http://www.geocities.com/aecooks/CGCampFood.html
> This gives a more medieval context to your meals.  The two main
differences
> between historic eating and Pennsic eating are that at Pennsic, you won't
> have a chicken for fresh eggs or livestock available for fresh meat.  In
> addition to the fresh food available at Pennsic, there are farmer's
markets
> near Pennsic with all sorts of freshly harvested produce.
>
> 5) If you line the walls of your tent or remember to turn out the lights,
> you won't give shadow shows to your neighbors.
>
> 6) Pennsylvania has some different traffic laws than other states, some
> differences in intensity of enforcement, and a few police who specifically
> target SCA people enroute or around Pennsic.  The main issues I know of
are:
> 1) Children up to(thru?) age 8 need to be in car seats.
> 2) There are speed traps on many if not all of the main routes to Pennsic
> including quite far away from Pennsic.  There are indications that Pennsic
> is specifically targeted.
> 3) There are issues with alcohol being brought into the state.  Can't
> remember exactly what.  But it seems to me that someone checked and that
> homemade for personal use (ie not for sale) was ok.  Someone might want to
> check for latest info to be sure.
> 4) Due to severe problems in PA with unregistered and uninsured drivers,
> there are often times where all cars are stopped and people must produce
> license, registration, and insurance info.  So keep these accessible.  At
> one point if people couldn't produce these, they were taking their cars
for
> several weeks.
> 5) If you go into town, be sure to take your Pennic parking hangtag off
your
> mirror as you are exiting the site.  The local police heavily target this
> violation.
>
> 6) There are lots of 3 month olds at any Pennsic.  Plan accordingly to
> increase or decrease your odds of being part of this phenomenon.
>
> 7) If the class and event lists are up before you go to Pennsic, you can
> save Pennsic time by mapping out your schedule ahead of time.  Do check
> everyday though for additions and cancelations.
>
> 8) If you sleep in comfortable tunic and pants, it makes hiking to and
using
> the restrooms easier at night.  Most people prefer having a flashlight for
> this, though some will carry a lit lantern.
>
> 9) If you have extra room, take some split wood or kindling for the
> campfires.  If not you can get some on site.
>
> 10) Usually there is at least some recycling at Pennsic.  If your home
area
> recycles more than what you can at Pennsic, your group may want to collect
> these recyclables and recycle them at home.  Also the amount of trash
> generated at Pennsic is horrendous, so anything you can do to prevent
trash
> from happening is good (cloth shopping bags, cloth produce bags, reusuable
> containers, cloth napkins, cloth hand/dish towels, etc.).
>
> 11) The Pennsic chocolate milk is deservedly legendary, and if you are
going
> to have one nonperiod food item during your time at Pennsic either this or
> the fresh corn would get my vote.
>
> 12) People who have really spiffy garb usually don't mind if you ask them
if
> you can get a picture of them.  So if you have a small camera, it's worth
it
> to carry it (concealed) wherever you go.  Ditto for encampments with
> wonderful walls and structures.
>
> 13) If you are trying to pack up on the last afternoon/evening for an
early
> morning departure, it helps either to eat out or to have a one pot dish,
so
> that clean up is faster, and unneeded things can be packed up.  If you
have
> fruit, cheese, and bread for breakfast, then you won't need to cook for
> that.
>
> 14) There are usually music groups and choruses that perform.  If you'd
like
> to be part of one, email for the music ahead of time so you can practice
in
> advance.
>
> 15) Take some rolls of quarters to do laundry at in town laundromats.
>
> 16) Take a pot large enough to heat water for dish washing, and some dish
> pans as well as a dish drying rack.  There are wooden dish drying racks.
> Period looking dish pans are harder to find.
>
> 17) It's helpful to take some water hose and a Y-connector to help move
> water around your encampment.  Some encampments have plumbed kitchen sink
> set ups. (Yes, here's a place where people really do pack the kitchen sink
> :-) ).
>
> 18) If your shopping is very successful and you can't get it all in your
car
> or airplane luggage, you can mail some of the excess to yourself.
>
> 19) At night at Pennsic, it's often damp, so besides suitable clothing,
it's
> very useful to have a groundcloth under your tent.  Many people keep lots
of
> their belongings in plastic rubber maid containers (cloth, paper, stamps,
> dryfoods and spices).  Others go for more period ceramic, metal, or glass
> containers for food, stamps, and paper and just dry the cloth as best they
> can.
>
> 20) It's nice to have a clothesline or wooden drying rack for clothes and
> towels.  Be sure to site the clothes line so no one is hurt running into
it
> in the dark.
>
> 21) If you play a portable musical instrument, playing and singing around
> the fire can be a lot of fun.
>
> 22) It can be hard to find quiet for sleeping at Pennsic.  If you like to
> sleep by 10 most nights, try to get in an encampment in a quiet area, and
> ask to be in the quieter area of your encampment.  Though even this
doesn't
> always work.  There was the year I was next to the fire circle, people
> drummed to 2am in another encampment nearby, and then just as I was
finally
> dozing off about 2:15am the bagpipe serenade came through the
> encampment...the birds start singing about 5am.  On the otherhand if you
> like to sleep late, try to camp away from the breakfast area, and the
> entrance/exit to your encampment.
>
> 23) If you go to dinner or a party in another encampment, take a
flashlight
> or lantern with you to make your return easier.
>
> 24) It can be very helpful to have a wooden folding chair for courts or
> events in other encampments.
>
> 25) If you have things you only use at Pennsic, you can rent local storage
> units and just leave the items there from year to year.  Sometimes groups
> will rent one together.
>
> 26) There are two different swimming areas.  Be aware of their different
> swimming situations.
>
> 27) Email your friends before you go to Pennsic to find out where they are
> camping.  Otherwise it may be challenging to locate them when you are
there.
>
> 28) If you are working on a portable hand craft, it makes it easier for
> someone to strike up a conversation with you on an art or science you are
> both interested in.
>
> 29) If a tour of especially spiffy encampments is offered, take the tour
if
> you can as you will get to see a lot more interesting things than you
might
> just walking by.
>
> 30) There are at least two grocery stores in town which will special order
> meats and other foods for you.  This way you can get some of the more
> unusual period items.
>
> 31) There are more fun things than you can do in any one year at Pennsic,
so
> enjoy as much as you can this year and start a list of things you'd like
to
> do next Pennsic.
>
> Sharon
> gordonse at one.net
>
>
>
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