by THL Crystoffer ap Cynan Llwyd

To Paraprase a popular song of 1999- "Milords and ladies of the SCA, Wear sunscreen. If I could offer you only one tip for your future events, sunscreen would be it. The long-term benefits of sunscreen have been proved by scientists, whereas the rest of my advice has no basis more reliable than my own meandering experience."

For some of you the SCA may be your first experience with primitive camping. This article is a compilation of thoughts and advice on how to make these camping events more enjoyable. Some of this advice is the result of my own personal experiences while some belong's to others. The only thing worse than arriving at the site after driving for three hours only to discover that you have forgotten a valuable piece of equipment is to remember that you forgot something after just passing your "point of no turning back". Believe me... I have been there and done that. To help you prevent these possible oversights that can potentially ruin the whole weekend I offer the following pearls of wisdom.

Plan Ahead-

The one thing that will impact your enjoyment of the event the most will be the weather. Check the weekend weather forecast for the event area at least 2 days in advance and pack appropriately. There is nothing more miserable than being cold or wet all weekend. Regardless of what the weather service predicts, plan for rain.

Health & Safety-

Don’t forget to pack any medication you may need and in sufficient quantity to last the weekend. It is also a good idea to have supplies for those injuries and "inconveniences" that may arise. These should include alcohol (the medicinal type), insect repellant, first-aid cream, and Band-Aids, aspirin, anti-hystemine, and decongestant, and something for a temperamental stomach. Bring your allergy medicine and wear sunscreen!

Bring fire extinguisher or if you don’t have one find out who in camp does and where it is located. I have seen a nylon dome tent burn, and believe me there is almost no time to react. If you use tiki torches or similar lamps make sure wicks are in good condition and that the torches can't be knocked over. It goes without saying that they should never be within striking distance of any tent/pavilion/tarp/etc. Pitch your tent no closer than 10 feet to any fire pit, farther for tents made of nylon or other synthetics. For an added bit of protection keep a minimum distance of 5 feet for a clear waltway between your tent and your neighbors’.

Drive stakes as deep into the ground as possible and tie bright colored tape, or strips of cloth on to dark colored or thin tent lines. Keep your tent stakes and ropes out of the obvious traffic areas. Having someone trip over your tent ropes can be dangerous.

Shelter and Storage-

Stake your tent firmly. If you fail to do so and it gets windy, it will disassemble it and any unstable items like sun shades and banners. Having your tent collapse, or become airborne, in the wee hours of the morning makes for a very rude awakening. Bring at least one waterproof container and keep your medicine, valuables and a change of clothes in it. Include a couple of large plastic garbage bags in which you can put your bedding and garb if the weather gets nasty. After the event you can police your campsite and put any thrash you have in them. A plastic tarp under the floor of your tent will help prevent things from poking a hole in the tent floor and help keep you and your possessions dry. By folding the edges of the tarp under the tent floor, it will not act like a large rain collector and instead act as a layer of water-proofing. An added benefit is that keeping the edges if the tarp under the tent helps keep the underside of the tent floor dry. Thus, it you will be more likely packing a dry tent in Sunday morning and reducing the cances of mildew growth.

Comfort-

In addition to providing comfort, a sleeping pad or air mattress will raise you up off the ground and provide an extra bit of insulation if it gets cold. An extra blanket is always a good thing to have and can also serve as impromptu cloak. Wear socks on your feet. While you are sleeping keep the sleeping bag up over your nose so that you are breathing warm air into your sleeping bag instead of out into the cold tent. If it is sunny, a nylon dome tent will become unbearably hot during the daylight hours so keep its windows and door uncovered.

Bathing-

Make note of the shower facilities. If there are none, Solar showers are low tech alternative, and take up little or no space for packing. On a sunny day, if you place them in the sun first thing in the morning it should be hot enough to use by 2 o’clock. If it was a long sunny day, you may have to add cool water to the bag to prevent scalding. Make sure to place the bag where it will be in the sun most of the day. Check on it once or twice a day to make sure that shadows haven't covered it.

For smaller volumes of water, a simple milk jug painted black and kept in the sun works beautifully, especially for hand and dishwashing. Remember to wrap the jug in a couple of towels after the sun begins to set, This helps to keep the jug insulated and warm

Courtesy-

Ask permission BEFORE picking anything up, unless it poses and obvious and immediate safety hazard. For appearances and safety, keep your campsite clean and uncluttered. Keep mundane articles out of site or disguised. Be considerate of those camping around you. Offer to help... Offer to help often.

Lastly here is an abridged version of my pre-event checklist. I normally have each category broken down into individual pieces so I don’t forget anything.

Clothing-

• Garb- field, fighting, and court dress, etc.
• Accessories- belts, pouch, jewelry, regalia, sword and dagger.
• Footware- boots, shoes.
• Protective clothing suitabe for the season- cloak, hood, , wide brimmed hat, rain gear, thermal underwear, an extra pair of socks, etc.
• Sewing repair kit.

Shelter-

• Tent, stakes and hammer.
• Air mattress.
• Sleeping bag(s).
• Blanket and pillow.
• Plastic ground cloth.
• Plastic garbage bags to keep garb dry incase of rain.
• Waterproof storage container.
• Plastic rain poncho (makes for reasonably dry packing for the trip home on rainy Sunday mornings).
• Fire extinguisher.

Armor-

• Armor bag- gorget, kidney belt, legs, arms, athletic cup, etc.
• Breastplate, helmet, shield.
• Torse , mantle, and crest
• Weapons.
• Armor repair kit.

Necessities-

• Sufficient cash to get to the event and back home.
• Toiletries- soap, shampoo, toothpaste, toothbrush, razor, towels, etc.
• Medicine and first aid kit.
• Sunsreen
• Flashlight (check batteries)
• Feast gear, napkin, candles, tankard, dish soap & sponge, and a plastic bag (for dirty sponge or dirty feast gear if unable to wash up).
• Food- breakfast bars, lunch and snacks.
• DIET COKE!!

Misc-

• Camp stool or chair.
• Banners.
• Herald’s tabard.
• Stove/grill and propane/charcoal (don't forget lighter fliud and ingniter).
• Citronella candles.
• Bug spray.
• Cooler.
• Current A&S project.