In terms of practical accessories, it cannot be overstated how popular you will be if you have something to tell the time with and something to write on and with 😄
True facts. We nicknamed one of our fellow re-enactors “time jester”, because he was the only one with a pouch big enough to fit his phone in while in front of the punters 😂
I always thought the "socks, lots of socks" advice was for when they inevitability get sweaty/wet/muddy. I can't imagine wearing more than 1 pair at a time 😱 Excellent advice, I know I'll be pointing new larpers at this video in future ❤️ I think hats/hoods are great opportunities for distinctive costume that doesnt take up a lot of space/weight and can be very practical too.
... I have been going to fest LARP for over 10 years now and I was still called out by this video repeatedly. "You need to be able to put this on on your own in a tent you can't stand up in" "Head to toe Armstreet" ASH WHY ARE YOU COMING FOR ME THIS HARD
This video is a great introduction, and I would like to echo the gospel of the BELT POUCH BELT POUCH BELT POUCH. (For one of my costumes, the only custom-made part I got was a wide belt with space for pouches on it. I think I ended up with four or five pouches plus a water bottle, and it was fantastic to not mess up my shoulders in the process!)
I’ve never LARPed but a lot of this can be carried over to everything. Life is really about knowing when to chuck out fashion for comfort. Whether it’s too keep warm and dry or just making sure your feet survive what ever you are doing! You could also add spats to your kit as they would cover any inconvenient shoes or boots. They can also add warmth and water resistance to your foot wear.
What a fantastic amount of spot on advice for rainy region larping! I think people in parts of the Pacific northwest, for example, would appreciate this very much as well
"How long is that going to take you, and how long do you have? Do those numbers match? We already know they don't, because they never do" Not me finishing pieces the night before, the lunchbreak before, the car drive to, the OPENING MEETING OF, the game because I never learn and god punishes me for my hubris
Yes, socks!!! I wear base socks under my walking socks when hiking. Also dubin/wax for leather boots allows the leather to last longer and stay waterproof, which is helpful
I don't LARP and I'm not likely to, but this is a great video with ideas that can also be applied to reenactment and historybounding more generally. I enjoy your blend of snark and honesty.
I prefer to play games while in the comfort of my own (or someone else's) home, but a lot of this video is also applicable to music festivals. I walked around in fairly new steel-toed doc martens for a full weekend and will never make that mistake again. 😬
I know when I was first looking into aaagh how to fest larp and larp generally, people would keep on saying "oh you can just go play this faction, everyone has that bit of kit" so this is a great starting point to know where to begin! Would love to hear more about what are actually the essential bits of fest larp kit and a sliding scale of how to learn to sew with larp in mind...though I suspect I'm jumping the gun of what'll actually be in this series!
Good advice. I 2nd the take care of your feet and warmth before you do fashion. Your comfort and health must come first for your enjoyment to be complete. Get those volunteer for monster and have a blast while you develop your own wardrobe.
Excellent advice, I'm off to a LARP tomorrow so thanks for reminding me that I don't need to panic about not having nine different outfits for a two day event! May I also add a vaguely in character light source to the list of things that come in handy? I got a fake candle with rechargeable batteries from IKEA a few years ago and it's surprisingly decent! Also, was that the Looking Glass and the Thrifty Squid? I approve.
I've only ever been to one viking market (not larp I know...) and BAGS is absolutely the number one thing bc I bought several metres of wool fabric and without it I'd be a little doomed. so yeah, stuff to carry things around with is very important😅
I love this snippet of wisdom: "There are always compromises and there are no wrong answers." I might have already said this, but thank you for the encouragement to give things a try even when they aren't already perfect. :-) I am not "there" yet, but I feel myself getting closer to being brave!
This is all very good advice (the tick bit extra so). I personally never wear boots at larps (or for hiking) but for most people it's good advice. Turn shoes are what I like to wear but most people will just fall not stop in them and get hurt feet (and very muddy).
awesome and informative video and hard agree that costume briefs end at the ankles. good footwear is essential, I never care what it looks like on people. (I say having once gone barefoot in the mud "because it fit the character", never again!)
Thanks for a fun and informative video! I'm in the midst of going through and revisiting/repairing/reupping my kit and you're giving me many a thought and idea. I play in a smaller-scale game in the US, but pretty much everything you said applies to my game too (even the ticks)! For future videos -- is there such a thing as too many belt pouches? What are the many ways to carry things during LARP, and how to keep from getting overloaded?
I'm teaching myself leatherwork so I can make all the pouches possible. OK, so I also want to make a duplicate of the medium classic Chanel purse - with dedicated pockets for my fountain pen and ink bottle and more pockets in general. At the moment I'm making overly complicated tool rolls so I can practice different techniques. This may just be a side effect of being Gen X, but I don't think we have that many LARP events over here. Maybe it's the blackflies and mosquitoes? - Cathy (&, accidently, Steve), Ottawa/Bytown/Pimisi
@@robintheparttimesewer6798 Robin! Hey Woman. Things here have snapped back more or less to normal. There was a truck convoy from Quebec City who drove through town yesterday. Thankfully they were denied access to Centretown so they drove off to a farm in Vancleak Hill to 'party down'. Basically? Ottawa got two days off for weird behaviour before the war in Ukraine started. The road in front of the Russian Embassy is now "Ukrainian Freedom" and we're getting ready to catch some of the refugees. Because world war three somehow started while we were occupied? The world, she is bazar. I'm working on some leather tool rolls. I'm using the veg tan surface of the back of what will be the leather carving tool roll to practice and learn - two 'Sheridan-style' flowers and vines plus a large sunflower for Ukraine. I'll be using washes of ink to colour the flowers... Other than that, it's pretty quiet. Got my good eye zapped with a laser on Friday to unblock a valve. Which was terrifying (eye patch kid...), but it worked out. How goes it on your end of the province? Grand-Kiddo must be back at school. How goes your projects?
@@stevezytveld6585 hey Cathy. Grandson is good growing like a weed. Thankfully back at school. My projects have all stalled back to minimal housework and blah. Been hiding in books cause the world sucks. Your leather work sounds really lovely. How’s your eye?
@@robintheparttimesewer6798 It always amazes me how fast those kiddos grow. The eye is fine, thanks for asking. Still can't believe it was that fast and I got to walk out without an eye patch. Side effect of leatherwork is being able to whack something with a mallet. I can see why they had it as part of Rest & Recovery for the veterans after WW2 & Korea. This is rehab and I both need and love it. Because other than that I'm at minimal housework and blah as well. I have Sting's 'Russians' running as the background dirge for an ear worm for the past few weeks. On behalf of us of Gen X - what the actual. Sigh. Spring is coming... may it bring peace.
@@stevezytveld6585 Cathy yes what the actual!! I didn’t know that leather work was part of the Rest & Recovery though it makes sense. Any craft would help move muscles and hand eye. I’m really hoping spring would hurry up and get here. We had freezing rain and hail last night fortunately I didn’t have to go out today! It was a real mess. I will bug my son to send another message to Steve on Facebook. I think he forgot
Monstering sounds like fun. YAY belt pouches! I just got two -- I found them by accident and snatched them up! One is black leather and the other is brown leather. LOVE THEM!
I've mostly only ever made more distinctive pieces, and for budget and second hand sourcing reasons I've mostly used upholstery fabrics. My poly wool blend cape has saved me from sudden storm showers both times I've worn it (at least until I could get to shelter) though I was very aware it's not waterproof. I'm always advocating for upholstery fabrics or household linens for sewing pieces as they're so readily available for pennies compared to non-knit domestic sewing fabrics; unless very heavily pleated will run through a domestic sewing machine fine; and can generally survive cleaning via wipe, vodka spray or freezing (or machine for bedlinens/tablecloths. I also have a majority underlayers wardrobe even as someone who does more of the ren faire end, because it's easier to know I have a full set of cream underlayers (long sleeved shirt, short/puff sleeve blouse, trimmed narrow petticoat, wide petticoat and lace chemise set, and a combo petticoat chemise) before I plan something that might need a light base.
Well That was a brilliant and informative video. I don't know what LARP is or have ever considered it, but know I feel that I have good understanding of what I should wear if the fancy ever takes me. Not that I think the fancy will take me as I know exactly what the UK weather can do when least expected as I have spent the last half century having to deal with it. That said this current week is looking quite promising.
A great hack to get yourself both a belt and a pouch in one is to go to the thrift store (charity shop) and find a leather purse that doesn't have obviously modern trappings (like zippers) and hopefully with some neato buckles. Shorten the strap to your waist size, et voila, belt and pouch. You can also sling it across your body with the bag on your hip or bum -- as long as it isn't just hanging from one shoulder, it doesn't read as a modern purse.
Definately check everywhere for ticks if you've been anywhere they could be. First time my daughter got them she had 7 hiding on her!! Behind her ears, in her tummy button, in her hair!! Picked up a tick remover from the vet to carry with me but vaseline does the trick to suffocate them if you don't have one.
Minor quibble on the wool rant: wool *doesn't* lose heat when wet. It stays warm. "Wool warms, cotton kills" is a common saying around here to underscore that fact.
It’s a very common saying, but it doesn’t quite hold up to scientific testing! Yes cotton (and most natural fibres) loses all of its insulation almost immediately when it gets wet, whereas wool retains significantly more insulation for much longer - but it’s still a significant decrease once it gets fully saturated. Obviously the best option is to not get too much of your clothes wet, regardless of material
Army surplus boots also have another potential issue: they've already been through a soldiers feet. Which means Thier lifespan can be very good, or you can discover that the sole is only a short time from delaminating and falling off.....
The Canadian military has gone to a civilian company for boots! There hecka expensive or at least the winter weight ones are. They are on my list of someday purchasing!
so cool! have never even considered larping because i feel silly pretending to be somone else but watching this am tempted to give it a go. could I just do a version of myself - like a loudmuth no nonsense saucy tavern wench? and just hang out in costume?
The answer is...sometimes! It entirely depends on the game. Yes you can make a character that is just you in a fun outfit, but depending on how serious a game is about their player immersion, there is a certain degree of playing pretend that you might have to adhere to. The point of it is playing pretend and that can be challenging if everyone else is into the scenario except for one person loudly talking about their car problems or their real life job. There are larps that are very serious and larps that are so casual they might as well be a ren fair. If it's something you're interested in, google whether there's any games in your area, and ask the game if you can volunteer their staff. That should give you a taste of what it feels like, in the guidance of people that know what they're doing, and will be able to provide you costuming to borrow and it will most likely be free for you to participate.
The only reason my hiking shoes are dead is...I wore them to pieces. Arch support, traction, waterproofiness (they tried, they did)...spend the money on the shoes so that you do not spend the time with the broken ankle, sprained foot, etc.
@@stevezytveld6585 if we continue, perhaps they will reward us with highlighting our favored presenter, thus broadening the audience and filling (their?) Pockets
@@catherinejustcatherine1778 Why, indeed, yes. Perhaps even move our human up through the levels of the 'Recommend' section, thus giving them a larger audience... (plus, we fill up the overlords pockets and pockets).
I'm by no means a "costume police" person, but PLEASE be aware of the potential fire hazard that most man made fabrics have if you have open flames (campfire, candle, torch, oil lamp, allowed smoking area, etc) at your event. Many polyester fabrics are flammable. What's worse is that they melt and fuse - to skin - while burning. Might be worth doing a burn test on your fabrics or kit pieces (clip a bit from a hem or side seam allowance). Hold in a flame with tweezers; if it forms hard plastic ball, it is a fire hazard. Not saying don't use them, just be careful and aware of any and all open flames.
In terms of practical accessories, it cannot be overstated how popular you will be if you have something to tell the time with and something to write on and with 😄
True facts. We nicknamed one of our fellow re-enactors “time jester”, because he was the only one with a pouch big enough to fit his phone in while in front of the punters 😂
I always thought the "socks, lots of socks" advice was for when they inevitability get sweaty/wet/muddy. I can't imagine wearing more than 1 pair at a time 😱
Excellent advice, I know I'll be pointing new larpers at this video in future ❤️
I think hats/hoods are great opportunities for distinctive costume that doesnt take up a lot of space/weight and can be very practical too.
... I have been going to fest LARP for over 10 years now and I was still called out by this video repeatedly.
"You need to be able to put this on on your own in a tent you can't stand up in"
"Head to toe Armstreet"
ASH WHY ARE YOU COMING FOR ME THIS HARD
Head to toe armstreet sent me. We all know that person 😂😂😂
This video is a great introduction, and I would like to echo the gospel of the BELT POUCH BELT POUCH BELT POUCH.
(For one of my costumes, the only custom-made part I got was a wide belt with space for pouches on it. I think I ended up with four or five pouches plus a water bottle, and it was fantastic to not mess up my shoulders in the process!)
I’ve never LARPed but a lot of this can be carried over to everything. Life is really about knowing when to chuck out fashion for comfort. Whether it’s too keep warm and dry or just making sure your feet survive what ever you are doing!
You could also add spats to your kit as they would cover any inconvenient shoes or boots. They can also add warmth and water resistance to your foot wear.
What a fantastic amount of spot on advice for rainy region larping! I think people in parts of the Pacific northwest, for example, would appreciate this very much as well
"How long is that going to take you, and how long do you have? Do those numbers match? We already know they don't, because they never do"
Not me finishing pieces the night before, the lunchbreak before, the car drive to, the OPENING MEETING OF, the game because I never learn and god punishes me for my hubris
As someone in the south of the USA, ticks are a huge problem! Bug repellent is an absolute must at any outdoor event! Please be safe!
Yes, socks!!! I wear base socks under my walking socks when hiking. Also dubin/wax for leather boots allows the leather to last longer and stay waterproof, which is helpful
I don't LARP and I'm not likely to, but this is a great video with ideas that can also be applied to reenactment and historybounding more generally. I enjoy your blend of snark and honesty.
I prefer to play games while in the comfort of my own (or someone else's) home, but a lot of this video is also applicable to music festivals. I walked around in fairly new steel-toed doc martens for a full weekend and will never make that mistake again. 😬
I know when I was first looking into aaagh how to fest larp and larp generally, people would keep on saying "oh you can just go play this faction, everyone has that bit of kit" so this is a great starting point to know where to begin! Would love to hear more about what are actually the essential bits of fest larp kit and a sliding scale of how to learn to sew with larp in mind...though I suspect I'm jumping the gun of what'll actually be in this series!
Good advice. I 2nd the take care of your feet and warmth before you do fashion. Your comfort and health must come first for your enjoyment to be complete. Get those volunteer for monster and have a blast while you develop your own wardrobe.
Excellent advice, I'm off to a LARP tomorrow so thanks for reminding me that I don't need to panic about not having nine different outfits for a two day event! May I also add a vaguely in character light source to the list of things that come in handy? I got a fake candle with rechargeable batteries from IKEA a few years ago and it's surprisingly decent! Also, was that the Looking Glass and the Thrifty Squid? I approve.
I've only ever been to one viking market (not larp I know...) and BAGS is absolutely the number one thing bc I bought several metres of wool fabric and without it I'd be a little doomed. so yeah, stuff to carry things around with is very important😅
This is such a welcoming video for those wanting to get involved who don't really have a disposable income. Thank you for the video 😊
big love for mentioning Lyme Disease and ticks. thank you for spreading the word
Larp sounds like fun. I now will be finding a larp rabbit hole to jump down.....
I love this snippet of wisdom: "There are always compromises and there are no wrong answers." I might have already said this, but thank you for the encouragement to give things a try even when they aren't already perfect. :-) I am not "there" yet, but I feel myself getting closer to being brave!
This is all very good advice (the tick bit extra so). I personally never wear boots at larps (or for hiking) but for most people it's good advice. Turn shoes are what I like to wear but most people will just fall not stop in them and get hurt feet (and very muddy).
awesome and informative video and hard agree that costume briefs end at the ankles. good footwear is essential, I never care what it looks like on people. (I say having once gone barefoot in the mud "because it fit the character", never again!)
I miss LARPing so much.
Thanks for a fun and informative video! I'm in the midst of going through and revisiting/repairing/reupping my kit and you're giving me many a thought and idea. I play in a smaller-scale game in the US, but pretty much everything you said applies to my game too (even the ticks)!
For future videos -- is there such a thing as too many belt pouches? What are the many ways to carry things during LARP, and how to keep from getting overloaded?
I'm teaching myself leatherwork so I can make all the pouches possible. OK, so I also want to make a duplicate of the medium classic Chanel purse - with dedicated pockets for my fountain pen and ink bottle and more pockets in general. At the moment I'm making overly complicated tool rolls so I can practice different techniques.
This may just be a side effect of being Gen X, but I don't think we have that many LARP events over here. Maybe it's the blackflies and mosquitoes?
- Cathy (&, accidently, Steve), Ottawa/Bytown/Pimisi
I have heard of a few larps down here but there are less black flies or horse flies here too!
You doing ok?
@@robintheparttimesewer6798 Robin! Hey Woman. Things here have snapped back more or less to normal. There was a truck convoy from Quebec City who drove through town yesterday. Thankfully they were denied access to Centretown so they drove off to a farm in Vancleak Hill to 'party down'.
Basically? Ottawa got two days off for weird behaviour before the war in Ukraine started. The road in front of the Russian Embassy is now "Ukrainian Freedom" and we're getting ready to catch some of the refugees. Because world war three somehow started while we were occupied?
The world, she is bazar.
I'm working on some leather tool rolls. I'm using the veg tan surface of the back of what will be the leather carving tool roll to practice and learn - two 'Sheridan-style' flowers and vines plus a large sunflower for Ukraine. I'll be using washes of ink to colour the flowers...
Other than that, it's pretty quiet. Got my good eye zapped with a laser on Friday to unblock a valve. Which was terrifying (eye patch kid...), but it worked out.
How goes it on your end of the province? Grand-Kiddo must be back at school. How goes your projects?
@@stevezytveld6585 hey Cathy. Grandson is good growing like a weed. Thankfully back at school. My projects have all stalled back to minimal housework and blah. Been hiding in books cause the world sucks.
Your leather work sounds really lovely. How’s your eye?
@@robintheparttimesewer6798 It always amazes me how fast those kiddos grow.
The eye is fine, thanks for asking. Still can't believe it was that fast and I got to walk out without an eye patch.
Side effect of leatherwork is being able to whack something with a mallet. I can see why they had it as part of Rest & Recovery for the veterans after WW2 & Korea. This is rehab and I both need and love it.
Because other than that I'm at minimal housework and blah as well. I have Sting's 'Russians' running as the background dirge for an ear worm for the past few weeks. On behalf of us of Gen X - what the actual.
Sigh. Spring is coming... may it bring peace.
@@stevezytveld6585 Cathy yes what the actual!!
I didn’t know that leather work was part of the Rest & Recovery though it makes sense. Any craft would help move muscles and hand eye.
I’m really hoping spring would hurry up and get here. We had freezing rain and hail last night fortunately I didn’t have to go out today! It was a real mess.
I will bug my son to send another message to Steve on Facebook. I think he forgot
Monstering sounds like fun. YAY belt pouches! I just got two -- I found them by accident and snatched them up! One is black leather and the other is brown leather. LOVE THEM!
So glad you mentioned an OOC first aid kit. Some things don't need to be period-appropriate.
I've mostly only ever made more distinctive pieces, and for budget and second hand sourcing reasons I've mostly used upholstery fabrics. My poly wool blend cape has saved me from sudden storm showers both times I've worn it (at least until I could get to shelter) though I was very aware it's not waterproof. I'm always advocating for upholstery fabrics or household linens for sewing pieces as they're so readily available for pennies compared to non-knit domestic sewing fabrics; unless very heavily pleated will run through a domestic sewing machine fine; and can generally survive cleaning via wipe, vodka spray or freezing (or machine for bedlinens/tablecloths.
I also have a majority underlayers wardrobe even as someone who does more of the ren faire end, because it's easier to know I have a full set of cream underlayers (long sleeved shirt, short/puff sleeve blouse, trimmed narrow petticoat, wide petticoat and lace chemise set, and a combo petticoat chemise) before I plan something that might need a light base.
Well That was a brilliant and informative video. I don't know what LARP is or have ever considered it, but know I feel that I have good understanding of what I should wear if the fancy ever takes me. Not that I think the fancy will take me as I know exactly what the UK weather can do when least expected as I have spent the last half century having to deal with it. That said this current week is looking quite promising.
A great hack to get yourself both a belt and a pouch in one is to go to the thrift store (charity shop) and find a leather purse that doesn't have obviously modern trappings (like zippers) and hopefully with some neato buckles. Shorten the strap to your waist size, et voila, belt and pouch. You can also sling it across your body with the bag on your hip or bum -- as long as it isn't just hanging from one shoulder, it doesn't read as a modern purse.
So much common sense here. I need to check I can get into my kit from 2 years ago!
Definately check everywhere for ticks if you've been anywhere they could be. First time my daughter got them she had 7 hiding on her!! Behind her ears, in her tummy button, in her hair!! Picked up a tick remover from the vet to carry with me but vaseline does the trick to suffocate them if you don't have one.
Minor quibble on the wool rant: wool *doesn't* lose heat when wet. It stays warm. "Wool warms, cotton kills" is a common saying around here to underscore that fact.
It’s a very common saying, but it doesn’t quite hold up to scientific testing! Yes cotton (and most natural fibres) loses all of its insulation almost immediately when it gets wet, whereas wool retains significantly more insulation for much longer - but it’s still a significant decrease once it gets fully saturated. Obviously the best option is to not get too much of your clothes wet, regardless of material
Army surplus boots also have another potential issue: they've already been through a soldiers feet.
Which means Thier lifespan can be very good, or you can discover that the sole is only a short time from delaminating and falling off.....
(I'm not bitter about my lovely German Para boots, honest guv)
The Canadian military has gone to a civilian company for boots! There hecka expensive or at least the winter weight ones are. They are on my list of someday purchasing!
Your delivery is really engaging. You're quite excellent at public speaking. :3
so cool! have never even considered larping because i feel silly pretending to be somone else but watching this am tempted to give it a go. could I just do a version of myself - like a loudmuth no nonsense saucy tavern wench? and just hang out in costume?
The answer is...sometimes! It entirely depends on the game. Yes you can make a character that is just you in a fun outfit, but depending on how serious a game is about their player immersion, there is a certain degree of playing pretend that you might have to adhere to. The point of it is playing pretend and that can be challenging if everyone else is into the scenario except for one person loudly talking about their car problems or their real life job. There are larps that are very serious and larps that are so casual they might as well be a ren fair. If it's something you're interested in, google whether there's any games in your area, and ask the game if you can volunteer their staff. That should give you a taste of what it feels like, in the guidance of people that know what they're doing, and will be able to provide you costuming to borrow and it will most likely be free for you to participate.
The only reason my hiking shoes are dead is...I wore them to pieces. Arch support, traction, waterproofiness (they tried, they did)...spend the money on the shoes so that you do not spend the time with the broken ankle, sprained foot, etc.
Commenting as an offering to YKW
*shush*, shield your eyes. The Algorithmic Overlords must be placated with comments...
- Cathy (&, accidently, Steve), Ottawa/Bytown/Pimisi
@@stevezytveld6585 😁
@@catherinejustcatherine1778 Indeed...
@@stevezytveld6585 if we continue, perhaps they will reward us with highlighting our favored presenter, thus broadening the audience and filling (their?) Pockets
@@catherinejustcatherine1778 Why, indeed, yes. Perhaps even move our human up through the levels of the 'Recommend' section, thus giving them a larger audience... (plus, we fill up the overlords pockets and pockets).
I'm by no means a "costume police" person, but PLEASE be aware of the potential fire hazard that most man made fabrics have if you have open flames (campfire, candle, torch, oil lamp, allowed smoking area, etc) at your event. Many polyester fabrics are flammable. What's worse is that they melt and fuse - to skin - while burning.
Might be worth doing a burn test on your fabrics or kit pieces (clip a bit from a hem or side seam allowance). Hold in a flame with tweezers; if it forms hard plastic ball, it is a fire hazard. Not saying don't use them, just be careful and aware of any and all open flames.
I feel like you're getting far too much consensus in these comments. 🔥Unpopular opinion🔥: jeans are fine.
Hey, what's your gender? Do you have one? Did you lost I somewhere and can't find it?
What a strange thing to comment...