Category Archives: Camping

I Love My Period Shoes…But

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One of the first really serious purchases that I made at my first Pennsic was a pair of period shoes. They were simple ghillies, from Medieval Mocassins, and yes I still own them over twenty years later. They have been cleaned and oiled a zillion times, but they are still an important part of my regular event wear. They look just like the pair that I am wearing today, except they are a dark brown.

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The only problem is, my feet don’t like them any more. After 64 years of pounding the dirt, my feet like, yes I might even say demand, a cushier sole and an arch support in order to be really happy with me. As a person who often does a fair amount of mileage in my shoes, often over rocky ground, and who often stands for hours while running a shop, this became a real problem. I tried cushier socks, which helped a little, but only a little. When I found myself barely able to walk after a long day in the shop, in knew I had to figure out a better solution.

My first serious try at making my feet happier was a pair of Dr. Sholl’s gel inserts. I had considered getting a pair of felt insoles at an event, but I managed to forget to buy them, so I settled for a modern alternative. Cutting them to fit my shoes was a bit of a pain, but after several tries I was able to make them fit properly. Suddenly a day on my feet became much more tolerable. The biggest problem that I ran into was that it made my shoes, at least my Viking ankle boots, too small to wear socks. This wasn’t all that big a deal at warm events, but at cold events, where socks were an integral part of my warmth and comfort, it was a problem. On a couple of occasions my feet were so cold that the only way I could warm them up was to put a foot warmer in each of my wool socks when I went to bed.

Fast forward a couple of years. I was wandering through the pharmacy section of a big box store on the way to an event, and I ran across the “foot” department. I had just been thinking about the fact that the gel insoles in my work boots were pretty much shot, when I saw the selection of new insoles. The ones that really caught my eye advertised that they had arch supports AND a heel pad. I thought about it for about 30 seconds, and bought them. As soon as I got out to the event site I pulled off my boots, pulled out the very warn gel soles, inserted the new insoles, and tried them on. Heaven! And even better, no trimming the insoles, AND they fit perfectly in my ghillies! I have currently been on my feet for days and my feet are loving it. So my next plan is to acquire several more pairs of these insoles and update my period shoes! My new favorite inserts are Dr. Scholl’s PRO (pain relief orthotics). I bought the arch ones, because I REALLY need arches in my shoes. The thought that I can go back to wearing my period shoes on a regular basis is AWESOME! If you have given up wearing your period shoes for comfort reasons, you may be a set of insoles away from once again being a fashionista!

Event Strategies – Fun or Not: Part 4 – Keeping it Real and Being Honest With Yourself

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No matter how much we try to plan for an event, stuff happens. Only you can decide if your mental and physical stamina is sufficient to be able to deal with an event, especially if it doesn’t really work out the way you had hoped that it would. Do you have an exit strategy? Are you heat sensitive or cold sensitive? Do temperatures over 90 degrees, especially if it is humid, send you into a physical downward spiral that can end at the ER? Is rough ground a problem? How long a distance can you walk? Only you can evaluate the facts and make that decision.

I have friends who no longer attend camping events, or if they do, they sleep at a hotel or cabin. Bad backs, CPAP machines, the inability to deal with temperature extremes, and a lack of physical mobility are just a few of the reasons that they made this decision. When the stress of camping takes away the fun of attending an event, you need to reconsider your options.

Switching to a camper trailer or small RV has allowed several of my friends to keep attending events. Using an RV at SCA events, can be good and bad, depending on the event site. If there are electrical hookups available it can create a rather luxurious situation, with most of the comforts of home. But the downside is that you may be camping a much longer distance from the center of the event. Camper trailers and RVs are often shunted off on an edge of a event, so check ahead of time with the autocrat. Many event sites do not have any sort of hook-ups, electrical or otherwise, so you will need to understand exactly what your camper is capable of doing. Our old RV could easily do a two 1/2 day “dry” camping trip without running our generator. Generators are prohibited at a lot of sites. You also need to check for additional fees. RV’s often have to pay an additional fee at some parks, especially if there are hookups.

And then there is the Gypsy Wagon, or Vardo. They are towed like a trailer, but they are usually acceptable in camping areas and still provide a greater level of comfort than a tent.

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And sometimes things just get messed up even when you have done all the planning that you could possibly do.  A friend had been looking forward to a hands-on embroidery class. The teacher showed up to class without any supplies and announced that she would order in supplies and then teach the class again on a day that that my friend could not be at the event. Major disappointment.

Another teacher showed up for what was supposed to be a hands on nahlbinding class with no kits or notes, no class limit (she expected 6 and 30 showed up),and no note in the schedule about bringing your own supplies. In this last instance we have to question whether the teacher came from an area with low class attendance, was inexperienced, or was she suffering from a data entry error. Data entry error? Yes. I once had one of my Viking Knit Chain classes appear in the schedule as “Viking Knit Chairs”. Oh, and the class limit had magically disappeared, too. Fortunately I had enough supplies.

Assessing your ability to deal with an event is all about being honest with yourself. In 2015, when it looked like Pennsic was going to be a giant bowl of mud, several folks that use scooters decided not to attend because of the mud. Only you can decide if temperature, rain, terrain or other factors are going to make an event just too difficult. Plan it out, be prepared, and have a great time!

Event Strategies – Fun or Not? Part 3 – Distances & Other Challenges

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I was listening to a conversation on Facebook the other day about handicapped accessibility and transportation at an event. One of the people who requires occasional transportation stated that they were told the site was “extremely compact” and it would only be about “1/2 a mile” from where she was to be camped to the main activities area. But for a lot of people, old and young, 1/2 mile is just too far to walk. You are the only one who can make that decision. But get real about it. A cane, a walker, a small portable stool for rest breaks, or an electric scooter are all possibilities at events. I was once confronted by someone who told me that our small baronial event (usually less than 400 people) should provide a golf cart for transportation for those who can’t walk. I was blunt and said it would not happen. It was just not likely to ever be in the budget.

In the past when I have recruited a helper for my booth at Pennsic I have warned any prospective folks that it is a comfortable twenty minute walk from our camp to my booth. We are by no means the farthest away camp, and our walk does not include any large hills. If you are planning to go to an event you really need to try to understand just how much walking you are going to be doing. I always told my helpers to make sure that they had at least two, and preferably three pairs of shoes with them so that they could trade off shoes if their feet got sore, and so that if their shoes got soaked from rain and mud, they would have dry footwear. I have even been known to change into flip flops or rubber muck boots  to keep my shoes dry. Several of my friends who have rather sedentary desk jobs start a walking program a month or two before Pennsic to build up their stamina. Sore feet or exhaustion from too much walking can really spoil your fun. And this doesn’t even count the weather. This is just a small portion of our “just in case” collection.

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For a solid month before I attend a camping event I add that event location to my weather.com feed and check the weather there every day. I also look at the national forecast to see if there are any trends or major weather events that are likely to impact the area that I am camping in. Two years ago the forecast for Potrero war was cold and foggy. It had been that way for two solid weeks before the event, and it was forecast to be that way for the event. And yet people were totally shocked when it was cold and foggy. I warned my helper to bring her long johns, because it was likely to be cool. We were fine, but a lot of people were totally unprepared. No cloaks, no warm socks, and not enough bedding = less fun.

Next Time: Keeping it Real and Being Honest With Yourself