Hi!
So me and my partner are planning on attending in April next year, but we’re new to Field Larping and don’t really have much or know much about kit making/sourcing
He’s planning on playing an Imperial Orc while I’m going for a Wintermark Kallavesi. We’re on a bit of a budget though, so cheaper solutions like making things ourselves would be ideal!
Any advice or suggestions on where or how to make appropriate kit would be ideal!
Thanks 
Welcome along, to the game and the forums 
Now, there are a good few useful sources and discussions that might be worth a look, which you can have a flick through (below).
The starting point for a lot of LARPkit can easily be charity shops and online second hand stuff.
Basic soft kit* for almost any nation can be the same: shirt, plain trousers, sturdy walking boots. This can be accessorised and altered for various nations.
Wintermark and Imperial Orcs CAN be fairly close in terms of basic clothes. I’d suggest hunting through charity or costume shops for the basics above (except for the boots. Get good boots. Suggestions available on request). You may also want to join your Nation Facebook groups, and ask if anyone has spare soft kit.
If you want to make this sort of stuff from scratch, I know some folk with some simple and effective sewing patterns, if you’re able to make stuff at the sewing machine level.
In terms of national tweaks, Orcs require a mask, which is probably easiest bought on site, although I can find the vendors if you want to get it first. They also may want a warskirt, which is fairly easily made from scrap leather (or similar enough); various bits tied to a belt, maybe decorated, and so on.
Kallevesi… luckily a lot of crow like stuff can be sourced from the goths and similar 
, but in extremis I’ve seen some good results from taking loose feathers of crow etc and sewing them on to fabric, or glueing them in with another band of fabric. They can also do well with simple mantles and capes with Wintermark runes painted on.
Armour (if needed) is a different set of questions, accessories can be sorted a little later, and weapons are best bought at the event (or, given the time till next major event, at a trade fair).
It is entirely possible to get a lot of reasonable kit for those nations on a small budget (with the possible exception of the orc mask). What sort of budget are you looking at, what sort of characters were you planning?
I and others on here can give a lot of advice on this, and will happily do so
*Soft kit is the fabric stuff, hard kit is the armour.
(And the facebook group for new player enquiries and discussions)
Hi Geoffrey
Thanks for the quick reply!
This is all really solid advice, thanks so much!!
My partner is looking to play Tamazi doctor/mage, and I’m leaning toward a mystic/mage archetype myself. I don’t think either of us plan on doing much skirmishing at our first event, so armour is rather secondary to our needs atm. Any recommendations for good boots would be majorly appreciated!
As for budget, we have a total budget of about £150/month each, so about a total budget of £900 before the next event - This would also have to cover camping gear and other expenses though, it can’t all be use on outfits!
Hey!
Welcome! I know it can seem a little daunting when you first enter this hobby! Joining the individual nation facebook groups can help a lot when it comes to finding a group, putting together kit and making plans for the weekend!
Kit wise, there are lots of options, make sure you get some decent base layers for April (thermals, shirts, trousers, gloves)
Accessories, I use Shein all the time! They have a load of crow feather mantles currently which is perfect for a Kallavesi look!
Happy to help!
Doctor/mage are perhaps the cheapest sorts of kit you could go for.
For a physick, a selection of bandages (Boots sell plain wraps, or long strips of shredded old sheet are fairly common), some sort of surgical knives (modelling tools painted or wrapped with something) and several bottles of various things (“potions & lotions, tinctures & tonics”) made from a variety of small bottles and filled with multicoloured stuff, can be an excellent doctors bag. Oh, and a simple canvas satchel to carry it all in 
I’ve played that character, will give details on how to make props if needed.
Mystic Kallevesi mage… right on the brief. You can get some good results from lots of feathers, lots of runes (painted on with acrylics and fabric paint), and maybe some interesting props such as runic stones for fortune telling/augery.
You might also find this of interest, someone playing very similar to your plan…
Boots… I’m spoiled by my work issuing me with sturdy work boots, but any (lightly branded) hiking/walking boots are probably a good idea. You can pick some fairly budget brands, but you want good grip, waterproof, and fairly warm. The April event has an earned reputation for cold snaps, and sometimes even ankle-deep mud. Boots are one of the things to make an investment in, to be honest. Ideally you want something that wouldn’t stick out in a fantasy rpg (black or brown, fairly plain, no obvious logo) but whatever you can manage is likely fine. Some folk say that “kit ends at the ankle”. This isn’t true, but as long as you’re making an effort, that’s the main thing. Not many people will be looking at shoes anyway.
My wife persuaded me a while ago to shell out for the toggi boots below. I play in Dawn so these look good as a yeoman bard/battlemage/peddler.
Re skirmishing: Note that there are two big battles per event, and you’re expected to “monster” in one if you take your character to the other; One day you’re a hero in the battle, the other day you’re one of the barbarians facing the heroes…
However, if you just want to try things out, there’s nothing to stop you having a go as [Barbarian Orc #146] to see what they’re like. A certain amount of kit and costume is provided, and many in your nation will happily lend out a sword or whatever. Something to consider, but the battles are worth seeing
Wider budgets… I can reccomend airbeds, thick sleeping bags, and a sturdy tent with ostensible room for 4 people (larp kit takes up a lot of room). Sleeping OOC (off-stage, in the peripheral fields) is a good first time strategy.
Something like this is likely the smallest I’d reccomend for a pair.
Depending on your travel arrangements, you may also be able to save some money with a little self-catering. There are caterers on site (IC and OOC, a good variety), but they’ll charge. Here’s an older article by… uh… me… going through options.
Oh, and don’t forget that when you book your first event, you can use a discount code for a concession. These are available from any veteran player, who also gets a discount.
I think at this point I’ll let you think for a bit, and let someone else get a word in edgeways
I’m gonna disagree with Geoffrey here and say that anyone wanting to play an Imperial Orc should aim to get hold of their mask well ahead of their first event. Pretty much every mask needs trimming to fit comfortably, particularly around the eyes. Many Orc players cut out the chin entirely for ease of speaking, eating and drinking, in which case you need some makeup to grey out that area, as well as around the eye sockets. If you have anything but the shortest hair, you want to work out what you’re doing with that as well - if it’s long enough you can have a slit in the mask at the back and pull a ponytail through, but if you want your Orc bald you’ll need to consider gelling, braiding or sewing up your natural hair to keep it out of the way.
I’m a huge advocate of putting on your full kit on some random weekend well before the event and just pottering around in it for a good couple of hours - you really don’t want to find out in the field that you can’t go to the loo without stripping off, or that your mask jabs you in the eye every time you look down or turn your head!