I’m Looking to join you all at the event next month and it will be my first and i’m really excited for it, I currently own absolutely nothing in term of gear but i know roughly what i need to get, except for when it comes to camping, I’ve done a bit of camping before but i was always using gear that was provided, so my question to all you lovely folks is, other than a tent, sleeping bag, air mat and gas stove is there anythiing else I will need? any and all recommendations are appreciated. I’ve only just started looking into Empire this weekend so i’m not very well versed in what all the abbreviations are at the moment so if you could keep things simple that’d be awesome.
So @Tom_Hill first welcome people here are great and helpful i have yet to attend an event but cant wait to but i have an extensive camping background so i know OOC kit feel free to send questions regarding depending on nation you are going for there are plenty of people to help @Geoffrey_Willoughby, @Unslain, @Triska, @Mark_Wilkin and @Darius_Marcher have helped me a ton
This is going to vary a lot by person! But assuming your sleeping bag is warm enough for you, you have the basics covered.
For small, useful things to have, if you have a roll of duct tape around the house, chuck that in as it can be used for a lot of small temporary repairs. Make sure you have enough tent pegs, and a couple of spares.
Personally I always take a small pillow because I know I will sleep badly without one, and a camping light/lantern, of the sort you can set down or hang from the roof - much more effective than a regular torch when you’re trying to search the tent for that one thing you misplaced or do anything that needs both hands.
A pack of tissues and a bottle of water - these can very well be the ones that live in your regular bag/backpack. For cleaning up small spills, quick wet-and-wipe for sticky hands/faces, don’t have to go all the way to the loos to brush your teeth. Plus regular hydration, obviously.
A bag for rubbish - any carrier bag. You may not think you will generate any rubbish in camp, but you will, and having a designated spot for it makes clean-up easier.
An actual bin bag or two stashed away. These are for isolating dirty stuff (boots, clothes, whatever) from clean on your journey home, and/or for emergency waterproofing your dry things if you suffer tent leakage.
@SevenSecrets has pretty much covered all the basics! I will add the recommendation of a towel, as even if you’re not showering it can be useful to give something a quick dry before putting it away, and a blanket to place between your air mat and your sleeping bag. Finally, you might want to consider a throw or rug that can go just inside your tent door if you don’t have a porch, in case you need to take dirty shoes off.
There are other things that can be useful to remember for events, such as sunscreen, lip balm, eye mask, etc., but as far as camping gear goes, you’re pretty much there with this thread (which of course is the exact point for someone to come in and say something obvious that we’ve missed…!)
You don’t need the gas stove, dependant on what and how you want to eat.
There are a fair selection of caterers on site, both IC (including tea shops and Skian Mhorish), and OOC (selling toasties, chillie, noodles, pizza…). And of course tea etc…
(And now for a spot of self-promotion…)
Anyway, back to camping…
IC = In character. The in-game area, “on-stage”, “on-camera”. This is where the tents have to be setting appropriate.
OOC (or OC) = Out Of Character. “Off-stage”. Where people will park their cars, and the tents can be all sorts of shiny modern plastic etc.
I assume you’re going to be camping OOC.
For doing this, you do not need much in the way of advance notice, as camping spots OOC are assigned as you get there.
eg: “go down that row of tents, and if you don’t find a good spot between some people, camp at the end.”
You pitch your tent, and I would also suggest at that point finding the nearest standpipe for water, and the nearest looblock as well.
Personally I never bother with a gas stove. My minimum list for OOC camping:
Tent. I like the Eurohike Avon, but you can go smaller for just one person.
Sleeping surface. Personally I think self inflating mats are best, I use a Thermarest.
Sleeping bag. Get at least three season with a minimum comfort temperature of 0c or lower. I have a Snugpak Softie 6.
You’ll then need clothes, kit, and toiletries as usual.
A means of boiling water (jetboils are some of the best) can be a nice to have, but tbh I’ve always just used the caterers (or crew facilities now that I crew). Stretch goals I do like to have:
Kneepads for putting up your tent
Thermals for sleeping in if it’s cold (or going under your kit)
Thank you for explaining the abbreviations I was struggling to understand the difference between OC and OOC but I’m glad to know it’s interchangeable. I will be joining Dawn, i have a few friends who are already members in Dawn, but I did mt own research and came to the conclusion that Dawn or Highguard were my 2 preferred factions and having friends in Dawn made the decision between the 2 a lot easier.
An addendum for you then is that the Dawn/Wintermark IC field is off-center from the main fields, and has beyond it a couple of smaller fields for OOC camping, to facilitate access.
And don’t sweat the acronyms, LARP is practically a specialist dialect on a bad day But we’re all willing to help and explain on request.
And thank you to everyone else, youve all been incredibly helpful and the information youve all provided has been invaluable. I look forward to meeting you all one day
But we’re all willing to help and explain on request.