camping-ideas-msg - 12/7/98

Useful tips and ideas for SCA camping.

NOTE: See also the files: camp-kitchens-msg, camp-showers-msg, ticks-art. Lamps-
msg, chests-msg, beds-msg, camp-ovens-msg, rugs-msg, lighting-msg, firepits-msg.

************************************************************************
NOTICE -

This file is a collection of various messages having a common theme that I  have 
collected from my reading of the various computer networks. Some messages date 
back to 1989, some may be as recent as yesterday.

This file is part of a collection of files called Stefan's Florilegium. These 
files are available on the Internet at: http://www.florilegium.org

I  have done  a limited amount  of  editing. Messages having to do  with 
separate topics  were sometimes split into different files and sometimes 
extraneous information was removed. For instance, the  message IDs  were removed 
to save space and remove clutter.

The comments made in these messages are not necessarily my viewpoints. I make  
no claims  as  to the accuracy  of  the information  given  by the individual 
authors.

Please  respect the time  and  efforts of  those who have written  these 
messages. The  copyright status  of these messages  is  unclear  at this time. 
If  information  is  published  from  these  messages, please give credit to the 
originator(s).

Thank you,
    Mark S. Harris                  AKA:  THLord Stefan li Rous
                                          Stefan at florilegium.org
************************************************************************

From: whh at PacBell.COM (Wilson Heydt)
Date: 27 Jun 90 19:27:45 GMT
Organization: Pacific * Bell, San Ramon, CA
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca

I am often asked . . . People sometimes asked me . . .  I was once asked . . .

How do I light my camp *without* Tiki Torches?  What are the alternatives?
(With the implied question--without burning down the camp?)

There are a variety of enclosed candle-lanterns.  I'm rather fond of
the ones sold by the outdoor equipment co-op REI.  (This will be 
particularly easy for those in An Tir--REI's headquarters are in 
Seattle.)  Lanterns of this type are sold by some merchants as well.

For the *really* authentic look--you might want to substitute a thin
rawhide (vellum, really) for glass.  It'll cut down the light output
(bad) but it will get rid of the "point source" glare (good).  Just be
sure that the vellum is far enough away from the flame to keep from 
getting too hot.

If you want *light*--there is always the Coleman lantern.  These come
in tow varieties--white gas:  which can be turned down, and propane:
which can't.  Place the lantern where no one has to look directly
at the (very bright) mantle.  One of mine (sold through Sears--*many*
years ago) originally had a partially frosted glass.  That effect could
be achieved either through etching the glass (be *very* careful--you'll
be using hydroflouric acid), or a thin coat of a heat-resitant paint.
("Engine paint"--available at you nearest auto parts supplier--comes
in two temperature ratings:  normal--good to about 400 F, and high
temperature--good to over 1000 F.  Paper--of course--ignites at 457 F . . .)
Such paint can also be used on other parts of the lantern--like putting
your device on it . . .  The white-gas variety, when turned down aren't
a problem--though it's still nice to hide them.  I find that they're
useful for set-up at night--and then use candles for the rest of the
event.

A really period light would be a small oil-lamp.  Note that such a lamp
won't give out much light--but the flame is smalle enough--gives off
little enough heat--that the fire risk of nearby objects isn't a problem.
(This gets to a major problem with the Tiki Torches and their large flames--
wind. . .)  The extreme--and out of period version of this is the oil
mantle lamp.  Treat this as you would the Coleman white gas type--but
at least those squeamish around pressurized systems will be more willing
to deal with it.  There are also small lamps using oil and ones using
kerosene that have glass chimneys.

There are a variety of electric lights that are safe.  The problems here
are usually that the light looks "wrong"--it's too white--and
expense--for the batteries.

In general--what you are trying to avoid is 1. open flames--particulary
when large or attached to objects of quetionable stability, 2.  bright,
compact light sources, and 3.  "ambience" (for want of a better term).
Conversly what you want are dim, diffuse, 'warm' lights with stable
bases and protected flames.

(This is all "top-of-the-head" stuff.  Parts are undoubtedly derived
from innumerable talks on camping techniques, etiquette, and protocol
given by Duke Frederick of Holland and Mistress Eilis O'Bourne.  Any
errors are mine and His Grace will call me on them, no doubt.)

        --Hal

        Hal Ravn, Province of the Mists, West Kingdom
        Wilson H. Heydt, Jr.,  Albany, CA 94706,  415/524-8321 (home)


From: lawbkwc%BUACCA.BITNET at MITVMA.MIT.EDU (Yaakov HaMizrachi mka Harold 
Feld)
Date: 13 Dec 90 15:49:31 GMT
Organization: GNUs Not Usenet
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca

I have only been to 2 Pennsics, once for 10 days and once
for 5 days, but here are some of the things I've
picked up--mostly from what's gone wrong.
(As I told my household after a particular
catastrophe "relax, every year we get better at this.")

Indian food keeps real well.  I've had curries and
yougurt that lasted several days of Pennsic heat.
Ditto marinades in vinegar.  One rice salad with
onions, tomatos and bits of meat/chicken lasted
a looong time.
Stir fry is a good way to make yummy, satisfying,
easy-to-cook meals with what's available at the Coopers.
Planned for this year: We are going to try to have
a 24 hour stew pot over the cook fire.  As volume
gets lower, we just add more stuff. Let you know
how this works out.
Kumis is a good way to keep milk from spoiling! :)
Keep Aloe or burn cream in an easily accessible
place very close to the fire.  Make sure everyone
knows where it is.  I treated--I think--three burned
hands at my campfire last year.

(Our medical set up was:
1 massive medkit containing everything
we could think of, including air-splints.
I am a Chiurgeon and my lady is a
Pharmacist. We sat down and went through
every possible accident and what we could
do about it. As you might imagine, we missed
one that happened.

2. My "portable" medkit to take on duty.
Pretty much what was in 1) but not as
much of it.

3.  The "fireside" medkit.  A plastic
bag full of Aloe, alchohol wipes,
first-aid cream, and bandaids.

4. My "pocket" medkit.  A small
pouch I carry at all times with
alchohol swabs, first-aid cream,
and band-aids.

We went through a lot of bandaids.

Oh yeah, don't forget insect repellant
and calladryl, for bites.)

In Service,
 Yaakov HaMizrachi

 
From: roberts at esem.crd.ge.com (craig)
Date: 15 Dec 90 15:02:21 GMT
Organization: GNUs Not Usenet
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
 
Unto the Rialto does Alasdair mac Donnchaidh send greetings and this missive
for his lady, Mor nic Donnchaidh:

        In the issue 214,  Donnallain o'f Galaru Glais   aka Kevin William
Ryan writes:
"    Some small pointers from my experience:   I'm not a true outdoorsman - I
freely admit that. However, I've survived in decent style for the last six
Pennsics, so I must be doing something right.  ...    As such, it's not as
period as it could be, but it does work. "
        From that point he went on itemizing the necessaries to survive
Pennsic or any other long camping experience.  To his list I offer a few 
comments
 especially geared for people who AREN'T camping alone.
    PLANNING:  Add a second list which includes all the equipment that
everyone else has.  You don't need 3 stoves but extra coolers, lanterns,
tables and
chairs are almost always handy.  You really don't need 3 or more dining flys
(unless they are to cover a tent).  If you're a group than share the use of
just a couple that everyone can make use of.  This not only saves space on site
( it will be appreciated by your neighbors) but it gives some folks extra room
in their vehicle.  Add a third list: Camp chores.  With 4 or 40, there are
certain chores (like getting rid of garbage or cooking) that have to be done.
 If you schedule it out long before you ever arrive - everyone knows what's
expected of them, the work is shared and hard feelings are avoided.

    EATING:  Figure out a meal plan that's simple and unless you're planning
something very unusual, buy your groceries locally. (More space saved in the
vehicle.)  A short distance from Pennsic are some good (large) markets.  One
of them will even take your out of state personal checks.  In fact they got so
sick and tired of having to key in my 14 digit acct. number and my NYS driver's
license # that they issued me a check cashing card.  They might do the same
for you.  Also when you go shopping, bring a cooler with you for the perishable
stuff.  Ice is cheaper at the market and the food gets back to camp without
spoilage. [It also gives you the option of doing some other shopping or doing
laundry in a large laundramat while in town.]  YES - keep coolers out of the
sun.  A great cover for them which helps keep them insulated can be made from
those inflatable air mattresses that have sprung one leak too many.  Some of 
them even come in great colors.  [When dumping the excess fluid, be sure to do 
so away from tents, water supply, power lines and the road.]  YES - block ice
does last longer but having some cubes around is also handy.  Keeping a small
cooler for just cubes keeps ice available for chilling drinks and saves cooler
space.  Those soda/juice/other beverage cans & bottles can be stacked elsewhere.  
Doing this also helps to convince people to always make use of period looking 
drinking vessels instead of drinking out of the can/bottle.   Milk in pints & 
quart sizes are now available in shelf storage containers in many areas.  Such 
milk locally comes in 'Skim', 2%, Whole and 2% Chocolate.  Shelf life (not
refrigerated until opened) is about 6 months.  That's an item worth toting to
war as I've never seen it in the stores down there and the small sizes are
real handy.  "Sealable freezer bags of various sizes are light and will keep
bugs out. "  This is useful but 'tupper-ware type containers have more uses
and keep the water from your cooler out of your food better.  Fresh eggs need 
not be refrigerated - just kept in the shade and they will last for a week. 
(Make sure there are no cracks or pin holes by sinking them in water.  Cracked 
eggs should be thrown away - NOT eaten.)  You also might want to consider 
pickeled eggs - they last for months.  Most commercial Yogurts must be 
refrigerated under Pennsic conditions - check with any doctor and likely he/she 
will confirm this.  " Bread lovers, I have a product endorsement: Kings Hawaiian 
Bread (sp?) which keeps without refrigeration for weeks."  I second that 
endorsement.  Black breads also tend to last much longer than white breads, hard 
breads longer than soft - unless you're eating the kinds with all the additives.
The Food Arena (Lyndora), my favorite market for Pennsic offer rye and 
pumpernickel rolls as well as oat and whole wheat and these individual sizes 
offer greater variety and keep well.

    "Cooking is best handled as a group activity."  My experience has been
that having one or two reliable cooks for a group works out better than
sharing this chore.  Of course those who cook have no other work to do and
those who cook, or the chief cook is the one that does all the shopping.

     If you are camping alone or with one or two others, instead of spending
money at the inns, you might ask around at some of the bigger encampments and
find out if they'll let you partake of their meal plan.       "Bring Gatorade.

You will need it, or something like it. If it tastes good, you need to drink
more."  There are beverages similar to 'Gatorade" on the market that are far
less harmful to your health; the best of them are specifically geared for
children.  Children should not be drinking a lot of undiluted 'Gatorade' - ask
a pediatrician.  For that matter - most of us shouldn't be.  If the camp water
bothers your system and you don't want the hassle of bottled water simply boil
up a large batch of water first thing every morning and keep a cover over it.
Boiled water rarely upsets anyones system if you take the water out by dipping
since you've boiled off many of the chemicals and many minerals will settle to
the bottom of the pot.

     Cooking/feast gear:  Bring enough (collectively) for your encampment and
the unexpected guest but no more; and, LABEL everything.  Cooking over an open
fire?  Soaping the bottoms and sides of your pots/pans really does work but it
works best with real soap - not detergents.

    SANITATION:  "If you won't have any facilities in your camp for washing
up, you can get by with a) a large bucket filled with water and some bleach,
which you wash your hands in before cooking or eating, or b) a good set of
Handi-Wipes or baby wipes. Wash your utensils and self after eating; it keeps
the bugs to a minimum. Get rid of your wash water in approved fashion, which
is to say AWAY FROM THE WATER SUPPLY!! Ask your more experienced people where to 
rid yourself of wash water properly. Period or not, sanitation is something you 
cannot let slide."  It's work but very worthwhile to dig a drainage pit in your
encampment.  Don't forget to remove the sod and save it for when you refill
the pit. Adding a capful of bleach to the pit everyday keeps germs and bugs at 
bay; especially if you DON'T scrape your dishes into the pit.  Bringing a small
trash can with a lid might not look good but it makes the camp smell better.
I also suggest adding a few drops of bleach to both the wash water and the
rinse water for all cooking/eating equipment.  Wipe up all spills when they 
happen  and if food has fallen to the ground, pick it up and dispose of it in 
the garbage. If liquids, other than water, spill on the ground, rinse the area 
off with water.  Sweet liquids attract bugs, especially bees and other liquids 
may not all soak into the ground and may sour - causing a disagreeable odor in 
your encampment (and attracting bugs).  No one in our encampment has ever come 
down with any of the Pennsic Flus or a case of the 'trots' and I think that 
keeping things clean is the main reason.

     Part of sanitation is making sure that food prep. and eating surfaces
(tables) are also clean.  Table cloths can be picked up cheaply at garage &
rummage sales or can be made out of old bed sheets.  Anyway, they look nicer
than a bare table.

     Next to keeping things clean, the most important thing is to keep food
properly stored.  If you want to leave a bowl of fruit out - fine -  but put
screening over it.  ANY food left out attracts bugs - often bees (which many
find dangerous to their health) and flys which can be dangerous to everyone's
health.         

TENTS:  Long before the camping event find out from everyone
who will be camping with you, the SET-UP size of their tent.  This is the
amount of space they actually need which often differs from the floor size of
the tent.  Also find out where the entry is located  and whether or not they 
will be putting a fly/tarp over their tent.  Once you've got this info. you can
actually lay out the camp on paper - before you even arrive.  At Pennsic the
last couple of years they've asked for such)yofo.  If you are a safe camper
with regards to fire you can place most tents within 3' of each other.  Just
make sure to leave fire lanes between each row of such tents and it is a good 
idea to have each set of rows set up so that the exits face each other.

     A really big tent w/o a floor makes a great kitchen/dining pavillion and
keeps the number of dining flys down to a minimum.

     If you've never slept in a tent - do so before a major camping
event.That's the only way you'll know how much padding YOU require underneath
you.  Finding out at Pennsic after a 6-16 hour trip to get there will make you
very unhappy.

        SAFETY:  Establish fire safety rules and stick to them.  Don't forget
the fire extinguishers.  1 for the firepit (if you're going to have one), 1
for the cooking area, 1 for every three or 4 tents.  Keep them highly visible, 
let everyone in the encampment know where they are and how and when to use them
(ABC variety is best).  Drive stakes as deep into the ground as possible and
put reflective tape on the tops as well as on tent lines.  If you have smokers,
use ashtrays not the ground, drainage pit or fire pit.  Do not burn garbage.
If you must 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/pavillion/tarp/etc. and should NEVER be inside.  Keep fuels out of the sun 
and away from flames.

        For groups of 8 or more the following items are handy (I believe
essential):  A GOOD First Aid Kit to which you've added aspirin (or similar
product), an anti-itch product, an instant ice and an instant heat pack,
antacid (of some type), a mild laxative (I recommend Castoria) and something
for upset stomachs (over the counter) and someone who knows what to do with
it; a garden shovel; a wood axe or saw; a claw hammer; at least one lantern or 
large reliable flashlight; a pair of scissors (put a sheath over the point); 
100' ofclothes line; a water bucket; a bag of sand or cat litter (for smothering
those fires that should have water put on them and useful for getting a car
out of the mud); 2 large wash basins; a single burner stove for making hot
water or coffee first thing in the morning when you really don't want to wait 
for  your cook fire to be ready - or - a 3 burner stove if it is your primary 
source for cooking.

        Hope my ramblings are of some help.  I've been camp mother since we
started going to Pennsic and prior to that I've taken many a city scout
camping for a number of years.  Some of what I've learned during those years
has helped keep our camps safe and healthy ones.

        Lord Alasdair mac Donnchaidh     (mka Craig Robertson)
        Canton of Brewers Keep
        Barony of Concordia of the Snows
        East Kingdom


From: dc at sci.UUCP (D. C. Sessions)
Date: 16 Dec 90 22:17:44 GMT
Organization: SCI Technology, Inc., Huntsville, Al.
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca

bloch at mandrill.ucsd.edu (Steve Bloch) writes:

>I haven't figured out a good way to keep bread, except either to eat
>it quickly or to make it onsite.

  A simple suggestion: the term "half-baked" is meant for lazy loafers.
  Bake a loaf of bread only 'till it looks about like a Viking's buns in the
  spring, then *PROMPTLY* seal it up in something airtight.  It can be finished
  off in about a half-hour at 350-400F.  Works like a champ.  Tastes great.

>Oh, were you going to eat meat?

  I prefer to take mine along in a large trashbag, marinating all the while.
  Both beef and lamb do very nicely this way, and the thermal mass of a
  largish roast and a couple gallons of marinade (incl. veggies) is quite
  respectable.  In my last go at Estrella I took a plywood-on-the-outside,
  styrofoam-on-the-inside portable pantry.  No problems in 85-90F weather
  with little added coolant (mostly in the form of restocked beer...).

  On the other hand, an alternate approach which is too old to be just
  period is to bake your atavistic fix into a disguise which will get past
  the veggie vigilanties, to wit: bread.  You have to dry the _carne_
  _incognito_ some first, as well as juggle the baking times; still,
  the result lasts an absurdly long time and tastes wonderful.  An obvious
  variant is the meat pie.

>Stephen Bloch
>Joshua ibn-Eleazar ha-Shalib


From: storm at hlafdig.stonemarche.ORG (Arastorm the Golden)
Date: 20 Oct 91 04:47:32 GMT
Organization: The Internet

From Arastorm:
        Last weekend we put up our "longhouse" at the Time Line of
the Living History Association in Vermont. Unlike this weekend,
when it was a very unseasonable 78 degrees this afternoon, last
weekend was typical New England fall weather. Friday: downpour,
not too cold. Saturday: cloudy with wind, clearing. Saturday night:
COLD. Sunday: bright, sunny and brisk. For those of you who haven't
been blessed to spend autumns in New England, when I say COLD, I 
don't mean cold like January, when your toilets freeze, I mean that 
it was cold in comparison to what one encounters at Pennsic. (I mean that
when we got up I broke 1/3 inch thick ice off the washbasin.) 

        With this in mind, I have some suggestions.

        First: our hall, while well suited to being carted about, and
to impressing tourists, (read ostentatious) is not well suited for
heating. Any reasonable tent would be well heated by the bodies of
six people- Mistress Unna and her young son were snug in her 8 foot
tent that night. We, on the other hand, had "authentic Saxon atmosphere"
(in the modern world we call it "Smoke"). (Dur, don't get too excited,
but we were trying to show tourists how Saxons lived, so we had the
period fire down the center of the hall- this required that we pull the
batteries out of the smoke alarm you had us install. We also had to 
leave a lot of other SCA legal conveniences in the bus to make a more
authentic show.)  But aside from the problems of smoke, which were helped
when we cut vent holes in the eaves, you could not say that the fire
heated the hall by any means. Were we cold? No.

        As others have said, you don't need to heat the tent, you need to
keep yourselves warm. We were snug under wool blankets and sheepskins, 
and on our feather beds. Insulate your bodys and you will do fine.
(I will suggest for anyone who drinks anything with caffine, or alcohol,
or who has children or is pregnant, or who for other reasons may need 
to relieve themselves during the night, a chamber pot is a valuable piece
of tent furniture- preferably one with a lid. Emptying it in the morning
seems preferable to me than loss of body heat- especially impolite if one
shares someone elses body heat and returns to bed to place icy pedal 
extremities on the warm body of an innocent sleeping partner.

        In our experience sheepskins are the best insulation- they make
excellent pads, resist dew if not downpour, dry fairly well, and don't
shed. Deer skins shed some and aren't as warm, or as good pads. Reindeer
are wonderful pads and warmer- until they have shed, which is constant.
There is no way to keep reindeer from shedding. (I heard about one man
who got so annoyed that he finally took a vacume to his and got all the
loose guard hairs off. This was ALL the guard hairs. What was left looked
like a 3x5 foot rabbit skin.) I think they cost about 40-50 dollars each
now, although we got a new bunch last year for $25 at  at a sale. (We always
shop at sales.) If they get matted you can revive them with a "dog brush"
or carding comb, and if they are really ratty, cut them up and make 
them into boots (rub the outside with fat or melted wax for waterproofing) 

        I do recommend that if you get several sheepskins you go to the
trouble of sewing them together- otherwise one will slide this way, one
will slide that and you will get cold. We use "fake fur" as an under
layer to make sure that all our parts are covered. Wool blankets and
flannel sheets are also comfy. Hint: boiled wool (or any wool once it has
been shrunk and looks like the devil) is virtually waterproof. Nova Scotia
fishermen still wear (as I understand it) boiled wool mittens- the patterns
are knit extra large, then boiled down to the right size resulting in
waterproof, sturdy, warm hand coverings. I would hesitate to recommend
boiling (or purposly shrinking) a cape, as it doesn't look well - it's
rather crinkled, but it still makes a great blanket- although you may need
to sew two together once they are really shrunk.

        Finally, I cannot recommend too strongly the comfort of a European
featherbed. These are like large feather pillows. I order mine from The
Company Store (write me and I'll send you the address) and they insulate
as down jackets and comforters do. Generally these go for about $60, but
once a year or so go on sale for $40 (single- $60-70 full on sale). 

        I think it is not redundant to remind everyone that it is far
easier to keep oneself warm in the first place than to reheat from having
gotten chilled. Think ahead, bring warm garb. Dress in layers. Wool
keeps you warm. Stay Dry. (yes, mother) (Linen drys slowly, if it gets
wet, get out of it.) Bring warm wool socks. WEAR A HAT- even to bed! 
(especially to bed- that IS what we are talking about). Drink hot teas 
and soups rather than alcoholic beverages or anything cold. Finally,
put a crockery pot on the coals as you bed down and you will have something
hot in the morning while/before you get breakfast.

        (Now if we do any more cool season camping I have GOT to make 
some hangings to keep out the drafts and get more bodys to generate heat!)

                                                Arastorm


From: chris at unicorn.resun.com (Chris Von Hendy)
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Organization: Metalogic, S.a r.l.

In article <12841 at vela.acs.oakland.edu>, atterlep at vela.acs.oakland.edu 
(Blissful E. Ignorant) writes:
> 
>   After reading all the warnings against having fires in tents, I am left with
> a question.  If tent fires are so incredibly dangerous, how in the world did
> people in the Middle Ages (and before) keep their tents warm?

Very carefully, with great respect for the danger and at a certain
risk.  Although I think that you will find that in general they did not
bother to warm their tents with anything other than body heat unless it
was absolutely necessary.  When they did use fire they were careful that
nothing flammable was near it and at night the fire would be banked.  No
doubt every one in a while a tent caught on fire in spite of all their
precautions.  We in the modern Middle Ages do not feel (in general)
that the risks of having a fire in our tents is worth the risks.

There are many good ways to stay warm with out a fire.  One is to place
as much between the cold ground and your warm body as possible.  An air
mattress works well for a start, but you may also wish to place an
additional blanket under your sleeping bag.  The more heat reflective
the blanket, the warmer you will stay.  Wear socks on your feet.  If
possible share warmth with another person by using a double sleeping
bag with your SO.  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.  And don't forget that the smaller
the area of your tent the faster it will warm up.  

If you can't live with out a heater, use one that does not have an open
flame and make certain that there is nothing near it that might catch
fire (like the tent sides and roof.)  Make sure that your tent is well
ventilated so that you don't build up an excess of carbon monoxide and
turn the heater off immediately if you start to feel drowse.  This
could be just that your tired or it could be an indication that you do
not have enough oxygen in the tent.  

Can anyone else think of other ways to keep warm and safe when camping?
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Chris Von Hendy         
Escondido, California    --- Fred-Uf 1.8h(L)[BETA]


Date: 25 Jan 92 
From: donna at envy.kwantlen.bc.ca (Donna Hrynkiw)
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Organization: The Internet
Subject: Burning Tents

Chris Von Hendy <chris at unicorn.resun.com> said:
> There are many good ways to stay warm with out a fire.

And proceeds to mention many good ways to stay warm while camping.
(I'd like to personally vouch for the 'sharing body head with your SO'
method. After sleeping alone at SCA events for several years, it is an
unbelievable luxury to snuggle up to my personal blast-furnace.)
Getting back to the topic: The best keep-warm-while-sleeping trick I learned
in those abed-alone years was: Cover your head. I use a sweatshirt with
a drawstring hood, but at events I've seen nightcaps in the period style
and my SO uses a medieval hood made of stretchy sweatshirt-ish fabric
(thick and fuzzy). Makes a big difference.

E.B.
==================
Elizabeth "E.B." Braidwood                Donna Hrynkiw
Lions Gate, An Tir                        Kwantlen College
donna at envy.kwantlen.bc.ca                 Surrey, B.C.


From: yemm at pegasus.cc.ucf.edu (Colin Yemm)
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: Re: Cooking at Pennsic?
Date: 13 Jun 1995 00:21:39 GMT
Organization: University of Central Florida

Emmy (emmy at stargate.jpl.nasa.gov) wrote:
: I haven't seen a discussion of this yet, or perhaps I  simply missed it:

:    1. What are your favorite meals to make while camping?
:          -Recipes, tips, how-to, equipment needed, etc.

I would recommend beef cubes boiled/broiled with onions/mushrooms, and a
loaf of bread to dunk in the drippings.  Yummy! For those who care to
graze, boiled corn on the cob is good as well, as is pasta dishes.  It's a
little tricky, but I really like doing a crawfish boil (not too many
appreciate them mud bugs, as I found out after boiling up 20# of the
beasties at an event). 

:    2. Food safety
:          -What's safe in a cooler and for how long? etc.

This may sound wierd, but KEEP KOSHER.  Keep meats separate from dairy 
separate from vegetables, especially when storing/prepping.  Ice keeps 
things better than ice/water slush, how long YMMV.  Wash your hands 
freqently, even between handling different foodstuffs.  Dispose of 
washwater intelligently.

:    3. Period style cooking!
:          -Recipes, tips, how-to, equipment needed, etc.

A very UN-period utensil I recommend, though it takes a LOT of practice 
to use it safely near (not ON) a fire, is a pressure cooker.  Kills the 
wee little beasties like nothing else.
--
Colin Yemm                   "It's not gator tolerance, it's poodle control" 
Paramedic, LifeFleet                 *I* speak for LifeFleet or UCF? 
SysSupport, COHPA - U.C.F.                BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!


From: Bronwynmgn at aol.com
Date: Thu, 17 Apr 1997 12:21:12 -0400 (EDT)
Subject: Re: SC - Outdoor feasts

<< On Wed, 16 Apr 1997 13:25:14 -0500 robin.hackett at wadsworth.org (Robin
 Hackett) writes:
 >Outdoor feasts are alot of fun! :) L >>

My second event in the SCA was "Galahad's Challenge" in Sept 1989, in the
Shire of Eisental in the East Kingdom.  I helped with cooking the feast.  We
did the entire thing over a fire in a trench about 15 ft long, with grates
laid over it.  (Refrigerator grates don't work very well for this - we almost
lost a large pot of carrots, and somebody got burned rather badly getting the
pot off the grate before it snapped in half from the heat and weight).  It
rained most of the day, but not hard enough to put out the fire - until about
5 minutes after we took the last pot off it!  At least we didn't have to
worry about whether the fire was out - only whether the stream was going to
flood us out of our tents!

Bronwyn


From: ylwrose2 at juno.com
Date: Wed May 14, 2003  2:00:26 PM US/Central
To: StefanliRous at austin.rr.com
Subject: Stefan's files

As I was writing to a first time camper with hints this morning, I
wondered if one of my hints would be useful to your Florilegium.

I will include it here, and if you want to use it, I will send you a copy
with my physical signature (having read through several messages
regarding this lately).

A shower box.  Get a clear plastic shoe box (the one that has a rim or feet on
the bottom) from The Container Store.  Drill 1/4" holes in the bottom in
each corner (so any water that gets in it will drain out).  Drill two
1/4" holes in the two long sides of the box, about 6 or 7 inches apart. 
Drill two 1/4" holes in *one* long side of the lid of the box, the same
distance apart as in the sides of the box.  Cut two pieces of rope that
will fit through the holes about 30" long.  Tie one piece through the two
holes in one side of the box and the holes in the lid.  Tie the other
piece through the two holes in the other side of the box, making it even
with the first rope.  You now have a box that will hold a normal size
bottle of shampoo, your soap box, and most of your other toiletries! 
Plus you can fold your towel and change of clothes and put on top of the
box between the handles to carry to the shower (leaving one hand free to
be kissed by passing gentlemen).

In Service to the Dream
Lady Francesca Laviana Sansovino
Barony of the Steppes

<the end>
Edited by Mark S. Harris	camping-ideas-msg