cld-weath-cmp-msg - 3/21/01
Suggestions for cold weather camping at SCA events.
NOTE: See also the files: camp-ovens-msg, firepits-msg, camp-kitchens-msg, lamps-msg, lighting-msg, p-privies-msg, beds-msg, lamps-msg, fur-msg.
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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
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Mark S. Harris AKA: THLord Stefan li Rous
Stefan at florilegium.org
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Date: Tue, 22 Aug 2000 10:27:53 -0600
From: Joan Nicholson <gryphon at carlsbadnm.com>
Subject: Re: SC -Sleeping WARM!
I've been camping for a lot of years and have found the most indispensable
covers for cold weather are fake furs. Get a couple of good sized pieces
and layer one beneath your bottom sheets/covers and one over. Make certain
that the furry side is toward your body. This traps and holds warmed air
next to you and you stay incredibly comfortable. Granted fur is not for
everyone's persona, but if you make a really sumptuous Renaissance
coverlet, who's to know that it's fur-lined? 8^)
Prydwen
From: jjordan_12 at my-deja.com
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: Re: Cold Weather Camping
Date: Fri, 22 Sep 2000 19:05:55 GMT
A lot of nice suggestions on your page (and the rest of the site
continues to be an extremely useful reference and good reading). One
suggestion I didn't see is one that worked well for me during my
military time. A chamberpot. For men, at least, it was possible to
urinate without leaving the warmth of the bed. In the morning the
contents (and a rinse) went into the latrine (and *not* into a
dumpster). I leave it as a practical exercise for the female student
to come up with a good way to do this. :>
Jester of Anglesey
From: maeryk at rcn.com
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: Re: Cold Weather Camping
Date: Sat, 23 Sep 2000 01:50:21 GMT
On Fri, 22 Sep 2000 19:05:55 GMT, jjordan_12 at my-deja.com wrote:
>A lot of nice suggestions on your page (and the rest of the site
>continues to be an extremely useful reference and good reading). One
>suggestion I didn't see is one that worked well for me during my
>military time. A chamberpot. For men, at least, it was possible to
>urinate without leaving the warmth of the bed. In the morning the
>contents (and a rinse) went into the latrine (and *not* into a
>dumpster). I leave it as a practical exercise for the female student
>to come up with a good way to do this. :>
>Jester of Anglesey
Surprisingly enough, Harley riders *have* done this. You can find an
interesting device, shaped something like a funnel and something like
an athletic cup that is for that very purpose. While the term "old
lady" used in the advertising usually makes me cringe, it *does* seem
a bit of a nifty invention.
Maeryk
From: owly at hem.utfors.se
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: Re: Cold Weather Camping
Date: Sat, 23 Sep 2000 17:07:03 GMT
Organization: Utfors AB
That reminds me I saw a fine but slightly suprising example of Swedish
design at the apothacaries the other day. It's a small chamberpot that
a woman can use standing up. Not only that there are these pads you
put in it that sucks up the liquid and turns it into a kind of gel so
that it supposed to make it easier to throw away. It was like a big,
low oval mug with a lid, all in blue frosted plastic.
Anna de Byxe in Sweden ;-)
From: Lissa McCollum <lissamc at primenet.com>
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: Re: Cold Weather Camping
Date: Tue, 26 Sep 2000 12:36:38 -0700
Organization: Forest Moon Creations
Samuel Walters wrote:
> I was reading Mother Earth News magazine the other day and saw an ad for the
> "Whizzie" It said "Ladies, stand up and whizz like a man. Cleanly, easily,
> privately. Use a Whizzie!"
>
> After I could sit up straight again I thought about it and it's not a bad
> idea. Apparently they are cheap too.
>
> Rhys Goch
> MKA Sam Walters
> www.brightok.net/~agincrt
Try the device available on http://www.restrooms.org/standing.html .
I know someone who gives it good reviews.
Gwen
From: erilarloFRY at SPAMwin.bright.net (erilar)
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: Re: Cold Weather Camping
Organization: Medieval Academy, SCA
Date: Tue, 26 Sep 2000 17:20:39 -0500
Lissa McCollum <lissamc at primenet.com> wrote:
> Try the device available on http://www.restrooms.org/standing.html .
> I know someone who gives it good reviews.
My mother bought a funny-shaped plastic thingy so she didn't need to leave
the tent in the middle of the night when we camped. It needed something to
sit in, though. A 5-quart ice cream pail is an easier target and you can
put a lid on it until you can empty it.
Mary Loomer Oliver (aka erilar)
From: myrindyl at aol.com (Michelle Picou)
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Date: 27 Sep 2000 04:24:45 GMT
Subject: Re: Cold Weather Camping
At the Wal-Mart in my area (southeast Texas), and at local hunting/outdoor
stores, you can purchase a "port-a-potty" that is basically a 5-gallon bucket
with a toilet seat attached. You just line the bucket with a garbage bag and
go! I know several ladies who say they have gotten good results by putting a
few cups of kitty litter in the bottom of the garbage bag - evidently this
helps both with any odors and with disguising the sound of a lady 'watering the
flowers' in her pavilion at night!
Lady Birgitta
Kingdom of Ansteorra
Barony Bordermarch
From: <hrjones at socrates.Berkeley.EDU>
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: Re: Cold Weather Camping
Date: 27 Sep 2000 17:51:57 GMT
Organization: University of California at Berkeley
erilar <erilarloFRY at spamwin.bright.net> wrote:
: My mother bought a funny-shaped plastic thingy so she didn't need to leave
: the tent in the middle of the night when we camped. It needed something to
: sit in, though.
Doesn't sound like the kind I'm familiar with, which is a device aimed at
backpackers and campers who may be in circumstances where "dropping 'em
and squatting" is undesirable.
: A 5-quart ice cream pail is an easier target and you can
: put a lid on it until you can empty it.
I have heard tell, from those who have tried it, that a Mason jar
(complete with sealing lid) is of an extremely convenient size and volume
for those times when you've gotta go and you don't want to go
outside. (The aesthetics of an authentic reproduction medieval chamber
pot are ... um ... attractive, but on the other hand, I'm not sure it's
the sort of thing I'd want to leave lying around visible in camp just to
show I'm using an authentic one!)
Tangwystyl
*********************************************************
Heather Rose Jones hrjones at socrates.berkeley.edu
**********************************************************
Date: Thu, 5 Oct 2000 09:05:46 +0200 (MET DST)
From: Par Leijonhufvud <parlei at algonet.se>
Subject: Re: SC - Way OT: Need advice to prevent freezing
On Wed, 4 Oct 2000, Isha ArrowHawk wrote:
> The majority of the event is going to be outdoors. I will be helping with
> Harper duties, and I have no cloak to keep my old bones warm. I'll toss on
> old long johns under my garb, but I will still be cold. *shivers*
Another hint. Warm a rock or few until they reach the "hot potato" stage
(i.e. you can hold them, but not for more than a second or so). Wrap in
some fabric and keep close to your body. According to reports ladies
like to hold them tucked up under the bust[1].
If juggling hot stones sounds dangerous[2] you can go past a backpacking
supply store and purchase a few handwarmers and use them instead. On
winter trips when the cold gets severe I like to keep one in each front
pocket on my pants.
/UlfR
[1] Since there are a Swedish mans name "Sten" and stone in Swedish is
"sten" this can give rise to more or less obvious jokes, ranging from
him being the ladies favourite.
[2] It isn't, we aren't talking red hot or anything like that. I have
slept many nights with a few down by my feet, a couple behind my back
and one or two in front of my chest. No burns, and sound sleep.
- --
Par Leijonhufvud parlei at algonet.se
Allt som inte d–dar h”rdar
Date: Thu, 5 Oct 2000 10:28:54 -0400
From: "Bethany Public Library" <betpulib at ptdprolog.net>
Subject: Re: SC - Way OT: Need advice to prevent freezing
Here's some of my favorite ways to keep warm, esp. at night at events (some
of which are even "historical").
A) Soapstone slab (or try a pizza stone (which frequently gets tossed when
it's broken. Recycle it!) or a couple of bricks). It gets warmed next to
the fire, then wrapped in flannel. Put it in your pockets or toss it into
your bed. If you're there cooking, you could always warm your sheets or
blankets with a few hot coals in a covered pot, waved between the cover
before you retire. Be sure to put them outside the tent and back into the
fire pit and tend to the fire if no one else is, before going to sleep,
though.
B) Hot water bottle. Either get a real one, or if you're afraid that you'll
instantly look like a crone to the check-out girl, make one out of a 2 liter
(or smaller) bottle. Fill with warm tap water, cap tightly, toss into your
bed or hold next to your body. A more historical version would to use a
tightly-sealing crockery or stone bottle, but my theory is that the water is
heavy enough....... I do this all the time for my kids at events, throwing
a used 16 oz. bottle, filled with hot water from the restroom sink, into
their sleeping bags before they bed down for the night. The heat makes them
sleepy.
C) My mother, who grew up in poor cockney London, used to take freshly
hard-boiled eggs in her pockets to school. They hold their heat for a long
time, and have the added benefit of being edible for lunch, by which time
they've cooled. The same theory was used by my PA Deutsch dad, in the wild
country of Litutz, PA, who used baked potatoes instead....
D) You can buy a really expensive "au natural" hot pad which is made of
corn, beans, rice, or other legumes, but it's easy to make your own. Just
make a small sack and fill with your choice of the above items. The heating
trick: empty them into a pot and place over the fire until very warm, or
microwave for a minute or two to heat (i've been known to use a zip-lock
baggie though you'll have to really watch it). Then pour the beans or rice
or whatever back into the sack, tie it shut, and tuck it into your bodice. I
did this for a breast-cancer patient at one event, since I lived close
nearby, and he began to feel much better. It will last longer if wrapped in
a kitchen or hand towell. The legumes are useless for food purposes after
this, much like beans or rice used as pie weights.
E)If the cloak-without-sewing is your first choice, however, simply take a
large rectangle of thick cloth (or use an army blanket) and wear it as a
Roman-style cloak or Irish/Celtic Brat. It's historical, it's warm, and it
requires no work at all.
Myself, I'll probably do all of the above this coming weekend. I don't weant
to miss the chance to see who'll be on the throne for Pennsic XXX. And it's
gonna be cold and wet here on the northern East coast of the US.
Aoife
Subject: Re: Cold Weather Camping
From: John Groseclose <caradoc at neta.com>
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Date: Mon, 09 Oct 2000 16:07:21 GMT
Michelle Picou <myrindyl at aol.comLatch> wrote:
> At the Wal-Mart in my area (southeast Texas), and at local hunting/outdoor
> stores, you can purchase a "port-a-potty" that is basically a 5-gallon bucket
> with a toilet seat attached. You just line the bucket with a garbage bag and
> go! I know several ladies who say they have gotten good results by putting a
> few cups of kitty litter in the bottom of the garbage bag - evidently this
> helps both with any odors and with disguising the sound of a lady 'watering
> the flowers' in her pavilion at night!
Speaking from personal experience - if you're planning on using
something like a port-a-potty inside your tent, there are a few things
to remember:
1) Make sure you have some kind of light to indicate where it is -
stumbling over it is *not* how you want to find it in the middle of the
night.
2) Make sure it's either weighted or braced against tipping over if you
*do* stumble over it.
3) Avoid asparagus with any meals at the event. Don't ask - just avoid
it.
Date: Sun, 28 Jan 2001 20:23:31 -0500
From: "micaylah" <dy018 at freenet.carleton.ca>
Subject: Re: SC - Surviving Estrella War
> Using an air mattress is a poor choice in cold weather.
Not necessarily. Living up here "in the frozen North" one learns how to
get around this. I sleep on a queen sized air bed BUT there is much
between me and the cold lumpy ground. I put an artic sleeping bag over
the air bed and a foamy (one of those bumpy bed things), and then I put
a fitted flannel sheet over all. I also have several blankets on top,
one of which is another artic sleeping bag which I have enveloped in
some kickass upholstry fabric to at least look nice. I made this to
"hide" the sleeping bag and yes I velcro this shut, but that helps when
removing to go mundane camping or to have it dry cleaned. Since it is of
heavy brocade type fabric it also helps keep me warm.
Period? Definately not! Comfortable? Without a doubt! Warm?
Yesssssssssssss!
Micaylah
~who also has a Catalytic Heater that keeps her warm all night when the
temperature dips close to 0!!~
Date: Mon, 29 Jan 2001 10:09:10 +0000
From: hawkstwr at omen.net.au
Subject: Re: SC - Surviving Estrella War
I have not had to endure what I would consider very cold camping in
the SCA, however if you can get hold of full size sheepskins I can
recommend no better thing to put between you and whatever mattress
you are using for insulating purposes.
I have used sheepskin over a 4" foam mattress with marvelous results,
and can see no reason why it would not work as well over an airbed.
I have found that the size used for car seat covers is good for a
single under blanket.
On the humorous side a friend of mine once had a sheepskin sleeping
bag made and found that they were unable to sleep with it closed up
as it was too good at retaining heat, temp range was 5 - 10 degrees C.
D'Gaunt...
Date: Mon, 29 Jan 2001 14:33:25 -0800 (PST)
From: Huette von Ahrens <ahrenshav at yahoo.com>
Subject: Re: SC - Surviving Estrella War
- --- "Mark S. Harris" <stefan at texas.net> wrote:
> Using an air mattress is a poor choice in cold weather. Thermally you'd
> be better off sleeping on the ground. Of course your back may complain
> about that, too. I've slept on concrete floors myself, but that was
> 25+ years ago. As you move around on the air mattress you move the
> air in the mattress, shifting cool air to you and the air you warmed
> off to the edges where it can be cooled down again.
The first time I went to Estrella, I brought an air
mattress and nearly froze, even with a sleeping bag,
all my garb on and my cloak on top of everything.
The next year, I brought a portable futon platform,
which breaks down to two 1"x6" boards about 6 feet
long with feet and pegs to hold the slats and 12 1"x3"
slats about 4 feet long. It looks vaguely Viking when
set up and is easy to transport. It kept me at least
6" off the ground. I brought a thick futon and two
down filled quilts and was toasty warm all night, even
though the temperatures were just as cold as the year
before. I also wore a stocking cap on my head because
your head accounts for a lot of your overall warmth
and usually isn't protected under blankets.
Huette
<the end>