[TheForge] Medieval tips (YAK)

[Phlip]

Larry and Pat Brown wrote:

> Hi all,
> I am involved in the Boy Scouts and my sons troop is attending a "Camporee"
> where the boys compete against each other for various prizes. The theme
> this year is "Medieval". I was wondering if the re-enactors on the
> list  could give me a few tips off list on how to make a camp of regular
> tents etc  and their dress look Medieval. We don't have a lot of time or
> money of course and it all has to be constructed by the boys on site from
> materials carried in. Any idea will be given to the boys who are sad enough
> that no swords are allowed even wooden ones. They are a small troop and
> have walked away with the prizes before and hope to do it again.
> Thanks
>   Larry Brown

There are several simple things you can do, depending how much effort you want
to put in.

First would be garb. Sweat pants, without the lines up the side, and not grey
could be used. Instead of having them down to the ankles over socks and
sneakers, tuck them up over the calves, and let the excess length blouse out.
Simple T-tunics can be made out of old sheets- they're just a length of cloth,
cut out and sewn up the sides, with a head opening, like this:

___________________________
|                     \          /                         |
|                       \___/                          |
|____                                          ___|
         |                                         |
         |                                         |
         |                                         |
         |                                         |
         |                                         |
         |                                         |
         |                                         |
         |___________________|

Length should be about mid-thigh. Over these, simple tabards (a simple vest)
can be made of two towels the same color held together by safety pins- they'd
look pretty fancy, if everyone wore the same color ;-) A small pouch, held up
by a belt made of rope tied in a square knot, would complete the clothes.
Sandals would be the best shoes, preferably not neon plastic ;-) A cloak could
be done as well. Material can be gotten by going to local motels and asking for
worn out sheets and towels for the BSA- send a thank-you note, and they'll be
happy to help next time. Some Rit dye can color things up for you.

As far as the tents, depending on what you're using, there's a couple of things
you can do. If they're the pup tents I remember from my youth, fastening
pennants for and aft, brightly colored, with maybe a symbol of your troop would
work. If they're the cabin type with the walls, dagging would work. That's a
string of the same shapes, like the flags at a used car lot, fastened to the
edge of the eaves. I suggest you only use one color, or no more than two,
alternating. Looks sorta like this:

_____________________________________
\    /\    /\    /\    /\    /\    /\    /\    /\    /\    /\   /\    /\   /
 \  /  \  /  \  /  \  /  \  /  \  /  \  /  \  /  \  /  \  /  \  /  \ /  \ /

Other things might be to set up a tripod over a fire (doesn't hafta be real,
just recognizable) with an iron pot hanging from a chain, and maybe, depending
how elaborate you want to get, setting up a standard BSA tied rope clothesline,
about waist high, with a couple of cardboard cut out horses tied to it.

If you don't think any, or some of this might work, post me back, and maybe I
can come up with more details or additional ideas ;-)