What to Bring to Legends of Chivalry

If it is your first camping event

Myndroh, Sept 12, 2001 (v2.01)

Tibicen, Sept 10, 1998 (v2)

Note: This document is a version of "What to bring to events 1.1"

Part the First: The Very Serious Bit

While the point of SCA events is to "have fun" and "escape the mundane world", do not let yourself get so caught up in the good vibes you forget about very real potential problems. When attending any SCA Event - or for that matter any event that takes you off campus for a considerable length of time, SCA or not - PLEASE bring the following Common Sense items:

(1) Your student ID and/or a driver's licence.

Besides being useful for carding doors, these little pieces of plastic are good for an amazing number of uses, from student discounts (your Student ID), to the legitimate operation of motor vehicles in dire emergency (the drivers licence), to pacifying Angry and/or Suspicious important people (police officers, university staff, etc.), to identifying your unconscious body (heaven forfend!).

(2) Your house keys.

There's nothing like standing on the front steps of Random or New House, in garb, at 3am, waiting for the night watch to wander by front desk and hear the phone ringing. Or you could try calling a roommate, who will no doubt be overjoyed to hear from you.

(3) Any legal medications you need.

If you are an asthmatic, bring the damn inhaler. If you are diabetic, bring your insulin. If you are allergic to bee stings, bring your sting kit. Even if you just have been taking over-the-counter antihistamines for a head cold, bring your own - the medical staff on site cannot dispense medication (no, not even aspirin!). Even if you're convinced "I haven't had an attack in years", bring your medication just in case. (e.g. The Saga of Caterina's Four Day Long Asthma Attack)

(3a) If you need one, a med-alert bracelet!: This is the exact circumstance for which they were designed: being with people who have no idea of your medical history, for a long time, away from home, doing new things, breathing new air, and eating new foods.

(4) Emergency money: including

(a) either at least a dollar in small change, or (better yet) a calling card.

(b) $15 for an emergency cab ride. It is almost unheard of that this is necessary - in almost every circumstance you can find someone to give you a lift (one of the SCA's conceits is that we take care of our own). But being able to get a cab (say if the car you're riding in breaks down on the way home, and someone needs to go for help) may make an otherwise nightmarish situation merely frightening and inconvenient. Credit cards can sometimes stand in, but are not so flexible as cash; they are, on the other hand, better for longer trips. (e.g. Saga of the Known World Music & Dance Collegium, or All Automotive Repair Places In Pennsylvania Are Closed On Sundays)

(5) Physical comforts

Such as a pair of emergency dry socks, a coat, a change of clothing, an umbrella - whatever you think you would miss most if you found it suddenly necessary. People who know they'll be grumpy if not fed should bring emergency munchies (in case the feast emerges later than your hunger). If you know of certain items that will make the difference for you between being somewhat miserable/uncomfortable and having a grand time, bring them! (e.g. Ode to Jehanneton's Wool Rag Socks)

(5a) WOMEN: blood is so hard to wash out of garb; accomodate yourself appropriately before leaving for the event.

(6) A sense of humor, and an appetite for adventure.

Things Go Wrong, Bad Things Happen, Fortuna Imperatrix Mundi Est. MIT students are renown for grace under pressure; SCAdians aspire to chivalry in the face of adversity. Remember, the worse the situations you survive, the better the No Sh*t stories you'll have to tell. (e.g. The Saga of Warrior Bus Lines)

Part the Second: The Check List

Here is a checklist for Things to Bring to Legends of Chivalry. It's a suggestion: edit as you see fit. You might want to print this out and stick it on the back of your door, or where ever you'll see it before packing.

Remember, while you may not be bringing an item yourself, be sure to make sure it's getting there if you'll want it.

Necessary

Survival kit: ID, keys, medications, emergency money, comforts
The site fee ($15 for arriving Friday, $10 for arriving Saturday, $8 for Saturday only).
Garb, including: the garments, the belt, shoes, beltpouch, lacings, hat, jewelry, pins, and anything else you'll want to wear. Gentlemen: if you are borrowing a tunic, try to bring black jeans or sweatpants to wear with it.
Mundane Clothing: both change of clothes for emergency and layers you can put on underneath your garb if it gets very cold.
Outerwear: cloak, coat, jacket, etc. Doesn't have to be period, just in case it gets very cold (this is New England).
Sleeping gear: sleeping bag, blankets, pillows, etc.
Toilettries: Hair brush, tooth brush, toothpaste, contact lens solution, towel, soap, etc. There are reputedly showers with hot water. Whatever you'll need when you wake up to prepare yourself to meet the day.
Whatever you need to get there and back: train tickets, car keys, subway tokens, The Directions To The Site (even if you're not driving -- print out your own copy), etc.

Flashlight. This site is astonishingly dark after sundown.
Bug spray and sun screen.
Tools of the trade: if you're planning on doing something specific, bring the necessary equipment (e.g. If you don't bring your instruments, you can't play in the band; if you don't bring your armor, you can't fight on the lists)
Emergency repair equipment: needle & thread, ducttape, safety pins - whatever is most likely to repair what is most likely to be broken.
Money, if you plan to shop while you are there (there will be merchants).

Part the Third: A few notes on Legends of Chivalry

Going there...

If you're a driver, be sure you have directions, and have reviewed them for sanity before setting out; know both the Scadian and mundane names of your passengers, if any, and how to get a hold of them in an emergency.

If you're a passenger, be sure you have a copy of the directions; know both the Scadian and mundane names of you driver, and how to get a hold of them in an emergency.

Make sure you have everything you need ready long beforehand and that you know where you're meeting your ride/passengers. Wake up on time, show up early.

When you arrive...

When you check in, you will be asked if you have a reservation. Say "Yes", because your motherly provost made sure you do. The reservation should be under your own mundane name -- for instance, Tibicen's reservation will be under ["Vanessa Layne"] instead of ["Domna Guiraude"]. Check your name off the list, and follow the instructions that the Gatekeeper tells you.

Once checked in at Gate...

If you're sleeping over, figure out which cabin you're in; you can ask around to the "Mitgaard Cabin" (or whichever cabin you're staying in). Lug your stuff there, and change into garb. Prepare your sleeping place, so you can just fall into bed at 2am if necessary. Go have fun.

If you're not sleeping over, you can still stow your stuff in Mitgaard's cabin.

Food...

There is a "dayboard" (lunch, help yourselves) Saturday, included in the on-board fee. If you are arriving Friday, you should have dinner before you arrive, or bring it with you, as there are no provissions for provisions before Saturday. For Saturday and Sundary mornings, we'll bring breakfast stuffs (bagels, fruit, at least), and if there are leftovers from the feast, they will also be available. If this might not be sufficient food, you might want to pack some in with you.

The Feast is a "dusk" -- check at the gate when you check in as to what time it is scheduled for. You can sit anywhere except high table (unless asked by the Royalty). Mitgaard will probably sit together. If you meet someone interesting and are invited to eat with them, we encourage you to accept -- you can eat with us any time, so it would be a special opportunity to get to know someone else. Just find us to pick up feastgear. Similarly, if you meet someone interesting, feel free to invite them to eat with you, with Mitgaard.

Miscellaneous...

USE A SCADIAN NAME. We will not call you "Um, ah..." or "I don't really have a name yet", so don't introduce yourself that way. And if you don't have one by then, I will introduce you as "John/Jeanne Newcomer the " (as appropriate to gender). IT'S BEEN DONE BEFORE. AND IT STUCK (e.g. "John Irongut").

"HOLD" means "YOU FREEZE". If you hear it, do it. Freeze first, THEN figure out what the danger is and to whom. Use it when something dangerous is about to occur.

"OYEZ" (pronunced "OY-YAY") means "PLEASE SHUT UP". Fall silent immediately and hearken to the ensuing announcement.

"CLEAR" means "a blade has been drawn". Say it clearly and firmly any time you pull any weapon free of its scabbard, to alert the people around you to be careful.

When in doubt, address everyone as "M'lord" or "M'lady", or in indeterminate circumstances, "Good gentle". The people with the big metal hats are "Your Majesty".

Neither bug spray nor sun block work in the can.

VOLUNTEER! If you don't know what to do with yourself, there will be a volunteer's point. In particular, you can always

Wander into the kitchen -- they always need unskilled and semi-skilled labor to chop and wash and stir. Kitchens are fun places to be with lots of socializing.
Volunteer to do a shift at Gate -- a good way to match faces to names!
Volunteer as field herald -- like being theatrical? People with flair and big voices are needed to read the proclamations of challenges during the tourney. There will be an orientation and class just before the tournament.

Most dances will be taught. In period, women asked men to dance just as much as the other way around.

Lastly..

If you have any crises or concerns while at the event, don't keep it a secret! Find Myndroh or Tibicen for help; Ulrick (previous provost), Godith (Barony Magistra), and Adele (ran the garb workshop) are also good sources for aid. You can also ask for help from anyone who looks even mildly official. The Society is filled with helpful people; don't let their being strangers to you intimidate you. Whether you need a bandaid, or a question answered, or a dance partner.... or an emergency ride off site, we will take care of you while you're off campus.

See you there!

Submitted by Myndroh, Sept 12, AS XXXVI