Cold Weather Survival at LARP

[Sierra Katrian]

Hey guys! With All Hallows nearly upon us I want to throw this post out there.

What You Will Need to Survive the Cold

Food

• Food. you will be eating a lot of it. The colder it gets the more you will need to fuel your body. Not to mention you will all be running around like maniacs so keep snacks on your at all times. Prepare to eat a metric ton.
  
• Water! It is the nectar of life. Bring a lot. Remember that your body needs food in order to process really cold, or really hot water, so prepare to eat so that you can drink water.
  
• That is all. Please know that you may not know when you have become hungry. With all the running around you do and the adrenaline coursing through your veins you may not realize you are hungry or thirsty until it too late. If you have 30 seconds, throw a piece of food in your mouth and take a swig of water.

Clothing

• The most important thing you can do is LAYER. Layer, and then layer again! It doesn’t matter if you look like the Stay Puff Marshmallow Man from Ghostbusters, we will all be plump together.
  Get some sweat wicking thermal wear for your base outfit. After you stop running around the forest sweating your sweat begins to cool you down (Because this is why we sweat). Having a sweat wicking clothing on your skin will help keep the cool sweat off your body and help you retain heat.
  
• Wool is your best friend. Wool is a magical fabric that, even when sopping wet, will still be incredibly warm. Keep to synthetic materials, such as polyester and acrylic, if wool cannot be found. These materials dry really fast, and don’t hold a lot of moisture.
  
• AVOID COTTON! Cotton, when wet, does the complete opposite of wool and remains ice cold.
  
• Metal is a heat-sucking devil. If you are going to wear chain, or plate, put as many layers as you can between you and the metal, or else it will literally suck the warmth out of your body.
  
• Bring many, many socks. This usually goes without saying, but having a ton of socks will come in handy if you need to layer more, or if some get wet. Wool socks are a must have, bring a few pairs of these.
  
• Bring a hat. You lose so much heat out of your head, a hat is a must. Wool is ideal.
  
• Bring an emergency poncho. Yes those thin plastic things that tourists wear, buy one or two of those. In the cold weather, when it starts to rain, it is better to break immersion than have your costume freeze solid.
  
• Hot pockets (Little Hotties, Robax Back Wraps). These things have probably saved my life a dozen times. These wondrous things are all natural heat packs that last anywhere from 8-18 hours. I put them in every pocket, inside my mitts, inside my boots, 4-5 in my sleeping bag, 1-2 back wraps around my torso (Don’t put these directly on your skin...Ow).
  
• You are probably asking, "What if I don't have anything warm that fits the setting?", well not to worry. Do whatever you can to stay warm, throw that ski jacket on, we can worry about the immersion later. Please try to cover the logos and what not, but honestly, your safety is more important. For this reason I usually like to have a cloak or a poncho that I can throw over my infernal clothing.

Sleeping

• The most important thing you need for sleeping in the cold is something between you and the ice cold ground. A lot of people use those foam puzzle pieces, or anything dense like that. If you are going to bring an air mattress or a cot, just remember that the air underneath you will cool you down as well, so make sure to put a layer of something warm between you and the mattress.
  
• A thermal sleeping bag is a must have. If you don’t have a big fluffy one, bring thermal blankets, furs and all the wool you can find to sleep with. I usually wrap my thick wool cloak around me and then get in my sleeping bag.
  
• You could always sleep beside a buddy. Collective body heat might save your lives.
  
• I recommend changing into a new set of clothes before bed. This ensures they are dry and therefore warm.
  
• Always wear a hat to bed.
  
• When sleeping try and keep your mouth and nose outside of your sleeping bag. Your breath causes moisture to form and can make you and your sleeping bag damp and cold.
  

What if I Still Can’t Get Warm!?

Don’t worry, we will not leave you to suffer outside in the cold. If you truly cannot seem to get warm and you fear that it poses a medical threat, please do not hesitate to come to NPC Camp. We will gladly make sure that you get warm, and are healthy. We do not want to make any hospital trips during game, it’s not fun for anyone, especially you guys.

That said, if we see that you are not adequately dressed for the weather, and have not eaten or drank anything, we will not hesitate to send you home. Underworld is an 18+ game, we are all adults, and we hope that everyone takes the responsibility of their own safety seriously.

Anyone have anything else to add? Any Vets have any Cold Weather LARP Hacks?

[Brennus]

For anyone who might be as stupid as i am. If you wear plate to all hallows i cannot stress enough how important a decent Gambeson is. Not only is it period clothing that protects you from pinching chain and plate bruising but it also retains heat like a mother fucker. Last year at jericho i lay on the ground in my plate with my feet tucked up to my butt feet flat on the ground. I shit you not i fell asleep i was that warm. (Obviously do not sleep outside don't be idiots.) Matt flynn can probably back me up on the virtues of a decent Gambeson.

[Sierra Katrian]

I have seen Flynn fall asleep in FULL armour, no blankets, no pillow, just leaned back and dozed off. It surely was a sight.

For the Little Hotties and Robax Back Wraps, Costco is a godsend. You can get 40 Little Hotties for $13 (Most supermarkets sell them for a buck a piece) and the Robax Wraps are 6 for $20 I think? Maybe $25? (They are usually double the price at the supermarket) Either way, they are the best investment. I swear by them.

[Sigurd Vask]

Good post. Stay alive folks!