KR Cold Weather LARPing: 101?

Good morning! Apologies if there’s already a thread hidden somewhere for this. These next few months will be my first experience with Winter LARPing, and while I’ve read plenty of articles and collected some advice on how best to handle the elements, I’d love to get some insight from my fellow Knight Realms players. You already know the camp and what it’s like when the cold sets in.

I’ll be attempting to wrangle up some under armor and/or woolen socks and underthings, but I’ll gladly take whatever advice and clothing recommendations/links you can throw at me. Being warm while also being able to function is going to be key.

Thank you!

Dress in layers, stay dry (socks especially), don't forget to hydrate.

I have Renaurds a circulation disorder do keeping warm is very important. Drink water. Stay away from caffine. Dressing thin layers. Avoid cotton in winter. Thermals underlayer. Don't contract your circulation though. Dry is key. Sweating leads to chill. No direct contact with the ground. No direct contact to snow ice or mud. I stoop kneel when down because of this when downed as PC or NPC in this weather.

Test your gear at home. Find out If or where it binds. If it's really water resistant etc.

Hug So warm!

Yes I second Joe's advice. Know your limitatons as relates to the temperature. Underarmor is awesome. Acquire a good sleeping bag as well and bring an extra blanket just in case. You'll be fine so whatever you do, don't panic.

Also staying warm is actually more important than looking good. Especially in the area of shoes.

Thankfully the in-character boots I have are winterized. One pair is lined with this crazy anti-weather padding, and the other are a sturdy set of thick leather boots that thankfully have good soles for the ice and snow.

I feel silly that I didn't know about how avoiding cotton, though. Trying to do a little window-shopping for wool or fleece layers. Or maybe linen?

Silk also makes a good layer, because it dries very quickly. (Real silk, that is, not that weird polyester-blend stuff.)

See me second the silk hmmm. Raw silk too of you can find it.

Shoes, plenty of em, dry water resistant (preferably waterproof) especially when there is snow on the ground.

Those awesome moccasins that makes you Berserker Goblin may be paper thin and running / standing in snow / water will serve as no protection to the feet.

Toes are the first to go

My things are by far not as important as hydrating or staying warm - but these are some things I find that detract from my experience....a good moisturizer for your exposed face and lip balm for dry lips. Also, if you have longer hair, a really good spray in conditioner to get the tangly knots out that happen when you wear lots of layers.

Most important things though- socks, boots, gloves, layers, and plently of them to change into when they get damp - A HAT OR HOOD (keeping the warmth from leaving your head is key) and warm bedding.

Something I learned last winter - Do NOT be afraid to go inside. Mods and events may be colder and/or longer than expected, and there is no shame in bowing out or taking a break to go find somewhere warm to warm up.

There are five ways in which your body loses heat:
1) Conduction (Contact)
2) Convection (Wind)
3) Radiation (Exposed skin)
4) Respiration (Breathing)
5) Perspiration (Sweating)

Brigitta mentioned that cotton is no good for cold weather. The reason why cotton is a very poor choice is that once it's wet it tends to remain wet. Therefore, you'd lose heat via conduction as your body's heat will transfer to the colder wet material; as the heat is trying to reach thermal equilibrium.

Your base layer should be any good wicking material. As Silverbow suggested, Underarmor, as they make superior quality moisture wicking base layers, thus keeping your skin drier. If you were going with fleece for either an insulating layer our outer layer, Polartec has a vast amount of very good products. Wool, albeit expensive, for me, is the way to go. Wool has the ability to absorb as much as 30% of its own weight in moisture before feeling wet; likewise, wool retains much of its insulation factor even when damp/wet.

The same applies for your socks. Stay away from cotton socks. I know some who choose to layer their socks as well.
Base layer is a wicking material covered by a wool sock.

If you're buying wool make note of the % of actual wool in the product. The closer to it being 100% wool, the better.

For underlayers, underarmour is a popular choice. Look for their cold gear stuff, as it's designed to help keep you warm while being active in the cold.
Layers are great, as what's suitable for keeping you warm on an outside hike may be too warm sitting inside by a fire. Nothing beats cloaks for having a giant portable blanket to wrap yourself up in.
Good footwear is worth its weight in gold. Keeping your feet dry is the first step in keeping them warm. And wool socks are incredibly helpful--cotton kills, and that applies to feet too. Wool is prized as a cold weather material, as it can take a lot to get it to absorb water, and it retains warmth even when wet.
Keep your extremities covered... you lose a lot of heat through your hands, feet, and head. A hat and gloves are an easy fix for that.

www.knightrealms.com/game-play/logistics...-your-character.html

Also, this is useful starter reading.

Remember that you are in the woods. Cities tends to hold temperatures due to buildings retaining heat. You don't get that in Camp Sac. Wind chill will be your greatest nemesis in terms of cold. Either sucking the moisture from your skin or warmth from your body.

Figure out first how well you deal with the cold temperatures wearing normal, non-garb clothes. If you're the type to get cold easily, then keep that in mind when you wear your garb. Don't think if you just pile on layers, you'll be warm. If your core body temperature isn't that high and your body has a hard time delivering warmth to your extremities... layering isn't going to help you.

Try to get dressed when you are feeling your warmest all over. Clothes and layers can keep the warmth in... or keep the warmth out.

Sleep with your clothes for the next day in your sleeping bag! That way, they won't be freezing when you change into them in the morning.

If your body heat isn't enough to keep you warm, chemical heat packs are a great invention. They make ones that stick to the bottoms of your socks, and keep your toes warm. And the regular ones are nice to slide into your gloves.
I know some people also use those medical back warmer sticky pad things to wear under all their layers to keep their core warm.

Another thing to remember when it's cold is to drink water. There is a major risk for hypothermia, and when exhaling, you inhale dry air and lose significant amounts of water with each breath. Also water helps to maintain your body temperature, and reduces the risk of frostbite and hypothermia. So bring a water-skin or a canteen, it will save you.

A few tips I read from people visiting Alaska/Yukon their first time.

1. No jewelry. Cold metal against bare skin is a bad choice. Same will be said for armor.
2. Hot drinks... can help keep your core body temp up, just don't count on it to do everything.
3. Moving... if you wear a lot of layers, then go running in the snow/cold, you'll sweat. Sweat = suck in the cold.

Everyone else has pretty much covered all the basics. Just follow the cardinal rule #1... if you feel like you are too cold or something is gonna go wrong... head back inside, get warm, & go OOG if you have to. This is a game. Last thing we need is someone going to the ER just because they wanna be "hardcore".

Well.... pretty much all the advice given above is spot on. i've only got a few items to add to or point out...

A note about the blankets and sleeping bag thing.

There are two ways to go about using them in tandem- either draped ontop on your bag or inside. If you go with the inside the bag idea, your best bet is to use it as a layer between you and the bag *zipper*- especially if the zipper tends to sit higher than your body when on your back.

As good as some bags are, the older the bag the more likely it will leak in cold/out heat. And yes, I found out about this the hard way.
***

for outdoor stuff, if you have a good cloak to wear, I strongly recommend using it. It will help against the wind at Sac and if there is wet stuff falling from the sky, it will help protect you from it. If you have a cloak that can take scotch-guarding, do it.


If you start to shiver, that is your body tryingto tell you its time to go find somewhere warm.

One additional thought for tomorrow's clothes Place them inside a large contractor plastic bag along with a chemical heat pac Clothes will be toasty in the AM

And also stay away from down coats vest etc They will hold in the moisture
But heavy fleece or wool blankets over you sleeping bag allow you to layer in for the getting out

DO NOT BE AFRAID TO ASK FOR HELP.
If you feel like you need to get somewhere warm and fast, let someone know. OOG, let them know.
better be safe than sorry.

To continue the sleeping thing, please remember that wearing your clothes to bed is asking for trouble.

1) Clothes you wore all day are soiled, and contain sweat. Both of these conditions REDUCE their insulation.
2) While sleeping, clothes will trap moisture, adding to the problem above.
3) Furthermore, tight clothes, shoes or whatever will reduce circulation causing cold spots on your body which can lead to problems.
4) Due to all of these problems, when you get out of a sleeping bag, you are going to be immediately cold, and since you are wearing your clothes already, the options to warm you up are limited.

The solution is to not wear your day time clothes to bed. In fact it is better to strip down completely, even when super cold out.

Modesty of course demands some concession so plan for wearing pajamas or something light and loose fitting that breathes well. The key is to allow enough air circulation next to your skin to allow the evaporating sweat to move away from your body. In the morning, you will be warmer once you change into your normal clothes, as long as they are clean and dry.

Also consider a sleeping cap. Heat is going to be pouring through your head to the open air when everything else is covered.

Do not put on wet clothes for crying out loud. Set them out to dry overnight, whatever you have to do. Make sure you have enough extras for changing into. Establish how you are going to dry clothes with the rest of your cabin mates. Torrential rain when its cold is a double danger, not only does it increase hypothermia risk, the wet will make its effects linger long after the rain is over.

Hot drinks But without Caffeine Absolutely no Caffeine when working or playing out doors this would include the so called Energy drinks

Caffeine causes the capillary blood vessels to dilate ( Open Up) This interferes with your bodies natural cold preservation process As the core temp starts to drop the body starts shutting down the blood supply to your extremeties in order to preserve your (core Temperature) at the sacrificing of the fingers , toes and even limbs . Caffeine stops this self preservation process with the resultant dilation of blood vessels. Thus even more rapid drop in core temperature
The shivering as previously noted is one of your bodies first defenses against hypothermia
Another symptom is what is called 'The 'umbles" Stumbling, Mumbling , grumbling , Fumbling
You get the picture

Partners watch out for each OTHER And Cotton can Kill you especially when wet

Doh, umbling is half my vocabulary

A little trick I learned with metal armour. If you wear chain mail or plate mail as your character, you can buy the adhesive hot hands body warmers. They are usually about 4"x6", and last about eight hours. I put one on my chest and one on my back (on my underarmor), then put my chain mail over it. It actually warms up the armour and keeps your core nice and toasty.

A Practical Guide to Layering (based on past experience).

1) Underwear. Celts may have worn nothing more than woad into battle at times, but this a family-friendly LARP. Also, there's a much reduced chance of chafing when wobbly bits are more secured (this applies to both genders).
2) Thermal shirt.
3) Thermal pants/tights. Tuck the hem of the shirt under the waistband. This helps to trap more of your body heat in. For those going for the "natural" look, some manufacturers might make skin tone. For those wearing kilts, tights or non-sheer pantyhose will help slightly.
3) Socks. Tuck the cuffs of your pants/tights under your socks. This will prevent the cuffs from getting frayed from rubbing on the inside of your boots. Also, it makes changing your socks that much easier, should you feel the need.
4) Undershirt. A t-shirt under your costume shirt or dress is recommended, especially given the damp air due to the nearby lake. Also, most costuming is also not meant for sub-temperate weather.
5) Costume pants/dress/skirt/kilt. Tuck the undershirt under the waistband (where applicable). Again, this helps trap more of your body heat in. If you decide to wear a dress, avoid anything that is meant to expose cleavage. Less exposed skin means less body heat loss.
6) Costume shirt. If untucked, consider binding your belt over the shirt to limit the amount of billowing that will occur when the wind blows.