Middle Earth Ranger Forum

Because of having to cancel my recently planned outing due to tightened COVID restrictions, as well as looking at the beginnings of Brian Grubbs' YouTube series, I have decided I would like to do some more virtual ranger gatherings, starting with a live-stream, either through Facebook or on Instagram under my Misty Mountain Rangers account, all about "what it is we do." I want to aim it towards newcomers, covering the basics of the Middle-earth Ranger hobby, and talking a little about Middle-earth reenactment in general.
SO...

If you were to either watch or orchestrate something like this yourself, what are some of the topics you would like to see covered? What do YOU think a good crash-course in Ranger-ing should include?

I want to make some notes before just jumping in so that I can remain on-topic, and really give folks a good basic rundown of the hobby. I'd love to hear any suggestions you may have! I know I want to talk about stuff like basic garb, fabric selection, how to choose good hiking areas, some stuff about appropriate weapons, and so forth, but any other thoughts and suggestions are very welcome!

The basics of primitive camping and hiking, the 5 C’s, the primary resources for Tolkien, etc. Definitely keep us in the loop as I would love to join in!

I have the same question as when the idea of a podcast came up awhile back. If I saw this as a panel on the schedule at a convention I would definitely be interested in seeing what it's about, but who is this geared towards?, and how do you intend to draw the audience to view what you're putting on (would this be a one-time event or a series; would it be rewatchable outside live time?)

possible topics:
-potential culture options beyond Dunedain, and impression types beyond 'Ranger'
-'basic garb' should really be culture-specific, but a pair of trousers, tunic, sash or belt, hood and blanket/cloak would go pretty far for most Mannish groups.
-what's a persona and how does it help?
-there's more to reenacting than combat-oriented personas (a good axe may see actual use and serve you better than the flashy sword everyone wants)
-skills you can cultivate beyond fighting, walking, and looking good on camera

I've got conditioning hikes a few nights each week, but I'm usually available if you need someone to bounce ideas off. Interested to see where this goes!

Right, so let me hash out a few more of the specifics.

First of all, I would want this to be an extremely basic crash-course to begin with, aimed at the newest of newcomers. The same audience as my (much delayed and still ongoing) Middle-earth Rangers’ Handbook project. The idea would be to give people who have never done this before and want to get into it an idea of the very first steps they should take to do that.

Secondly, for my purposes, I would ideally like to aim this at JUST the subject of Dnúnedain Rangers, so as to keep the focus narrow and not overwhelm folks with too much info right out of the gate. I will probably be hosting it though my Misty Mountain Rangers Instagram account, so I want to keep it as on-brand as possible.

My initial thoughts were to essentially cover the basic info I was trying to put into the Handbook - what should you minimum garb be? Where can you get it? What makes good footwear, and why is that important? How can you get started making your own kit? Where can you hike or go wandering in the woods? Where can you do other basic fun things like archery in your area? What should you keep in mind when going for day-hikes (such as local laws, dealing with park rangers, what basic necessities you should carry, etc)?

I wasn’t planning on covering TOO much about camping and bushcraft right off the bat, because I feel that stuff is ultimately the *next* step in the process - but I did want to touch on a little bit of it, probably towards the end. Otherwise I just figured I’d explain the hobby in general - WHY we do it, how we blend historical and textual sources to create a more complete picture of the world, etc. I was probably also planning on covering a few basic “don’ts,” like please for the love of god don’t wear plastic costume footwear, or why there’s technically no such thing as an “elven ranger” in Tolkien’s universe, etc.

So yeah, kind of a “Hey folks! I’ve seen you lurking! Let’s get your started!” kind of a thing.

That all being said, Udwin, these are fantastic points, thank you! Particularly the last three. The last point you make about cultivating further skills is one I would like to cover probably more towards the end, as kind of a lead-in to the idea that there IS indeed more to this hobby than just those three things, and that once folks have the absolute bare minimum stuff down, they can start exploring it more fully.,

Udwin wrote:I have the same question as when the idea of a podcast came up awhile back. If I saw this as a panel on the schedule at a convention I would definitely be interested in seeing what it's about, but who is this geared towards?, and how do you intend to draw the audience to view what you're putting on (would this be a one-time event or a series; would it be rewatchable outside live time?)

possible topics:
-potential culture options beyond Dunedain, and impression types beyond 'Ranger'
-'basic garb' should really be culture-specific, but a pair of trousers, tunic, sash or belt, hood and blanket/cloak would go pretty far for most Mannish groups.
-what's a persona and how does it help?
-there's more to reenacting than combat-oriented personas (a good axe may see actual use and serve you better than the flashy sword everyone wants)
-skills you can cultivate beyond fighting, walking, and looking good on camera

I've got conditioning hikes a few nights each week, but I'm usually available if you need someone to bounce ideas off. Interested to see where this goes!

Forgive me for not being super familiar with Instagram live-streams but is it like Zoom where multiple people can host something like a panel or is it like a Twitch stream with one person presenting and a text chat?

Cimrandir wrote:Forgive me for not being super familiar with Instagram live-streams but is it like Zoom where multiple people can host something like a panel or is it like a Twitch stream with one person presenting and a text chat?

Yeah, it’s basically like the Twitch stream. I’m not super familiar with all of that either to be honest with you, but I figured I might give it a shot. I think I can stream it simultaneously on Facebook and Instagram, since they’re practically the same platform these days, but I’m not 100% sure. It’s all pretty new to me - I’m a bit behind the curve I’m afraid.

In future though, if there’s interest, I was also thinking of hosting a Zoom-style gathering (probably on Hangouts or Discord or something like that since Zoom has a time limit) specifically dedicated to working on a kit project - like making a basic hood or tunic, for example. We could all get on and build along together at our own speed, but I could also theoretically distribute basic instructions via PDF or some such.

Honestly, despite being on the younger side of a millennial, I have no idea how most of those platforms work. I'm only familiar thanks to a younger brother that's very into using them. I'd really be down for a Zoom or Discord buildalong or even just a nice friendly discussion. This forum is small enough that it would be nice to get together in real-time. An online mini-moot if you will.

I love this idea, and the ideas that have been floated so far. I have been searching the forum, because something was tickling the back of my brain. Turns out, it's a pinned post right in from on my face http://middleearthrangers.org/forum/vie ... =36&t=3427 I think the steps outlined there would make for a great close to the video. You start with talking about what we do, using your own persona as an example, go over the topics you already outlined, and then end with the Premium Advice for Newcomers steps. That would give you a natural progression for future videos, live chats, etc.

Just a few ramblings. I second your desire for an outline. I work in HR doing presentations and training sessions for a living, and I can tell you from (horrible) experience that not having an agenda can make for some chaotic and frustrating meetings. I don't go so far as to script everything, but I always try and have an outline.

Brian

Yes. That post by Udwin is what did it for me. The step by step approach meant I had no more excuse to keep dithering around. So if you’re looking to pull people in, that is what worked for me.

Being that you are starting with basics, remember not everyone can afford to jump into new hobbies, particularly this one where there are so many crafts and skill sets. I'd recommend some hacks would be useful. For instance for leather work:

Take a kitchen fork, cut the tines down to 1/2", cut the handle down so the total length is about 5-6", use either a hammer or a vice and flatten the fork down so that the tines are in a direct line with the handle. Sharpen the tines evenly to a chisel point. You now have an inexpensive stitching chisel. Use cloth pins for leather working clamps, a wood meat mallet for you punch mallet. If you don't have a wooden mallet, use a regular hammer but fold over and tape a piece of leather over the head on the hammer. The leather will keep the hammer from skipping when you strike and give you clean strikes.

There are tons of hacks one can use for costume design, weapon making etc.

Like Udwin I think my thoughts on the podcast thread echo into this one.

Additionally might I suggest that you compile an up to date vendor and supplier list to accompany the livestream as notes? A lot of folks lack either the skill, time, or space to get into the myriad of crafts required to look as good as the long standing members in here.
Obviously nothing beats the satisfaction of making your own gear but if people genuinely want to start in the hobby and you can point them in the direction of a basic starter kit for say $250 I think it would seem more achievable than "Sew a quick felled seam in the rare breed wool that you specially ordered from Iceland and then after that lets go tan some leather in walnuts"

When I look back at my first reenactment clothes good lord I wish I'd had a similar guide to help guide my purchasing.