Middle Earth Ranger Forum

I used some military wool blankets to make my cloak, pics will be up soon. These are my directions and I honestly thought they were easy to understand but if you have questions, please ask.

Your directions are plenty clear, I think, but I am curious about a few things.

You call it the "Ultimate Ranger Cloak". There are quite a few styles of cloaks throughout the ages and cultures, and we have a WIDE variety used here just on this forum, from Caedmon's extremely authenticated Osnaburg-cut cloaks to Half and 3/4 circles, to Mirimaran's Aragorn-modified Rectangle cloak. Heck, I've been through four distinctly separate and unique (from one to the next) cloak designs, one of which I took in the field for the first time last week, searching for exactly what you're talking about here...the Ultimate Cloak.

So, what is it about this design that makes it the ultimate cloak? After all, we're all about usefulness, versatility, and dedicated function here, so if you could shed some light on what it is that makes this one special, that'd be great!

Well I looked at some different cloak designs all over the internet and none of them were what i wanted, complete coverage. I had a simple rectangle cloak I made but thats all it was a rectangle, nothing went around the front and covered you. This cloak is three seperate pieces that fit around your whole body without restricting yourself. I put it on one evening and stood in a small group of trees and just wrapped it around me. My sister was 10 feet away and didnt see me. When your in "combat" or shooting bow, you just throw the two front sections over your shoulder.

I have a full round, hunter green, hooded cloak, that comes down to my ankles.

It is a bit too long and I sometimes pin it up when trekking but the length and wieght are wonderful on a cold night (and we do get them down here occasionally).
It has been utilized as a shelter and is of a sturdy duck, which is damn neer water proof on its own but has been aided by some concoction bearing the name of a highland unit of defense.

It has tie strings as a closure so I do not have to rely on a pin or brooch but Around the neck I normaly have a scarf made of green dyed netting to which I have pinned my Star brooch.(Very good for facial camo)
It makes a great bedroll around my wool blankets when I am not wearing it.
I tend to use it only for rain and evening cold or to break up my form during any covert actions. Brandwyn has the same one without the tie straps, fit to her particular hieght.

These full rounds are great for complete coverage (even fully encompassing my significant girth} and though a lot of material went into it's making, it was made by one of the finest seemstress's in the kingdom and a gift to me just before her passing.

(The feckless half-orc scum who snuffed out her light, now rots in a very cold cell and it is my hope he does so for a long, long time before his own lonely and insignificant demise. )

rangersamII wrote:Well I looked at some different cloak designs all over the internet and none of them were what i wanted, complete coverage. I had a simple rectangle cloak I made but thats all it was a rectangle, nothing went around the front and covered you. This cloak is three seperate pieces that fit around your whole body without restricting yourself. I put it on one evening and stood in a small group of trees and just wrapped it around me. My sister was 10 feet away and didnt see me. When your in "combat" or shooting bow, you just throw the two front sections over your shoulder.

I'd love to see some pictures of this...I can see what you're describing in the pattern, and would be interested to see it both pulled around the front and tossed over your shoulders.

rangersamII wrote:Well I looked at some different cloak designs all over the internet and none of them were what i wanted, complete coverage. I had a simple rectangle cloak I made but thats all it was a rectangle, nothing went around the front and covered you. This cloak is three seperate pieces that fit around your whole body without restricting yourself. I put it on one evening and stood in a small group of trees and just wrapped it around me. My sister was 10 feet away and didnt see me. When your in "combat" or shooting bow, you just throw the two front sections over your shoulder.

I disagree that a rectangular cloak can't have any front coverage. I wear a rectangular cloak with a separate hood, folded "hamburger style" and pinned at my left shoulder. It doesn't cover my front completely, but it comes down to a bit below my waist in the front, so it doesn't get in my way, and farther in the back. If you want to be covered in the front from ankle to neck, then this isn't what your looking for, but it's economical when it comes to fabric and can be rolled up into a tube and worn across the body, civil war blank roll-style, when not in use.

A couple pictures (excuse the kahkis, I just threw on my tunic and hood for expediency)

Side:


Front (excuse the cat, he thinks he's terribly photogenic):


The front edges outlined in yellow and the cloak pin position in red:


A similar idea, from the Bayeux tapestry:


When I need my arms free for shooting, fighting, etc., I also throw the two front edges back over my shoulders.

Looks good and functional, Taurynor. I think there are few of us who don't toss our cloaks over our shoulders for utility. I actually wear mine back over my shoulders at all times unless weather dictates the need of pulling it around the front, or I make camp and use it as a blanket.

Taurynor, I find yours looks quite a bit like Strider's pre-Fellowship cloak. I dig it. I'm also personally a big fan of the "shawl" cloak design, for lack of a better word. Basically it's just a rectangle with a small circle cut in the center, and then a long slit cut up to the circle. The variations of how to wear this design are practically endless. You can throw both the long tails in front over your shoulders (pinned or un-pinned), you can wrap one or both of them around your head to create a functional hood, or you can just let them hang down all the way in front for full coverage and insulation.

Here are some pictures of me in said style of cloak (paired with a separate hood), with the front tails thrown up and over my shoulders:

http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e173/ ... g~original

http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e173/ ... g~original

http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e173/ ... g~original

http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e173/ ... g~original


In my experience, this style is quite versatile - very warm when you want it to be, breezy when you need ventilation, hood when you need it, not when you don't, easy to keep out of the way (especially with the use of a cloak pin), and short enough on the sides to allow your hands freedom at all times. I believe it's also the general style that Gandalf wears throughout the LotR films (although I think his has a hood).

Here's a sort of simplified version of that. They've just rounded out the corners, and widened the split:

http://www.alleycatscratch.com/lotr/Wiz ... atimah.jpg

These are the pics This does go all the way to the ground but my phone wasn't clear enough to get my whole body in. You can also see my tunic and shirt I have. My outfit is pretty basic, sweatpants, leather tunic I made from an old trench coat, button up shirt, and hopefully soon a pair of good boots.

I think your cloak looks great, Sam, as does everyone else's! To me it's whatever keeps the rain off and keeps you warm. Are you going to line your hood? Taurynor, I'd love to see more pics of yours. I want to do a detached hood and cloak sometime. My own is probably a little smaller than I would like. The original was long and wrapped well, and then I fulled it lol but it works, sometimes more like a big shawl with a hood, but it is warm and I have used it many times and it holds to its purpose.









Ken

I made this one in 2011
It is 60 wide wool blend fabric made in a half circle 58" around.
with a pointed hood. Made the same way the fellowship cloaks were made. I added leather closure.

Everyone looks great! It's so good to see folks posting their stuff again!

Actually this material is from a military blanket that is fire resistanct and water proof to a point. I think its 60% wool 40% Other, the imfamous other section, other being man made stuff I think, so it's pretty warm. I really wanted olive green, but it was a lot cheaper to get grey in a grouping of four. This cloak took 1 1/2 blankets.

I'm confused, I was just posting what I used to make the cloak. I'm allergic to wool I can't get near 100% wool. It makes me break out in hives. Blended wools I can work with but have to wear rubber gloves.