Middle Earth Ranger Forum

Posted: **Mon Jan 01, 2018 8:02 pm**

Okay, so.. back to it.

Kit goal:
Finish those niggling little bits: belt pouch, boots, and properly dye my tunic and trousers and I'll call the year a success.
I'd like to also design and sew a gown for a more proper Dunedain impression. I'll call that my stretch goal.

Persona / lore goal:
Finally finish that persona biography sheet Udwin posted. It's gonna take some history digging and more muddling in Sindarin for names I'm sure.

Fitness / trekking goal:
Most importantly, actually make that trip I planned last year. :/
In addition, find at least one new haunt away from my home rage - maybe a river to paddle, maybe a trail in the White Mountains: someplace new. In or out of kit doesn't matter, just get out.

Artistic goal:
This is the fun one!
Do at least one of the following:
A. Illuminate a full-page parchment. Either a travel "diptych" or a page from a piece of Silmarillion lore.
B. Do the design for a glass project
C. Do the design/sculpt for a metal project
I'm especially looking forward to "C" - It's been years since I've done any sculpting, and I'm really looking forward to getting back to it.

Posted: **Mon Jan 01, 2018 9:17 pm**

1) Complete (functional) kit post and writeup. This doesn't mean it'll be where I want it to eventually be, necessarily, but I've been on the boards now for eight years, and have never done this. I have a few distinct landmarks (about seven, and ALL are in-process) to hit to complete this project, and then it'll be in "close-enough" context to be put up together. Tweaking be darned...I can do that anytime. I'd like to have this done before the last snow melts (I'm THAT close!)

What this also means is, side goal: If I force myself to reach a "good enough" point on my kit and leave some details for later, that should free me up a little so that I can leave the concept/design phase of my wife and kid's kits, and actually start working on some of that. Food for thought.

2) Meet at least one more forum member for the first time. I've done it six times; I can do it again.

3) Do at least one solo camp. The past few years, I've only done long-planned trips with several of my fellows, because of kids and other circumstances. I know, if I tried, I could get away for an afternoon and a morning without much trouble, and the solo trips are the ones that test you.

Posted: **Mon Jan 01, 2018 10:08 pm**

1) Finish my darn kit write-up! Third year's the charm...

2) Hike 10 miles in at least soft kit, maybe with a bit of hard kit but most likely sans bedroll. It'll be a day-trek; I'm not ready to walk that far with gear, sleep on the ground, then get up the next day and do it again (yet)

3) Get some "pocket trash"/bits and bobs for my kit. There's a lot of overlap between my more traditional reenacting kit and my ME kit, so I'm hoping some little details like that will make them feel distinct, even if the basics are mostly the same.

Posted: **Tue Jan 02, 2018 11:43 am**

Right, I'd better have a go at this, since I'm a beginner I'll only mention stuff I really really want or the list will be endless

Soft kit:
- something waterproof
- A thick wool tunic

Hard kit:
- A dwarven tinderbox

Persona:
Nothing to complex or well researched but I think I need just a bit more background than what I have already. So when people ask who I'm meant to be I have more than my current answer of:
"Err... My names Iodo, I live at Erebor"

Other:
- Finish my forge (If I don't I'll fail my collage project so I'll hope for success on this one

)
- Learn to use it (not needed for collage but it would be good)
- Get out adventuring in kit more
- Go to at least one fantasy/medieval event in kit, maybe a medieval fair or comic convention

Posted: **Mon Feb 05, 2018 7:32 pm**

OK. I'm a newb here, but glad to find the forum since it's something I've been mulling over for a while.

My goals for this year:

Get a basic soft kit that's reasonably authentic put together (tunic, pants, boots, cloak, belt). I've got a couple things that will work to start (judo pants rock!), just need to use the sewing patterns I've collected.

Do a couple overnighters in kit.

I'm looking to do this with my son, who's been interested as well. So need to get him at least partially kitted up as well.

Posted: **Mon Feb 05, 2018 8:05 pm**

imaginatus wrote:OK. I'm a newb here, but glad to find the forum since it's something I've been mulling over for a while.

My goals for this year:

Get a basic soft kit that's reasonably authentic put together (tunic, pants, boots, cloak, belt). I've got a couple things that will work to start (judo pants rock!), just need to use the sewing patterns I've collected.

Do a couple overnighters in kit.

I'm looking to do this with my son, who's been interested as well. So need to get him at least partially kitted up as well.

How old is your son? Using pretty much Goodwill clothes, I put together some cute Hobbit outfits for my boys a couple of years ago. They're growing like weeds, not sure if the bigger set of clothes will now even fit the younger one.

Posted: **Mon Feb 05, 2018 9:45 pm**

Hmmm... Stop lurking and become more active.

1) More trekking garb and finish up the little things on my fancy stuff.
2) Get a day pack built up with the appropriate gear. (will work on overnight/multi day pack when the day pack has been completed)
3) Go out and go for hikes in or out of garb.
4) Learn more bush-craft skills.
5) More crafting, and less putting off the crafts.

And I feel like I'm late to the party so I need to get started with some of this soon.

Posted: **Mon Feb 05, 2018 10:17 pm**

Straelbora wrote: How old is your son? Using pretty much Goodwill clothes, I put together some cute Hobbit outfits for my boys a couple of years ago. They're growing like weeds, not sure if the bigger set of clothes will now even fit the younger one.

He's 14 and nearly tall as me. I'll have to do some Goodwill runs soon. He's still got a pretty nice blazer from GW that we got a few years back so he could halloween as the Doctor ("bow ties are cool").

I've found that Goodwill's also a great place for odd pots, pans, bowls, etc.

Posted: **Tue Feb 06, 2018 3:28 am**

imaginatus wrote:
Straelbora wrote: How old is your son? Using pretty much Goodwill clothes, I put together some cute Hobbit outfits for my boys a couple of years ago. They're growing like weeds, not sure if the bigger set of clothes will now even fit the younger one.
He's 14 and nearly tall as me. I'll have to do some Goodwill runs soon. He's still got a pretty nice blazer from GW that we got a few years back so he could halloween as the Doctor ("bow ties are cool").

I've found that Goodwill's also a great place for odd pots, pans, bowls, etc.

I'm addicted to our local Goodwill by the pound store- stuff is thrown in pool-table sized bins and it's all a dollar a pound. I don't know if you've seen my Dragons Wood Inn project (turning an old farm house into a Middle-earth inn). I've gotten tons of furnishings for it at a dollar a pound.

https://www.facebook.com/dragonswoodinn/

Posted: **Mon Aug 13, 2018 6:45 pm**

[quote="

4) Learn more bush-craft skills.
[/quote]

If you need ideas/encouragement/accountability partners to get this item done, here is an option I can speak highly of. I know this had been mentioned in other places in the forum, but some very good tutorials in basic through advanced bushcraft skills are available on bushcraftusa.com. Called "Bushclass USA" it covers a lot of skills that a travelling woodsman/ranger/bounder/elf would have know from childhood, and are all available for free. Many of the lessons have video tutorials, other have text and picture explanations. They also have subforums where you can post reports on your skills classes completion and get ideas of what others have done with those skills.

Happy woodsbumming!

Posted: **Tue Aug 28, 2018 4:26 pm**

All great projects! You guys give great inspiration and ideas! Mainly working on my horse impression this year. I know many people don't associate Rangers with horses but we do have the Grey Company references and this for the Rangers of Ithilien:

[Faramir says:] "Yestereve I lay at Cair Andros, the long isle in the River northward which we hold in defence; and horses are kept on the hither bank. As the dark drew on I knew that haste was needed, so I rode thence with three others that could also be horsed."
The Return of the King, LoTR Book 5, Ch 4, The Siege of Gondor

Hope to finish this by early winter. It's been crazy hot in the South this summer so really been limited on getting out with full pack. Really looking forward to some cooler weather but at least if one stays indoors more, that's more "work on kit" time.

Posted: **Tue Jan 01, 2019 10:11 am**

So, did I do it?

Soft kit:

Iodo wrote: - something waterproof
- A thick wool tunic

Yes to both of the above, I used my something waterproof in Scotland and It was successful and I have a reasonably thick wool broadcloth tunic (the one visible in this thread) and the fabric was cheap at a medieval fair because apparently no one likes black.

Hard kit:

Iodo wrote: - A dwarven tinderbox

No, I've not even had the chance to think about this one yet.

Persona:

Iodo wrote: Nothing to complex or well researched but I think I need just a bit more background than what I have already. So when people ask who I'm meant to be I have more than my current answer of:
"Err... My names Iodo, I live at Erebor"

I'm going to say yes to this (even though I don't yet have a proper right-up and there are a few details I would probably change) because I definitely have a good bit more than what I had last year ("Err... My names Iodo, I live at Erebor"
)

Other:

Iodo wrote: - Finish my forge (If I don't I'll fail my collage project so I'll hope for success on this one )

I'm pleased to say I finished the forge and it worked well, although there are a few changes I could do with making, and I passed my college project.

Iodo wrote: - Learn to use it (not needed for collage but it would be good)

No, not had the time or space to do that

Iodo wrote: - Get out adventuring in kit more

Yes, but still not as much as I'd like

Iodo wrote: - Go to at least one fantasy/medieval event in kit, maybe a medieval fair or comic convention

Yes, I've been lucky enough to have been to quite a few of those

I'm pleased with what I've achieved this year, I haven't managed everything but I think I was a bit over-optimistic

Posted: **Tue Jan 01, 2019 2:50 pm**

Well done Iodo!

Let's see..

Kit goal:
Finish those niggling little bits: belt pouch, boots, and properly dye my tunic and trousers and I'll call the year a success.
I'd like to also design and sew a gown for a more proper Dunedain impression. I'll call that my stretch goal.

Belt pouch, proper knife sheath: yes.
Boots are cut but waiting for next summer's sun to dye.
Tunic and trousers still undyed, but I stitched up a different tunic from green fabric I had on hand, and my gown is about... a third done? And I did get that surcote finally finished. So meh.

Persona / lore goal:
Finally finish that persona biography sheet Udwin posted. It's gonna take some history digging and more muddling in Sindarin for names I'm sure.

Not even attempted. But at least I finally figured out a "name."

Fitness / trekking goal:
Most importantly, actually make that trip I planned last year. :/
In addition, find at least one new haunt away from my home rage - maybe a river to paddle, maybe a trail in the White Mountains: someplace new. In or out of kit doesn't matter, just get out.

HAHAHAHAHAHAHA not even close.
I've *really* underestimated how much time chores take up over the regular agricultural year. Between work and farm and family commitments, always needing to get done RIGHT NOW, I get *maybe* six hours free over a week, and that's just not enough time to get out for more than the stolen dayhike now and again. So...
... fail.

I'm deeply cutting back on farm projects next year in hopes of clawing back some of that time, but we'll see.

Artistic goal:
This is the fun one!
Do at least one of the following:
A. Illuminate a full-page parchment. Either a travel "diptych" or a page from a piece of Silmarillion lore.
B. Do the design for a glass project
C. Do the design/sculpt for a metal project
I'm especially looking forward to "C" - It's been years since I've done any sculpting, and I'm really looking forward to getting back to it.

- Silmarillion page is started and on my art table, but I've done a bit of the illumination so far. I did learn a bit of book binding though, so some progress has been made.
- glass cordial design is complete, but I've had a devil of a time finding any glass blowers. Garage craftspeople are notoriously a bit flakey to work with, and for some reason glass blowers seem the flightiest of the lot. I can't begin to count how many ghosted part way through a commission.
- metal project - no sculpting, but a fair amount of artwork done. That I expect to start bearing fruit this spring.

So... middling year. As a rule, things I can do half brain-dead in the evenings I can make decent progress on.
Things that really take long hours of concentration or just getting away linger undone for months, especially since prime trekking season overlaps with the busiest part of the farm year.

I'll have to think on realistic goals for next year. I've got some projects on the front burner, but I honestly don't expect a whole lot of M-e Ranger stuff to happen in 2019.

Posted: **Wed Jan 02, 2019 3:49 am**

Greg wrote:
1) Complete (functional) kit post and writeup. This doesn't mean it'll be where I want it to eventually be, necessarily, but I've been on the boards now for eight years, and have never done this. I have a few distinct landmarks (about seven, and ALL are in-process) to hit to complete this project, and then it'll be in "close-enough" context to be put up together. Tweaking be darned...I can do that anytime. I'd like to have this done before the last snow melts (I'm THAT close!)

What this also means is, side goal: If I force myself to reach a "good enough" point on my kit and leave some details for later, that should free me up a little so that I can leave the concept/design phase of my wife and kid's kits, and actually start working on some of that. Food for thought.

2) Meet at least one more forum member for the first time. I've done it six times; I can do it again.

3) Do at least one solo camp. The past few years, I've only done long-planned trips with several of my fellows, because of kids and other circumstances. I know, if I tried, I could get away for an afternoon and a morning without much trouble, and the solo trips are the ones that test you.

In some ways, this has been my year. In other ways, 2018 was more of a setup for THIS year, which will allow all of this to come to fruition.

#1: I obviously didn't post a kit weite-up, but I decided that things like my yew bow needed to be included if I was going to put forth the best possible book-accurate iteration that I could. All of these things are now done, so I'm gearing up (somewhat literally) with this in mind as we speak.

#2: Opportunity never arose. Oh well...we'll try again!

#3: Again, the opportunity did not present itself. Gonna make it happen this year!

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