Middle Earth Ranger Forum

Hello my lords

This is my Middle Earth kit :

Not everything is historically correct but some items will be replaced later (while others are essential like medikit for example).

Everything you'll see on the photos was hand sewn or made by me. The only items I bought were the 2 knives, the pins and the quiver buckle, the smoking pipe, the shoes, all modern survival items and the arrowheads.

Here is the kit list :

Clothes :
-brown linen pants (or grey wool pants, or both depending on the temperature)
-(modern) shoes
-sand/brown linen tunic with small brass pin
-grey wool tunic with small brass pin
-leather belt
-green moss loden wool hood
-green moss loden wool cloak with pin
-dark olive cotton mask
-light green wool mittens

On my back :
-bow in a beeswaxed linen cover
-arrows in a leather quiver

On my belt :
-knife on the front (modern but it's a gift that I love)
-seax on the back
-2 leather pouches

Left pouch :
-firesteel
-pine wood chips
-hemp rope
-charclothes
-pine sticks
-smoking pipe
-old Toby tobacco
-compas
-small hemp rope

Right pouch :
-medikit
-fishing kit (line, hooks, sinkers, 3 floats)
-emergency blanket
-emergency glowstick
-file
-sharpening stone

































For the moment, I'm happy with my kit, it works fine for me when I'm trekking with it.
The only changements I want for the moment are a larger hood with brown color on the low part, and maybe a cloak 4 or 6 inches longer.
About my snapsack and my rolled bag, I'll post a full description soon in the hard kit section

Wild Vins, Lonely Ranger from Middle France

Nice Kit!

Very nice!

very nice indeed

Nicely done, and it looks very functional! I love the little fish drawing especially.

I'm curious about your belt!

This is more a general reenactor/LARP/cosplay culture question than anything specific to Middle-earth. I was under the impression the tongueless ring belt was just something we Americans came up with in the pre-Internet SCA era before we had any decent pictures, and that those of you in the Old Countries had access to museums with originals all this time and never went down that road.

But that doesn't appear to be the case!

Do you happen to know if you guys also were using those back in the 1980's-90's, or if our "Rennaissance Faire" type vendors introduced them over there in later years?

I remember back in the early 2k's hearing about a big debate (read "Argument") over belts in a Viking/Anglo Saxon group (Regia, I think). The main thrust was over the width with some parties advocating 1 inch or less! But all the 'factions' were agreed on rings being fine if not preferred.

Elleth wrote: ↑Sat Mar 23, 2024 1:45 pm Nicely done, and it looks very functional! I love the little fish drawing especially.

I'm curious about your belt!

This is more a general reenactor/LARP/cosplay culture question than anything specific to Middle-earth. I was under the impression the tongueless ring belt was just something we Americans came up with in the pre-Internet SCA era before we had any decent pictures, and that those of you in the Old Countries had access to museums with originals all this time and never went down that road.

But that doesn't appear to be the case!

Do you happen to know if you guys also were using those back in the 1980's-90's, or if our "Rennaissance Faire" type vendors introduced them over there in later years?

Thank you

It is true that I could have avoided this error given the number of museums present in France (I admit that I contemplate the old stones and the defense systems of fortified castles more than the belt buckles, mea culpa... ^^)

These ring belts are described as historic on several European sales sites and this seemed logical to me so I admit that I did not look further, unfortunately.

And also, I think I was influenced by cinema and ren' faires, where I see these loops everywhere...

Another thing to take into account is that American culture has a strong influence in France (and Europe?) in all areas so we often copy what you do, a few years after you ^^

Concerning their use in the 80s or 90s, sorry but I don't know, I have only been practicing medieval reconstruction for around ten years