Middle Earth Ranger Forum

Sure at a "walk through the ages" history fair I can see MERS not fitting in, but a ren faire? If head to foot leather and pirate shows and fairy ears fit in, I can't see what MERS wouldn't. Heck, one of the most magical moments ever I remember at a fair when I was little was meeting forest elves with their tengwar banner.

... also, once upon a time when I first met Caedmon, his 14th century group was just down the lane from the SCA. The contrast was staggering!

I’ve been meaning to reply but alas my duties have interfered.
1) no, especially as a ranger of Gondor speaking more than the common tongue seems a bit out there, might study some runes for “coded messages” at one point.
2) I’m in central florida so using southern Gondor, which from my reading is based off of Italy / turkey in the Byzantine era allows me to forgo heavy wool cloaks and stick with linen.
3) I won’t go out of my way to avoid people but one thing I love to do when hiking in parks, when I’m stopped or hear someone coming is to “poorly” try and hide, still making it obvious so as not to scare anyone, but I’ve notice the kids love it when they see me in the shadows of trees.
4) I normally carry a belt knife and tomahawk, want to progress to a short sword / long knife and a bow, once I get it. I also have my spear I use as a walking stick.
5) no I feel no need for a firearm with my knife and spear or bow.
6)What I intend to get out of my treks are to enjoy and experience nature, same as out of kit, but I also want to be as self sufficient and prepared with my kit as modern stuff, my main goal right now is to go on a multi day trip into ocala national forest, probably going to do it when I can also bow hunt
7) I haven’t really done much so I’m not sure

Erfaron wrote: ↑Fri Jun 24, 2022 8:12 pm 6)What I intend to get out of my treks are to enjoy and experience nature, same as out of kit, but I also want to be as self sufficient and prepared with my kit as modern stuff, my main goal right now is to go on a multi day trip into ocala national forest, probably going to do it when I can also bow hunt

Do keep your head on a swivel if you go deep into the Ocala National Forest for any kind of extended stay.

Jack wrote: ↑Fri Jun 24, 2022 8:39 pm

Erfaron wrote: ↑Fri Jun 24, 2022 8:12 pm 6)What I intend to get out of my treks are to enjoy and experience nature, same as out of kit, but I also want to be as self sufficient and prepared with my kit as modern stuff, my main goal right now is to go on a multi day trip into ocala national forest, probably going to do it when I can also bow hunt

Do keep your head on a swivel if you go deep into the Ocala National Forest for any kind of extended stay.

Yeah, there's fallout LARPers out there. Scary folk. (Also I assume a ton of snakes and stuff?)

Jack wrote: ↑Fri Jun 24, 2022 8:39 pm

Erfaron wrote: ↑Fri Jun 24, 2022 8:12 pm 6)What I intend to get out of my treks are to enjoy and experience nature, same as out of kit, but I also want to be as self sufficient and prepared with my kit as modern stuff, my main goal right now is to go on a multi day trip into ocala national forest, probably going to do it when I can also bow hunt

Do keep your head on a swivel if you go deep into the Ocala National Forest for any kind of extended stay.

I appreciate the heads up, I always do

Elleth wrote: ↑Thu Jun 23, 2022 10:46 am Sure at a "walk through the ages" history fair I can see MERS not fitting in, but a ren faire? If head to foot leather and pirate shows and fairy ears fit in, I can't see what MERS wouldn't. Heck, one of the most magical moments ever I remember at a fair when I was little was meeting forest elves with their tengwar banner.

... also, once upon a time when I first met Caedmon, his 14th century group was just down the lane from the SCA. The contrast was staggering!

I wouldn't go to a living history event in JRRT kit. It's not in the spirit if the event as much as I may wish it were. :'(
I've seen worse kits at SCA events both pre-2020 and early 00's. JRRT kits are at least historically inspired and plausible, so they would blend nicely if you didn't tell anyone what you were shooting for and didn't rock ear falsties.
I think LARP and Ren Fair events would honestly be the most appropriate for a group like this to wander into, outside of someday being big enough to have our own events. And there's nothing wrong with that! A favorite YouTuber, Momo O'Brian has some excellent videos of events she's attended. One in Canada I'd love to wander into at some point. Bicolline was it's name.

I've seen that video and agree

Yavion wrote: ↑Mon Jun 27, 2022 1:00 am I wouldn't go to a living history event in JRRT kit. It's not in the spirit if the event as much as I may wish it were. :'(

here in the UK there is no choice. Ren Fairs are not a thing, historical re-enactment fairs are basically all you get so I show up at them in MERF kit, I have been heavily criticised on lots of occasions even though most of the public are in modern clothes, and no one worries about that? it doesn't make a lot of sense really, sometimes I wish ren fairs were a thing over here

Iodo wrote: ↑Mon Jun 27, 2022 7:13 am I have been heavily criticised on lots of occasions even though most of the public are in modern clothes, and no one worries about that?

That seems unnecessarily harsh... Sorry you have to deal with that kind of thing. If you ever get to do your RV trip abroad maybe you could time it so you can attend one here? Just spitballing...

Iodo wrote: ↑Mon Jun 27, 2022 7:13 am

Yavion wrote: ↑Mon Jun 27, 2022 1:00 am I wouldn't go to a living history event in JRRT kit. It's not in the spirit if the event as much as I may wish it were. :'(

here in the UK there is no choice. Ren Fairs are not a thing, historical re-enactment fairs are basically all you get so I show up at them in MERF kit, I have been heavily criticized on lots of occasions even though most of the public are in modern clothes, and no one worries about that? it doesn't make a lot of sense really, sometimes I wish ren fairs were a thing over here

I'm sorry that you've had that experience. I've gone through that myself. Some Ren Fairs get mad when you show up in Medieval gear and are not one of the performers/vendors and I've gotten a talking to for it.

I was speaking more to the difference between historical re-enactment vs living history. The LH crowd are usually going for a specific time and place, where HR crowd (at least in my experience with the SCA) are much broader in scope so you can get away with more.

I didn't realize that something like Ren Fair didn't exist in your area. I suppose when your people actually lived through it and have castles it's less interesting. I recall chatting with an English friend about how infrequent SCA events are in England. More about wild west/cowboy reenactment at the time.

Iodo wrote: ↑Mon Jun 27, 2022 7:13 am
here in the UK there is no choice. Ren Fairs are not a thing, historical re-enactment fairs are basically all you get so I show up at them in MERF kit, I have been heavily criticised on lots of occasions even though most of the public are in modern clothes, and no one worries about that? it doesn't make a lot of sense really, sometimes I wish ren fairs were a thing over here

Sadly I can kind of understand that. Let in the MERF-ers (or even the MERS-ers) and the next thing you know you're full of Disney pirates and Star Trek landing parties*. "Strictly historical" is an easier line to draw than "somewhere north of medivalish fantasy and south of Spock ears"

That said, I'm kinda surprised there's not already a Tolkien or general hippyish-midsommer festival where it'd be a perfect fit.



----
* though Disney pirates are awesome.

Wait cowboy reenactment is a thing in the UK?

OParnoShoshoi wrote: ↑Mon Jun 27, 2022 2:33 pm Wait cowboy reenactment is a thing in the UK?

US Civil War is, some Cowboy shooting events (single and double barrelled shotguns, manual repeating rifles and cap&ball revolvers are legally available here with the correct licenses)

I've even seen Cold War re-enacting here.

That's so strange to me, growing up here

Well, the rest of us do medieval (ish) and most of us are in former colonies, oceans away from knights and castles.

I guess everyone likes a taste of the far-away.

... though picture of Czechs with tipis is still kind of hilarious in its own endearing way. My very favorite so far was some pictures floating around a couple weeks ago of Polish reenactors doing modern American trailer park.

edit - found where the pictures were from -
https://www.facebook.com/pg/4thofJulyLa ... e_internal

Some of the pictures are sheer caricature, but others... wow.