Finally got out again.. this time in close to full garb! Mostly colonial-inspired I had already, but still better than my usual jeans and top.
And I found a berry tree of some kind buried in our woods - I think they're edible, just need to ID it to make sure. If they are.. I'll be back soon for jelly fixings!
Lessons learned:
A. I love love love my linen shirt - it's got a renn-faire esque gathered scoop neck, but the sleeves and tail are like a men's 18 th. century shirt. I was toying with replacing it with a light wool blouse, but no.. if it's still too warm for that now, I'll stick with linen, just a more medieval pattern. Definitely need it in a darker color though. White stands out like a sore thumb.
B. I had braintan leggins and a woolen clout - I'd forgotten how much convenient those are. If memory serves, some variety of early medieval trousers came as seperate legs.. I think I might need to look into that for my final travelling outfit.
C. The armstreet shoes have molded to my feet over my various juants this year, are MUCH less slippery than I have any right to expect for a single thickness of leather as a sole, and have all the benefits of moccasins in the woods.. BUT don't let every little burr and prick through and actually last a season. I'm finding medieval shoes are the perfect compromise. The only problem mine have is that they're too short and let little burrs in. Probably going to replace them with these or similar -
http://www.bootsbybohemond.net/index.ph ... -high-shoe
D. knapsack-over-quiver, both with "backpack" style straps instead of a cross-chest strap works quite well. I think this is going to morph into something like a lightweight blanket or matchcoat lashed to quiver, necessities in a needwallet / pantry of some kind at the waist, and everything else left at home. We'll see.
E. Swords. Ugh. Too much weight, not enough utility. I've never read the RA series, but I see why the author went with the seax. Something in that realm might be a good idea. Bigger than my woods knife, more utilitarian than a sword, decent weapon in a pinch. Something between there and one of the colonial era "hunting swords" might be good, just not sure. I don't think I can bring myself to use a kukri, even if they do awfully resemble Greek swords. But somewhere in that mass/blade utility space is ideal I think.
F. And I'm starting to zero in on a useful "persona" for building a kit around. My ulterior motive for getting out this time was scouting the property for sugaring trees come winter - between that and bringing out some knotweed for the goats back home, I hit on "woodsmans' daughter" as the perfectly obvious tack I should have seen all along. More believable for ol' me than a Ranger, and it lets me get all gussied up and make a fun day of it when it comes time to thin out woods, clear brush from the trails, and so forth.
Wheee!
Persona: Aerlinneth, Dúnedain of Amon Lendel c. TA 3010.
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