Cloaks

[Sam]

We all know how difficult it can be to move in the woods with a full circle or half circle cloak on, not to mention trying to find a comfortable way of reconciling one with a back quiver/bedroll/backpack. We also know that the cloak is an integral part of any Tolkien or Tolkien inspired story/film. Especially for rangers. In light of this, what have you found to be the best, most comfortable and versatile cloak setup? Comfort can mean alternate cloak patterns/styles, or how you make use of it in the field, whereas versatility can involve materials, practicality and multi-use items.

We have all made mention of some of our cloaks, but things change as we experiment and occasionally we get new ideas.
Andy has mentioned various types of cloaks. He has patterns for both a full cloak and a watch cloak on the website, and also has a photo of his oilskin cloak set up as a tarp.

I don't have a cloak yet, as I have been searching the web for patterns, ideas and pre-made cloaks. I haven't found exactly what I am looking for, but recently an idea has been forming in my head.

We all know the basic cloak patterns, full circle and half circle, but what other options are there? There are many options for dress cloaks and the like, which are too bulky or delicate to consider. However, there are other ways of wearing a cloak that people in the wilds have used for many years.

A simple rectangular wool blanket can be fashioned into a cloak without any cutting or sewing necessary, and made secure with a pin, or you can run a drawstring through one of the short ends. Neither of these methods really brings out the look that I desire, or would provide the sort of protection from the elements I wish to have. In an environment where regular rain and drizzle isn't so much a possibility as a certainty, wandering around for days in a sodden cloak doubling as my blanket doesn't really appeal to me.

Whilst digging deeper through alleycatscratch.com and the lotr costume yahoo group (as you do), I came across an idea. I had often found myself admiring Strider's cloaks in the fellowship movie, but dismissed them as movie magic and rather impractical items of clothing. It seems I was a little too hasty though. I was especially interested in Striders cloak before he received the elven grey one. It can be seen in the Prancing Pony, the trek to Amon Sul, the ascent to Caradhras, and in the extended version's scene in the Midgewater Marshes.

At first glance it looks like your average dark coloured hooded cloak. Upon closer inspection though it has features that sparked a lot of controversy amongst would-be costumers. If you look at the videos in which he wears the cloak, you can see its unusual attributes. It appears to be a leather/heavily fulled and weathered wool cloak with slits cut to aid easy attachment of the bedroll/quiver, with unusually short sides. This is incorrect, and a few have hinted on its real properties. In fact, it is very similar to one of Gandalf's cloaks. After reading and viewing and even more closely viewing, the cloak now appears to be in the shape of a rectangular aba. Basically it is a large rectangle of material with a slit cut perpendicularly from the centre of a short end to the middle of the piece, where the hood circle is cut. It is called an Aba, and is similar to a poncho. However unlikely this sounds, it seems to be the truth. Striders cloak is effectively and oilskin Aba. This is why there appears to be long front edges, a long back edge, coming up short under the shoulders (because of the width of the shoulders). The hood seems to be double layered, and the tie consists of leather thongs or cord. Think of the patterns on this page for Galdalf's cloak, but with unrounded edges. Keep in mind how Strider wears it. http://www.geocities.com/darth_eagle/gandalf1.htm

The cloak does not appear overly long either, especially at the sides, but long enough to be an effective bad weather coat. Indeed, the only times he wears this cloak are in the inn, and in rain or snow. The rest of the time it is rolled up on his back. We all cringe at the impractibility of most outfits in the LoTR films, but this is all making sense to me. It doesn't have to be really thick unless you line it, and it can double as an overblanket at night to protect your wool blanket from dew. Oilskin can be made from light, high threadcount cotton sheets (think egyptian cotton).

If you couple this mid-length bad weather cloak with a short woolen cloak and a wool blanket, I think you would be prepared for most weather situations. True if you line the bad weather cloak with wool it would be multi use, but with a modular approach you can add or remove layers as necessary. Otherwise you are either wearing a heavy, very warm ill-breathing cloak or not. The oilskin cloak can double as shelter in a pinch, and a blanket cover when not wearing it.

Thinking more, I would wager that a backpack or quiver would fit more comfortably due to the short sides where straps could go through, leaving the longer front and back free so as not to impede the protection the cloak provides much. Check out this pic for where his quiver is and you'll see how the sides work. http://img21.imageshack.us/img21/636/3538aragorn753.jpg

Thinking about my setup, I would have a short cloak similar to andy's made out of a thin summer-weight Australian army vietnam war woolen blanket, a blanket of the same weight or thicker, and an oilskin aba cloak made from a King size egyptian cotton sheet I bought (the fitted sheet for the cloak, the top sheet for a tarp, pillowcases for hoods etc) for 25 bucks on special. I could layer 2 or all 3 as I walk, rest and sleep. Layering is much more effective in cold an survival situations than a single heavy garment, you will always be warmer, and can add or remove layers to control body temperature.
I have ordered a swiss canvas and leather surplus rucksack like Greg's, so it will be important to be able to use this along with my cloaks.

Of course this is all hypothetical until I actually make it all and practice using them together, but I think the setup might work better than most others I have considered. As a ranger, you can't expect to be able to stop and go home to get another garment if you're cold or wet and there are no elves to gift you magical cloaks.

Sorry about the wall of text...Anyone else got any ideas, pictures or musings they wish to share?

[Eledhwen]

An aba would make sense. Belly dancers and Scadians with Middle Eastern personas wear them a great deal. I have a few of them myself.

It is just a long rectangle, folded in half, stitched up either side leaving an opening for the arms, a neck hole, to which you could easily attach a hood, and cut from hem to neckline in front. It was closed with buttons, or a sash, or just left open. There's quite a variety.

Usually they are from wrist to wrist in width but they don't have to be. They give a great deal of freedom of movement yet would really not be a huge problem to wear a pack or quiver with. I've seen some that have short sleeves instead of simply being straight up on the sides.

Quite possible. Up to now I've been using the Gallic cloak..which is two rectangles, a large one at least 5 feet long and a smaller one. Center the small one on the larger one, long edges together, stitch together, then fold the whole thing in half and stitch the edges together on the smaller rectangle. That just became the hood. Put on, mark where the corners drag the ground, trim so they don't, add four buttons or toggles or just a clasp and there you go...the Romans used these and said they'd gotten them from the Gauls.

Might well have a go at the aba style.

If anyone questions it, well, I've been to Far Harad (Hyarmen) where the stars are strange.

Siani

[Mirimaran]

Maybe we could get a pattern posted for that Siani, or we can all come up with a tactical cloak. I've seen a few different varieties as well. For the movies, they had slits in the cloaks for straps and etc and did some cheats, but if you look at the movie cloaks they were cut for costume and not for practicality. I would think the slits would work if they were overlapped or something, so that when not in use you don't have an obvious hole in your cloak! When I wore my pack with my cloak to faire, I used a cross strap so that it passed under the cloak so that the cloak could hang loose. I have a pretty nice cloak now that I would hate to modify, but I might be tempted to make a cloak solely to test some ideas with.

[Willrett]

I would love to see some some different pics of some different styles. I have a few pics I will post in a bit of a good cloak idea.

[Sam]

For the movies, they had slits in the cloaks for straps and etc and did some cheats, but if you look at the movie cloaks they were cut for costume and not for practicality. I would think the slits would work if they were overlapped or something, so that when not in use you don't have an obvious hole in your cloak! When I wore my pack with my cloak to faire, I used a cross strap so that it passed under the cloak so that the cloak could hang loose.

They definitely cut slits in a few of the cloaks, especially the fellowship ones, but strider's original cloak appears unmodified. If you look at the picture I posted, you can see one strap going up towards the left shoulder, and the other going in through the shorter arm side of the cloak. It looks like it's a slit, but it's actually just where the cloak rides up due to the width of the shoulders. I went over the footage many times, and it is definitely set up like that. I tried this this morning with the cloak pattern of Gandalf's I posted, without rounding the edges. I cut a sheet up in this way, and it works and looks exactly like you see in the film, with all the abnormalities and all.

It is like Siani described, but without sewing up the sides, so that instead of sleeves it is just a gap, the length of depending on how wide your cloak is on the short edges. As long as the material is relatively thin, it falls beautifully, but is allows easy movement and can be worn in a few different fashions, all back behind the shoulders or the front flaps in front to cover your chest. You can put your arms in front, or through the shorter sides. Makes sense, and as long as it isnt too long at the front or back it shouldnt have too much an impact on maneuverability. You would only wear it in relatively bad weather anyway, and have a shorter woolen cloak or similar.

[Eledhwen]

That would be similar to a Roman sagum although rectangular instead of circular. The Romans had one that was a circle with a hole for the head and a hood in the center. It hung equally front and back and was open on the sides. They could bunch it at the shoulders to use their arms etc. It could also be cut from hem to neckhole. Dunno if the Romans did that bit but it doesn't matter for our purposes.

You'd be able to put on that type of cloak then don pack and quiver without bunching too much around the arms depending on how wide you made the item. Making it rectangular would simplify this as no curves to worry over.

The Roman sagum was called the military cloak.

Another possibility.

Siani

[dwayne davis]

i made a full circle cloak using the instrustions on Andy's site, i reconciled my quiver problems with a slit placed at the small of my back and covered with a flapp. so far it works good, for that problem, still can't go into heavy scrub though.

[Greg]

The biggest problem I've had with cloaks is just that it hangs up on everything. I used to put my cloak underneath both of my quiver's straps, which kept it out of the way fairly well. Now, I've made one buttonhole for the main strap to go through on the keft side, so the cloak is held back on my right side, but hangs freely on the left. This keeps my sword/bowstring arm free, while allowing my left arm to pull it in front of me to cover me when I want to for warmth or camouflage. I'm going to be reinforcing the hole with a leather patch with a built-in flap to cover it during wet weather shortly.

The hood is still bigger than I'd like, so I'm gonna make that smaller soon, but I've already altered the length of the cloak. Whenever I'd bend my knees to stoop down or move quieter during a stalk, I'd start stepping on the ends and tripping all over the place. Now, when I stoop, it comes down to where it did before when I stood up straight. I think I probably cut it off a little too short, but I'm still happy enough with where it is.

I like where you're going with your own cloak ideas, but this is what I've done to make mine servicable for my needs.

[Eledhwen]

I wonder sometimes if the fact that most of the forest in this country (US) is third or fourth growth plays the largest part in the heavy brush problems. The few times I've seen primary growth forest there hasn't been much undergrowth or brush at all past the edge. Still, my experience with such is extremely limited so I don't really know.

I tend to avoid heavy brush areas here since the deer ticks are simply insane in number in this area and taking a cloak into that would be inviting a horde of the things into the apartment. O-o Lyme disease is no fun by any account, and the little gits are damned hard to see at the best of times.

Fabric type would play a part too of course. I suspect though that having the cloak rolled up and put away when not actually needed would be the more practical approach. As was pointed out, Strider tends to wear his during inclement weather, or when remaning nondescript, otherwise it tends to be rolled up. At least in the beginning (movie).

Siani

[dwayne davis]

I think each person has to make modifacations based on thier surroundings, so their gear works best for them. i do like the button hole idea as it would stand out less than a big ole slit. ( may be time for a new cloak, lol).

[Chris Russo]

After reading and viewing and even more closely viewing, the cloak now appears to be in the shape of a rectangular aba. Basically it is a large rectangle of material with a slit cut perpendicularly from the centre of a short end to the middle of the piece, where the hood circle is cut. It is called an Aba, and is similar to a poncho.

So something like this, then?

http://armstreet.com/store/clothers/1/112.html


I like the idea of a rectangular cloak. I'm finding the circles--even 3/4 or full circles--don't double well as your camp blanket, because they leave your feet in the cold. I want all my gear to serve at least two purposes, and something as heavy as a wool cloak MUST be my blanket as well.

[dwayne davis]

Well those do lok quite warm and comfortable. but i am wandering how it would be to have to fight in it, if it would be possible.http://www.hurstwic.org/history/article ... othing.htm their is a small section on viking era cloaks on this page, while not as nice as the above might lend them selves better to those who could be in a fight at any given time. although it is just a suggestion.

[Chris Russo]

I wouldn't want to fight in any sort of cloak--the second the melee starts, mine's coming off.

Fighting WITH a cloak, now, that's another matter.

[Mirimaran]

Well those do lok quite warm and comfortable. but i am wandering how it would be to have to fight in it, if it would be possible.http://www.hurstwic.org/history/article ... othing.htm their is a small section on viking era cloaks on this page, while not as nice as the above might lend them selves better to those who could be in a fight at any given time. although it is just a suggestion.

Excellent article! Thanks for posting!

[Sam]

After reading and viewing and even more closely viewing, the cloak now appears to be in the shape of a rectangular aba. Basically it is a large rectangle of material with a slit cut perpendicularly from the centre of a short end to the middle of the piece, where the hood circle is cut. It is called an Aba, and is similar to a poncho.

So something like this, then?

http://armstreet.com/store/clothers/1/112.html


I like the idea of a rectangular cloak. I'm finding the circles--even 3/4 or full circles--don't double well as your camp blanket, because they leave your feet in the cold. I want all my gear to serve at least two purposes, and something as heavy as a wool cloak MUST be my blanket as well.

Yes! Exactly like that, except that it will be a bit shorter all around to aid movement. The length I'm talking about will be too heavy for thick wool, but in a thin oilskin it just might work. A wool watch cloak will provide warmth and allow mobility for when on the move, and can be used as a pillow on warm nights, or to supplement the full blanket on colder. Layering is the way to go for warmth. Keep in mind that the wool I have is a summer weight weave, so fairly thin.

Those rectangular cloaks in the link that jolromir posted look very much like what Tolkien described, being pinned on the shoulder.