Middle Earth Ranger Forum

I decided for my first piece to make a Needs-Wallet. 7in wide x 3.5in tall x 1.5in deep, made of 7-9oz veg tan. 3D printed a stamp for the star, after searching through posts here and the rest of the web I decided to go with a variation of Earedil's banner. After thinking about what to put in it (since I have no Lambas bread), I'm thinking about filling it with modern survival kit type items. I figure that since it's official purpose was to keep you alive as a last resort, it's contents might not be "period" correct but it's purpose will be true to concept. Contractor's garbage bag for shelter, button compass, water purification tablets, swiss army knife, short length of duct tape, bank line for cordage, cotton balls for tinder, etc all sealed up in a quart size ziplock bag that can be used as a water container. If you're out Ranging and Iluvatar decides it's time for you to lose everything that's not strapped to you, food rations are the last thing you are going to need to make it back. I know not everybody's down with modern gear in their kit and I completely understand, but what are your thought's? What do you carry in your Needs-Wallet?

Welcome to the forum!
That's an excellent piece of kit there. I like your choice of stars and the lines of both the stamped tooling and the shape are very nicely done.

And as far as modern bits and bobs go, Safety First. No one is going to give someone a hard time for taking modern items for safety's sake. In fact, it's encouraged.

I don't personally have kit beyond too many blades and dreams of clothing. XD

Yes welcome! I think you're right on the money for what to bring. More complete and practical than what I use. I keep stuff that was given to me by other Rangers from Yule. But then again I dont go on long treks so it's just the stuff that reminds me of my buddies. Again welcome!

Very nice.

With respect to the inclusion of modern emergency kit, I personally don't have a problem with it.

Safety First!

I would also include insect repellent that works on ticks.

Oh, I very much like that rendition of the star. Well done on the first bit of kit! And welcome to the forum!

Like the others have said, safety is paramount to all else. I plan to do much the same as yourself in actually using my need-wallet as my stash of modern safety equipment. (gps, phone, modern first aid, water purification system, and some energy bars). No one here will give you any grief about it whatsoever. It's the nature of the hobby.

That is a beautiful need wallet, nice work and Welcome

the only thing I would probably say you should add to that is a Mylar foil survival blanket, unless you are very experienced and confident in wilderness survival you should be carrying modern essentials for safety

Welcome, Ranger! Great work on the first piece of kit!

Rob

From what I've read on here, the Need Wallet was a sealed 'survival pack' so you wouldn't be opening it except in a life or death situation.
Because your Persona would never open it where better to stash the non-Character stuff that you may need ?

Nice bit of leather-work BTW
I really like the 'cordwork' on the straps and I'd never thought of 3-d printing a stamp

Thanks to everyone for the support and warm welcome. Ioda - I think you're right a space blanket would be a wise addition. ForgeCorvus - If you 3D print - the stamp was super easy, cura lets you open greyscale jpg images and turns them into stamps automatically (black for stamp - white for base). It asks you for some size settings, I use 5mm for stamp 5mm for thickness of base, print 0.3 layer height at 40% infill. I made the star grey and added a black bar 1/2in down(in MSpaint), star printed about 3mm thick and black bar about 5mm (used bar to set bottom of lid on to ensure star was straight and 1/2in up), then after wetting leather put it in a vice for about 10min.

I think it would be cool to put together a modern version of a need-wallet for use during actual trekking and hiking and a book-accurate version for use during say, a Renaissance Faire or something. Somewhere where you wouldn’t need the survival gear and could put together the cordial and waybread as a more accurate use of the wallet. Same wallet of course, just different contents for different needs. Might just do that indeed.

I like it! No harm at all in filling something you shouldn't otherwise be opening full of last-ditch survival stuffs!

Myself, I fill mine with a glass phial of cordial and 'wafers' of whatever the latest dry bread/hardtack-like substance is that I'm trying out! I also used to stow a little drawstring pouch full of coinage, but that seems better placed in an easy-access non-sealed pouch up front. Makes paying at the Pony a bit easier!

That's great! I also really like the twisty-patterns on the straps. Are they from the Professor's carpet design?

Elleth wrote: ↑Wed Apr 06, 2022 4:58 pm That's great! I also really like the twisty-patterns on the straps. Are they from the Professor's carpet design?

Thank you, no just a basic "celtic" knotwork with a border on both sides. Used an edge groover for the border lines, then a roller with the knotwork pattern.

Late as ever I can offer no greater praise than the others before me. A fantastic beginning.

I more wanted to emphasise the comments here regarding modern safety and emergency gear. I unapologetically carry Epipens, a PLB, emergency blanket and a good snakebite kit on every adventure.

Beautiful work!!!

To join the throng of voices here, yes by all means carry modern emergency equipment! My Need wallet holds a mixture of modern items, such as medications (Benadryl, ibuprofen, etc.), and traditional ones, such as hardtack, only to be used at greatest need!

Brian