(And Other Little Packing Tidbits Us Gals Should Keep In Mind)
How many of us have seen a “what to pack” list provided by a LARP and thought, “what idiot wouldn’t bring this stuff?” Yeah, ladies that list isn’t for you, you know what necessities to bring. That list was put together for the guys. Not all the guys mind you, I know many who know to remember to bring a change of underwear and a bar of soap, but I’ve also seen some guys show up to a game with only the clothes on their back, their costume, and a sheet for their bed.
No, we don’t suffer from that problem at all. Our problem is the complete opposite. We overpack. Oh goodness, do we overpack. I will be the first to say I suffer from this dreaded affliction. I have on more than one occasion filled the trunk of my car with just my gear alone. But I have seen some of my lady friends with totes and totes of their stuff.
We just don’t know when to stop packing. We have all learned from our mothers to pack “just in case.” Now this is sound advice when you’re packing for just yourself but it just doesn’t work when you’re packing for yourself and your character. You are in essence packing for two people. You really need to plan ahead and consider all the possible situations.
Let’s start with your character’s wardrobe. Ladies, there is absolutely no reason why you need three or more complete changes of costume for each day you are at the game. I don’t care if you’re playing the prettiest princess that ever was pretty, that is just excessive. If you’re playing the warrior type, more than likely you’ve got a pretty basic wardrobe — pants, shirts, and some sort of armor. But it’s those who are playing girly girls that packing becomes a challenge. You start out your new character with a small set of clothes and then your wardrobe explodes. And let’s not even discuss you gals who can sew your own costuming. Before you know it, you have more clothes than you could ever wear in one weekend and you’re trying to lug them to every event. It’s just not practical.
Go through that massive wardrobe before the event and pull out what you know you will wear, not what you might wear. You know the game you’re playing and what you could possibly expect for that weekend either by your own game experiences or from the GM’s who often give a hint as to what to expect for the coming weekend either with a small blurb on their website or some sort of newsletter or message board. There is a very miniscule chance that you will ever be surprised by some sort of gala or celebration where you need that fancy ball gown. More than likely, what you will need is what you wear every time. If you got a new piece you want to wear, make sure you take away something you’ve worn several times before. And of course, there’s the magic of layers. We all know that switching around that skirt with a different bodice or adding a colorful scarf can totally make an old costume look new.
When it comes to your out-of-game clothes, you don’t have to bring much at all. Some night clothes and an outfit for when game ends is really all you need. Both should be comfy. I guarantee by the end of the event, you are so tired you in no way have any interest in being very fashionable.
Which brings up another one of our issues and that is we are slaves to fashion. Admit it ladies, we will wear the most uncomfortable things if we think we look fabulous in it. How many of us have worn a strapless dress with a flimsy shawl for cover in below zero temperatures because our winter coat just doesn’t go with the dress? How many of us have worn a pair of shoes with heals so high it’s a miracle we don’t break our necks just trying to walk in them? There is no shame in admitting this. We are all guilty of it at some point or another. But I’ll tell you right now when it comes to larping, you have to be practical or you’re going to be miserable or worse get seriously hurt.
The first priority is your footwear. In my opinion, what you wear on your feet is more important than any other piece of costuming you will bring. When I’m shopping for my larp footwear, there are three things I look for: 1) waterproofing; 2) ankle support; and 3) very, very good tread. There is nothing that ruins a weekend faster than wet feet or a twisted ankle. I tend to lean toward the style seen in Dr. Martens. They meet all my criteria and look awesome when you’re playing that warrior type. But whatever you do never cheap out on your boots or shoes. As the old saying goes, you get what you pay for.
The other thing of utmost importance (and I can’t stress this enough), make sure your girls are secure, especially if you are well endowed. I know you want to be sexy and the fantasy fiction images of women have us scantily clad but I have seen some pretty mortifying sights over the years where “fashion” was considered over practicality. Just know that somewhere at some point, you are going to need to run or crawl through some obstacle course and there is nothing more embarrassing than accidentally flashing a room full of men.
Now before you head off for your larp weekend, always check out the weather forecast for the area you’re heading. Don’t go by where you live. Being the city mouse that I am, I often find that the temperatures are always cooler in the country than where I’m coming from and I always bring something to keep me warm. Also, don’t forget that the temperature always drops at night, even in the summer. It could be 85 during the day and then drop down to 60 at night. That also goes for the Spring or Fall. When the sun goes down, you will be very happy indeed that you brought that coat/cloak or those hat and gloves. I promise, you will be kicking yourself if you don’t.
Now if the forecast for the weekend calls for rain, my advice about overpacking goes right out the window. This is when you want to bring extra clothing, especially skirts and socks. If it’s going to be cold and rainy, bring extra gloves and an extra coat. Now for those cold events (some games actually do run in the winter), the invention of under armour has been a godsend. In the old days, if you wanted to keep warm your only option was long johns, which were bulky and they never made them warm enough for women. Under armour is light weight and keeps you quite warm. They are definitely worth the investment. You won’t be able to show cleavage in them but you’re going to be warm and at a winter event, you’re not showing much skin anyways so it’s really a moot point.
It comes down that you need to be able to roll with the punches and be able to change how you pack from event to event. But the two factors you must always keep in mind when you’re packing is the weather and the game plot as it is currently flowing when you put your wardrobe together for an event. It seems simple but it can get kind of complicated. But that in itself can be as fun as playing your character.
Well that’s all I got for now. I hope you found this helpful. I think I’ve completely overused the word “practical” here. No matter what you do, make sure you have fun. If you’re not enjoying it then try something else because larping should always be fun.
How many of us have seen a “what to pack” list provided by a LARP and thought, “what idiot wouldn’t bring this stuff?” Yeah, ladies that list isn’t for you, you know what necessities to bring. That list was put together for the guys. Not all the guys mind you, I know many who know to remember to bring a change of underwear and a bar of soap, but I’ve also seen some guys show up to a game with only the clothes on their back, their costume, and a sheet for their bed.
No, we don’t suffer from that problem at all. Our problem is the complete opposite. We overpack. Oh goodness, do we overpack. I will be the first to say I suffer from this dreaded affliction. I have on more than one occasion filled the trunk of my car with just my gear alone. But I have seen some of my lady friends with totes and totes of their stuff.
We just don’t know when to stop packing. We have all learned from our mothers to pack “just in case.” Now this is sound advice when you’re packing for just yourself but it just doesn’t work when you’re packing for yourself and your character. You are in essence packing for two people. You really need to plan ahead and consider all the possible situations.
Let’s start with your character’s wardrobe. Ladies, there is absolutely no reason why you need three or more complete changes of costume for each day you are at the game. I don’t care if you’re playing the prettiest princess that ever was pretty, that is just excessive. If you’re playing the warrior type, more than likely you’ve got a pretty basic wardrobe — pants, shirts, and some sort of armor. But it’s those who are playing girly girls that packing becomes a challenge. You start out your new character with a small set of clothes and then your wardrobe explodes. And let’s not even discuss you gals who can sew your own costuming. Before you know it, you have more clothes than you could ever wear in one weekend and you’re trying to lug them to every event. It’s just not practical.
Go through that massive wardrobe before the event and pull out what you know you will wear, not what you might wear. You know the game you’re playing and what you could possibly expect for that weekend either by your own game experiences or from the GM’s who often give a hint as to what to expect for the coming weekend either with a small blurb on their website or some sort of newsletter or message board. There is a very miniscule chance that you will ever be surprised by some sort of gala or celebration where you need that fancy ball gown. More than likely, what you will need is what you wear every time. If you got a new piece you want to wear, make sure you take away something you’ve worn several times before. And of course, there’s the magic of layers. We all know that switching around that skirt with a different bodice or adding a colorful scarf can totally make an old costume look new.
When it comes to your out-of-game clothes, you don’t have to bring much at all. Some night clothes and an outfit for when game ends is really all you need. Both should be comfy. I guarantee by the end of the event, you are so tired you in no way have any interest in being very fashionable.
Which brings up another one of our issues and that is we are slaves to fashion. Admit it ladies, we will wear the most uncomfortable things if we think we look fabulous in it. How many of us have worn a strapless dress with a flimsy shawl for cover in below zero temperatures because our winter coat just doesn’t go with the dress? How many of us have worn a pair of shoes with heals so high it’s a miracle we don’t break our necks just trying to walk in them? There is no shame in admitting this. We are all guilty of it at some point or another. But I’ll tell you right now when it comes to larping, you have to be practical or you’re going to be miserable or worse get seriously hurt.
The first priority is your footwear. In my opinion, what you wear on your feet is more important than any other piece of costuming you will bring. When I’m shopping for my larp footwear, there are three things I look for: 1) waterproofing; 2) ankle support; and 3) very, very good tread. There is nothing that ruins a weekend faster than wet feet or a twisted ankle. I tend to lean toward the style seen in Dr. Martens. They meet all my criteria and look awesome when you’re playing that warrior type. But whatever you do never cheap out on your boots or shoes. As the old saying goes, you get what you pay for.
The other thing of utmost importance (and I can’t stress this enough), make sure your girls are secure, especially if you are well endowed. I know you want to be sexy and the fantasy fiction images of women have us scantily clad but I have seen some pretty mortifying sights over the years where “fashion” was considered over practicality. Just know that somewhere at some point, you are going to need to run or crawl through some obstacle course and there is nothing more embarrassing than accidentally flashing a room full of men.
Now before you head off for your larp weekend, always check out the weather forecast for the area you’re heading. Don’t go by where you live. Being the city mouse that I am, I often find that the temperatures are always cooler in the country than where I’m coming from and I always bring something to keep me warm. Also, don’t forget that the temperature always drops at night, even in the summer. It could be 85 during the day and then drop down to 60 at night. That also goes for the Spring or Fall. When the sun goes down, you will be very happy indeed that you brought that coat/cloak or those hat and gloves. I promise, you will be kicking yourself if you don’t.
Now if the forecast for the weekend calls for rain, my advice about overpacking goes right out the window. This is when you want to bring extra clothing, especially skirts and socks. If it’s going to be cold and rainy, bring extra gloves and an extra coat. Now for those cold events (some games actually do run in the winter), the invention of under armour has been a godsend. In the old days, if you wanted to keep warm your only option was long johns, which were bulky and they never made them warm enough for women. Under armour is light weight and keeps you quite warm. They are definitely worth the investment. You won’t be able to show cleavage in them but you’re going to be warm and at a winter event, you’re not showing much skin anyways so it’s really a moot point.
It comes down that you need to be able to roll with the punches and be able to change how you pack from event to event. But the two factors you must always keep in mind when you’re packing is the weather and the game plot as it is currently flowing when you put your wardrobe together for an event. It seems simple but it can get kind of complicated. But that in itself can be as fun as playing your character.
Well that’s all I got for now. I hope you found this helpful. I think I’ve completely overused the word “practical” here. No matter what you do, make sure you have fun. If you’re not enjoying it then try something else because larping should always be fun.
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