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    Spring Camp 2007
    March Camp 2008

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Combat

    New Zealand’s history has left us with a shortage of castles, or extant buildings from our period as area of study, so we make do with what we can create in a camping environment. Some of us work from the theory that we are soldiers on campaign, some go with the idea of a noble setting up for a tournament, others don’t even bother trying to justify why they are in a camping environment, and just enjoy the activities that we get up to!

    Our camps have a special emphasis on keeping non-historical items hidden. So if it’s not appropriate to our time period of 800 to 1547, keep it out of sight. Medieval attire should be worn at all times when you are visible in camp.

    We don’t mind if you keep modern things in your tent where we can’t see them. Chilly bins, sleeping bags, bottles of coke, stashes of chocolate and potato chips. Many of us are guilty of those! You can also wear modern underwear if you’re not comfortable with the medieval alternatives, if we can’t see it, we don’t care – ignorance is bliss, especially about your underwear!

    Hiding the modern stuff isn’t the only thing to think about, also do your best to not mix items you are wearing between historical times and places. Changing from one set of kit to another is fun and perfectly reasonable. Having only one tent and camp gear to match is fine, even if you are not wearing clothes of that period and place on some days. But feel free to bring four tents to match four changes of clothing if you like, we'd admire your dedication (and insanity?).

    Basically all you need to look out for with your gear are the three Fs:

• Fashion – Does it match the pictures of the item, or an extant piece?
• Fabric – Is it made from appropriate materials?
• Function – Does it do the job it’s intended for?

    There are some things that we won’t hassle you about, even if they are modern and visible, such as prescription glasses, hearing aids, mobility aids, and other medically necessary items. If you have a condition that may exclude you from wearing period footwear, please let us know.

    Some of our events will be held at sites which have hard accommodation (bunks etc) available, but many will simply be in a field near a water supply and toilet facilities, so you'll be staying in a tent (or if your are feeling particularly hardy, rolled up in your cloak by the fire). You can either bring your own tent, or share space with some other generous person.

Tents

    We love medieval tents! They really add to the ambience, and help set the scene for the event. They form a backdrop for our activities, hiding away the modern world.

    However, as much as we'd love everyone to show up with medieval tents, we know that getting hold of one can be a difficult, expensive and daunting task. Not everyone can manage it right away (or ever!), so at some of our events we set aside an area for modern tents, out of sight of the main camping area. We’d like everyone to hang out to hang out in the main camp area and keep the modern tent area just for sleeping, storing stuff, or cooking on gas stoves.

Hard accommodation

    Our usual haunt at Brookfield Scout Camp has a lodge with 12 bunk beds available, so you don’t even have to stay in a tent if you don’t want to. Book early to save yourself a space.

    All of our sites have a water source and toilet facilities, however, not all of our sites have a drinkable water source, so if there is any doubt, make sure that you boil, or otherwise purify the water first, or bring bottled drinking water.

    Brookfield Scout Camp has potable water that is tested regularly by the site owners. It also has flush toilets, and hot showers are available (if we keep the hot water system fuelled). It is on a septic tank system, so please use biodegradable detergents and soaps only.

    The farm site near Inglewood does not have guaranteed potable water, so make sure that you boil it first. The shower facilities, however, are first rate – gas fired, so we never run out of hot water. Biodegradable detergents and soaps only. The toilets are composting toilets, so please follow the instructions when you use them.

    Unless otherwise specified, all our events are self-catered, meaning that you have to take care of feeding yourself. However, we do recommend organising food with others to cut down on the amount of stuff that everyone has to bring.

    Much of our cooking is done over open fires, using medieval cooking implements where available. It takes a bit of practice to keep an even temperature, but it is a skill well worth learning. If you don't care for the occasional bit of ash in your food, you are welcome to bring a gas cooker to use in the modern tent area (just not in the tents. We would prefer that our friends don't die of carbon monoxide poisoning!).

    The hard accommodation at Brookfield Scout Camp has a refrigerator and freezer, oven, stove top elements, and a zip for hot water. Beer does not get priority for fridge space! There are also shops quite near to site.

    We have people who are knowledgeable about cooking over a fire, and there are many resources on the net with information on foods that don’t rely on refrigeration.

    While we encourage everyone to try to cook medieval dishes, we know that it takes time to learn what is in those medieval meals, and to find ones that you like. Some of them seem just plain weird, but are actually really tasty. Don't feel ashamed to bring or cook modern food. We'd rather you didn't fall over from starvation. Hungry people don't learn too well. You can learn from what others are cooking, and many are willing to let you taste their dishes, so that next time you might be willing to try making some of the yummier ones yourself.

    Remember, cooking on an open fire often takes longer than you think it will, so if you want to be able to see what it is you are eating, start cooking in the afternoon.

    If your foodstuffs come in modern packaging, please prepare or unpack the items out of sight, and dispose of your rubbish in the bins provided.

    Fires must be under constant supervision at all times. Fire pits need to be turfed and the grass will need to be put back afterward. As some fires may be close to tents, all tents must have a means of extinguishing fires by way of a bucket full of water, or a modern extinguisher hidden inside the tent. Often there will be a few large communal fire pits that more than adequately served all needs.

    Please do not dispose of plastics in the fire.

    It is your responsibility to ensure that your campsite/hard accommodation is cleared at the end of the camp to reflect the way you found it, and all rubbish is to be placed at the collection point. Camp organisers will remove all rubbish at the end of the camp.

Dogs    Some of our events are held on working farms, where dogs are not allowed (and would be shot on sight). Save yourself the heartache, and please keep your dogs at home.

Horses    We may be able to accomodate horses at some of our events. Please contact the event organisers if you are thinking of bringing horses.

Other livestock    Someday we may have livestock at our events. Please contact the event organisers if you are thinking of bringing livestock.

    If you have had first aid training, or have a first aid kit available at an event, please let us know. We'll always have at least one first aid kit available, and someone with a some first aid training. The tent containing the first aid kit will be marked with a white cross on a green background. If you need the first aid kit, just go in and get it. If you get an injury that requires the use of a first aid kit, even if it's just a bandaid, please let us know - we're keeping a register of injuries to find if we have any safety issues that we need to address.

    If you have any special medication that you may need in an emergency (an epi-pen, or an inhaler etc.) let us know where it is, so we can find it for you should you need it. Illegal drugs are prohibited. Anyone bringing illegal drugs to our events will be required to leave, and the police may be contacted.