madPete

I think there's a lot of readers, not so many posters. It takes a while to build that back up. It seems once people get excited about events, they start posting and reading the other forums and posts. I guess we need another Pirates of the Caribbean movie! Like you said, too many irons in the fire, so I sometimes pick and choose based on what I'm seriously into at the moment.

See ... Here's someone more adventurous than me on flights! I may have to consider trying an event with just what I can carry, sounds like a challenge!

It sounds like you are planning well ahead of time - thats the way to do it, then revisit a couple days before the flight. Also think a bit about the flight back, does anything change or do you have ship something back? To be truthful, I would reconsider taking the replica guns on the plane. You will have to declare them because if you dont, they will be found in the checked bags when they xray and they will open your baggage. Besides the rigamarole of checking and declaring them, you likely will have to pick them up separately at a manned station. If it looks like a gun, then treat it like a gun. Because they will. I understand wanting to look the part all the time, with a pair of pistols in your belt. But to me its not worth the hassle of flying with functional guns, let alone replicas. But that is your choice. In the end there's not much use for them except in your belt anyway. Usually you can find a spot on a cannon crew, and get trained at the same time. Sometimes you can even borrow a flinter if you know someone. remember, you can always hand wash an outfit, if you need to wear it again. and YES, put something clean aside for the flight home. Its close quarters on the plane! [Probably easier to ship the replica guns in a box. I haven't researched them yet, but these amazon drop boxes we see all over the place might be an option.]

This will not be complete yet, but I wanted to share some info on flying in. 10) General area, facilities, and nearby airports nearby airports - I discovered in my search that the major airlines do not seem to go into Mobile. There may be smaller airlines that do, but connections are on you. I looked at several nearby airports, notably Pensacola and New Orleans. GulfPort may also be an option. We chose Southwest, primarily because they fly into these two airports and they have liberal bag and cancellation policies. Southwest offers two checked bags under 50 pounds free and a carryon, plus a small personal bag. Plus being its happening during Hurricane season, if the worst should occur, flights can easily be cancelled for credit towards another flight. Altho I hope this does not happen. We chose to fly into New Orleans, mostly because Stynky is driving from the west coast and offered to meet us there. We are likely going to the French Quarter for a meal and then on to the fort (about a 2 hour drive from New Orleans). We also have to pick up a wall tent for the ladies in Gautier. The crew meeting in New Orleans has grown so we will also need to rent a car to accomodate all of us and the gear. We looked at Pensacola also which might be a better option for some because its about an hour from Mobile. But its the far side of Mobile for us and we've never seen New Orleans. Flights were quite reasonable and many of us are connectign the same flight out of Phoenix to New Orleans. Now I realize the distance from the airport requires some sort of transportation, Sorry - I dont have a good solution outside of carpooling with someone or just renting a car. So likely a rental car is needed for this event unless you can coordinate with folks or have a friend that can pick you up on their way to the fort.

3) Hygiene, what to bring and what to expect – I include the usual items, small enough to pass the TSA and fit in my essentials backpack. What to bring: in your "essentials" backpack: Personal medications - if needed, vitamins, pain reliever etc. Toothbrush and toothpaste - (it helps to have water in your mug) to brush teeth and rinse in morning and night deodorant and other personal items - necessary (case by case) bio degradable soap - . in case there are showers (or sometimes beach showers). This varies a lot from event to event. Sometimes events will setup temporary showers in a grassy section with plastic tarp for some privacy (thus the bio-degradable soap). Sometimes there are limited shower facilities so you might only get one shower for the weekend. Sometimes there is simply nothing. If you can swim, that might be an option also. Or if you know someone staying in a hotel, you may be able to beg a shower. The last case is have wet wipes handy, camping is dirty and depends a lot on the particular site. Packaged Wet Wipes - these are handy and I always bring them Turkish towels in linen - are period correct in toned down colors so you can hang them to dry versus the modern fluffy towels – They are very liteweight and are easy to stash! Mosquito repellent and sunscreen - are a good idea always! You might plan to buy it after arriving to avoid TSA restrictions (Mary Diamond has an excellent reference below for a kit) Other Items you will want - If you fly in and rent a car or drive in,make a grocery run on the mainland and buy at least water, most pirates need a rum run anyway! If you didnt rent a car, ask around if anyone is making a trip for ice or something and offer to tag along and help. This may give you an advantage when we talk about “eats” later on as well. Period hat - to screen the sun from face Water - there will be water on site, but I've been sick on the water in Key West so be careful. I can't vouch for Ft Gaines. A trash bag - to clean up anything you may need to throw away. A roll of toilet paper - can sometimes be a lifesaver. What to expect: FT Gaines – there are permanent restroom facilities. There is a campground nearby with showers that we will be able to use with a token. 1 token per camper for the weekend, tho I'm told you can buy additional tokens at the campground. There could be close to 100 participants, so plan accordingly. (2am is sometimes a good time for a shower) There is a beach near the fort, so you can swim. no beach showers. There are a few power outlets inside the fort for charging batteries There are mostly B&Bs, I dont recall seeing any hotels on the island (See facilities in a later post) Flying to other events - expect no shower facilities and plan accordingly. Ask questions, sometimes this spurs the event to make plans Even if there are showers they may be so limited or require a reservation Expect porta-potties and be happy if there are more permanent facilities. Keep the facilities clean - pick up after yourself. All any one can ask is to leave it better than you found it. everyone's different so dont take what I say as the rule. I've been to events where there was no chance for a shower

welcome aboard!

I'm skipping hygiene for now until I get more details about the facilities. Eating may also change a bit depending what plans are made so I'll stick to basic stuff. 4) Eating - Every event is different, but there are always crews that cook for their immediate members. Usually these are the folks that drove and could bring their cooking pots! This is usually undertaken by individual camps. Sometimes group meals are planned by crews, sometimes onsite vendors with food, sometimes a catered meal for participants. In any event you'll be prepared by bringing a period style mug, bowl/plate/trencher, spoon and knife (doubles as a fork), just in case. If you are flying in I would plan on bringing cash to buy meals. It's difficult enough to bring tent and sleeping gear in limited luggage space, let alone metal cooking gear. Having said that, there are a lot of options in between. Other crews cooking - If you are lucky to know a crew thats there and cooking, and are offered to partake... jump on it! Offer to help or contribute to the cost or effort in some way. its always appreciated and may get you invited back again. Likewise, if you bartered a ride to get supplies ask them about meals and if you contributed would you be welcomeed. On-site food vendors - At most events there are at least 1 -2 food vendors. Can anyone chime in on this particular event? They do fire up the bread baking ovens in the fort, but I've yet to see concrete plans. Off-site food vendors - depending on the site, there may be nearby restaurants and other jazzy eaterys. I personally have not been to Dauphin Island so I can't vouch for the restaurants there ... yet! Best to investigate before hand. Have rental car or transportation - If you have transportation, you can grocery shop. However I've looked around a bit and grocery shopping should be done on the mainland before getting to the island. There is not a grocery store proper on the island and what is there is expensive. I saw a few businesses specializing in delivering groceries from the mainland. Maybe someone who has attended or is somewhat local can chime in here? I'm told there is a ship store just as you enter the island. It has a grocery section, but is not well stocked (except for beer and charcoal) and is more like the auxiliary section at a bait store. I would definitely bring some things for snacks, if not sandwiches, or something for meals to be a bit independent.

I was there in 2019 before Covid when it was on the "lighthouse island" same as this year. It was large, they had live music "Pirate Charles" and was a great chance to hobnob with people I dont see often. also met a lot of new folks. It was a bit lacking on the vendor side and I have no background on the location other than this particular site was pretty nice last time. I thought it was on the Queen Mary side last year, but I didnt go.

2) Basic camp gear Keep in mind airline charges differ. Some airlines charge per bag, some (like Southwest) allow two free checked bags and a carryon (+ plus a personal item like a purse or backpack. But if you go over the limits there are hefty charges, expect at least $75 per bag. For this reason I weigh every item. I use a bathroom scale, weigh myself, then weigh myself holding the particular item and subtract. Canvas duffel bags - Having done this a couple times I've found that soft bags work far better than hard suitcases, especially with camp gear. To this end I've purchased several heavy canvas duffle bags with handles on each end and in the center have a zipper. These are approximately 12-15 inches diameter and 36 inches long. There are total measurement restriction on airlines width + height + length less than or equal to 62 inches AND less than 50 pounds to avoid oversize charges. These bags are never fully packed, if they were they would likely be overweight. I pack them and keep them somewhat baggy, so they never exceed that size. Tent or Fly - I recommend the bare minimum. A wall tent with all its poles and stakes and canvas weight is going to be a nogo, or require two duffels. A wedge tent works, but is heavier than you might think. I sometimes bring a wedge since the GF likes the privacy, but its much lighter than most commercial tents since it was homemade from a lighter weight canvas tarp. Many times a fly will do the trick (waterproofed of course) and is much more flexible and lighter which allows you to bring other essential items. One popular item is an "Oar tent" which is essentially a square fly 12x12 or larger with a single pole on one corner with the 2 opposite sides staked down. This keeps weight to a minimum: 1 pole, a fly, minimal stakes and rope. Ground tarp - These can be heavier than you realize, but sure beats walking over coral, rocks, bugs etc. and provides a layer between your sleeping pad and the ground. Harbor Fright and Lowes have lightweight tarps. It can help to waterproof these as well if the ground gets wet. Also if you make your own fly from a paint tarp and add grommets like I did, wash and dry the tarp to get the shrinkage out of it. Stakes and rope - I recently purchased some hemp rope from Hemp Traders for all my lines because its authentic and does not scratch your hands up like the cheap manila box store stuff. along with each line is a small hardwood dogbone that allows rope slide adjustment. These have not been wet and I suspect they will shrink so they are a bit longer than normal (just in case). Period stakes are great, but they are usually very beefy/heavy. There are alternatives like hardwood stakes, or since they are hardly seen once hammered into the ground the big 12 inch nails at Homedepot or the Harbor Fright nail type camping stakes with a little black paint work well for the travel kit. I usually add a large washer to keep the rope from slipping. Its good to have a small canvas bag for the stakes and the ropes to keep them from moving around in the duffel too much. Hint: I borrow a hammer or stake puller rather than carry the extra weight Poles - Obviously you can't fit 6 ft poles in this duffel. Here is my solution and seems to work well. For my oar tent I have a 6 ft simple oar, cut in half with a canopy connector that holds it together, yet breaks down for flight. You can do the same with 1 3/8 closet poles for wedge poles. they are available in lengths at Homedepot and fit the 1 3/8 canopy connectors very well. the lumber is not hardwood and its pretty lightweight. These make for lightweight but strong poles for a wedge as well, just need a pin in each upright to grab the ridgepole. My wedge has two uprights each with a connector and a pin on one end to link to the ridgepole. The ridgepole has 3 sections with 2 connectors, each end has a receiving hole for the pins in the upright. In a pinch you can do without the ridge pole by using a rope and stake on the uprights which pull the center of the tent taut. It still sags a bit but is light and works! each pole section ends up being 36 inches or slightly shorter if it needs a pin. Wool blanket - This might seem like overkill, but if you get weather or low temps, its essential. It can also serve as additional padding if using a self inflating mattress. I use typical military surplus blankets. They weight about 4 pounds and I've found several at goodwill. Linen or cotton sheet - Since wool is scratchy I always have a sheet of some sort, could be plain cotton or plain linen and its lightweight to serve as mosquito barrier in the humidity or heat. Cot - there are some lightweight cots out there, but I find none of them are very comfortable (maybe just me). I have two commercial wood cots copied from the WWII pattern. They are about 13 pounds each. In my opinion not worth the extra weight unless the ground is not an option with air mattress. My body fights them the first night, by the second night Im usually too tired and go right to sleep. if its chilly you will need wool underneath you. The cold air definitely comes thru the cot! I learned from experience! Hammock - this is an option "sometimes". I made a period correct Hammock from linen/hemp and handstitched it. They are very comfortable sleeping. But you need to know there are trees available, some sites wont allow you to tie up to the trees. There are also lightweight nylon hammocks which I used once. I ran it inside my wedge tent with the ropes coming out the ends and tied to a tree. it works! Inflatable mattress - I typically use the self inflating camp mattresses that rollup. they weight about 3-4 pounds and I sleep better on these than a cot. [I've purchased some new mattresses to try specifically for this event] Linen or cotton pillow bag - bring a pillow sized bag in your kit or (even a pillow case). You can stuff it with extra clothes, straw or what have you for a pillow. You never know when you might need a bag for something... like dirty clothes at the end of the event! Hint from experience... I roll up my pewter mug, knife/fork and sometimes spoon inside the tent/fly. Its not a hard case, but never had a problem doing this. Don't think they want to go to the trouble of unrolling the tent. BUT I would NOT attempt a sword this way! Weigh every piece you are taking and add the weights up to make sure you are under the limit. Dont forget the duffel also, its a pound or two. I always keep a 3 pound margin under the limit. Just in case... [update: remember, if there is rain or dampness, your fly/tent/blanket/clothes could gain additional pounds! Part of the reason I make sure I have some margin]

1) Basic clothing I'm not gonna talk specifically about what you should/should not wear at a Pirate/Living History event. But, some of it will come up just talking about packing. Backpack on the plane - I pack my absolutely essential items on my back. period. If checked baggage gets waylayed, arrives late, or is lost completely, you can still participate and the trip is not a loss. I would also not plan that your "carry on" suitcase is guaranteed. There have been times where they made us check the carry-on (obviously not your backpack or personal bag) for various reasons, flight is diverted, you get transferred, or the one I was told... "there is not enough room for all the carry-ons in the overhead bin" (on a connecting flight). Shoes - Your shoes really cant be replaced. pack them in your backpack (or wear them) unless you want to show up in what you are wearing (i.e. tennis shoes) Full kit for 1 day - (this does not include swords/knives/firearms etc - You dont NEED this to enjoy an event and participate. You do need basic kit i.e. shirt, slops/breeches/skirt, waistcoat/stays, socks, garters, belt, neck scarf, some sort of period bag to hold wallet, phone, itinerary, etc.. Maybe a monmouth hat or wear your tricorn on the plane. Many times they welcome additional crew members on a cannon if you really want to participate in a battle. Extra socks/ underwear - A one day delay getting your baggage can easily become 2-3 days if its diverted or lost. You can wash your socks and underwear while wearing another pair if you have to! Personal items/Toiletries - Basic items like wallet, ID, cash, necessary medication, toothbrush, toothpaste, soap, wipes, vitamin packs, essential makeup, etc. (for at least 2 days) Phone and Charger - Your phone is probably essential these days with 24 hour check in and the need to have communication and a record of your itinerary. I still carry a printed copy of my flight plans/rental car etc. in case my phone is lost, dropped or ?. Usually there is some accomodation at events for charging your phone. You kinda need this for a 3 day event, but dont hog the charging station... You are NOT very Piratey with a phone at your ear during the event. Just shut it off and periodically you can check it. If you still have room - a turkish towel is very handy and lightweight for showering, along with packaged wipes (just in case), and snacks. Everything else, non essential (clothing wise), or change of clothes probably needs to go in a carry-on case that fits the airline requirements. I personally try to have a change of under wear, socks, shirt for every day. A change of slops/breeches and neck scarves is handy also (if for no other reason than catastrophe). It is wise to include a coat of some sort in case you end up on the ocean or near the ocean at night or in inclement weather. It really can be quite chilly. Remember to bring something to wear back on the plain that is clean! It will be close quarters! If you have the above, but lose everything else well, you CAN still participate and it WILL be an adventure. I always have either cash or credit available on one of my credit cards just in case! More often than not, someone will help in cases like this, whether its running you to the grocery, a walmart, the home depot. Thats why I said its truly about comraderie. Express your thankfulness, be patient and things will work out! You might be able to borrow a blanket, a canvas ground cover, or something to sleep under. A friend actually slept wrapped up in his wool pirate flag at one event! You may be able to sleep in the fort (if there is one) and there IS one at this event, however I've heard rumors its haunted, so decide for yourself! A trip to walmart can get you a blanket, a sleeping bag, or maybe a nylon hammock, or air mattress of some type. A trip to Home Depot can get you rope, stakes (think the big 10-12 inch nails), canvas paint tarps, a new tent pole, etc... Above all, if the worst happens stay positive!

If you are on the adventurous side, and arent too fussy that you have all the amenities of a hotel room or modern camping, this post might be of interest to you. Since I live in Arizona, Pirate events are pretty much non-existent, except maybe a couple day trips like the renaissance fair. The ones I prefer are at either historic sites or near an ocean and you typically camp on site, on the beach or in a fort. And this many times, means a flight. True, its a bit more convenient if you do the hotel thing (and more expensive). I understand the lure of that since I've done it on several occasions. Having attended numerous pirate/historical events where I camped and needed to take a flight to reach the destination, I was going to outline some tips based on my "Fly and Camp experience". But first... To me, Pirate events are about comraderie, so I prefer to camp with the crew even when flying to an event. Especially for events that are new for me (i.e. new people/new event). The camping experience immerses you in the middle of a new group of people right away and gains you instant familiarity versus the day tripper that shows up in the morning and gets to hear about the previous nights adventures. Personally I want to be part of that adventure! The nearest event for me is a 6+ hour drive to California, which I do a couple times a year, but the lure is the east coast, gulf coast, and Florida events. To that end, my very first pirate event became PIP in Key West in 2009. That first time I knew absolutely nobody, although I was familiar with a couple individuals by name here on the Pub. I was able to at least ask questions in preparation for the trip. There was a lot of planning ahead of time and I did ok my first trip, which maybe explains why I attended every annual PIP/Fort Taylor event after that until it ended in 2015. Over time I've gained some experience which I think is useful to share... WARNING this will not be a one and done post! I invite you to share your "fly and camp experiences" here as well. I dont have all the answers and welcome input. We'll talk about the following topics at least (maybe more depending what comes up): 1) Basic clothing 2) Basic camp gear 3) Hygiene and personal needs 4) Eating 5) FIrearms 6) Transportation to from airport 7) Go with the flow 😎 Volunteer! and Share what you can 9) What to look for in an event 10) General area, facilities, and nearby airports

With all these quality lanterns from Rob Gorrel and elsewhere, they need a deserving place to hang. William and I decided we might need some lantern hangers. One problem, finding period paintings or references to lantern hangers is nearly non existent. If anyone has references please post! So we asked ourselves what else would they have, that they might use to hang a lantern? William came up with the idea of a cannon linstock. It has a spike on the end to stick in the ground and two curly brackets for the actual slowmatch. Now period linstocks are not cheap, but I did come up with an alternative by making my own. so we will have a couple "Lantern Hangers" which serve a double purpose... These based are on 1 1/8 inch dowels. The local hardwood store was out of oak dowels in that size, so I had improvise for the prototype. but it turned out well... (The last photo is a similar period linstock). If they ever get Oak back in stock I'll replace the prototype...

I went every year after that first event until it got shut down for 2015. 6 years, but I missed the earlier ones cause it wasnt on my radar til early 2009. It was a great event, sorry you couldn't make it. There were others that werent so authentic so you would have fit in.

Looks excellent to me. Nice job! BTW We have a wall tent being lent for women without a tent. We will pick it up on the way to the event . Chris (the owner) says you and halfpint have reservations confirmed for it LOL

Kudos to you for following thru making this kit. Its definitely some work, but it will last you for years and is very satisfying to say you made it yourself. I've made my share of mistakes on first attempts, which is why they recommend a prototype of cheap fabric. I just wore my mistakes, since they mostly minor. My first pirate event was PIP in 2009 (Ft Taylor Pirate invasion). I made 2 shirts, a short vest, two pair of slops and a snapsack for that first event. I bought a few other things like socks (even a striped pair, yeah we all start somewhere), a monmouth hat from knitkriket and some Fugawee shoes w/ Gentlemen of Fortune buckles. Wore it all for 3 days straight bouncing around the fort and downtown Key west. I started making slops for a crew on the west coast (at reasonable prices) hoping to improve the overall look... It eventually led to a shop on Etsy where I supplied slops, coats, waistcoats and shirts. Between Covid, burnout and the govt starting to tax these small accounts on Etsy, I closed it down. These days I try to make at least 1 new item before each event (max 2-3 events per year). This year I've outdone myself already. Over the years a wardobe has accumulated. There are a few favorites but I've handed much of it off to my kids and friends who needed clothing to participate. I guess what I'm saying is you are now a qualified apprentice and moving up the ranks quickly!

I used to see a few of them at the AZ Renaissance Fair, but havent been there for 10? years now...

Reconstructing History #704. It has short and long patterns.

I highly recommend washing the linen and drying in the dryer heat to get all the shrinkage out. Although you may need to iron it once it comes out...

nope, not a joiner LOL

I broke down and finished a couple new linen shirts, figuring I would need them for a 4 day event in the fall. When throwing my kit together I want to use my Buccaneer jacket more often, but my waistcoats are all long and hang below the coat. So I threw together a simple linen short waistcoat. I didnt even do pockets, I literally started put it together last Sunday and finished the button holes/attached buttons today. I also tried something new with the shirts. Reenforcement stitch on the neck slit. First one is not perfect, but it will do the job...

I'm pretty jazzed with it. Heads and tails above the others, even the brass Js Townsend lantern

just got my Rob Gorrel lantern. ordered it distressed... These are bigger than my other ones...

Welcome aboard. Some more Arizona landlocked pirates!