I just got back from a game where it put the theory of C.O.L.D. to the test in negative 15 degrees Celsius weather.
As it turns out the Canadian Forces are onto something good here! Even thought my exposed skin did get rather cold I never got to the point where I NEEDED to go inside.
Just to be safe we were going back to get warm every 20 – 40 minutes but in truth that was largely due to others not using proper methods to stay warm.
Some of the mistakes that others made were the same mistakes that I see every time that I LARP in cold weather.
Simply packing on the layers isn’t “layering against the cold.” The idea behind layering is pretty simple and it seems that many people understand the basics of it all – put on 1 set of clothing and then add another set of clothing on top of that.
Unfortunately it’s not that easy. Just getting into a few sets of clothing that barely fit over top of each other usually causes your cloths to compress and bunch up.
This brings them close to your skin and doesn’t create air pockets between the layers. As previously mentioned it’s the air pockets that are key to layering success.
I suggest a somewhat tighter 1st layer; your 2nd layer should fit you and be comfortable to wear over top of the first layer, and then your 3rd layer should surround your 2nd layer with no more space than the width of your hand.
All I was wearing in negative 15 Celsius weather was 3 layers in a similar fashion as described above.
Your costume is not more important than your health. Many players have 1 costume for their character, or have the same basic components with a multitude of accessories.
If your costume isn’t warm enough for the weather that you are going to be playing in then don’t be afraid to gear up with other pieces of costuming – even if that clothing isn’t in genre to your scene.
I know that this will take away from your atmosphere somewhat but this is a far better alternative than getting suffering while your LARP or going home with frostbite.
Plastic bags in your boots are bad for you. An age old trick to keep you feet ‘dry’ is to put your feet into plastic bags and then put them into your boots. While this may have merit for 5 – 10 minutes when your footwear is already wet the bag actually causes you to build up moisture inside the bag.
Whether the moisture comes from the frigid outside or from the condensation of your skin trying to breath you are still not staying dry.
Any form of dampness on your skin steals away your body heat and will plummet your temperature into the icy depths far faster than staying dry. The only real option here is to change your footwear or wait until it is dry to enter the cold again.
With the proper planning you can LARP in almost any temperature and the environment itself can lend greatly to the in-game atmosphere.
If you follow the basic theories of C.O.L.D then you can overcome any hesitation to LARP in a chilly climate and get outside during the winter.
All the best in your future LARP endeavours,
Kevin Tjia
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This is a great article. I’m new to blogging but still learning. Thanks for the great resource.