Ghille Suits?

[Gryphon]

This is just a random thought and I'm not planning on wearing one.

But would a Ghille Suit be acceptable garb?
I'm sure there is mythical woodland creatures that look like a pile of weeds?

[Kotaro]

1.4.1 Blue jeans, white shoes, camouflage patterns such as military fatigues, exposed T-shirts, modern hats, real swords or knives (even in sheaths or cases, worn or carried) during combat or fighting. This list is not exhaustive.

I'm guessing no. You might thread some silk plants into your garb, provided they won't hurt yourself or another when you land on them.

[Cameryn Smythe]

.....

.....

A GHILLIE suit(or Yowie suit as some wierdos call them) is NOT military fatigues. In fact a GHILLIE suit is not even a kind of official service uniform of any branch, nor are they issued with any sort of regularity. They are hand crafted and typically unique to not only each wearer but also each environment they are fielded in. Furthermore, there are period examples of what could be mistakenly called a GHILLIE suit. Look around you'll find them. Esp. in East Asian late period (16c) artwork.

Nevermind as well the SUPER-PERIOD Japanese bamboo cloaks and overcoats.... Oh and the the Iceman 'Otzi's' Grass cloak circa 3300...... B.C.!

P.S. thats about 53 centuries ago...

Just trying to help!!!

-Cameryn

[Haldour]

It may be historically possible, but if I was heading up an event I don't think I'd accept it.

[Cameryn Smythe]

historically possible my left foot!!! It exists, and there's period proof. Come up with a safety reason not to allow it and I'll agree but just for exclusion from participation based off of any reason other than safety the rule is dumb and needs thrown away. Esp with the amount of people I see fighting in Mundaneo's (AKA normal clothes).

The only safety reason I could begin to come up with is heat stroke since the damn things are frickin hot, but I swear to god if someone showed up in a Wookie suit and said they walked in from the mists of Kashyyk I've got 100$ of American Green that says we'd not only take them, but compliment them on their cool costume... after all, a wookie suit is the exact same thing except instead of foliage its fur.

And now for a perhaps unfair statement of opinion, wookie/ghillie suits would be a much more convincing costume (or would break my illusion of belief less readily) than gluing elf ears on or stapling horns to your forehead... Just sayin...

I mean... who wouldn't throw some stick with swamp thing??? ;D

[Gryphon]

This topic is ending up comical.

I think the only safety issue is...
1) Heatstroke on yourself, But its your choice.

With a burlap suit or on many there are strands of whatever that your weapon may get caught on.

I brought this topic up because of a friend of mine is making one for airsoft and I thought maybe one could be used for someone who would play a Sasquatch, "Swamp Thing", or a Treeant ?

[Haldour]

It's not necessarily a safety issue, it's a looking retarded issue. Wookie costume = really cool for a convention, or a Star Wars larp. Wookie cosume =/= garb for Dag. I'd rather see bad elf ears than a wookie. And, as a side note, I -do- throw mundane dressed folks off the field as well.

Back to safety though, 50% of the examples you gave are made of bamboo....which sounds bad to me. You have the heat thing, depending on what it's made of and how long the individual strands are you have whipping issues, and, as noted, you have tangling issues.

All that said if someone pulled one out to portray a specific character for a roleplay heavy scenario battle, I might let that fly. If someone showed up to straight up field battles like that, I'd send them off to get some real garb.

[Cameryn Smythe]

First off I want to go on record as saying that I will NEVER wear this.... this is all a nice hypothetical...

Secondly.... Hrmmm.... so elf ears trump full on swamp creature costume? or how about some of the square cut T tunics that look like you whip stitched them together and now its... TA-DA Garb. except I can still see your tennis shoes... cmon... were not sticklers for garb, face it. Or if we are then I suggest we get some A&S people to help a lot more on making garb.

Let do this hypotehtical... How about if it's not a ghillie suit but some costume that someone made say they hand sewed it to look like some kind of swamp creature. If we aer encouraging people to show up in costume and look like what they are then this person is going to be pretty spot on.

The safety "issues" are non issues. Cathan wears a skirt with I shit thee not, 2 ft. long strips of fabric almost identical to what would be in this proposed costume. No tangling issues there... or whipping issues... or any issues really. And as for a bamboo cloak I was just trying to show there is a historical precedent for making camouflage from grass. They are made from the skin of bamboo which is flexible and supple when thinly shaved as these garments were.

And as for some kind of looking retarded issue, even if it was the most ridiculous looking thing on the field, that is no excuse to exclude someone for doing what they want to do. To be honest that is what I think is most unfair. If someone wants to fight in a loincloth we don't exclude them. If someone tapes on cheesy elf ears, or pops in vampire fangs we don't tell them, hey dude that shit looks terrible take it out, and what the hell is a vampire doing out here at noon on a Saturday anyways... explode already...

I mean come on... we have elves, dwarves, humans, demons, samurai and all kinds of other wacky zaney shit... If someone wants to be a swamp thing that's their deal and kudos to them for trying to show up in costume.

-Cameryn

[Haldour]

To be fair, I'd get rid of all that other crap too.

All I'm saying is that based on what is discussed, it sounds like a horrible idea. While x person might have a skirt with no whipping tangling issue, as I stated, -depending on what it's made of- it could be an issue.

As far as I'm concerned, someone attempting garb clothing, no matter how poor quality, is better than random person that shows up in a ridiculous monster costume.

Dagorhir is "Tolkein's Middle Earth meets Dark Age Europe". I don't recall Swamp Thing in either. Granted, we are rather lax on that and allow a lot of other things in as well, but as someone that favors European personae rather than the "out there" fantasy, sometimes I wish we wouldn't. Besides, why would a swamp monster need a sword and shield (or any other melee weapon for that matter)?

All of this is rather irrelevant though, and in the end this is all my opinion. So, when -you- are in charge of checking garb at an event, swamp guy's pile of shredded cloth is a-ok. When I'm running it, not so much.

[Cameryn Smythe]

I was trying to bring you over to a different point of view...

Now for myself I wear late 15th C. Burgundian to every practice and event and if you've seen me you know I'm a stickler for authentic reenactment of any period, but we dont have to do that here.

I think that, as someone who plays in a strictly historically re creative society first and foremost as well as Dagohir, what I love about Dagorhir is that there is a shitload of fantasy in it and people can be whatever they want. Its not recreating anything. I mean in our local group we have somebody Oakenfellow that is basically an Ent or however you spell that.

I just see in the SCA some people get ragged on for what they are wearing because it isn't period or representative of fall fashions of the late 14th C or whatever and it sounds like there is no empirical basis for your decision of rejection other than," Dude, thats Dumb." Dumb isnt against the rules and is entirely speculative.

Ahem, puts soapbox away. Sorry if I sound ranty... I beg your forgiveness for any perceived slight as it was unintentional.

-Cameryn

[raven]

I like the whole idea but what if you laying out there and some really heavey guys steps on you and you die from being turnd into a crater (figuretivly speaking of course) ... Id do it but I don't whant to get crushed

[Cameryn Smythe]

[Anvil]

Move before he steps on you.

[raven]

That defeats the whole Idea of being hiden. there are actions you could take not be be stepped on but what if you cant hear the person in witch is going to do the stepping

[Cameryn Smythe]

Are you discussing the actuality of wearing the suit in the field and being stepped on?

[raven]

yes

[Cameryn Smythe]

Ummm.... I guess you could move to avoid it...? I don't think it would be an issue...

[Baethor]

i dont think people would be using the ghille suit in the instance of trying to HIDE on the battlefield raven. its more of a garb idea for fighting in.

[raven]

your forgiveness, please, for my ignorance

[Cameryn Smythe]

Although according to Anvil, Vermin did a pretty damn cool one out at Dunland

[Anvil]

yup, we lost him for a couple of hours in the woods battle. I was heralding and finally noticed a low growing shrub had moved 5 feet since the last time I had seen it.

[Kazzell KumoKi]

i have always wanted one of these!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Perfect druid garb once i have it it'll be the only garb i ever wear..maybe the only thing ever!

As for safety it depends on the length of strands like he said but i don't see it being an issue.

As for getting stepped on on the field the chances of that are just as likely as any elf or dwarf being stepped on i wouldn't be turning into a shrub or pile of leaves in a huge battle, it'd be more for woods battles and occasionally I'd try hiding in plain sight as vegetation in an RP battle if the people running it deemed that legal.

But i guess I'll be the one to ultimately put this entire debate to the test as i am currently saving up to buy one online and I'll take the time at each event to break down the suit and remake it for the given terrain. For practices I'll most likely hone my skills by using the local vegetation and since that doesn't change everyday I'll try to leave that in and let it age naturally like the vegetation does in nature.

I'm glad this debate was brought up i never thought there'd be any issue with it before.

www.theghilliesuits.com/ghillie-suit-kits.html

This is teh best way for me to go to insure safe garb and a TOTALY custom look. Down side is it means alot of sitting around remaking it on the spot to blend with local vegitation. The plus side is this means i can come to as many practices as possible even with the baby cause i'll be sitting on the ground next to him grabbing leaves and such and putting them into my garb.

Any ideas on how to intigrate armor with this or insure that people can see my armor? I currently have bracers, greives and a back shield.

[Cameryn Smythe]

For serial....?

[Kazzell KumoKi]

so fur real

[Gryphon]

I read Kazzell that your saving up to buy one.
If you feel creative I suggest making your own.

All you need is a shirt and pants.
Some shoe glue.
Some netting from Walmart.
And burlap sacks.

Then you glue the netting onto the shirt and pants and tie on the burlap to the net.

(After I wrote this I clicked the link)
It looked like your ordering a kit. But if you buy the suggested items I wrote it should be really cheap.