Medieval Camping: What I Learned

Medieval Camping is an experiment. We must learn and improve. What do we see in movies that makes no practical sense? This is how we find out.
Medieval Camping, while completely anachronistic, is a super fun way to test your kit in the field, find out what works, what really doesn't, what you can modify, what you need and what you don't. Everyone's experience and kit will be different, and while I am still building mine, with lots of modern, anachronistic stand ins still used, you'll never know what you need until you've tried to use it. So go out there and get some experience.
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Camp List PDF: tinyurl.com/yecu6kl5
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Some items I showcase in this video: NOT ALL ITEMS ARE HISTORICALLY ACCURATE, I use them anachronistically as stand ins so that I can get as close as possible without breaking the bank.
Non Affiliate:
Townsends Trivet: tinyurl.com/yelp4tfw
Medieval Collectibles Knight's Leather Pouch: tinyurl.com/yhwo9n7s
Medieval Collectibles Bandolier Pouches: tinyurl.com/yg3y9pnv
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[@michaelconley2896]

The small blanket, if not made of 100% wool, should be made of 100% wool. Wool retains 80% of heat. Keep away from wool and synthetic blends. Wool breathes, is fire retardant, and will keep you warm even when wet.

[@gozer87]

From my experience in the SCA, staying dry is the key to comfortable period camping. Heck, even recreational camping using modern gear is better when you can stay dry. But I understand why living rough was such a hardship to even medieval or colonial frontier people, a simple hut shelter is much better than any tent. Well, not the nice wall tents that have stoves and such in them, but most other tents.

[@darrelljacobjr2120]

"The Wandering Shepard" has a video entitled "Camping like Strider" in which he shows the use of a 'Dakota fire pit', and uses it to not only cook on, but also to keep warm all night. You might want to research 'Rocket Mass Heaters'. Not rocket stoves, those are different.

[@IodoDwarvenRanger]

Awesome information :) staying warm is tricky (I only have yard camping experience though), you did the right thing with piling leaves under the tent and I agree with you that more leaves is always better, the main thing to remember is that in medieval times people would use the camp fire to stay warm because blankets alone were not enough, to do that effectively you need a tarp shelter with an open front to act as a reflector to trap the radiated heat from the fire, and that will probably need re-lighting at least once during the night. Also is that blanket made from wool? because regardless of what modern companies claim wool is almost always a better insulator than synthetics, and using blanket pins to secure you're blanket around you (imagine you are making you're own sleeping bag) will improve the level of insulation greatly

[@LivingAnachronism]

Some of the blankets were wool, some were synthetic. Since the tent was modern I could put it close to the fire at all. This will definitely need more experimentation next fall and winter. Need a bigger blanket to start!

[@IodoDwarvenRanger]

@@LivingAnachronism I have a bigger blanket but the problem is it's too big to realistically carry anywhere LOL, so I think I need to do more experimentation with this as well, there must be a happy medium somewhere

[@nekonicodemus6107]

@@LivingAnachronism For ground insulation, you need a minimum of four inches compressed material. That should help a lot.

[@dariazhempalukh]

I don’t understand why such videos get so few comments and likes. You loook so cool!!!!

[@JohnMiller-zr8pl]

There is no better teacher than life. That story with your tunic make me chuckle.

[@sparky22700]

I have known people who smoke their wood pipe every day. The mouthpiece doesn't tend to be wood though, it's bone (or more likely plastic these days). They also always had a heavy finish on them which I imagine would help protect them from moisture. There's also a collection of old clay and bone pipes on display in my grandmother's house. Perhaps these are better for humid conditions?

[@symgharylmaruel2639]

Loving your content man! Exactly what I need for research to write some medieval fantasy :)))

[@jlromeroars]

Thanks for sharing your discoveries on your adventures.

[@samuelleask1132]

Amazing video man!

[@BreezyDefrag]

Woot woot! I was the 1k Like ^^ Love your videos! Very informative.

[@jphillips2471]

I love my pipes, and especially when outdoors. I never take my briars when I'm camping, cuz I'd hate to damage em, being pretty expensive. Around my workshop or outdoors, I got a bunch of cheap corn cob pipes. They deal well in humid or damp environments, travel well enough, and if they break, no big loss. For any historical or authentic purposes, pipe smoking wasn't introduced to Europe til the 1500's, and briar pipes didn't really gain popularity until the mid 1800's. Pear wood I've found is a pretty good alternative to, and not very expensive. Cherry and walnut were also popular wood for pipes, and may handle pretty well outdoors. But yea, ya wanna pack at least 3 pipes, if ya gotta have em on ya. Too keep it simple, just get a few corn cobs.

[@joshuarogue9345]

We should start an annual (LoTR) Fellowship Hike, here in Colorado. Everything is legal, so all life styles are supported. And we have some of the best mountain hikes available, most of which are free. And Colorado is centralized in the US. I think it would be pretty cool to see a dozen or more ppl hiking in fantasy medieval garb lol.

[@Ozarkwonderer]

Some well honed and researched bushcraft knowledge may help you. There's videos on things like how to sleep in wool blankets for example. Theres little tricks and tips to period gear that can make a huge difference. But id say your well on your way. Looking forward to seeing more

[@LivingAnachronism]

It's a learning process for sure, I'm subscribed to a TON of bushcraft channels ;)

[@alpingrant5469]

Doing a 3 day medieval camp in June (Australian winter) Very helpful Thank you

[@Wirrn]

From my experience microfibre blankets are wonderfully comfortable and cosy, but not actually good at keeping you properly warm? Brilliant if you just need a little bit of warmth, but not full on survival stuff. Proper wool blankets, or even some actual furs (though they're less comfy) keep you much warmer, though are obviously harder and more expensive to get these days

[@Wirrn]

If you want a multipurpose wool blanket, the more lanolin it has in it the more surprisingly waterproof it will be. I think you can get stuff to put on the wool ifbits already been processed, otherwise the more raw it is the more lanolin there will be. I know Roman reenactors will treat their cloaks with the stuff (You may already know all this!)

[@LivingAnachronism]

Thanks Wirrn! I was using the microfiber because it was what I had at the time, and I was hoping it might surprise me and keep me warm enough. Boy was I wrong haha. Wool is definitely the way to go

[@charissa6648]

This is so amazing! What an adventure

[@bigbossgreek]

I would love a full on camping video.

[@brynmarcum1031]

I am very inspired hyped to get out and do my own adventure

[@SB-yn7mj]

If I may make a suggestion for the pipe. I would get a wooden one made of briar. That pipe appears to be a "hollywood pipe" so it won't smoke as well. A handful of pipe cleaners is all you need to clean one and the rule of thumb is to let the pipe rest one day for each time you smoke it. So say you smoke it 3 times while camping, when you return, let it rest for three days and you'll be fine. As for setting it down, the outside of a briar pipe should be coated in carnuba wax, a very hard natural wax that should protect it from moisture, but you could also bring a small leather piece that holds the pipe off the ground or whatever you'd set it on. Clay pipes are probably more period appropriate, however they are very fragile and could break. Plus they don't smoke nearly as nice as a briar one :)

[@LivingAnachronism]

This one is a maple and myrtle pipe from floggleworks, it's got a wax coating, but it was so humid that day, it just got really damp. I'd love to get my hands on a really nice vaun aueland or something, but haven't found something in my price range.

[@native_earth916]

Where do you find one of those clay pipes?

[@LivingAnachronism]

@@native_earth916 Smokingpipes.com or pipesandcigars.com should have plenty

[@hawk1s1k]

Wool felt and normal felt are a great cloth to insulate and you have some water repellent. I had to use felt cloth as a blanket in a rainy night emergency sleeping blanket and i stayed dry and warm. i use a wool felt cloak for sca. Have fun and thanks for your videos sir.

[@rileyernst9086]

Never thought about the logistics of medieval smoking. Interesting and thanks for sharing.

[@jonanderson3050]

Good practical information, thank you. I don't smoke anymore, but I'm starting to experiment with tobaccoless herbal blends and I'm using a civil war era clay pipe bowl with a reed stem. You can pull the stem out of the bowl and use it as a bellows straw when starting a fire!

[@LivingAnachronism]

Ooh, that's a really good reason for me to get one of those too!

[@capnpicard6146]

I would love to see you do more medieval camping vids. I do a lot of modern bushcraft but in this case especially modernity means backwards compatibility.

[@danrock5532]

Thanks for the info ive got all my medieval clothes now im working on camping gear my brother's and friend's are gonna get together and do this as a group im so excited i love everything vikings i have alot of viking Ancestry so ready to go out and camp like them!

[@estelpereira5011]

Someone may already have written this: but, getting up off the ground is the ideal. The ground will suck your heat faster than you think. Try building a lofty bed of anything ( leaves, straw, green tree boughs ).

[@PleaseNThankYou]

You know what I like best here. Your adventurous nature. Your willingness to discuss failed or problematic things without any sign of embarrassment. I love learning and always admit fault and failure when I recognize it as such ( sometimes it has to be pointed out to me--but then I'm good!!). I see you like quality items but, like myself, have limited funds. You umprovise, make due, fabricate, repourpose, etc. How wonderful that you invite the gross novice to task themselves with an adventure of their own, without the worrying about historical accuracy. We must all start somewhere. I'm 62 years old and feel 80 in body and 30 in spirit. I can be alone. I can pitch a tent. I can do anything I want to do, if I want it done. Fear nothing, but respect everything. I think I'll plan an adventure with my simple household items. May I suggest one thing though? Reduce bulk. I know you dislike relying on dried fruits, nuts, etc. but they do provide excellent nutrition and fiber to keep you full longer...incorporate them into a meal of lesser sustenance. And a foraging guide! I would say that one should do some pre-planning, reading, etc, to make it easier. A guide, no matter how basic, photos included, is a Godsend for hiking. The Lord has provided abundantly. And what else are you going to do while out in the woods?! Make it fun; so much is available in our own yards and local waterways or parks. Just make sure you aren't foraging in pesticide sprayed areas. My yard looks awful but I can go outside and pick wood sorrel, dandelion greens, and 3-4 other things, bring them in the house and have a beautiful salad. It's like living in the depression too. Love your recent Amazon RoP smackdown too, thought I would throw that in.

[@sydneybee6016]

These are so cool! Somehow I have to convince my family to go 😂

[@northernembersoutdoors1045]

That sounds awesome the camp you did, watched this but now off to work so will catch the camp tonight, I know what you mean about the noise pollution, never 20 seconds here either, can't hear the birdsong.

[@MomoTheBuilder]

For the burner stand, I think a good idea would to be wrapping the handle in some sort of accurate material to make it bearable to grab hot.

[@karrde5566]

watching this channel is like watching a TV series of behind the scenes of lord of the rings lol.

[@LivingAnachronism]

One of the best compliments I could ask for!

[@TheCraziestFox]

I use sheep furs when I go reenacting. They insulate like nobody's business and are actually fairly lightweight (they work fine straight on the ground and I expect will work even better in a modern tent). Good for sitting on around the fire as well. Think about adding a pair for camping.

[@LivingAnachronism]

Definitely on the list of kit to acquire, thank you!

[@LaineyBug2020]

Would you consider doing a vlog video next time you go camping? I love watching those kinds of 'survivor' videos...

[@LivingAnachronism]

I wanted to do that with this one, but logistically encountered some issues, but that is definitely something I'd like to do

[@stevebelongie7031]

if your new to clay pipes, put a bit of wax on the stem. it keeps the ceramic from rubbing on your teeth, and keeps the darn thing from sticking to your lips! raw clay pipes will do that, ive sold alot of them. also wool is your friend. anything 80% or better, that and furs or sheep skins. under and over and youll wake up sweating.

[@dh0073]

A little late, but you could try using a hammock instead of a tent. That way you don't have to worry about where you set up as long as you have a tarp for roofing and an under-quilt you should be fine.

[@charliemcdowell5231]

It’s not that modern sleeping bags work better when wearing less clothes, it’s that you don’t want part of your body more insulated by clothes than another since that will cause the sleeping bag to heat unevenly. I can’t take credit for that phrasing, but I know that if I’m too warm in my sleeping bag while wearing a fleece I take off the fleece to cool down, I don’t add a puffy jacket. It really just goes to show how far we’ve come with bedding materials, and why adventuring would be a hard life. It’s awesome that you tested this stuff out! Also good that you had a backup plan in case things went sideways. P.s. have you tried a corn cob pipe? They’re very forgiving with moisture and dry more quickly. They’re also more forgiving with less than perfect puffing cadence.

[@moorshound3243]

Sleeping bags suck. Wool blankets are better.

[@charliemcdowell5231]

@@moorshound3243 it just depends on context. If you're going in cold weather and don't want to have a fire going all night, or a fire is illegal, or a fire is just too dangerous for the conditions, a sleeping bag wins every time. having enough wool blankets to equal the warm of a modern 0F degree down bag would take up more than a whole backpack and weigh way too much to be practical. I do appreciate wool blankets though and I've done trips using them and no modern gear, but in those cases a fire is required to stay warm enough.

[@moorshound3243]

@@charliemcdowell5231 I do not concern myself with weather having a fire is legal or not, just as people always ask "are you allowed to sleep there in that wood" we are free people of this earth, if not for fire then the whole of modern society would not exist, nobody should have the right to demand a man sleep in a certain place and that he should also have to pay for the privilege. I just like my blanket and find them of far more useful then a nylon sleeping bag, just the other day I was trying to sleep in a sleeping bag and I got stuck in the dark because the zip snagged, struggling with the dammed zip while almost wetting myself I cursed thinking about how easy it is to burst from my blankets if there is a threat let alone answering the call of nature haha! Keep making the wonderful videos they are top notch. And remember you are a free man not a slave, tramp where you want.

[@charliemcdowell5231]

@@moorshound3243 ok so you don't care about the law, fine. just because it's legal or not illegal to make a fire is an entirely separate issue from other factors. Many times i've camped in places where it's fully legal to have a fire, yet I did not, because I deemed the conditions too unsafe. High winds, dry leaves, and the type of wood at my disposal being prone to chucking off large embers. We should be striving to preserve the woods we have left, and that includes responsible fire making. I'm glad you like wool blankets, they're great tools, but they can't be said to be superior to sleeping bags as a technology, they just have certain use cases where they may be better suited to the job. I wouldn't argue that a blanket is never better than a sleeping bag. Like I said, it depends on context.

[@moorshound3243]

@@charliemcdowell5231 I do care about the law only most of them are not a help to the common man. We focus on the wrong things I find? Here in England where everything is illegal the laws of the land only help those in power, for the public it is illegal to even carry a toothpick of a knife without good reson but the criminal throws that law to the wind as it does not suit his purpose he will carry a massive kitchen knife no matter what the law says, so 99% of the public should suffer stupid laws because of the acts of the few? I have been told "you cannot stay in those fields sleep on the ground and hunt or light a fire" yet a few years later and those very same fields are now a massive housing estate and a slab of concrete, Our tiny acts of enjoying being out in nature and the impact we have are nothing compared to big corporate business and so called progress, so on that count I to throw some of the stupid laws to the wind as I do not harm anyone while doing so. Be peaceful love one another do not steal from others do not harm others if you can move through life doing this most laws become rather childlike to the view of the free man. What we need is education. Take care.

[@IgnizAnima]

A Georgia Glass Pipe is supposedly easy to clean as well. XXXP

[@stellanstellan8708]

To stay warm while camping you should have a good sleeping bag, it is definitely worth putting in some money for a good nights sleep. Sleep in long wool underpants and wool top, wool socks and a wool hat. Combine with a wool blanket on top for more warmth (or even skip sleeping bag and use two wool blankets wrapped around you.). Make sure you have a good insulation under, like an inflatable mattress. Well fed and hydrated also gives a good night sleep. That little drink bladder is way too little for a weekend. Stay off the booze as it will dehydrate you.

[@HowIsTheFuture]

on the note of your wood soaking up water, I wonder if a good layer of beeswax would prevent that

[@beksc9209]

How many miles was ur hike?

[@drewschumann1]

To stay warm, dont forget dogs. I have two dogs and they keep you warm combined with my blanket

[@vengence1156]

I've been wondering how in the past how did they clean/cut their nails on long camping trips. I've never seen any modern edc, bugout bag or bush crafting videos mentioning nail clipper when SHTF (atleast all the videos I have seen never mention it). Keeping your finger nails and toe nails clean, I figure would be essential but I quess not? For me though Its a must! No one wants ingrown toe nails on a long journey and all you have is a knife to work with. What do you think? Would love to hear from you on this topic!

[@petrhovado5590]

Realistically, you either worked/walked your nails out, or bit on them. Practically, it's very rare I went camping for more than a week straight. You can make this without a nail clipper for sure 😀 I wouldn't consider this channel an advice for SHTF situation.

[@mansfieldtime]

One of the things I wondered was flint. Did they have it and how was it made?

[@brucelee3388]

Flint is a natural rock that forms in some limestone deposits as rounded lumps. The skill involved is to hit the rounded lumps with a suitable 'hammer' and break off useable pieces - the 'hammer' was often of horn or deer antler. The broken off pieces could also be 'pressure flaked' to make cutting blades, arrow and spear points or even gun flints for your musket or fire lighter. You can do the same things with glass that you can do with flint.

[@mansfieldtime]

@@brucelee3388 I didn't know any of that. Thanks, and the part about being able to use glass in a similar way to flint... fascinating. Horn hammers is something I've heard of in games, not real life.

[@TheBetterManInBlack]

My grandfather's array of 30 or so pipes is now explained.

[@marthdaeglin]

I wonder if a canvas or wool tent would be more useful than the lightweight plastic ones we have today in the cold. The modern ones can be very thin. Of course, they are also very light compared to other fabrics which can be important depending on how far you're trying to get on foot. Some time ago I got a friend a book on the art of pipe smoking in the Lord of the Rings. The author took every opportunity to point out how silly it is to carry a long churchwarden all over the countryside. The book agreed with you, that it was much more likely adventurers would have carried a couple of simple clay pipes rather than expensive wooden ones.

[@LivingAnachronism]

It would be interesting to run an experiment with different types of tent materials and designs to come up with a good ranger or adventuring tent. I went for a modern one because of the weight and because I wanted a better modern tent too for other purposes. If you have the name of that book I'd very much like to read it. it's awesome to know that my hypothesis about adventuring pipes is shared!

[@marthdaeglin]

@@LivingAnachronism The book is called Pipe Smoking in Middle Earth, by Mark Irwin

[@TheMegaAsh]

Try using an emergency survival blanket or even a cheap Mylar space blanket used by paramedics to combat shock and/or hypothermia as a ground mat with the shiny side up if you wish to do a minimalistic camp or a light weight camp. This will reflect heat back towards you and will add a slight insulation layer between you and the ground. The wool blankets alone (depending on how thing or think) wouldn't be enough to insulate you from the ground and the ground is where you'll lose most of your body heat so you need to insulate yourself to stay warm. 100% wool is also far better than anything that is a mix.

[@JohnMiller-zr8pl]

👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻

[@gcvrsa]

Unfortunately, any kind of period-accurate camping would include a well-built fire, which is not generally possible in most places in this crowded modern age.

[@sophliberty]

I’ve actually learned that getting rid of leaf litter and getting down to dirt is a much better insulator for camping. Leaves are wet and sitting on top of them makes you colder😕

[@Wirrn]

Probably depends on environment? Dry leaves should give a nice bit of insulation, but if there's even the slightest bit of damp it will suck heat right out

[@kshni_ammat]

Naked ground also siphons away body heat. One needs adequate insulation from the ground.

[@sophliberty]

@@kshni_ammat fair

[@moorshound3243]

Those boots are not heavy, don't ever buy a pair of Hanwags

[@freedoomed]

Watch your teeth with clay pipes. the clay is harder than your teeth and will wear your teeth down.

[@zakkmiller8242]

Should have rolled up a medieval doobie out of parchment paper or a scroll. Lmao

[@jonc2914]

80% of your stuff wouldnt pass as medieval at all. More like medieval fantasy for ren faires

[@LivingAnachronism]

True. There are a couple reasons for this, some of the equipment was backups for safety (like the water filter) and in other cases, the more "period" looking stuff passes, but isn't historical, and this is partly to get people encouraged to start going on their own adventures now, without worrying about spending a fortune on completely accurate replicas all right off the bat, have fun now, worry about accuracy later.

[@LegioCorvus.]

His name is literally living anachronism in other videos he also says that he isn’t historically accurate