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Main => The Armoury => Topic started by: Sir Ulrich on 2012-05-20, 05:40:24
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Is there any ways to reduce the amount of weight distribution for maille, cause I had only a 20 pound hauberk and by the end of 4 hours I was totally out of it and my back was killing me. Is there a way to point maille so that it more evenly distributes the weight across you?
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Yes.
Aside from a belt which you then blouse the maille above you can also put a tie at the neck and one above the bicep, elbow, and at the wrist. There is also some evidence that the Hauberks at Hastings were pointed and sewn onto the gambesons, especially at the neck, wrists, and bottom.
Also, there is a reason it was thought a good idea for all knights to run a mile in their Hauberks once a day. ;)
(https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/s720x720/374683_250632724992323_126134970775433_620232_753562560_n.jpg) (https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.250632701658992.64102.126134970775433&type=3)
EDIT: Full Intensity/Speed/Power sparring burns 880 calories per hour before adding in the armour. A wise man said that a fight may be won on the field but it can be lost in the Gym.
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Looks like your gonna neex to eat your wheeties annd get bigger man. I dunno what else to tell you. A thin gamesom may help but choosing lighter colored clothing may help with the suns heat a lil.
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Mail will also more evenly distribute if it's tailored well. This is the part that no one does... basically, the shoulders should have a slight slant to them instead of just a pure straight edge, since the tops of your shoulder slant. There should be expansion areas over the shoulder blades, and the body should taper in a little at the waist (if you're thin, which you are), and then flare out again over the hips.
This is such a pain to do well, and still be able to get in and out of it, that it's completely understandable to skip it.
Short of that you can of course simulate a better fit with ties, which they would have used anyway back in the day, as others are pointing out. I'd consider having a lace to cinch in the waist if you don't want to pull it up over a belt (the belt trick works great, but you have to make it reasonably tight, depending on how well the armor fits you, etc).
Sometimes I cheat and wear foam pads over my shoulders, inside the gambeson. It helps quite a lot. I just cut out elongated trapezoids of blue camping foam, and shove them in.
Lacing in a variety of other places as people have mentioned above will help a lot too.
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I am getting a lot of great info here and although I won't be wearing mail, the same principlles to apply to plate armor.
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Learn to move with your armour. Don't fight it. firstoff, adjust your stance. A sloping back will kill you in maille. As Sir Wolf also pointed out, building muscle mass will help. My maille has no real body tailoring, but posture and my build (and I don't regularly lift wieghts either) makes it so the heat gets to me before the muscle fatigue.
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Repeated wearing and conditioning will be your answer. Even today's warriors wearing IBA have issues with heat. They do exercises in most cases 5 out of 7 days a week. If you're not drinking the appropriate fluids before, during and after, you're body will be the first to let you know.
Try mowing the yard in mail (yes...I do), it helps keep me in the zone, that and having to teach young warriors on a daily basis.
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I have to wonder, does the Grandmaster pretend tht the grass is in fact an army of little green Saracens? ;)
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Well considering body tailoring+sleeve tailoring is what my hauberk needs, I think I could EASILY do the body tailoring as all I really need to do is widen the bottom so I can put it on easier. Just need a source of a sheet of maille to cut and widen it with. Could always make my own but thats time consuming, unless anyone has some spare maille sheets I could buy off of them to widen the bottom of the hauberk. May just make my own though, got plenty of rings to do that with as I was gifted the large bag of rings.
Would something like this work better for keeping the maille from digging into my shoulders:
http://www.kultofathena.com/product.asp?item=AB3947&name=Padded+Gorget+%2D+White (http://www.kultofathena.com/product.asp?item=AB3947&name=Padded+Gorget+%2D+White)
I'd get it in black of course but I think this would work better than using non period foam or something.
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Well considering body tailoring+sleeve tailoring is what my hauberk needs, I think I could EASILY do the body tailoring as all I really need to do is widen the bottom so I can put it on easier. Just need a source of a sheet of maille to cut and widen it with. Could always make my own but thats time consuming, unless anyone has some spare maille sheets I could buy off of them to widen the bottom of the hauberk. May just make my own though, got plenty of rings to do that with as I was gifted the large bag of rings.
Would something like this work better for keeping the maille from digging into my shoulders:
http://www.kultofathena.com/product.asp?item=AB3947&name=Padded+Gorget+%2D+White (http://www.kultofathena.com/product.asp?item=AB3947&name=Padded+Gorget+%2D+White)
I'd get it in black of course but I think this would work better than using non period foam or something.
To acquire a big sheet of maille without buying a whole separate hauberk just to rip spare maille from, you could consider purchasing a maille skirt and cannibalize maille off of that. It's not as cheap as making it yourself, but it's a compromise between that and buying a much larger garment to cannibalize.
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Couple quick thoughts:
Even though you're a smaller-framed guy, it's not so much muscle mass that will make it easier, but cardio. Think runners. They're not buff big burly guys, but what you want for wearing armor long-term is endurance. Muscle will help get it on and lift it for a bit, but if you don't have the endurance, you're done. Cardio is key.
Call / email IceFalcon. I vaguely recall him selling regular "patches" of mail (12" x 12" maybe?) that people could use for adding gussets / expansions / etc. If he doesn't have it online in the store, he can probably get it since he works with the manufacturer. And he's a really easy guy to talk to, and since he fights too, he knows what you'll want it for.
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My main problem is I hold my breath when I do straining stuff and I have no clue why... Maybe I will just go hiking in maille once a week till I get used to it. Thats the only reason I dont wear it often is I need help to put it on. I was going pretty far though with 27 pounds of armor on me plus a 2 pound sword, plus a 7 pound shield. The 5 pound kettle helm I have was a bit excessive and I had to take it off. I am starting to think I should lift weights more and gain more strength on TOP of my usual hike routine. Years ago I lifted weights on every other day basis and I channeled my inner rage to basically make myself more buff. Now I no longer have that rage and I lost the motivation to do it. Maybe I should do things that piss me off on purpose and channel my rage that way, cause I lift weights a lot more effectively when I am angry which gives me the energy to do it.
I am not sure if my maille is too small to put on cause it fits me fine when I wear it and it isnt that tight at all in fact it's a few inches loose. I just saw videos of people putting maille on and their shirts were smaller in width than mine and they were bigger than me, maybe my problem is how long my hauberk actually is and it's hard to stick my arms down into it plus the long sleeves make it rather hard.to do especially with my gambeson sleeves not tapering, also cut my hand up pretty badly so I am never putting it on without gloves on first ever again. Plus after I put it on my face is FILTHY with the black coating thats coming off of the maille. I guess putting a hauberk on is harder than putting on a haubergeon due to the sleeves and the fact my gambeson does NOT taper, it usually catches on the maille and I end up having to pull the sleeves down afterward.
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My main problem is I hold my breath when I do straining stuff and I have no clue why
You need to breath when the body is under stress, holding your breath is not going to do much, relaxation is key.
Years ago I lifted weights on every other day basis and I channeled my inner rage to basically make myself more buff. Now I no longer have that rage and I lost the motivation to do it. Maybe I should do things that piss me off on purpose and channel my rage that way, cause I lift weights a lot more effectively when I am angry which gives me the energy to do it.
Don't mix emotion with working out, that will make you loose motivation and you won't get far, workout to gain strength not a stress reliever (although it can have that effect if done properly)
I am not sure if my maille is too small to put on cause it fits me fine when I wear it and it isnt that tight at all in fact it's a few inches loose.
Sounds like you need a small gambeson or arming jacket that will fill in those few inches. Taper the sleeves if you can or find a gambeson with tapered sleeves. Do wear gloves although I never heard anyone getting their hand cut while putting on mail before.
Do what you can to make things easier.
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Ulrich, best practice is to wear maille every day, even if its only for an hour or two. Don't just sit or stand around, move- do deep knee bends, jog, run, hike- your muscles will get acclimated to the stress if you do it more regularly. A few times a year isn't enough to build the required tolerance to bear the weight- as such you'll always feel tired and drained even if all you did was stand around wearing it.
Posture is key, Nathan pointed that out- if you're used to slouching you'll need to train yourself to stand upright, shoulders back. It does help if there are multiple areas were the maille is drawn in close to the body- a belt at the waist, ties at the elbow and even the wrist can go a long way toward mitigating the stress factor on your back.
Or, you can opt for aluminum maille and bypass the whole weight issue- I just got ahold of a full hauberk that might weigh 10 lbs- light enough so I don't even notice that it is on. The trade off is that it is lighter so it is not protective, but if you're not fighting in it you needn't worry about wearing heavy steel unless you're so inclined, as it seems you are. If that is the case- wear it every day and get to the point where you can put it on yourself. There may always be something you'll need assistance with, especially with plate (although I watched Nathan don and point his plate arms and legs whilst talking with me and Sir Edward at VARF last year) but the more you can do yourself, the better off you'll be. Once you get the hang of it, donning and taking off maille is no big deal...I do it all the time.
With regard to your slight build...it may surprise you to know that I was once as slim as you...in fact, I hit a growth spurt late in my teen years so I shot up from 5'2" my junior year to 5'9" my senior year and hit 6' by the time I turned 18- but I still only weighed 128 lbs! I started putting on weight in my mid-20s and hovered at or near 170lbs for the next ten or so years, and I worked out regularly. Now that I'm nearing 40, I'm finding keeping weight OFF to be the bear! I miss the days of high metabolism and eat-anything diet! I'm also pretty lazy when it comes to the gym these days...but muscle memory being what it is, it doesn't take me too long to get back in the swing of things...altho it does take longer than it used to. ;)
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Ulrich, best practice is to wear maille every day, even if its only for an hour or two. Don't just sit or stand around, move- do deep knee bends, jog, run, hike- your muscles will get acclimated to the stress if you do it more regularly. A few times a year isn't enough to build the required tolerance to bear the weight- as such you'll always feel tired and drained even if all you did was stand around wearing it.
Sir William is right. One can say the same with plate armor. It is not enough to walk, sit or stand in armor, one must run, jog, or roll on the ground to achieve physical conditioning and mobility while wearing the armor. This is another way to gain bodily strength.
Posture is key, Nathan pointed that out- if you're used to slouching you'll need to train yourself to stand upright, shoulders back. It does help if there are multiple areas were the maille is drawn in close to the body- a belt at the waist, ties at the elbow and even the wrist can go a long way toward mitigating the stress factor on your back.
The way I like to think is "stand straight and courteous as possible (quoting Bolognese Fencing Master Achille Marozzo, 1536). Correct posture makes a big difference when wearing the mail (or plate armor for that matter).
With regard to your slight build...it may surprise you to know that I was once as slim as you...in fact, I hit a growth spurt late in my teen years so I shot up from 5'2" my junior year to 5'9" my senior year and hit 6' by the time I turned 18- but I still only weighed 128 lbs! I started putting on weight in my mid-20s and hovered at or near 170lbs for the next ten or so years, and I worked out regularly. Now that I'm nearing 40, I'm finding keeping weight OFF to be the bear! I miss the days of high metabolism and eat-anything diet! I'm also pretty lazy when it comes to the gym these days...but muscle memory being what it is, it doesn't take me too long to get back in the swing of things...altho it does take longer than it used to.
'
Yes, muscle memory is key to keeping fit and for training Fuhlen and Indes or Mezzo Tempo, Dui Tempi or Stesso Tempo (in the Fiore tradition or Bolognese School). The key to real physical fitness is to simply be active, don't just sit at the computer all day long, why just do several activities such as jogging, running (in the maile) or by practicing your Art (Longsword, Sword and Buckler or Longsword and Sidesword and Buckler), cleaning up the house, stretching or teaching yourself the Art you choose will help you gain that level of physical fitness. Also, don't shy away from attempting rolls, jumps, light footwork or cross training between different Arts (I train my German Longsword and I mix it up with I.33 + Medieval Sword and Buckler + Bolognese Sidesword and Buckler or Sidesword alone).
I hope this helps in getting some ideas starting, only you can determine the level of fitness you want to achieve. I know you will get there Sir Ulrich ;)
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I can agree with everything stated so far. I don't wear much maille, doing a period where that was largely obsolete and relegated to periferal areas of battle, but many of these points hold true for plate and also my brigandine. Practice will make perfect with putting on the armor. IT WILL NOT COME OVERNIGHT. I can not stress that enough. When I first got my splinted legs, I would have fits getting them on and adjusted right. It took me ALOT of practice to get it down to where I was able to put them on and adjust them correctly to wear comfortably. Not wearing them much for the last year means then when I do now, it once again takes me some time to get them on and adjusted right. I can not don my peascod breast and back myself without immense difficulty due to it's design. If I do get it on myself, it is nearly impossible for me to adjust myself. This is just the way this armor is. Fortunately, the other armor wearing members of my reenacting unit understand because they all have similiar problems and we help each other out. Often we adjust and fix issues without being told, we can spot problems with each others armor before the wearer even figures out what the problem is ;D . I can easily get my breast and back off myself, though. My brigandine is a cinch to get into myself, and just as easy to get off. It took my some time to figure out how to wiggle into my gambeson myself, since I need to pre-tie it closed before putting it on as I ties closed on the sides and my arms/hands simply don't bend in a way that would allow me to tie it after donning. That minor flaw will be corrected in the next version I make, since I do not always have my lovely wife with me to act as my squire. It certainly does make it easier if you have assistance, but most issues can be overcome yourself, it's just a matter of figuring it out and practicing until it becomes routine. Working out will likely help with armor weight and tiring, but nothing can be a substitute for wearing the armor. The weight will tire you, but so will the way the armor moves on you and the way you move in it. This can only be overcome by practice wearing the armor. Remember, if your armor fits you correctly and you are wearing it correctly, you should be able to do most anything in armor you can do out of it, common sense applies here. Driving in armor may not work, although I can, as well as certain other modern activities which armor was never invinsioned for. As I've said before, I wear my armor regularly in the off season to stay used to it. I wear armor every weekend day for 3 months of the year and have done so for about 5 years now. Proper conditioning is MANDATORY or you will pay a high price in body wear. Wearing proper supportive and comfortable shoes will also greatly help reduce body fatigue. My freind Kyle learned this the hard way. Proper padding with a buff coat, arming jacket, gambeson or other under armor padding will help cushion weight and reduce fatigue. Also remember to keep hydrated and when not fighting or when you at a faire, slow down. Life in the past was a bit slower, when wearing armor remember it's not a race to get everywhere. Slow your walking pace and stride and you will reduce your fatigue level. Avoiding the sun will also help with heat issues, to a point. Last, when wearing armor you will get dirty. All I can tell you is to deal with it. I don't really care if I get dirty when in kit, dirt is CPH and that is my goal. You're kit is coming along very nicely Sir Uhlrich, stick with it and you'll be a fine example of a historical Knight.
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I can agree with everything stated so far. I don't wear much maille, doing a period where that was largely obsolete and relegated to periferal areas of battle, but many of these points hold true for plate and also my brigandine. Practice will make perfect with putting on the armor. IT WILL NOT COME OVERNIGHT. I can not stress that enough.
I agree with Sir Matthew.
This is just the way this armor is. Fortunately, the other armor wearing members of my reenacting unit understand because they all have similiar problems and we help each other out. Often we adjust and fix issues without being told, we can spot problems with each others armor before the wearer even figures out what the problem is ;D . I can easily get my breast and back off myself, though. My brigandine is a cinch to get into myself, and just as easy to get off. It took my some time to figure out how to wiggle into my gambeson myself, since I need to pre-tie it closed before putting it on as I ties closed on the sides and my arms/hands simply don't bend in a way that would allow me to tie it after donning. That minor flaw will be corrected in the next version I make, since I do not always have my lovely wife with me to act as my squire. It certainly does make it easier if you have assistance, but most issues can be overcome yourself, it's just a matter of figuring it out and practicing until it becomes routine. Working out will likely help with armor weight and tiring, but nothing can be a substitute for wearing the armor. The weight will tire you, but so will the way the armor moves on you and the way you move in it. This can only be overcome by practice wearing the armor. Remember, if your armor fits you correctly and you are wearing it correctly, you should be able to do most anything in armor you can do out of it, common sense applies here. Driving in armor may not work, although I can, as well as certain other modern activities which armor was never invinsioned for. As I've said before, I wear my armor regularly in the off season to stay used to it. I wear armor every weekend day for 3 months of the year and have done so for about 5 years now. Proper conditioning is MANDATORY or you will pay a high price in body wear. Wearing proper supportive and comfortable shoes will also greatly help reduce body fatigue. My freind Kyle learned this the hard way. Proper padding with a buff coat, arming jacket, gambeson or other under armor padding will help cushion weight and reduce fatigue. Also remember to keep hydrated and when not fighting or when you at a faire, slow down. Life in the past was a bit slower, when wearing armor remember it's not a race to get everywhere. Slow your walking pace and stride and you will reduce your fatigue level. Avoiding the sun will also help with heat issues, to a point. Last, when wearing armor you will get dirty. All I can tell you is to deal with it. I don't really care if I get dirty when in kit, dirt is CPH and that is my goal. You're kit is coming along very nicely Sir Uhlrich, stick with it and you'll be a fine example of a historical Knight.
Yes, Sir Matthew speaks the truth here. For me when I get my full 16th Century Kit, I will be training in and out of the Kit itself for physical conditioning and for training the body to move with the armor instead of against it. Like workout regiments and diets, this will not work overnight, I will be certainly sore and nearly useless like an old dog but that won't stop me from continuing my training. Practice makes perfect progress, I will also be practicing putting on and off the Kit, now I am thankful that the Kit itself is half-armor (just the helmet, arm harness, gauntlets, and Breast & Back Plates) which helps to a degree with the exception of the straps & buckles which require practice.
This entire discussion on practicing wearing armor reminds me of how we Knights must practice our Chivalry and our Beliefs, we are not Knights nor are we chivalrous overnight. It is a gradual process of practice, practice after success, practice after making a mistake (we are human) and practicing getting back to where you were before you made that mistake. Nothing is ever easy, it would be easier to abandon Honor, Courtesy, Nobility or Courage when you are standing with the choice of sticking by your beliefs or by the Code or neglecting them in favor of mere pleasures that don't last in the long run. We have got to keep on practicing our Chivalry and it is a lifelong practice with no end date.
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This entire discussion on practicing wearing armor reminds me of how we Knights must practice our Chivalry and our Beliefs, we are not Knights nor are we chivalrous overnight. It is a gradual process of practice, practice after success, practice after making a mistake (we are human) and practicing getting back to where you were before you made that mistake. Nothing is ever easy, it would be easier to abandon Honor, Courtesy, Nobility or Courage when you are standing with the choice of sticking by your beliefs or by the Code or neglecting them in favor of mere pleasures that don't last in the long run. We have got to keep on practicing our Chivalry and it is a lifelong practice with no end date.
That was well said, Sir Joshua- well said indeed. Nothing worth having or experiencing in this life will come easy; oh sure, some thing or other may come easily to you but by and far anything else worth having, achieving or experiencing will only be done so successfully by the desire to have it and the drive to make it happen.
Keep in mind that in the past, boys were taken, usually around the age of 7 or 8 to begin squiring for a knight- this consisted of but was not limited to: cleaning and polishing the knight's armor, waiting on his pleasure when he sat at meat or received guests, setting up his tent, his bedroll, saddling and unsaddling his horses, brushing their coats, picking out stones caught in their hooves- a glorified butler, if you will. All this in addition to training in combat- learning swordplay, spearplay, horsemanship- and you had to be good, because not every squire became a knight. Chances are, you would be blooded before you turned 16, if you proved yourself in battle you may get your spurs but you'd still serve your lord unless and until you decided to go on your own and be a knight-errant and find adventure where it would find you. Life was hard, it was at times cut short rather brutally and in some ways more complex than our own as we live a life of comparative luxury- these boys and men would've slept in a barn, or on the floor or on a pallet depending on where they were; they were required to eat only after their knight had eaten, sleep only when allowed, but ready to wake at a moment's notice; lice was a commonplace thing, bathing was largely optional, a hot bath was reserved for the gentry, commoners made do with cold water, usually rivers or streams as they were to hand, general medicine was herbs, incantations and bleeding and the average life expectancy was roughly half of ours- it was a tough world to live in. Whereas we all have running water, electricity, heat, the internet, we don't go hungry, we know no real hardship compared to them, we all have cars, access to money for the most part and while most of us are serious about our calling, it really is more of a hobby for us. With that said- how into it are you? Ask yourself that, and when you have your answer, you know what you have to do.
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That was well said, Sir Joshua- well said indeed. Nothing worth having or experiencing in this life will come easy; oh sure, some thing or other may come easily to you but by and far anything else worth having, achieving or experiencing will only be done so successfully by the desire to have it and the drive to make it happen.
Keep in mind that in the past, boys were taken, usually around the age of 7 or 8 to begin squiring for a knight- this consisted of but was not limited to: cleaning and polishing the knight's armor, waiting on his pleasure when he sat at meat or received guests, setting up his tent, his bedroll, saddling and unsaddling his horses, brushing their coats, picking out stones caught in their hooves- a glorified butler, if you will. All this in addition to training in combat- learning swordplay, spearplay, horsemanship- and you had to be good, because not every squire became a knight. Chances are, you would be blooded before you turned 16, if you proved yourself in battle you may get your spurs but you'd still serve your lord unless and until you decided to go on your own and be a knight-errant and find adventure where it would find you. Life was hard, it was at times cut short rather brutally and in some ways more complex than our own as we live a life of comparative luxury- these boys and men would've slept in a barn, or on the floor or on a pallet depending on where they were; they were required to eat only after their knight had eaten, sleep only when allowed, but ready to wake at a moment's notice; lice was a commonplace thing, bathing was largely optional, a hot bath was reserved for the gentry, commoners made do with cold water, usually rivers or streams as they were to hand, general medicine was herbs, incantations and bleeding and the average life expectancy was roughly half of ours- it was a tough world to live in. Whereas we all have running water, electricity, heat, the internet, we don't go hungry, we know no real hardship compared to them, we all have cars, access to money for the most part and while most of us are serious about our calling, it really is more of a hobby for us. With that said- how into it are you? Ask yourself that, and when you have your answer, you know what you have to do.
Yes I agree, we also must take into consideration how physically active they were. I mean they walked, ran, and walked longer than we are today. We sit most of the time during the course of the day (sitting in front of the computer typing on this forum, driving to work, sitting down on the couch) where as back in the Middle Ages and Renaissance you didn't have that sitting luxury (except within a university where you had to sit). With this in mind, can we imitate as best we can the physical hardiness they had, nope, I don't think so. I believe this is true with any warrior culture, physical fitness and hardiness is a must. But we got to keep it in true perspective with our daily schedule. Combining working out with armor on (or maile on), with sword practice, weaponry practice (spear, poleaxe, or other weapons) and doing the same outside of armor and do not forget running, jogging and throwing stones (large stones) as weight training, that should be more than enough to get started becoming physically fit.
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Lifting a heavy hauberk and putting it on and shrugging back out of it, rinse and repeat. You'll work muscles you may not have known you had and you'll feel the strain but the burn is GOOD.
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They did have chairs and they did sit back in the middle ages. Knights would ride places on horseback rather than in a car, but still, seated. Royalty and scholars probably sat for a long time compared to the unwashed masses. But as a general rule, if people wanted food, they had to get it themselves; catch it, cook it, and/or harvest it. If they wanted to go somewhere, they had to walk. The men were required to attend church on sundays and practice archery. They were a lot more self sufficient and self-mobile than most people are today. Knights battled as their profession; it was not only in their best interest to be in good shape and a good fighter, but literally, their life depended upon it.
You can pick up some simple wrist weights and/or ankle weights that strap on your arms and legs, and wear those around the house too. Easier to put on / take off, and it will help with conditioning / cardio, as long as you aren't sitting the whole time. Lots of little things can make a difference. You're not likely to find anyone local that will tailor mail, but we'll help guide you through it if you're willing to do it yourself. In the end, it's just rings and rivets - you can't "break" it, everything can be undone or fixed.
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Lifting a heavy hauberk and putting it on and shrugging back out of it, rinse and repeat. You'll work muscles you may not have known you had and you'll feel the strain but the burn is GOOD.
;)
They did have chairs and they did sit back in the middle ages. Knights would ride places on horseback rather than in a car, but still, seated. Royalty and scholars probably sat for a long time compared to the unwashed masses. But as a general rule, if people wanted food, they had to get it themselves; catch it, cook it, and/or harvest it. If they wanted to go somewhere, they had to walk. The men were required to attend church on sundays and practice archery. They were a lot more self sufficient and self-mobile than most people are today. Knights battled as their profession; it was not only in their best interest to be in good shape and a good fighter, but literally, their life depended upon it.
You can pick up some simple wrist weights and/or ankle weights that strap on your arms and legs, and wear those around the house too. Easier to put on / take off, and it will help with conditioning / cardio, as long as you aren't sitting the whole time. Lots of little things can make a difference. You're not likely to find anyone local that will tailor mail, but we'll help guide you through it if you're willing to do it yourself. In the end, it's just rings and rivets - you can't "break" it, everything can be undone or fixed.
Right, although they did have seats yet their level of physicality was higher than ours, because they would wear their armor for longer periods (in war or Tourneys)and they would train when they were not busied with political or estate matters.
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I started lifting weights again so I can put up with the weight of the maille. I may just add a bit of a taper to the bottom of my maille to make it easier to slip in and out of. As I said the sleeves flapping around make it rather uncomfortable to wear which is why they need tapering. Oddly my gambeson breathed a lot better than I thought it would at the faire then again it wasnt nearly as hot a day as it normally is. Thats the thing I love about maille is it breaths a lot better than leather or plate armor, just gotta cut the excess weight and I think i'd be fine in maille. Tailoring it will be a bitch though, I have no clue what I'd be doing to be honest.
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I started lifting weights again so I can put up with the weight of the maille. I may just add a bit of a taper to the bottom of my maille to make it easier to slip in and out of. As I said the sleeves flapping around make it rather uncomfortable to wear which is why they need tapering. Oddly my gambeson breathed a lot better than I thought it would at the faire then again it wasnt nearly as hot a day as it normally is. Thats the thing I love about maille is it breaths a lot better than leather or plate armor, just gotta cut the excess weight and I think i'd be fine in maille. Tailoring it will be a bitch though, I have no clue what I'd be doing to be honest.
Seek help would be the better choice Sir Ulrich. It is a good thing that both mail and gambeson breathe well, that helps with humidity. In regards to my Kit on humid days, I would wear a Half-Harness to reduce heat inside the plate armor. On normal days, a full harness would be sufficient, or full harness on a humid (either for conditioning or demonstrating). But the undergarments have to breathe or you would be baked inside your armor.
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They did have chairs and they did sit back in the middle ages. Knights would ride places on horseback rather than in a car, but still, seated.
Not to pick, but there's a marked difference between riding horseback and riding in a car...last time I rode I was sweating rather profusely- a combination of a fairly warm day (80s temp) and the fact that it is a bit of a workout, especially in the core (unless you ride like a sack of potatoes lol) and the inner thighs.
That's why they had to tie down anything that couldn't keep up on the horse- sacks of grain and prisoners included. ;)
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Not to pick, but there's a marked difference between riding horseback and riding in a car...last time I rode I was sweating rather profusely- a combination of a fairly warm day (80s temp) and the fact that it is a bit of a workout, especially in the core (unless you ride like a sack of potatoes lol) and the inner thighs.
When you ride infrequently, yes this is an issue. If you ride with regularity though, the muscles become quite accustomed and it's really not much a strain at all. But yes, until they make air conditioned horses, you will sweat :)
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... But yes, until they make air conditioned horses, you will sweat :)
Gallop.
;D
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Not to pick, but there's a marked difference between riding horseback and riding in a car...last time I rode I was sweating rather profusely- a combination of a fairly warm day (80s temp) and the fact that it is a bit of a workout, especially in the core (unless you ride like a sack of potatoes lol) and the inner thighs.
That's why they had to tie down anything that couldn't keep up on the horse- sacks of grain and prisoners included.
Very true.
When you ride infrequently, yes this is an issue. If you ride with regularity though, the muscles become quite accustomed and it's really not much a strain at all. But yes, until they make air conditioned horses, you will sweat
Indeed, I remember my earlier years when I visited my grandparents in Puerto Rico, my grandfather loved horses, he had a friend that owned three, I had the fortunate chance of riding one (only the horse was guided by the owner) and I even had a trip to Colorado Springs, to the Garden of the Gods, horse rode for a good time. It took me a bit of a while to get used to it and to teach the horse not to stray away from the path, but I got the hang of it. So that is my experience with horse riding.
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They did have chairs and they did sit back in the middle ages. Knights would ride places on horseback rather than in a car, but still, seated.
Not to pick, but there's a marked difference between riding horseback and riding in a car...last time I rode I was sweating rather profusely- a combination of a fairly warm day (80s temp) and the fact that it is a bit of a workout, especially in the core (unless you ride like a sack of potatoes lol) and the inner thighs.
That's why they had to tie down anything that couldn't keep up on the horse- sacks of grain and prisoners included. ;)
Oh, absolutely, I agree with you. I was going towards most of the surviving cased greaves we have, being for people with very slim calves. We're not sure if that was because those muscles were under-developed from riding so much (not walking), or if they were somehow strong but slim. The cardio exercise you'd get from walking would be more than riding. Not to say they had it easy; just that it was easier riding than walking and that their muscles wouldn't be as developed as they would be if they walked everywhere. Like we joked at VARF - it's not so hard to be in full harness when the horse is moving the weight around. :)
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Oh, absolutely, I agree with you. I was going towards most of the surviving cased greaves we have, being for people with very slim calves. We're not sure if that was because those muscles were under-developed from riding so much (not walking), or if they were somehow strong but slim. The cardio exercise you'd get from walking would be more than riding. Not to say they had it easy; just that it was easier riding than walking and that their muscles wouldn't be as developed as they would be if they walked everywhere. Like we joked at VARF - it's not so hard to be in full harness when the horse is moving the weight around.
That is why the right greaves make a huge difference. ;)
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They did have chairs and they did sit back in the middle ages. Knights would ride places on horseback rather than in a car, but still, seated.
Not to pick, but there's a marked difference between riding horseback and riding in a car...last time I rode I was sweating rather profusely- a combination of a fairly warm day (80s temp) and the fact that it is a bit of a workout, especially in the core (unless you ride like a sack of potatoes lol) and the inner thighs.
That's why they had to tie down anything that couldn't keep up on the horse- sacks of grain and prisoners included. ;)
Oh, absolutely, I agree with you. I was going towards most of the surviving cased greaves we have, being for people with very slim calves. We're not sure if that was because those muscles were under-developed from riding so much (not walking), or if they were somehow strong but slim. The cardio exercise you'd get from walking would be more than riding. Not to say they had it easy; just that it was easier riding than walking and that their muscles wouldn't be as developed as they would be if they walked everywhere. Like we joked at VARF - it's not so hard to be in full harness when the horse is moving the weight around. :)
You've a point there...because fighting on foot wasn't something they would've practiced or indulged in had they had a choice. What about the upper body, have you noticed if they were especially large up top, Sir James?
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They did have chairs and they did sit back in the middle ages. Knights would ride places on horseback rather than in a car, but still, seated.
Not to pick, but there's a marked difference between riding horseback and riding in a car...last time I rode I was sweating rather profusely- a combination of a fairly warm day (80s temp) and the fact that it is a bit of a workout, especially in the core (unless you ride like a sack of potatoes lol) and the inner thighs.
That's why they had to tie down anything that couldn't keep up on the horse- sacks of grain and prisoners included. ;)
Oh, absolutely, I agree with you. I was going towards most of the surviving cased greaves we have, being for people with very slim calves. We're not sure if that was because those muscles were under-developed from riding so much (not walking), or if they were somehow strong but slim. The cardio exercise you'd get from walking would be more than riding. Not to say they had it easy; just that it was easier riding than walking and that their muscles wouldn't be as developed as they would be if they walked everywhere. Like we joked at VARF - it's not so hard to be in full harness when the horse is moving the weight around. :)
You've a point there...because fighting on foot wasn't something they would've practiced or indulged in had they had a choice. What about the upper body, have you noticed if they were especially large up top, Sir James?
Good point.