interesting group

[Sir Edward]

Nah!  I'll just ship it to you.  You want same day air, right?

Free shipping?

[Sir Wolf]

heck I'll take one then!

[Sir William]

Yea, me too...or I'll just borrow his and pay to ship it back!  I figure I only need 3 more shields, blanks...then paint them to suit later on.

LOL - I'm only sayin that cuz I know he won't ship that shield press to me, just like I know I won't paint these shields myself.

[Sir Wolf]

hehehe

[Sir Patrick]

If I lived anywhere near you guys, I'd just pack the press into my trunk and meet you at the MDRF.  Everyone could use it during the faire season, and just give it back to me the last weekend. An added bonus for me:  Armouring up during a Maryland October, instead of a Missouri June  .

[Sir William]

Red Knight, all jokes aside, we should plan that.  Armor is much more pleasant and accomodating in the cooler months- but some of us do brave the VARF during July and that can be just as brutal I would think.  I went.  Once.  lol

[Sir Edward]

VARF has pushed their season a little earlier due to the heat now. It's running mostly in May and June now, but yes, those June days can get pretty brutal out there at times. I usually aim to armor up down there, and that's sometimes hard to do.

MDRF often has some brutal days in the early part of the season, and particularly the opening week as it's in August. We've been very lucky this year, with pleasant weather most weekends and the opportunity to wear armor almost the entire time. In fact, I've worn some amount of armor much more frequently than ever before, only wearing other garb on a couple of days.

[Sir William]

I have been toying with the idea of just going in garb, no armor- but the idea seems foreign to me.  If its real hot, I'll go with just the maille and surcoat, but if its like what I'm expecting this weekend (or the weekend I met you guys) then I'm going with the full harness.  Well, can't do much about the greaves, no strap still.  Suppose I could just lash it to my lower leg, no?  lol

[Sir Brian]

...
MDRF often has some brutal days in the early part of the season, and particularly the opening week as it's in August. We've been very lucky this year, with pleasant weather most weekends and the opportunity to wear armor almost the entire time. In fact, I've worn some amount of armor much more frequently than ever before, only wearing other garb on a couple of days.

I can attest to that since this was the third season I wore armor on opening weekend! 
They really need to switch kids weekend at MDRF to some time in September! 

[Sir William]

Why in September?

[Sir Edward]

Kid's weekend is usually opening weekend, so that's a weekend that we want to be in armor, but it's usually too hot. The first time I ever wore armor to MDRF, I did so on opening day. It was one of these days with something like 100 degrees and 75% humidity. I only lasted about 45 minutes before I ripped it all off, and ended up sick for the rest of the day due to dehydration in that first hour. I learned my lesson about setting limits for myself.

[Sir William]

Got you...I gotta tell ya, having your own water supply does make a difference.  I found that getting a period kostrel would cost over $100...for what amounts to a leather and pitch water bottle.  In looking around, I came across a link to a dude ranch out west who made and sold leather canteens (differing sizes, I went with a 16 oz I think, or was it 32?)with food-grade plastic bladders inside.  Worked out GREAT- I tossed it in the freezer an hour before we left and it stayed relatively cold for a long while.  $30.

[Sir Patrick]

Red Knight, all jokes aside, we should plan that.  Armor is much more pleasant and accomodating in the cooler months- but some of us do brave the VARF during July and that can be just as brutal I would think.  I went.  Once.  lol

I guess it's a dry heat in Jerusalem, Crusader?

[Sir William]

Yes, much more agreeable than, say, the damp heat that is Lake Anna. 

[Sir Ancelyn]

If the heat doesn't get you the 3 eyed fish will.