Ok so you are going to an event and you want to make your encampment look period, but lets face it. You don't have hundreds of dollars to pay for a custom pavilion and a bunch of period furniture like in the picture above. However, when you look at your camp it doesn't give you the impression of traveling back in time does it?
Getting rid of all your modern camping conveniences is easier said than done though. So here are a couple of ideas that might make your camping event at least appear to be period. After all if we can't afford to have all things period nothing says that we can't fake it.
It is real easy to say get rid of all the soda cans, plastic coolers and folding nylon chairs and quite another to do it. So one easy trick is to hide it or make it look like something else. One thing that can be done for those folding chairs is to cover them with fabric to make them look period. Another thing that can be easily done is to build the wooden star gazer chair that I discussed in a previous article. Plastic tables can be covered with period looking table cloths. And plastic cooler can be placed inside of a wooden box or covered with a cloth cozy.
If you are camping in a small enough tent then you can hide it under an easy up canopy by wrapping it with fabric or a tarp. You could even camp under this as a pavilion but it won't screen out insects or weather a storm very well. If you really want an inexpensive period style tent you can make a viking style tent very easily. It is basically a pup tent made with a canvas tarp, wood sticks, rope and stakes. A canvas tarp can be purchased from most hardware stores.
Additions of furniture can not only help make your campsite look period but also make your event more comfortable. Wood chests, chairs, etc. can sometimes be found at yard sales, flea markets or thrift stores if you keep your eyes open. If you are tired of sleeping on the ground an easy bed can be made using milk crates for legs with plywood on top for a platform. You can put an air mattress on top of this and cover it with blankets and throw pillows. The milk crates are useful for storing items when you are traveling as well.
Storage can be wood barrels, boxes and wicker baskets. They can be found at Marshals, TJ Max, Pier 1, thrift stores, etc.
Utensils, plates and cups can be wood or metal. Glass is period but not durable for camping. If you find metal cups or plates make sure that it is a metal that is ok for human consumption. Copper and lead can make you sick so steer clear of using them eating or drinking.
Happy Camping
Thorne the Mercenary
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