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Heat-related death is a real danger, and all LARPers should take it seriously. That’s why I’ve put together this guide to building a hot weather survival kit for LARPers. We’ll be covering everything from underwear to heat exhaustion symptoms to bug spray.

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Water

High-quality H₂O will most likely be featured in every LARP player guide I make, because it is just that important. If having to visit your bunk often to pick up a fresh drink annoys you, I highly recommend a Camelback.

I also strongly caution you to alternate between plain water and something like Gatorade that replenishes electrolytes. While sports drinks tend to oversell themselves a bit, your body does need to keep up salt intake along with water intake in order to function correctly.

You also want to make sure you don’t only drink salty things, because the opposite problem is likewise unhealthy. You could also opt for some Pedialyte , which I learned also makes hydrating freezer pops!

Don’t forget the relief that a good soak can provide! While you should never dump ice cold water on someone who is overheating, you can use room temperature or lukewarm water combined with a fan to create a glorious and safe cooling system. Remember not to hang out in the AC while soaked though; that’s just the ice-cold water scenario in disguise.

Outer Layers & Base Layers

Your clothing immensely affects your ability to keep cool. You’re stuck wearing it all day (and sometimes most of the night), so it’s important to get this part of your hot weather survival kit right.

Stick to wicking, breathable fabrics that let air flow and sweat evaporate. Fabrics in this family include: cotton*, linen, rayon, spandex, and nylon.

Tip: Cotton, while cheap, versatile, and readily available, gets stinky and abrasive A LOT faster than its older counterpart: linen. If using cotton as a base layer or your only layer, be ready to change it out a few times a day to keep from chafing and reeking to high heaven.

Immersion < Safety

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What About Genre?

Let me be as clear as possible: Immersion is nowhere near as important as health and safety. If someone is giving you a hard time about a non-genre method of keeping cool, they have their priorities out of order.

Sure, make a good faith effort, but some of the things on this list can literally save your life, and disguising them for game isn’t always easy. Stay safe, then get immersed.

Related: Immersion and 2 Things More Important

If you play in a medieval/fantasy/steampunk LARP that has specific requirements for a genre look, don’t worry! Some synthetic wicking fabrics can be made to look natural and blend in with the genre, and linen is always a great option.

If your game is more modern or futuristic, you can use whatever you like! The world is your oyster, so I’d better not hear about you collapsing from heat stroke or dehydration at the Farscape LARP, okay?

Base layers are blissfully exempt from genre constraints, for the most part. (Honestly, who the hell is out here regulating people’s underwear?) You may be thinking: “Won’t more layers just make me hotter?” Sort of.

BUT–if you’re using proper wicking fabrics, the benefit you are about to receive from adding a wicking base layer is majorly worth it: chafe prevention.

Chafing Sucks

What’s with the strawberries? Well, those are kind of what bad chafing looks like.

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Ever scraped your knee or leg and had that sensitive, strawberry-looking scab conglomeration form to heal it? Do you want to have that on the inside of your thighs, rubbing together all. Day. LONG?

Probably not. Then a base layer that wicks the chafe-inducing sweat away from your crotch is going to be worth every single penny spent.

The weirdest part about the ideal fabric for this? It’s wool. Not itchy, heavy, thick wool, but this miracle of the weave called merino wool. You can also use synthetics, which are way cheaper, but my fellow uterus-owners out there know that synthetics aren’t the best idea when it comes to our health in that…area.

Alternatively, you can simply bring several changes of cotton underwear and be vigilant about changing them. At the moment, I do this, because fancy underwear is pricey.

Tip: Some folx have an averse skin reaction to wool for one reason or another. If you have a pre-existing skin condition or just really sensitive skin, be careful about dumping a ton of money on merino.

Related: How to Stay Warm or Cool at LARP: A Guide to Temperature Control

SOCKS

Socks are extremely important and deserving of their own section of this post. Blisters are the enemy, and preventing them is your only defense.

I always find myself turning to the power of merino wool as personal protection. I 100% recommend an investment into several pairs of merino wool socks. Mine have kept me blister-free for years.

Tip: Remember, everything has its limits. If you are sweating excessively, or if your socks get soaked, CHANGE THEM. There’s only so much they can do, and that ends with total saturation. Hence why I recommend having many, many spare pairs.

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Sunscreen & Bug Spray

The sun is not to be scoffed at any time of year, but especially not during hot weather. Sunscreen is a necessary part of your hot weather survival kit. Skin cancer is a serious risk, especially for the paler variety of nerd. Pack your sunscreen, always. It’s not worth the extended pain and annoyance of an intense, long-peeling sunburn. The itching is hell.

Bugs leave maddeningly itchy bites, transmit disease, and are just generally a gods damned nuisance. Whether you think you are tasty to bugs or not, always bring STRONG bug spray. The key approach here is combining topical/skin-applied spray with long-lasting clothing spray. I use Sawyer Permethrin Clothing Repellent*, and I haven’t spotted a post-game tick since I started using the stuff.

Tip: Make sure to keep your pets away from clothing repellent while it dries! It should be kept in a ventilated area for its full drying duration, which is 24 hours for the brand I personally use.

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Accessories & Technology

Remember that genre is of lesser importance than safety. If you need a fan, use one. If a cold pack will bring down your dangerously high core temperature, slap it on yourself. Check out our list of handy accessories and modern gadgets that can help you stay at a safe temperature in the brutal heat of outdoor LARP:

(Have an addition to suggest? Hit us up via the Contact Us form or comment below!)

Knowing Your Limits

Not all the pieces of your hot weather survival kit are physical objects. Some of it is knowledge. Knowing yourself isn’t exactly widespread, but your body will start sending some pretty obvious signals when you start to go off the rails. All you have to do is know how to listen.

Don’t push yourself too hard. Take regular cool-down breaks from the heat. Get out of the sun. Be on the lookout for the following symptoms of heat exhaustion, pulled directly from WebMD to maintain accuracy and clarity:

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Final Note: ALWAYS DO A TICK CHECK

Heat stroke and mosquitoes are far from your only worries in hot weather. No matter how much bug spray you apply, how high your boots are, or how low the grass you’ve walked through, ALWAYS DO A TICK CHECK.

These critters can get into goddamn anywhere. A local player once found a tick beneath their underwear. These bad boys can carry all sorts of nasty diseases, so channel your inner TSA agent and get to searching!

Now go forth, be kind, and have fun! (Now that you won’t be dying from heat stroke.)



