The Armour Archive

With the onset of warmer weather, hydration becomes an issue again.

Because of the rules, as much as common sense, we wear a protective cup which is often under a couple of layers of armour and padding. The trouble and time involved in removing those to de-hydrate may drive some to drink less so as not to go through the hassle.

In warmer weather this could be a serious health risk, besides simply degrading fighting performance.

Do you have any special tricks or secrets in how you wear your harness, to as to allow for a quick and trouble-free dehydration?

Any particular hydration plan to reduce the time you spend in the porta-privy unbluckling and rebuckling?


Thanks!
Rowan of Needwood

We refer to a phenomenon called "insta-pee" in my group. It's that point in the day where you know you need to use the restroom but don't, and then because of the heat and the amount of sweating you are doing just standing still the need is suddenly gone.

It happens a lot at Pennsic. Everyone downs a bunch of liquids in the morning before the battle and then while standing around waiting for the cannon the urge comes to them. By the time the lines are engaged that need is gone and not just because you are thinking about something else.

Rowan of Needwood wrote:With the onset of warmer weather, hydration becomes an issue again.

Because of the rules, as much as common sense, we wear a protective cup which is often under a couple of layers of armour and padding. The trouble and time involved in removing those to de-hydrate may drive some to drink less so as not to go through the hassle.

In warmer weather this could be a serious health risk, besides simply degrading fighting performance.

Do you have any special tricks or secrets in how you wear your harness, to as to allow for a quick and trouble-free dehydration?

Any particular hydration plan to reduce the time you spend in the porta-privy unbluckling and rebuckling?


Thanks!
Rowan of Needwood

My "trick" on this front consists of (a) drinking before getting into harness - not immediately before, 30 minutes or so before (b) "de-hydrating" before getting into harness - 5 minutes before, and
(c) drinking small amounts frequently but not drinking large amounts at all.

And for all that not drinking enough is bad, drinking too much is seriously bad as well. Moderation, you *can* drink too much water.

1/2 Water, 1/2 Gatorade. Been drinking it since little league, and it works like a charm.

I am told the taste takes some getting used to, but straight Gatorade tastes like candy to me now.

My daughter plays Select soccer and her coach is always telling the girls that if you have not drank your fill a couple of hours before the game, it is too late.... Either you are hydrated or you are not....

My trick is simple:
I hydrate the day before the event a glass of water every hour...
the at the even everytime a water-bearer passes/approaches me I drink weather I 'think' I'm thirsty or not.

It's worked well for me so far.

Lucius Marius Scaevola wrote:1/2 Water, 1/2 Gatorade. Been drinking it since little league, and it works like a charm.

I am told the taste takes some getting used to, but straight Gatorade tastes like candy to me now.

Gatorade "Rain" is essentially the commercial version of this. I've drank GALLONS of the stuff staying hydrated in full Kevlar in a Humvee turret in the summertime.

I threw and landed an inside leg shot once at war and had to throw away my stick.

After that incident I reccomend that some should consider a depends.

Gavin uses a program very similar to the one I adopted years ago. I make sure that I drink moderately before and during any fighting. I try not to drink a lot at any one time, but I might take several drinks during a break between bouts at a practice -- just to make sure my mouth is wet, but not so that I feel full in the slightest.

Before I started the above regimen, I used to drink a lot of coke or mountain dew before fighting, and very litte of anything during. My "coach" at the time (actually my ex-wife, since she was studing exercise physiology at the time) convinced me that water -- and only water -- was a much better approach. I'll tell you, when I made the switch, it was like my fighting stamina virtually doubled -- I could stay out and fight a whole lot longer than before. I still notice the difference today; if I don't drink during a practice or at a tourney, I wear down a whole lot faster than when I take frequent, small drinks.

I was also discouraged from using any of the popular sports beverages. My "coach" explained that the real benefit of these kinds of drinks is that they replenish depleted electrolytes, but that the type of exercise we do (short, intense bursts rather like footbal than long, arduous efforts like marathon running) doesn't displace enough electrolytes to warrant that kind of approach. In fact, the amount of salts usually found in the sport drinks act to dehydrate you while the body dilutes it enough to process it. I won't pretend to actually know what I'm talking about, but I've been very happy with switching over to water, and the taste of the sports drinks alone is enough to discourage me from wondering if they'll help me fight that much better .

Hope this helps... AoC

"If you're thirsty, it's too late"

I used to drink moderately before, during, and after fighting, but I found the carbonation in the beer just made me feel bloated.

Maeryk wrote:I used to drink moderately before, during, and after fighting, but I found the carbonation in the beer just made me feel bloated.

That's why I switched to Jack.

So, in other words;

Everyone has a different definitive plan

I can't say about hydrating while you're working. I think all of these work ok, but I do state with great conviction:

You must be hydrated properly BEFORE you begin your fight day. Or any long exercise.

Drink plenty of wa wa the night before you fight, and hit the water with a bottle or so of gatorade thrown in when the fighting is done. Repeat for as many days as you fight.

I myself am more interested in the question of how do you make the task of taking your whiz easier in full harness? Especially you cap-a-pie folks.

Jack? For fighting? Are you insane???

Ditch that crappy sour mash, and join us Bulleit Bourbon folks . That's a *fightin'* drink!

Christopher

Go into your wifes dresser and steal one of her bras.

Cut out two of the little hooks in the back.

Cut the straps on your cup.

Sew these hooks into place.

Now you can remove the cup without taking off anything else.

If you really want to you can go buy those hooks at Walmart or Joann's but where is the fun in that.

Edmund Blackadder:

Let all men who go to don armour tomorrow remember to go before they don armour tomorrow.

Christopher:

Jack? For fighting? Are you insane???

Ditch that crappy sour mash, and join us Bulleit Bourbon folks Wink . That's a *fightin'* drink!

Bushmills 10 year single malt Irish whiskey..... duh.

RenJunkie wrote:I myself am more interested in the question of how do you make the task of taking your whiz easier in full harness? Especially you cap-a-pie folks.

It has never been a problem for me. I guess I must be sweating out at least as much as I consume, because I've never felt any "pressure" while fighting. If this is something you are worried about, perhaps you need to be fighting more when you are in harness ... AoC

I found it a much easier task to relieve myself after switching to a pourpoint to suspend my leg harness. That was the biggest problem when using a belt - you have to unfasten the belt to get your pants where you can get willie out, and when you unfasten the belt your leg harness becomes a problem, and then you are trying to hold up the faulds of your upper armour, or the gambeson at least, and you start praying for another arm. After switching to a pourpoint, its pretty easy, actually.

Aidan Cambel wrote:After switching to a pourpoint, its pretty easy, actually.

hmmm the situation has not...ummm.... the urge to purge....
I mean..... you know what I mean....

I wear a pourpoint and while I have no direct experience with
this issue and it's relation to the wearing of a pourpoint I'd have
to give my qualified agreement to this idea.... I bet it would be easier.

I think a 10 year old Irish whiskey is less a fighting drink and more the relaxing with a woman in your bed drink.

But then, Bulleit is too, so I gues it all works

I'm not sure how a pourpoint would help with the cuppage specifically.

Bjorn, do see a certain irony in taking hooks of a breast cup holder to hold a nut cup?

Christopher

RenJunkie wrote:I think a 10 year old Irish whiskey is less a fighting drink and more the relaxing with a woman in your bed drink.

Anything less than an 18yo (15 in some states) is just cradle robbing... AoC

Christopher

RenJunkie wrote:So, in other words;



I myself am more interested in the question of how do you make the task of taking your whiz easier in full harness? Especially you cap-a-pie folks.

Thats actually my REAL fighting secret, I always have to pee from the second I put my cup in. I found I am actually fast from the sense of urgency to just kill the guy already and get to the bathroom.