|
When planning a campaign, amateurs talk tactics, professionals talk
strategy. And veterans, they speak of logistics.
Most gatherings of war, tourney, or quest in these Realms have quite a
bit of baggage involved. Colorful warm spacious tents, bedding, banners,
food that must be kept cool to prevent spoilage and cooked before
serving. Cookware and fuel to do that cooking. Then the impedimentia of
battle: weapons, shields, armor, spell components. So much baggage that
lords have a veritable caravan and even the newest adventurer almost
always makes more than one trip between cart and camp. But one
doesn't always have that luxury, and specifically there is an
expedition planned in March were one will not. Here is some tips
to be ready.
Think of all your gear in the following categories: mission-critical,
mission-support, and luxuries. And the goal is to have everything be
light enough not only so it can be carried easily, but reasonable to
fight in.
Your mission-critical gear is your weapon and/or your spell components
and/or armor. Note I said 'weapon';, not
'weapons'. In many wars or quests, warriors take many and
use the right tool for the right job. But that's not feasible for
this expedition. While often I carry a bow backed up by a claymore, I
would on voyages of exploration carry the versatile and always-handy
bastard sword and regretfully leave be hind the occasionally-critical but
bulky and inadvisable-for-use-at-night arrows. Your armor must be chosen
with care; ease of wear might trump protective value.
Mission-support gear is the stuff that keeps you fed and warm so
you're stronger and better able to deal with the privations of the
quest. This is were some experience and scoutcraft can go a long way.
First of importance, carry some water. One can reasonably expect to be
able to replenish this, but one never can tell and if one must fight for
even an hour some water can go a long way towards allowing you to
survive. One seriously deep exploration missions, alchemical tablets or
thamaturgical pumps are a requirement to remove curses and diseases from
found water, and these devices are very compact and easy to carry.
The next mission-support item to consider is food. You do not want
to mess with cooking any more than can possibly be helped, but a warm
meal can make a big difference. You want food which is easily packed and
doesn't spoil. That means iron rations: beef jerky, gorp
and dried fruits should be a basic staple. Don't overlook a good
start; don't start your expedition hungry, eat well before
starting out. For carrying dinner, I strongly recommend the
magically-treated food which has been dried to make them extremely
lightweight. Encased in foil, one can cook the meal merely by pouring
boiling water into them. They are worth the expense. One can carry a
thamaturgical heat source and a single small metal container to boil the
water, and those two items can service a whole questing party. Or just
carry the metal container and make a fire. One could write a whole other
essay on the qualities of the fire, but don't forget your matches.
Make sure they're in a waterproof container and have every member
of your party carry matches. Choose them carefully too. The type of
matches I mean, no doubt you've already put much consideration into
the members of your party.
Those with cash on hand may have the luxury of being able to purchase hot
meals from the locals. Good idea, but don't rely on it;
have a full kit with food anyway. After all, the vissitudes of battle
and the lawlessness of the frontier might end with a loss of cash. There
is even the unfortunate possibility that certain normally honest
adventurers, when faced with actual hunger pains, might prove less
reliable than one was used too. Such a theft would be deplorable in the
extreme, but it is best to be ready. An army may travel on it's
stomach, but you don't want to be reduced to crawling on
one's stomach
Shelter and bedding are important mission-support equipment, especially
in early April. That time of year you might have balmy spring, cold hard
rain (a ritual component for May flowers), or even a sudden blizzard.
Tents are hard to carry, even the best and most compact. You might want
to have one member of your team carry it and all cram in, making sure to
have selected the size to fit your team and leave the gear outside. Or
if you have some skill in the craft of the guide and scout, you can
create your bedroll. I can't show you in this essay, but one can
combine a tarp, several blankets, and safety pins into a bedroll that is
simultaneously waterproof shelter. I recommend that bedroll even if you
have a team tent, as you will still need bedding. Don't skimp, the
weather is cold in early April.
Finally there's clothing. You should bring spare socks, changing
them before you go to sleep at night is mission-support, not luxury.
Ditto underwear, but beyond that I'd only bring a single spare
tunic; one which can be changed into while the other one's
sweat dries overnight. Of course, dress warmly and take off layers to
avoid overheating. Sweat is a waste of precious water and you'll
be dangerously cold later. A poncho is not optional, unless you want a
serious April rain to melt your questing team away by the end of your
expedition.
As for luxuries, many saw this coming from the first paragraph of this
essay: don't bring 'em. You're exploring, not
tourneying.
How you carry your gear is also important; it's got to be
close on you enough to be able to fight. I'll be busy on the
western flank for this expedition, but were I going I'd have the
following: Bastard sword in hand. Bota bag of water on one shoulder,
satchel on my right shoulder carrying iron rations. Belt pouches with
poncho (yes, it fits) and matches. Waterproof bedroll also over my
shoulder. Done. That's it. Others might reasonably use a
daypack/small backpack. A full backpack with tent and sleeping pad and
sleeping back etc would be for long expedions, in my judgement
overburdened for a night or two, but reasonable for one member of
one's squad to carry, support for the whole squad.
One might be lucky and have good weather and friendly locals. Prudence
demands not depending on that. Should there be rain and harassment of
pickets at night, care and woodscraft will make the difference between a
healthy army with good morale, versus less prepared adventurers packing
it in early and the army strength faltering.
Good luck and wise precautions for your expedition,
Baron Diamond Banecroft
|
History