Chaos Wars; The best event in the West !



Here's some great advice for attendants old and new



For this year's Chaos Wars dates, prices, schedules etc, please check Facebook; https://www.facebook.com/groups/GoingtoChaosWars

Garb and period drinking mugs are required


The Chaos Banner in 2011


Welcome to the Troll Tent

First order of business is to check into Troll. Park your car and get out your state issued ID's and money. Have your car's license plate number ready. Please be nice to the folks at troll, they are all volunteers. (On that note be nice to everyone running Chaos wars, we're all volunteers.)

Please refrain from leaving your things at Troll. The volunteers have enough on their hands, they shouldn't have to clean up the Troll tent every morning before their volunteer shift. The Troll tables are not for storage, please do not leave your drinks or food wrappers either. Also, please don't get in the way when new arrivals are signing in. Thank you for understanding !

Please drive very slowly, Speed limit is 5mph. I know it’s hard, but this is really important as complaints about our driving and dust can affect us using this site in the future.



Minors are only allowed to be onsite while their chaperone is present !

If you are camping with children it is highly recommended that you camp in Quiet camp.


Very important for new attendants; this will be expected of you. It's good etiquette to yell "Hail camp" before entering a group's camping area. Wait until you hear someone welcome you in. Do not enter closed camps or private areas. Trespassing in private camps/areas will be grounds for removal from the event.

For a comprehensive camping list, please see Sorcia's Event Camping Guide

PLEASE DO NOT LITTER! This includes cigarette butts, bottle caps, and leftover food. Do not dump your leftover food on the ground, not even back in the woods. It attracts the skunks. Do not burn any garbage in your campfire, that includes cigarette butts. For every piece of MOOP (Matter Out Of Place) the site owners find, we are charged $1. If a coordinator sees you throw any trash on the ground, consider your fighting privileges revoked for a day. Please do not walk past MOOP; help out the volunteers, pick it up and throw it away. Anything made with Styrofoam beads is not allowed on site. They're too much trouble to clean up.



Please comply with all requests from the land owners, city guard, heralds, troll and event organizers. Do not argue with any of these people. Give them a break, they are all volunteering so that everyone can have a good time.




Please use the hand sanitizer EVERY time you use a porta pottie. Germs are transmitted on the handles. We do not want a repeat of the stomach virus that went around a few years back! Always wash/sanitize your hands before preparing food /eating. Don't be that guy who gets everyone sick. If possible, please poop when you're in town to alleviate the porta potties. They are actually the biggest expense for the event.





Practice fire safety. Keep a bucket of water near your campfire. Keep your camp's fire under control, supervised, and at an appropriate blaze. Failure to do so may result in having your fire taken away from you. When you leave the site at the end of the event make double sure that your camp fire has been properly extinguished.

Period drinking vessels will be enforced. This isn't new. Have a mug, flask, bladder or unlabeled, period-ish jug/bottle for all of your non-water beverages. Water bottles are acceptable only for water. Keep plastic/glass soda, mixer and liquor bottles in your camp.

It is considered rude to shine your flashlights in other peoples faces at night. It ruins their night vision. please shine the light on the ground or even turn it off when people without flashlights are passing closely. Thank you ! (It takes 30 seconds to regain a third of your nightvision, 3 minutes for another third, and 30 minutes for complete nightvision.)

There are mosquitoes and there has been West Nile Virus reported in the area. So bring bug spray. Fabric sheets also deter bugs, great in your tent, around your door and bed. Put them in your pockets. Cedar shavings are a great natural repellent around your camp. Don't eat banana's, they attract mosquitoes. Do eat garlic. Start eating it days before you come to the event. Pills, fresh, or roasted.



The elevation of Lake Walcott is 4,199 feet. The sun gets 10% stronger every 1000 feet above sea level. So good sunblock is very important at Chaos Wars. Look for sunblocks that contain zinc or titanium dioxide as a main ingredient. Avoid sunblocks that contain ingredients ending in zone or paraben. A period hat is great to keep the sun off your face. Please no modern headwear; fedora, baseball or cowboy hats. They are not period and they make the pictures look stupid. Don't be that guy who messes up the pictures.

Drink lots of water. Pre-hydrate before you de-hydrate



If you see people who are not in garb & do not have wrist bands please do not hesitate to ask them where they are from & who they are camping with. If possible take their picture. Escort them to Troll if they sound like they're locals. If they do not cooperate; simply follow them to the edge of the property while calling loudly for security.



Tentative evening outline, subject to change;

Sunday; Arrive, set up camp and go grocery shopping. Help out the organizers
Monday; Welcome Pot Luck & Introductions.
Tuesday; 7pm Monster Feast. Wear your best Monster garb and be prepared to eat with your hands !
Wednesday; Slave auction and Gladiator Pits
Thursday; To Be Determined
Friday; Bardic Night at the main fire
Saturday; 7pm Feast and awards presentation at the main fire
Sunday; Pack up everything and leave, thank you for leaving your campsite cleaner than when you arrived. See you next year !


Check the information boards for announcements and changes to the schedule



For Tuesday's Monster Feast; wear your most evil monster garb. For Saturday's Feast; wear your fanciest garb. Bring chairs and period feast gear including drinking vessels, plates and silverware. (Psst; No utensils at Monster Feast!) Please clean up after yourselves, your mother doesn't live here Throwing your leftover food on the ground is not okay, it attracts the skunks. One of us volunteers will end up having to pick it up by hand and that's gross.


Lady Lillyth at Monster Feast

Rupert (Pop 5,673) is the small town closest to the site.

Rupert wiki; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rupert,_Idaho

When choosing restaurants and businesses please pick locally owned over corporate chains.


Knighting Ceremony 2011

Photographers: Photographers If you are familiar with Belegarth battle mechanics, you can put on a yellow herald tabard & get on the battlefield. By walking onto the battlefield you assume the risk that you and/or your equipment could be hit with a sword/arrow. You could get hurt, so keep that in mind and stay out of the fighters way. Stay hyper aware of where you are in reference to the fighting. Especially watch out for fighters running backwards. Do your best not to interfere with the fighters & the flow of battle. Put the cars / porta castles / ugly mundane crap behind you when you point your camera. And as long as you are wearing yellow, please help herald (if you are familiar with the rules). Or at least guard the edge of the battlefield. Try not to get in the way of other people taking pictures or videos either. If you are not familiar with Belegarth battles/rules; please stay on the sidelines, being mindful of the other photographers taking photos on the side. If another photographer has taken the time to carefully set up a group photo it is bad photographer etiquette to just walk up and snipe your own photo of it. Please ask the photographer nicely if you may also take a photo. (Multiple photographers mess up group photos because the subjects look at different cameras. Take turns where everyone looks at one camera, and then everyone looks at the other camera for better group shots.)

I know you want to, but PLEASE DO NOT take pictures of "risque" stuff. If those pictures fall into the wrong hands it could really hurt our sport. Doing that really * people off, ruins the mood of the gathering, and gets you kicked out of parties. Have respect. Do not use copious amounts of flash at night, people understandably get annoyed. (BTW, Your flash only works for about 10 feet in front of you.) Use night settings w/o flash, or raise your ISO settings. Tripods are great at night if you feel like lugging one around. Also be aware of the photography rules, many camps, understandably so, do not allow photos at night.

When you get home, PLEASE go through your pictures and delete the blurry, unfocused, unflattering, bad/not so good shots before you upload! Quality over Quantity !!! All event photographers are welcome to join the Swordfighting Photographers Guild; http://www.facebook.com/groups/SwordTographers/ Includes photographers of all levels, from iPhoneographers to DSLRs. Questions are welcome and encouraged.

Please help out and volunteer at the event. If everyone ran a couple shifts of Troll/Security/Garbage pickup it would make things run so much easier for everyone.


Chaos Banner winners CW XX 2016

"Ask not what Belegarth can do for you, but what you can do for Belegarth"

Please thoroughly clean up your campsites. Do not leave cigarette butts or bottle caps on the ground. We are charged $1 for every piece of litter left on the ground after the event.

Don't be that guy !!

Thank you so much for reading this guide ! Be sure to share it with your friends and especially new attendants <3

Have an excellent time at Chaos Wars!


Dopp and Plithut
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Code of Conduct, please make sure you read & follow this !

Be sure to read the Official Chaos Wars website in entirety; http://www.chaoswars.org/

Especially the rules; http://www.chaoswars.org/rules/


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Skip to the Travel Guide for those of you driving from the Midwest

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I sadly erased much of the content from our beloved Hailey location. But I took screen shots for old times sake. They can still be viewed here; http://smg.photobucket.com/user/Crynoly ... t=9&page=1

Cryn, has anyone told you recently that you are beyond amazing?! That is the single most succinct and well thought out helpful post in the history of ever. You rock!

Thank you Cryn! Sticked.

Could you include a little info on the Banner?

Thanks I know a few Chaos Wars virgins who will be attending this year, so I wanted to make sure they had good information.

I'd love to add info on banner points. But I'm not really sure how it is working this year. If anyone in the know could write up a blurb about it I would be happy to add it, with credit where credit is due.

Added more pictures

Could we get the class schedule linked to this if it is ironed out? Might be a good thing for first timers to CW and events in general to see.

Good idea. I added a link to the classes thread. If it gets ironed out please let me know so I can add that as well

Cryn for MCS president!

noooooooooooooooooooooooo

Wow, thanks for putting this together. It has some awesome tips.

Crynolyn,
This is an AWESOME site. Thank you so much for putting it all together. We are not necessarily Chaos newbies, but the info is wonderful. Are you still looking for info on banners, heraldry, etc? I have some, if you are still looking. Just let me know.

Lady Rohana Morgaine McCullough

thanks cryn!

This is wonderful. Thanks a bunch. The check list is gonna save me from running around like a chicken with its head cut off the week before.

Cryn this is awesome! Thanks for putting this together.

Chaos Wars, where everything is done better.

I would add, talk to everyone. It is rare to have so many people that do this sport together at one time and place.

Travel Tips for those of you driving from the Midwest

Road Trip to Chaos Wars ? Here is some advice from my dozens of drives



If you have a smart phone I highly recommend downloading Gasbuddy ! Can save you up to a dollar a gallon in some towns !

This site is really helpful for calculating gas costs; http://gasbuddy.com/Trip_Calculator.aspx

Be mindful of the gas price listed on the sign vs the actual price per gallon on the pump itself. I have seen big gas stations (In Nebraska) have one pump with the low price on the sign, and the dozen other pumps set 50 cents higher per gallon ! Other places have separate prices for cash vs credit cards. Be observant to save yourself some moolah.

I also highly recommend this radar app; Radar Express. Don't try to drive through severe storms, stop at a rest area or truck stop until the red/orange/yellow passes. It only takes 6 inches of moving water to move a car, please be careful out there.

Check your tire pressure and air filter, they make a difference in gas mileage. It's also a good idea to get an oil change or even a tune up before a long trip like this.



Thrillist says this Iowa City diner is one of the best in the country; http://www.thrillist.com/venues/bluebird-diner-52245

I recently saw Dixie Quicks Cajun food featured on Diners, Drive In's and Dives. They're in Council Bluffs, Iowa. I haven't been here yet, but it's on my list

BrewBurgers in Omaha, NE has fried alligator bites with ginger sauce for an appetizer. They were also featured on "Diners, Drive In's, & Dives". I've been here and it's pretty good

Gas in Nebraska is [not as expensive this year] but it's still more than in Iowa. Nebraska is 454 miles long. If you are driving west down I-80, fill your tank all the way up at exit 1B in Iowa. Try to get all the way to North Platte, exit 177, which will be in 285 miles. Then drive a few miles into town and the gas is much cheaper than at the interstate. North Platte has a hokey "Fort Cody" with a bunch of old stuff from Buffalo Bill's Wild West show. A neat moving diorama. If your legs need a stretch it's worth a look https://www.fortcody.com/

In North Platte this sushi restaurant was pretty good; http://tempura-japanese-restaurant.business.site/

(North Platte also has a Mongolian BBQ that I haven't been to yet)

Put in enough gas to get to Burns, Wyoming; exit 386, which is about 200 miles away. All Burns has is a cheap truck stop, with a trucker bar and an Indian restaurant. Bizarre yes, but the gas is so cheap ! ( Don't ask for a microbrew at the bar, bartender makes an annoyed guttural sound. Also, don't drink & drive, I was a passenger )



Trip advisor app is also helpful.

Plan on stopping to eat when the sun is setting/rising. That's the most dangerous time of the day to be driving because of the limited visibility. And the sun in your face is just plain annoying. These times are also called "The Golden Hour" which are the best times to take photographs, maybe of your road trip crew and vehicle ?

Paxton, NE (exit 145) has a good old steakhouse called Ole's. Oldest liquor license around. It's from the day after prohibition was repealed. They have dead animals all over, so don't go if you're a vegetarian. There's a polar bear, elephant, camel etc. The original owner was a world traveling big game hunter. Thank you Tad for this recommendation.

Don't drink the water in or around Kimball in West NE (exit 20). There are unusually high cancer rates in the area from ground water contamination. Chemical incinerator there.

Audiobooks really help to keep your brain awake for the long haul. Especially overnight, when everyone is sleeping and the driver is the only one awake. I like to listen to them on headphones so the other passengers can get some sleep before their driving shift. I also like to bring earplugs and something to cover my eyes so I can sleep while someone else drives. Game of Thrones, Neil Gaiman, and Harry Potter are some of my personal favorite road trip books.

If you are making the trip with small children, don't be afraid to bring bribes. Hide new toys and bring them out sporadically along the trip. Light up toys for them to play with at night are great. Something that plays kids movies will be a godsend. Get a bigger memory card and load them onto your cell phone/tablet. Don't count on using the internet to watch movies because there will be dead spots along the way. Or check pawn shops for used portable DVD players. Let the kids run around at rest areas to get their "ya ya's" out Hand held video games are wonderful for older kids. The alphabet game is fun, you take turns looking for something that starts with each letter of the alphabet. Mad Libs can be hours of entertainment for older kids, and they are a sneaky lesson about adjectives. Cracker Barrel's will usually stock road games for children, like road bingo. Buy healthy snacks ahead of time at your grocery store. Gas stations do not have much to choose from. On a long road trip you want to avoid; sugars, red 40 and MSG, as they can create mood swings and hyperactivity in kids. Stock a cooler with fruits, vegetables, crackers, cheeses, etc.



When a car or truck has passed you and it's okay for them to come back into your lane, just blink your lights at them. Highway courtesy.

If you drive past a cop car; wait until they can't see you, and then blink your headlights at the oncoming traffic to warn them

Also, when passing a semi on the way up a hill, do not get directly over in front of him on the way down the other side. Semi's pick up speed pretty quick on the way down

I know it's common sense but I see it happen so often. If you are not passing, get back in the slow lane ! If you are driving the speed limit or lower, get out of the fast lane !

Most State line areas are speed traps. Anywhere that the speed limit drops. Construction zones as well. In West Illinois there is also one in the area where 80 splits off to 74. East Iowa around Council Bluffs, especially the sharp 55mph turn.

Rawlins, Wyoming (exit 215) has an *amazing* Thai restaurant; Anong's Thai. I highly recommend their soup. It's honestly the best Thai food I've ever had, the owner is a woman from Thailand.



Tom Kha soup is out of this world !

Anong's closes from 3pm to 5pm every day. If you find yourself there during this time I recommend visiting the Wyoming Frontier prison It's right up 5th street from Anong's. Place was built around 1901, it's haunted and creepy. The tours are every hour on the half hour, and cost $8. But they also have a museum you can check out for free.

Rock Springs has a Sushi place called Chopstix but they aren't cheap. Dragon rolls are great there. There's a brewery in downtown Rock Springs but it's not close to the highway and I don't recommend their beer.



Green River has an *excellent* Mexican restaurant called Mi Casita. Best Tamales I've ever had ! You can buy them frozen and keep them in a cooler for easy camping food. Chile Rellenos are also fantastic. Use exit 89 so that you can go through the tunnel on I-80. Thank you Dopp for the recommendation. Only problem is that they are closed on Sunday & Monday, so they aren't open on your way home




The western Little America gas station has some surprisingly fancy bathrooms for Wyoming. I recommend stopping here before highway 30 splits off from I-80. If a bus stops right before you, RUN to the bathrooms before the lines start

Please watch the speed limits in the small towns. Those cops are bored and just waiting for a speeding tourist to ticket

Hope you have a smooth trip ! See you at Chaos wars

excellent info cryn, and thank you for these informative tips!

Also music soothes you and does not stimulate your mind, listen to comedy, talk radio, book on cd anytime you may be tired to help you remain alert. If you are tired, pull over and let someone who is not drive, or take a few hour nap before resuming. Drowsy driving is as bad as drunk driving.

Hey Crynolyn i was looking to see when chaos was held usually and where and i wanted to know is it always at the same time?

Ok dude, you've been asked to use the search function and think before you post. Please stop. You're getting really annoying and you're asking **** that has been answered in a bunch of places multiple times. STOP posting without looking for it first. It makes you look dumb and frustrates us. I'm glad you're enthusiastic, I am, but take it down a notch. You're going to get ripped up here soon if you don't start acting like an intelligent human being.

To answer your question, yes, Chaos is pretty much always the last week of July. I don't know if we're going to have the ranch next year (fingers crossed!), but it will be in Idaho for sure. Dates for next year will likely be announced once we have the site nailed down. This year's Chaos ended literally a week ago, so it will be awhile before people start talking about next year too much.

I agree with Iggy though. Seriously dude, you remind me of my kid sister who never stops asking questions about things that she could figure out herself if she just paid attention for 10 minutes. Stop posting. Lurk more. You've been lucky to not have angered the trolls too much thus far, but don't push it.

ignatius i did use the search function i was searching for a very long time and i read thru the posts and i found this i just wanted to know when it was at and where. ive figured it out and im answering my own questions now. i dont really need to much help any more usually when i cant find a answer i ask.

Didn't even need to use the search function. It's the subtext of the Chaos Wars forums! Next time try less effort more thought



-Kraesh

oh...... yeah more thought got it. writing it on the inside of my eyelids

way to go you idiots. start a flame war in a useful thread.

what a waste.

This thread will be locked soon. I'll make a new one for next year's Chaos wars

Deadsnow; Did you read my initial post ? Because the info was all in there

yeah i read it. i just needed to know if it was at the same time every time.

Events are never going to be the exact dates from year to year. Even events that have been held the same weekend for 10 years can sometimes get changed due to availability of the site. You can usually assume that it will be around the same general time of year though.

thanks man i get thats its around the same time not exact and thanks for the noobie guide that was great.

This will be my first chaos and im so beyond excited, i cant wait to see you all there!

Release forms updated for Chaos Wars 17:

Minor waiver

ALL minors will require a notarized waiver for entry to Chaos Wars XVI. Ages 0-17. Most banks have free notarys on staff, but you might want to call ahead and ask.

Adult waiver

Updated for the "new" location. Please PM me if there is anything I should change or update.



PS. Some pictures from 2013; http://julieannad.smugmug.com/Swordfigh ... XVII-2013/

FYI, the information in this thread regarding ID requirements, waivers, etc. for minors/people needing chaperones is out of date.

I think I removed the outdated info from the old location. Let me know if you see any info that should be edited.

Pictures of Chaos Wars XX 2016 at Lake Walcott;

https://julieannad.smugmug.com/Swordfig ... Wars-2016/