Andy: Soft Kit



Andy's soft kit was made from a variety of materials, including linens, wool, heavy cotton duck, and oilcloth. He used very simple patterns, particularly on garb, explaining that a dunedain living in exile for long periods would prefer a simple garment.

=Cloaks= Andy made two cloaks; a full-length wool cloak, and a half-length "watch cloak".

=Tunics and hoods= andy always presented the idea that it is easier to darken than lighten one's clothing for camouflage purposes, and for this reason tended towards pale, faded colors that could be darkened as needed in the field. He also explored the use of the hood to this end.



=boots= footwear is considered by all to be the most critical and important part of a Ranger's kit, for stability and comfort. Andy made a few custom pairs of boots, at least one for himself, possibly two, and at least one pair for a fellow ranger, the late Paul Champagne. No patterns exist for these boots, as the uppers were 100% his own design, but the lower portion, which covers the foot itself, was derived from instructions for making leather shoes from an out-of-print book titled "Crafting handmade shoes" by sharon raymond. Andy's first boots were made from deer-tanned cowhide and lined with pigskin. His subsequent pairs do not reference materials.



=pack/rucksack= Tolkien mentioned backpacks liberally, and andy made up his mind that a ranger would make ample use of such an easy way to transport his material to a base camp.

=Bedroll= Andy's ground cloth consisted of a piece heavy cotton duck/canvas with an oilcloth "pouch" stitched onto it. This pouch could be left as is in warm weather, or stuffed with leaves, shearling, a wool blanket, pine needles, or other suitable materials to insulate the ranger as needed during colder weather.