Battle of the Nations costs
This little blurb totals up the
miscellaneous expenses involved in getting to Europe and fighting in the
Battle of the Nations. The intent is so that future combatants know
what to expect.
Flight to national practice: $300
Accommodations at practice $100
Bardiche blade: $230 (Casey is raising funds to help with this)
Cab from the airport to hotel in Warsaw: $20
Team transportation in Poland: $100
Passport renewal: $115 (includes photos)
Plane ticket: $1000
Hotel: $613 (I'm staying after the festival, there are cheaper options)
Shields: $100
Boots: $65
Team surcoat: $120 (Still don't have the total from Ben)
Hafts: $40 (For 2 great axes and two hand axes)
Axe blade: Free (was a gift from Brion Porter, and came with a haft)
Weapon steel: $30 (I want to use harder alloys next time, so this will go up)
Armour steel: $120 (For a new body harness and gorget)
Soft kit: Free (Already had most of it, some additional was donated.)
Power converter: $34
Armour bag: $65
Food and misc expenses: $200
Extra baggage fees: $100
Gym membership: $300
Insurance: $80
Shipping hafts: $43 (bundling hafts with other team mates reduces extra bag fees)
Total: $3775
Most of my armour already works for this kind of fighting, which allows me to keep using my regular legs, arms, and helmet. I'm an armourer, so I can build and customize my own equipment, saving a lot of money. I've had a decent gambeson for years that I just don't need in SCA combat. All of this gear may get chewed up, depending on how much impact it protects me from. Hafts break, helms dent, etc. The only things I'm confident can be used again are the weapons, the soft kit, the power converter and the passport.
With good planning and leaning on more existing resources I think the total cost can be substantially reduced. You could argue the gym membership could be excluded, though I've gotten a lot out of it in terms of strength, conditioning and attitude that makes me better prepared. The armour bag I selected is really a golf bag, which, legend has it, tends to not get fined as bad as many bags for being over weight.
One interesting number- If we did this in Texas, and I subtract all the stuff related to the travel, my expenses would be more like $1270. That seems like a great reason to make a domestic version of this contest, doesn't it?
Flight to national practice: $300
Accommodations at practice $100
Bardiche blade: $230 (Casey is raising funds to help with this)
Cab from the airport to hotel in Warsaw: $20
Team transportation in Poland: $100
Passport renewal: $115 (includes photos)
Plane ticket: $1000
Hotel: $613 (I'm staying after the festival, there are cheaper options)
Shields: $100
Boots: $65
Team surcoat: $120 (Still don't have the total from Ben)
Hafts: $40 (For 2 great axes and two hand axes)
Axe blade: Free (was a gift from Brion Porter, and came with a haft)
Weapon steel: $30 (I want to use harder alloys next time, so this will go up)
Armour steel: $120 (For a new body harness and gorget)
Soft kit: Free (Already had most of it, some additional was donated.)
Power converter: $34
Armour bag: $65
Food and misc expenses: $200
Extra baggage fees: $100
Gym membership: $300
Insurance: $80
Shipping hafts: $43 (bundling hafts with other team mates reduces extra bag fees)
Total: $3775
Most of my armour already works for this kind of fighting, which allows me to keep using my regular legs, arms, and helmet. I'm an armourer, so I can build and customize my own equipment, saving a lot of money. I've had a decent gambeson for years that I just don't need in SCA combat. All of this gear may get chewed up, depending on how much impact it protects me from. Hafts break, helms dent, etc. The only things I'm confident can be used again are the weapons, the soft kit, the power converter and the passport.
With good planning and leaning on more existing resources I think the total cost can be substantially reduced. You could argue the gym membership could be excluded, though I've gotten a lot out of it in terms of strength, conditioning and attitude that makes me better prepared. The armour bag I selected is really a golf bag, which, legend has it, tends to not get fined as bad as many bags for being over weight.
One interesting number- If we did this in Texas, and I subtract all the stuff related to the travel, my expenses would be more like $1270. That seems like a great reason to make a domestic version of this contest, doesn't it?
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