Our Home Faire is about 1 hour and 20 minutes from where we live,
so we drive from home on Saturday morning.
But we don't go out or plan anything for Friday night before because we're too busy packing the car and going over the list to make sure we don't forget anything.
Do you pack/load the night before?
I get everything but the cooler packed and set by the back door on Friday night then try to stay out of earshot on Saturday morning while DH tries to cram everything in the trunk. ::)
No, the day before, since at least 1/2 the time I'm driving 6 hours one way, meaning I leave early afternoon Friday in order to be well-rested for opening gate.
Dayna
It always depends. Sometimes we leave early Friday and so we pack the car up on Thursday night (or leave early Saturday and pack the car up Friday night). Other times we have to wait to leave until after work/school (when we were in school) and we were carpooling, so we threw all our things into the car and left at midnight Friday lol
The night before Faire I stay out late and drink responsibly, then come home and drink irresponsibly, so I can be on my best behavior the next morning. I have a 40 minute drive and I travel light so no worries there.
Well, it depends on which faire we are going to and whether we are just going for the day, staying in a hotel, motel or with friends or if we are camping!
This weekend we are going to Scarby and staying in a motel, so tonight will be spent packing everything up and putting by the front door so it's ready to go. Then, tomorrow we will load everything up into the truck and drive 3-1/2 hours to Waxahachie where we will be meeting up with Teach and Trinn at the motel and who knows what we will do after that! ;)
When camping at TRF we start packing the weekend before and finish up the night before by putting the rest of our stuff in the truck and driving up to Plantersville. Then time is spent putting up the tent, putting all our gear away and visiting with friends. ;D
If we are just going to TRF for the day we get our stuff ready the night before so all we have to do is get in the truck Saturday morning and go!
It's a little over an hour to Scarborough, so I make sure all of my garb and things are ready when I get home from being out/before I go to bed on Friday night.
My home fair is MiRF and we camp for the weekend. Can't really call it "camping" anymore as last year we started taking a motor home! :P
I usually take Thursday thru Tuesday off for Opening Weekend. Drive 3 hours downstate to my parents (who watch the baby), pack the motor home up Thursday night/Friday morning. Head out Friday afternoon, get to the camp site early friday evening, set up "camp", drink, eat and be merry!!
Hit the gates Saturday morning!!
For me, the first faire of the season is in a week.
I've been packed for a month.
I'm not overly excited. Nope. Never.
Tonight (thursday) we will pack the and sort the garb and mundanes for the trip and leave it in the 'loading zone" (a.k.a. the living room floor)...in the morning (Friday) I will pack the car while the wife gets herself up and functioning, then we drive, stay the night, and hardly sleep in anticipation of Saturday morning!!!
That's for scarby...for TRF, sometimes I have the car packed before, it all depends on how much time we can get off.
I try to but it never works out that way. Usually I try & have the kids pack the snacks the night before & get their clothes picked out & all that but more often than not I'm trying to get everything to fit in the 'Magic Elephant Bag' from Gypsy Wings while DH is saying 'We need to leave in 5 minutes if we're going to make opening cannon!'.
I do, however, obsessively plan the days each weekend we're at Faire. I've got the final weekend totally planned out so we can visit all our favorites & get in all the shopping we need. When we visit CRF in a few months I will have a plan from gate opening to closing. I must have a plan.
No, we pack 5 mins before we leave and while we are on the road we always remember some thing we forgot and we just have to do without unless it was the FoF passes :o
Quote from: Ottheinrich on May 23, 2008, 08:09:48 AM
No, we pack 5 mins before we leave and while we are on the road we always remember some thing we forgot and we just have to do without unless it was the FoF passes :o
I do the samething. It's why I have a dozen mugs.
I try to pack the car the night before I leave, except for the stuff I'm using in the morning. This time around though, it didn't happen until about 4:00 this morning, when I got up extra early to get it done. A lot of stuff stays in the car (belt, pouches, shoes) in between times, that way I'm less likely to forget something important.
I'm only like 30 mins. from MDRF, how lucky? Start putting out clothes on thurs., double check on fri. get bag ready, out the door sat. am, I'm so excited already. :D
It varies year to year but some things are stable. Ie, I still shoot film, so I tend to buy about 32 rolls, at around $10/4, weeks before the faire. Camera supplies I try to keep topped off, but now that I have started digital, that is going to take some more planning.
Since it is something of an endurance run, (6 hours of travel, 9-12 hours of faire, 2 hours wakeup), I try to have a steak meal the night before and get lots of sleep. Also the night before, review of the intel data: how to get there, road conditions getting there, who I expect to see, their names, any recent email with them, and such. So far, however, there have been many more people that I have photographed consistently than I know on sight, so talking with people is still rather low.
Find the essential garb pieces and place them to ensure I have them. This isn't much but it is vital to my fantasy. I have one of two watches I like, a digital calculator one and an analog pilot's watch (lots of dials)....the kind of thing a time traveler might have. I have a llama wool parka for cold or rain I can wear, draped over me, the camera, like a saddle blanket.
This last trip, I could only find one black boot, the kind I always wear. After a few minutes of futile searching, I decided, "What the heck? It is my fantasy; only I will know it, therefore, I can rewrite it a little." So I went with tan boots and a tan hat instead.
Managed to get it all together, the cats taken care of, to get out the door for the three hour trip to make the opening cannon.
Doncha know? You learn things how to do it better the next time. I had sunblock this time but lost it at the faire, so next time, carry more. Had a camera strap break but had two housings, so I was able to make do, but next time, carry back up straps.
I went this time thinking about getting boots for garb, but decided against that and got figurines instead. The garb transistion is still in a plan but still up in the air but maybe someday .............
It really depends on whats being done - my home faire is 2 and a half hours away and some weekeneds I can only make 1 day and others both and we setup camp.
If we are going to be camping out for the weekened then I absolutely pack the night before and usually wake up early to double check again ;D
If its for the day....I just look to see what I'm wearing and I'm A-OK to go lol
With my experiances on cast (early call time!) there seems to be this balance between being completely ready and getting as much sleep as possible. There was a time when I used to sleep in my shifts and knickers and layer my clothes in my bin in order of me putting them on so there'd be as little fumbling as possible.
Which is why camping/rooming with nobles sucks. Although once (albeit, at the end of run) I managed to get so quick that I could get the Lady Mayor of Hollygrove together from underpinnings to baubles in ten minutes.
This is also why camping with guys suck. For as you spread your foundation evenly in the dim light of the room they slumber on for twenty more minutes. Ack.
We keep our TRF gear packed ALL YEAR LONG waiting the event! This year, we had to unpack a bit of it to go to Scarby. We camp, so when TRF is over, we clean/repair/replace and re-pack everything except for the food. I'll get that together the week before, throwing it, the wood and the ice chest into the truck ('cause the trailer already has a tarp tied over it) on a Thursday night (Wednesday if its Thanksgiving weekend). My daughter and I (at least) leave out Friday morning -- no school for her on fest Fridays! -- so as to arrive in time to set up camp during the heat of the day (It's Texas, if the sun is shining, it's hot) and get dinner going before everyone else arrives after work. (Unless Zaubon's cooking, then we just kick back and relax).
So, now Scarby's over, we'll clean the garb and start packing for TRF. NOW!!!!
Twas the night before faire and everything is ready. KYHRF is only a half hours drive. Now it is almost 2 in the morning and i cant sleep!!! I feel like the guy in the Disney World commercial who is too excited to sleep. Yay Faire!!!
I've actually been known to pack everything for a travel faire at least three days in advance, doing the slow collection method, making sure I have everything. I'm a notorious ditz, and am always forgetting things, and this past Faire was no different (this time it was a bra....I wasn't planning to wear mundanes!!!). But I'm getting better.
For the home Faire, though it's much easier, as most of my closet is filled with my garb anyway, I just get dressed like it's any other day....lol. Pick which garb to wear, then hop in the car and head the 15 minutes to site. HUZZAH!
I am well organized for faire. Most stuff gets unpacked and washed then re-packed to go again! Say faire- I am ready! The Meowmobile is usually all packed and ready to go to TRF- a 2 hour drive. Can I start now? Sigh. Sad Scarby is over. I was so lucky to have driving help to that faire! Hugs!
During TRF season I just keep everything packed in the truck's back seat. All but the kilts, anyway... I like to wear them during the week, and they need cleaning and/or ironing periodically. Otherwise, I've got everything in a Cedar chest ready to go(gotta keep the wool safe, ya know?).
I love shocking townies with the kilt; I think it's rather hilarious!
I guess mine all depends on who I'm going with. XD
ORF's only about 45 minutes from me (though I -have- made it in 30 *grin), so my general Faire routine is to put everything with the garb I'll be wearing. This is the first year, though, that I'll -really- have a decision to make. XD I loop the pouch, belt, stockings, and anything else I want onto the same hanger as the skirts I'll be wearing. Most of the time, I even put my shoes in a bag so that I don't have to search for them in the morning, as I'm notorious for losing shoes. I have my makeup and sunblock all lined up on the bathroom counter, sunblock goes on -before- I get dressed. If I'm doing anything with my hair, I practice it a couple of times in advance so that I can get a routine down.
My trip to KYHRF will be a bit different, as it's nearly three hours away. We'll still leave Saturday morning, but because I'm a little...hyper...we'll probably end up leaving a good half hour before we really need to. I'll be worried about traffic and stopping at a rest area (me? in a car for three hours and -not- having to use the restroom? HA! Never gonna happen). I think we're planning on being mostly garbed on the way there, we'll probably just get all laced up once we get to the site, though.
There's also the ORF invasion and Castleteer gatherin' this year. I'll have to pack some for that, as I'll be at ORF for two days, and spending the night somewhere other than my home. xD
The most complicated "Faire Day" for me is always the day we go for my birthday (usually Sunday of closing weekend). I get up around 6:30 or 7 (generally after drinking and chattering with my friends for half the night), take a shower, make a hearty breakfast (with plenty of noise to wake the living room sleepers up!), which always involves potatoes o'brien, and usually includes Eggy-in-a-Basket or French Toast, with veggie sausage, but sometimes actual bacon. While I'm cooking, other people either shower or start getting ready, and at least one person always goes out to get coffee for everyone. Once we've eaten, we all get laced up (which causes some adjustments later in the day!), made up, presents from my hubby opened, and into a general sort of organization. Then, it's out the door by 9:15. Three minutes down the road, we almost always stop at the gas station to get more coffee or soda, then we're really off.
Er.../rambling!
Sometime before Saturday I need to get out all the shoes and belts and go over them with saddle soap.
Then I need to make of list for packing the car, hopefully before we start packing the car.
LOL.
This thread reminded me that I need to make sure the 'Magic Elephant Bag' or 'MEB' is fully stocked (baby wipes, band-aids, Tylenol) & all our stuff (mugs, FOF pins, etc) are ready. I must be prepared!
We collect our stuff on thursday afternoon....go to bed....wake up, pack the cars, go to school....come home eat lunch put the dogs in the car and head out. We're on site by 5pm on friday evening :D
Tonight I get to go home and load up the car!
(must fill flasks with brandy first)
We have a "Launch Pad" It is where we keep the keys and bags. Basically it is specific area that is for us to have on hand when we "launch"out the door every morning. This way we are not forgetting anything. We also lay out our clothing each day (well try to). Normally my guy doesn't like doing that but not on a faire day Oh no.... He has his boots shined and at the launch pad, his pouch is packed and at the launch pad. His hat is on a hook , at the launch pad. His garb is hung up neatly right inside the closet door. My garb is in it's tub, and my boots are cleaned, and in the tub. My hat is at the door, and my pouch will be packed soon as my day is over.
When sleep and getting to opening cannon is on the line you plan ahead.
Ooooo... baby wipes, I wonder if I can fit those into one of my many pouches. Those would be so hand in faire. ::plots::
And two years, some things have changed while others have not. My time traveling outfit has been replaced with garb (except the boots and hat but they are something similar). The camera loadout has seriously dropped now that I've gone digital; no longer is the bag filled with film but a few small electronic components and the telephoto/superflash camera around my neck.
But all said, I still don't load up till morning. Primarily because there is too much support equipment to leave in the car over night. I take everything I need to support the DSLR in the field. Battery charging only takes minutes, so that is saved till morning. I'll flush the memory cards in the morning as well. I still do carry the film camera in an old back pack that I keep as backup in the car. Throw in a spare pair of boots as well, spare garb. Scarby is on the route to my Mom's, so I stop there on my way back.....with my laundry. There are things like the car's "bail out" bag (survival kit) that isn't loaded up till morning. Essentially, I don't load up till morning because I don't want to tempt a car thief.
Last week, was the first Scarby trip, so things got very hectic; this is the second one, hopefully, things, now found, will go much smoother in a few hours.
We went to closing weekend of Middlefaire. I have started to think of that as a practice run for TRF.
Like, Oh Fresca, I forgot to fix the frayed stitching on that pouch!
Six months is a little too long between faires. You get out of the habit of remmebering everything that needs to be gathered and fixed, cleaned, etc.
We always load up the night before and are on the road by 6 am (our faire is about an hour and a half away as well). We stop off at a little place in Jordan for breakfast and then on to the faire! :)
I am not a morning person, soooooo....the best I can do is get dressed before I collapse again in the vehicle. ;D
Night before - Oh God...
1) round up all instruments and cases, lay them out
2) round up all sound equipment and lay that out
3) round up all the garb and lay that out
4) Check airline connections and make sure that the flyee knows WHAT TIME THE FLIGHT IS!
5) load the Hellion with sound equipment and garb, but not instruments, the night before
6) Morning of - load instruments, black powder and road eaties; got to airport and pick up flyee
7) Raise the masts on the Hellion
8) Drive, drive drive..... up to 12 hours for some Faires.
So how many people are in panic mode because Sherwood is 3 weeks from opening?
THREE WEEKS?!?!? ARE YOU SURE?!?!?
Dang! It IS getting close! Guess I'd better polish my wand...
HEY! Get your mind out of the gutter!!
Our routine starts usually on the Tuesday or Wednesday before heading to Faire, finding, locating and gathering garb and equipment required for the magical trip. Try to have everything we need for a weekend away for m'lady and I, as well as everything we need for the two little ones, loaded in the truck by Thursday, and kept in the garage. Friday morn, load the snacks, picnic lunch, drinks and toys required for the now 5-6 hour trip (used to be around 4 hours, but now a stop for a meal and run around burn off energy time is required) to either of Sterling, Great Lakes or Michigan. Gather the caravan of vehicles (depending on the number of people making the pilgrimage) and head out on the highway.
Get to the hotel/motel, check in, figure where we are going to eat dinner, get the little ones to bed (ever try to convince an excited two year old to go to sleep in a hotel room when you aren't going to bed yet?).
Next morning, heard the cats into their cars , get to Faire for opening and hope that the ale or cider is ready to flow somewhere.