Preparing for your first Immersion Event Part 1 : What is Immersion?

    

     There's many types of reenacting. The most common is the event based reenactment. Usually put on by a historic site or organization complete with food vendors, sutlers and merchants and a military encampment. There are demonstrations throughout the day for school kids and the general public, a battle at 2 O'Clock and that's a wrap. Do that for 2 days, pack up and go home and await the next event. This can be great. The bonds and the friendships made at that style of event is really wonderful.

    The drawbacks to events like that can be that one doesn't get a fully immersive experience. The public is all around you in modern clothing, the parking lot can be seen and sometimes even marched through to get to the battle and modern visitors centers sit next to the site. This is fine if you understand what you're getting yourself into. But for those who want a more in depth experience, there's an alternative option. The Immersion event or tactical. 

    Tacticals and immersive events have been going on since the 1970s with groups doing canoe trips, pack ins and various other hunting and trekking style camps. In the 90s Historical Trekking was all the rage and even had a forum run by On the Trail and Muzzleloader Magazine publisher, Jason Gatliff. Mark Baker and John Curry led and did dozens of immersive treks. Nathan Kobuck, keeper of the oracles of the backcountry, hosted several tacticals. Doc Shaffer's fort in Northeast Ohio has been host to many immersive French and Indian War immersion events. 

    Unlike the normal public attended reenactment, immersion events usually have a scenario or objective, but rarely a decided outcome. Usually there will be an impression agreed upon, guidelines drawn up and followed closely. The two sides will do their best to complete some kind of objective while interacting with the opposing force in a sort of war game. Casualties are done on an honor system. If you know you've been overtaken, give ground. If you'r outnumbered or maneuvered, give ground. 

    The goal of the immersion event is simple: have fun and experience a small taste of military or civilian life in the 18th century. What was it like to be a soldier on the march, to carry your knapsack and food on your back, rifle in hand. To bivouac in a field. It can be a real learning experience that gives you another level of understanding and appreciation for our forefathers. 

    Over the course of the next several posts we will be outlining how to prepare for an immersion. What should you bring and what should you avoid. What will you eat? How will you stay warm? All these questions and more will be answered!