The perfect packing list for a real D&D event – The 17 basics and 56 items for your inventory

No matter if linen shirt, leather pants, corset, dress or skirt – you need clothing that makes you into your character from head to toe. Keep in mind that many basic pieces may look only basic together. At least one special, stylish piece of clothing is advisable.

Feel free to raid your wardrobe or your carnival costume bin. If you want to invest some money, you can also look for dedicated shops like Mytholon, LARP-Fashion, Battlemerchant, Ritterladen or Burgschneider to invest in clothing.

If you want to sew yourself, you can find many free patterns online. Our author Sophia also likes to buy complex templates from Burda or on Etsy. Just make sure that the latter is not an AI-generated pattern.

In fact, it can get quite cold in the open field even during summer. Warm under garments, which do not have to be IT-compatible, are advisable. No one wants to come home with a cold from the event. Long undershirts, leggings, thick socks… everything is fair game.

Important: You can always remove the warm under garments. But for autumn and winter events and for cool summer evenings, layering is key.

Theoretically, the coat belongs to clothing. But because it is so essential, it gets its own entry.

A thick, heavy, waterproof coat not only gives your character a mysterious appearance but also serves the function of a raincoat, sun protection, and even a picnic blanket. Here, function matters more than appearance.

My standard gray coat with a hood has accompanied me faithfully for five years and shows no signs of fatigue. By now I do long for a different model, mostly because I want to move my arms more freely. But so far, it fulfills all its functions flawlessly, keeping me dry in the rain, warm in the cold, and my clothes clean when lying on the grass.

Depending on your character concept and what you feel like, you need some armor. Pay attention to what the event allows you: At the Festival of Dragons, for example, you need to earn points to be able to wear certain armor.

Possible armor materials: Fabric (e.g., gambeson), leather, chain mail, scale, or metal plate.

Possible armor pieces: Helmet, breastplate, shoulder pads, back protection, arm and leg protectors

As mentioned in the introduction: many simple basic pieces can also make your character look very basic. Accessories are your way to individuality! A belt around your waist or hips keeps your clothing together and can be adorned with pouches and weapon holders.

Chains, rings, bracelets made of fabric, with gemstones, or simply made of heavy metal give you character. Maybe you’ve joined a guild and have a banner to show? The eager audience guild sends its regards.

All of this can be summarized under the term “embellishments” – it’s everything that makes you unique.

A dedicated headgear for warm and cold days is always sensible. Nothing is worse than having your elaborately styled hairstyle ruined by a downpour or having the summer sun give you heatstroke. Straw hats, bonnets, berets, felt hats, turbans, a headscarf, or even a tricorne – there are so many options that there is something for everyone.

If you wear armor, you are usually protected by a helmet. It’s just important to keep in mind that metal can heat up quickly under direct sunlight.

Not every character may have make-up or war paint, but it’s always worth considering. For pirates, that could mean the Jack Sparrow stripes around the eyes. Amazons may wear more elaborate war paint. A lady from a fine house, on the other hand, may wear lipstick.

And the effect of martial painting when going into battle should not be underestimated either.

There’s little that can impact your enjoyment of LARP more than your footwear.

If you are at a relaxed event indoors or with a beer garden as an outdoor area, light shoes should be sufficient. Here, you can opt for medieval footwear or riding boots.

However, the moment you are at a big con with outdoor terrain and weather impact, your shoes need to do more than look good. The appearance gives way to a grippy sole, solid hold (even at the ankle), and water resistance. Of course, only if you want to do more than sit and stroll casually across the grass.

I personally have yet to find the holy grail in footwear. At my first events, I wore sturdy mountain boots that didn’t survive the terrain. I’ve already had to retire two pairs of more expensive shoes. At this point, I own beautiful riding boots whose soles detached at the last Festival of Dragons. A cobbler was able to save them, but it was still unpleasant.

For 2026, I am still looking for suitable boots. My LARP group has recommended me working boots from Haix or mountain shoes from Lowa. A friend mentioned that she was very happy with Dr. Martens.

After having successfully made it through the last battle with my worn-in Dr. Martens, they might be a good option for me. Especially since they also fit my character visually, unlike Haix and Lowa.

… and remember to pack spare shoes. Don’t be like me. Pack spare shoes.

If you want to be able to defend yourself in LARP, you can use your fists. But of course, it is much cooler to be equipped with a fancy weapon. Be it a dagger, sword, war hammer, pistol, or rifle – depending on the setting and character, you have many different weapon types to choose from.

But it’s important to pay attention to LARP compatibility. For example, swords and daggers should feature a foam blade wrapped around a core rod. The core rod should not be used for stabbing. Stabbing weapons are also made of foam but lack a core for stability.

Firearms don’t need to be made out of foam. If they are not, you should only pretend to hit someone with it. Here, it’s much more important to have cool effects to simulate the shot – be it with a sound effect or even artificial smoke.

For bows and arrows, check if your event has restrictions on bow draw weight. Also, make sure the tips of your arrows are sufficiently padded. It’s also a good idea to mark your arrows with color so you can find them again after the battle.

LARP weapons can be purchased. The shops linked under clothing all have a selection. However, if you’re crafty, you can also make a weapon yourself.

Drink plenty of water. This applies in real life, and it applies at LARP. You move around a lot and will sweat. Nothing is less fun than ending up with the medics due to dehydration.

So, it’s best to always have a water container with you, from which you can drink. Alternatively, you can also disguise and take a plastic bottle with you.

If you want to be fancy, you can even hang a cup or horn on your clothing (for example, with a carabiner directly on your belt). Both can be filled with liquid at the water faucet or at the bar with a drink of your choice.

But in the end: always have a non-alcoholic drink on your person to keep yourself hydrated.

You will have some things with you for which you will need a bag. Whether it is your mobile phone, keys, ticket, real and LARP money, or even alchemical potions or ingredients. Therefore, it is worthwhile to invest in a bag that matches your clothing.

I personally have a medieval purse, a belt pouch, and a kidney bag hanging on my belt. This way, I always have everything well stored.

In theory, a plain tote bag without advertisements would suffice. Of course, one can also spend more money here, whether on a real adventurer’s backpack or drink holder. My recommendation would be to look at your own budget and perhaps simply sew a few bags into the clothing itself.

Only with a ticket can you go to the event. Once you’ve shown it on-site, you can probably lose, destroy, or frame it. Depending on your preference.

But you should definitely have it packed.

Often, mobile reception at LARP sites is quite poor. For emergencies, to send home friendly messages or just to look something up, you should have your smartphone with you.

Always carry your OT wallet with your ID and possibly other cards for insurance and a little cash with you. For emergencies.

In general, you should always take your house key with you when you leave your home. At LARP, it’s enough to store it safely in your bag. At large events, I usually leave it in the car.

Depending on your preferred mode of travel, you should of course have your car key or your train or bus ticket with you.

It’s always a good idea to carry some snacks with you. Whether to bridge the time between lunch and dinner or to prevent hypoglycemia due to too much movement. Granola bars, chocolate, nuts… have a snack of your choice readily available.