There are two major competitions that take place at Woodsmoke Rendezvous each year. Each troop in attendance is responsible for bringing two prizes to the Scribe upon arrival at Woodsmoke, and these prizes are distributed to the winners of the “Best Campsite” and “Best Clothing” competitions.
During the weekend, selected members of the Woodsmoke Brigade will evaluate the campsites and clothing of all the units at Woodsmoke in terms of how true they are in spirit to the Rendezvous period in American history. The rankings from the Brigade judges are used to award first choice of prizes on the prize blanket after the Sunday morning flag raising and worship service. The information provided below is intended to help units understand the “game” so they can know how to compete.
CAMPSITE
Much of the fun at Woodsmoke comes from leaving the 21st century behind and seeing what you can do without the support of modern technology.
To score well, remember these things in your campsite! |
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| Things to Bring to Woodsmoke | Things to Leave at Home! |
| Candle lanterns (but keep them out of tents!) | Flashlights/gas or propane lanterns |
| Wood and charcoal cooking fires | Gas or propane stoves |
| Axes/Crosscut saws | Chain Saws |
| Lean‑to shelters, tipis, baker tents | Nylon tents |
| Handmade gadgets & tables | Modern equipment |
| Dutch ovens and other cast iron cookery | Aluminum pots & pans |
| Musical instruments | Radios, cell phones, electronic devices |
| Bed rolls or sleeping bags (covered during the day) | Uncovered sleeping bags |
Note: We want everyone to sleep warm. Bring plenty of blankets or cover your sleeping bag with a wool blanket during the day.
CLOTHING
Clothing at Woodsmoke doesn’t need to be fancy ‑ frontier and Indian clothing looked good worn any way, and nobody worried about whether or not the participants got dirty.
To make things easier, see the list below of pluses and minuses in Rendezvous clothing. Judging goes right up to the time prizes are awarded, so period clothing must be worn the entire weekend, including Sunday. morning formation
| Clothes to Wear at Woodsmoke | Clothes to Leave at Home! |
| Leather boots, belts, or moccasins | Tennis shoes |
| Wool socks | Short pants, blue jeans |
| Wool or corduroy pants | Athletic hats or uniforms |
| Long pants | Plastic belts |
| Suspenders | Tee shirts, athletic team shirts |
| Long coat over other clothing
Long sleeve shirts (cotton, flannel, wool – no synthetics) |
Windbreakers (zippered jackets worn on outside) |
Welcome to Woodsmoke Rendezvous! 