Kit Guide

Kit is Aspirational

Everyone starts somewhere!

Jaeger’s expectations of kit are aspirational. No one is expected to have top tier, elevated costume and props, no matter how experienced a LARPer you may be. All that we ask is that you do not wear obviously out of character items of clothing, such as jeans or t-shirts. 

However, we also believe that ‘kit ends at the ankles’. Having the correct footwear for LARP is the one thing that we encourage all players to invest in. A sturdy pair of walking/military style boots that are well cared for will last you years of tough mud. Please do not wear trainers as these are not appropriate footwear.

Jaeger is very loosely based on 17th-18th Century Europe, and the fashions and technology of the era are therefore similar. There is a small element of gas lamp influence in style, but to go full steampunk is not appropriate for this setting. We do want to emphasise that this is a fantasy game, NOT historical re-enactment! Have fun with adding whimsical fantasy gothic elements to your kit! 

Each nation on the continent have their own variations of style and fashion, but the joys of being a Jaeger is that you generally follow a uniform style of practicality rather than national influence. Whilst the fashions may extend to gaudy gowns and cravats for the few and simpler britches and aprons for the many, Jaeger wear dark, hard wearing clothing that allow them to easily hunt in any weather, under any conditions. 

A Jaeger’s presence has been said to be imposing, often standing out against any crowd for their distinctive silhouettes that mark them as more than just your average commoner. Frivolity is not a necessity for a Jaeger, but most will have what others would consider a ‘socially acceptable’ form of dress for more formal events.

Check out @JaegerLARP on Pinterest for more inspiration!

Please be aware that this guide only focuses on costume, not footwear, weapons or props.

A Jaeger for Under £150

For this price range, it is likely that you'll only be getting the basics - which is absolutely fine and the best way to start! From here, in the future you can get a feel for your character and how you can later customise their kit to reflect their personality and skillset.

The biggest benefit of this range is that a lot of the kit will be usable in other LARP systems. Most of the items on this list are listed as "Men's", but they are basic enough pieces that would work for any gender presentation. 

At time of writing, we are using Amazon to create a quick, cheap but effective look:

*Even though this is a modern biker style garment, its cut combined with other items it becomes an ideal accompanying piece. 

This kit comes to £138.06. Of course, with some shopping around you'll certainly find deals and save some money, which would allow you to have more flexibility with what you purchase and allow for some personalisation.

Through experience, we find that budget kit described as "Medieval" or "Victorian" from Amazon tends to have thin, cheap fabric that won't keep you very warm and may look plastic-y. However, you can layer these with other, more authentic looking fabrics, and wear thermals underneath. 

Check at events where there are LARP traders, as they usually have far higher quality items that are still a reasonable price.

In addition, check your local charity shops! This would actually be our first port of call when making any new kit for any system. You may be surprised to see what you can find out there for a bargain. 

The "Van Helsing" for £250

Let's face it, the Hugh Jackman look from the 2004 cult classic is iconic and part of the foundation of Jaeger as a game. So let's make it!

The coat is, without a doubt, going to be the most expensive piece of kit for this budget range. Our focus is going to be buying the right coat, and then with what remains do the best we can. 

Van Helsing wears an adapted coachman style coat more recognisable in media set in the 18th-19th century (Poldark anyone?). A big bonus is a coat like this would count as wearing Light Armour.

On a search, a lot of halloween/party costumes come up. Ignore all of these, we want a coat of quality that will stand up to multiple events, with some potential bad weather thrown in. 

At the time of writing, both LARP Warriors and LARP Inn have Helsing inspired coats that fit the bill. 

LARP Warriors have both the "Larp Van Helsing Highwayman / Coachman Coat" and "Dark Brown Two Tone Highwayman / Coachman Van Helsing Coat" for £134. 

LARP Inn have the "Helsing Coat", which is the same as the above's brown two tone coat, for £134.99.

Altogether, this look comes to £247.98! 

It isn't a Van Helsing cosplay, but the inspiration is clear and suits the setting perfectly. As always, a bit of shopping around may turn up some bargains, for example, the Van Helsing costume actually has a cowl neck jumper instead of a shirt - you may be lucky to find something like that in a charity shop and save some money.

Historically Inspired Kit

You may decide that you want some more historically inspired kit to add to your arsenal, and that's fair enough! You may commission a maker such as Starkey Studios or White Rose Apparel for the job (or even someone from this excellent list of costume creators), or if you're adept with a sewing machine have a go with one of the many many many patterns out there. 

However, we want to make you aware that there are some off the shelf options out there too. They're pricey, but not as pricey as perhaps a fully custom piece would be. There are huge benefits to commissioning a piece, but we understand that cash isn't always the easiest to come by, let alone spend on fancy kit.

As a fantasy setting, you get the enjoyment of being flexible around time periods. Therefore, you don't need to strictly adhere to the 17th-18th Century fashions, and can borrow items from earlier and later periods as well. 

Old West style, whilst more modern than the setting, is also very appropriate for Jaeger due to its roots in hard practical homesteaders, this specific style is suitable only for Jaegers as players and would not be as a choice for common folk, who would adhere more toward European styles. Ursal is actually more 16th Century in its style, and Gaulois even earlier than that. In Bevany, the practicality of Industrial Revolution/Old West style worker clothing would be the norm. 

However, with later timelines in mind, revolvers do not exist in this universe, and cap revolvers are not suitable for the game. 

A lot of kit is likely to skew towards "Men's" clothes, but really it's all about what's practical and for a setting adjacent to the 17th-18th centuries, trousers are going to generally be people's top choice. However, in game NPCs are not going to be passing judgement on this - as the profession of being a Jaeger means that they expect a certain 'look' and trousers on women and femme folk will not be shocking. There are even Jaeger such as the "League of Extraordinarily Dressed Gentlefolk" who pride themselves on keeping up with the latest fashions in all the nations, whilst maintaining their reputation as excellent monster hunters.

In short, remember that this is a fantasy game first. Have fun and wear what makes you feel comfortable and allows you to be your best self, whilst also being a wicked cool monster hunter.

Boot Covers & Leg Wraps

We firmly believe that proper footwear is a critical component to enjoying LARP, but we also understand how you may want a look that involves a taller boot and the classic bucket top. You don't necessarily want to get boots like that though, as you don't want to trade in your reliable LARP boots. Authentic kit like that can also cost a small fortune.

Instead, you can look at making, buying or commissioning boot covers! These help achieve that higher topped shoe look without sacrificing your footwear. 

Most fancy dress shops carry bucket top style covers with a single thin elastic strap to hook under your shoe. We would recommend either replacing this with thicker elastic, or adding a second elastic so that they hold to your boots better. Adding a velcro strap may also be a good idea, if the calf is slightly too big or small and you need to adjust the sizing. 

Alternatively, you can also look at leather/faux leather riding gaiters that in terms of fit function the same way as the costume covers. The difference is that a gaiter is likely going to be a bit more expensive, but much harder wearing in the calves.

There are a number of tutorials online out there to make boot covers and gaiters. If you're crafty, they'd be worth checking out!

A cheap but also highly effective look is by using puttees (leg wraps), which apply to settings all the way from the Viking era to WWII. The supplier Having a LARP often carry them for only £10 and are a worthy investment. 

Adapting a Cheap Costume Piece

Sometimes, Halloween and other gimmicky garments can be adapted to create more appropriate pieces!

Head of the game, Becca, has done this with her witch kit. Over to her!

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With my character, I wanted to achieve a gothic aesthetic with undertones of of a ratty, swamp witch nature. The character looks fairly well put together, but on closer inspection you'd see the more unkempt nature, eluding to her real personality.

I first achieved this with a black peasant blouse, under bust corset, two different styles of skirt and a cheap, Victorian "Frock Coat" from a party shop. The frock is the focus here, as this was what required adapting most. 

In the image you can see the most glaring problem - a zip! The buttons are also cheap shank buttons that aren't functional. The fabric is incredibly thin so isn't warm, but the texture is good enough to pass as outerwear and is slightly water resistant. 

Overall, the coat is just cheap and shapeless garment. 

The first thing I did to fix this is cut out the zipped "waistcoat" to the lace edge. I didn't need the coat to close on its own, as I wanted the corset to show through and planned to use a belt to keep it in place.

Secondly, I hand sewed shoulder pads into the coat and a semi-circle piece of heavy cotton into the back between them, so that it had more of a coat structure at the top. Immediately, the coat looked significantly better!

By adding structure and removing the waistcoat, the outfit now has much more shape and definition. This isn't the completed look, but already such an improvement. 

You can definitely do the same when you're searching for your Jaeger kit. Don't be afraid of the cheap pieces, but be prepared to adapt them to make them look and function the way that you want.