Comitatus Wall Walk III

[John Conyard]

Jamie uses his shield to sleep on.

At Hastings he was clever. He carried it so he would be easy to identify on the photos. And it worked. My red and blue kite shield is almost invisible. Now Robert, look at the way we are all in close order with shields overlapping!

Let me please make a plea for people to try and do period walks in authentic shoes. It may seem less comfortable, something you need to get used to. But the marches are meant to be a test of equipment and how well you work in your kit. You will get more comfortable within your clothing if you wear it for real. And if you think your kit will fall apart, then you need to get better equipment! If learning to make simple footwear with thick nailed soles is the only way of doing a walk, then give it a go. Over the course of a standard weekend you'll probably be walking 10-20 miles anyway, so your standard re-enactment shoes will cope.


If you can make your own shoes there is no reason to use modern boots on reconstructed walks. I appreciate some beginners