Reflections on Reenacting - Ep.134

At the age of just 31 Gunter Rapp already has 20 year of reenacting under his belt. Starting out with Colonial Period living history at 11 years of age he then moved onto American Civil War and was for a long time a well known face amongst East Coast German Reenactors too. Now based in California he joins Chris to talk about what it was like to be a part of the hobby at such a young age, how he has got into the militaria business  and predicts that the Vietnam War could be the next big development within reenacting.....

Ever find that some original tems are impossible to locate or way out of your budget  but buyer demand is so small that reproduction vendors simply don't stock..... ? In this episode Chris is joined by Tim Nott of Second Battle Group in the UK to talk about how to fabricate at home some of those hard to find items that can often add an extra dimension to reenacting - plus Tim gives  a review of one of the biggest annual reenacting events in the UK , Military Odyssey, which took place last weekend A big thank you to everyone who supports the podcast via Patreon - we appreciate every donation, no matter how big or small, and your regular contributions really do keep the show on the air. You can sign up for as little as $5 a month to unlock regular exclusive content! https://www.patreon.com/reenactorpodcast  .          

The wearing of Medals and Awards is often a hot button topic amongst reenactors. In this, the latest in his series of deep dives, Rudi Lange looks at Assault and Close Combat Awards and tackles the thorny question of if they should be worn within the hobby. The book that Rudi references and recommends towards the end of the episode is... "The Face of Courage : The 98 Men Who Recieved the Knight's Cross and the  Close-Combat Clasp in Gold" (Stackpole Military History) A big thank you to everyone who supports the podcast via Patreon - we appreciate every donation, no matter how big or small, and your regular contributions really do keep the show on the air. You can sign up for as little as $5 a month to unlock regular exclusive content! https://www.patreon.com/reenactorpodcast  

In this episode Chris is joined by Adam Bednar from 5.Kp GD and Casey Sill from Fox Company, 101 Airborne to talk about a new late war event taking place in Iowa in October and how creating constructive dialogue and collaboration with Allied units leads to better outcomes at events.  For more information on the Iowa event please visit the link below.... https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1Eyg7DGitS/?mibextid=wwXIfr A big thank you to everyone who supports the podcast via Patreon - we appreciate every donation, no matter how big or small, and your regular contributions really do keep the show on the air. You can sign up for as little as $5 a month to unlock regular exclusive content! https://www.patreon.com/reenactorpodcast          

Christopher Smead from Missouri, is now in his  42nd year of reenacting and first attended Weldon Springs way back in 1983. Thanks to a reenacting career that has spanned British , Russian, German and even Japanese Christopher has a unique perspective on the hobby and we know you are going to enjoy his take on how some things have changed, whilst others have stayed the same …. A big thank you to everyone who supports the podcast via Patreon - we appreciate every donation, no matter how big or small, and your regular contributions really do keep the show on the air. You can sign up for as little as $5 a month to unlock regular exclusive content! https://www.patreon.com/reenactorpodcast

In 2024 Australia introduced a new Prohibited Symbols Act which includes a ban on the public display, sale and trade of original or reproduction items which carry the Hakenkreuz or SS runes. There are exemptions in place if the items are used for "educational, artistic, academic or scientific purposes" but the wording of the legislation is vague - leaving Australian reenactors in a difficult position. In this episode Chris talks to Craig, a long time reenactor from Australia, about the impact that the new law is having on the hobby there.  For more information on Craig's unit please click the link below.... https://www.facebook.com/share/19HkoomukR/?mibextid=wwXIfr A big thank you to everyone who supports the podcast via Patreon - we appreciate every donation, no matter how big or small, and your regular contributions really do keep the show on the air. You can sign up for as little as $5 a month to unlock regular exclusive content! https://www.patreon.com/reenactorpodcast                

Last year we previewed a new event planned for 2025 that focused on France in Summer 1940. In this episode Chris catches up with Dylan Williams to hear how the event went and whether it is set to become a regular fixture in the Mid-West reenacting calendar. For more details on the Fall Gelb event please follow the link below  https://www.facebook.com/groups/811572074264109 A big thank you to everyone who supports the podcast via Patreon - we appreciate every donation, no matter how big or small, and your regular contributions really do keep the show on the air. You can sign up for as little as $5 a month to unlock regular exclusive content! https://www.patreon.com/reenactorpodcast   Read More  

They say that travel broadens the mind but does it also bring another dimension to reenacting? In this episode Chris talks about how, for him, trips to Europe are not just about visiting historic sites and former battlefields - they are about searching out or experiencing at random the very essence of a place and the part it played in the Second World War , from the awe inspiring to the mundane......all of which you can use to enhance your reenacting when you return home. A big thank you to everyone who supports the podcast via Patreon - we appreciate every donation, no matter how big or small, and your regular contributions really do keep the show on the air. You can sign up for as little as $5 a month to unlock regular exclusive content !  https://www.patreon.com/reenactorpodcast  

Monty's Men is a reenactment event that takes place every two years and aims to  portray the closing days of World War Two in Europe. This year the event took place in the Netherlands  and podcast regular Ludwig Topf attended. In this episode he talks to Chris about how the event went and shares his thoughts on whether the correct balance between a convincing lived experience and a combat or tactical scenario can ever be achieved....... A big thank you to everyone who supports the podcast via Patreon - we appreciate every donation, no matter how big or small, and your regular contributions really do keep the show on the air. You can sign up for as little as $5 a month to unlock regular exclusive content !  https://www.patreon.com/reenactorpodcast

The Eisernes Kreuz (Iron Cross) is perhaps the most iconic of all historical German military awards . During World War Two almost five million were issued in recognition of bravery in battle or distinguished military service. In this latest of our occasional series looking at WW2 German military awards Rudi Lange takes a closer look at the history of the Iron Cross and reflects on if and how it should be used within reenacting...... With thanks to www.wehrmacht-awards.com  Also a big thank you to everyone who supports the podcast via Patreon - we appreciate every donation, no matter how big or small, and your regular contributions really do keep the show on the air. You can sign up for as little as $5 a month to unlock regular exclusive content !  https://www.patreon.com/reenactorpodcast