1. The Number One Item to have is... a Really “Nifty” Team Name: --- This is a Fashion Accessory "Most" New Teams forget to even think about until the day of the Hunt, which can be a huge mistake.
--- A Terrific Moniker, as your Team’s Identity, can be your beginning path to "Fame" and "GLORY" in Ravenchase! Striking fear and dread into your competition’s hearts, knowing that your team has once again entered onto the game pitch.
--- Such notable Team Names as Jencrush, A-Squared, The Chase Monkeys, Nala’s Pride, The Brilliants, The Penultimates, The Fellowship of the Van and my personal favorite for a team name "Victorious Secret!," for an all female team. These Teams are the very best at what they do. Their Team names have come to earn respect, and are actually reasons to sign up for these events, just to race and test yourself against the Very Best!.
--- Other teams have become “Beloved” for being experianced Teams just to race against, because you can enjoy their sportsmanship and great company, Teams like “Team Dude, Run,” “The Happy Fairy Mushroom Princess,” "The Birthday Bears" and the ever “Infamous” Rassilon. --- Don’t find yourself caught with a Team name like “Ahhh.. What-ever,” as one poor Team I raced against did. --- Give it some Serious Thought... Really!
2. A Cell Phone:- Communication at all times is important for several reasons. One: Unexpected events do happen. --- During at least two of my races, historical sites written into the clues were closed; when they were expected to be open. So, the missing clues were phoned, or text to us. --- Two: Hints during a Hunt: can be called in for, though there is a time penalty. --- Three: Sometimes a race ends and there are still missing Teams out there; Lost in the Wilds. --- Its nice to call you and tell you where the party is. --- One team I remember, stopped into an Art Gallery for their clue and fell in loved with the Art Work so much, they forgot they were in a race, lost track of time and stayed to make deals for some of the Art Pieces with the Gallery's owner. (True Story...)
3. Pencils:- “Not” repeat “not” PENS and Yes!!! And a TON of them! I cut them down to five, or six inches, to fit better in my Top and Pants Pockets. I can not tell you how many pencils I have lost on a hunt,(Ivy Eats them Like Candy) Backups are important! In Cold Weather Pens Freeze up on you , Pencils Never Do.
4. Artist Square Eraser. The soft tan ones are Wonderful! These erase mistakes cleanly. The erasers on Pencils tend to smudge Pink and leave the work sheet dirty, confusing your hard work.
5. Graph Paper with 1/4" Inch Squares:- as your scratch paper to work out difficult Ciphers. --- I always keep about five, or six sheets with me at the back of my Report Folder during a race. The Blocks are really useful for keeping the columns of Cipher Letters lined up as you are doing a “Brute Force” decipherment, or a “Trickle Down” Cipher.
6. Clear Front Report Covers:- -- with the Center Pull Release Clip--- A Real Must !!! Keeps your clue sheets flat and together. It also Prevents them from getting lost, allowing you to read your clues easily through the clear front.--- The surface of the folder is major plus, as you have a light weight firm surface to write on when you’re at clue locations. --- These folders also come in many colors, so if you have several in your bag, you can color code them as to which is your Code book, Local Information & Maps and of course, your Work Book.
7. Scotch Tape:- Some Final Ciphers come in four sections, found along the Hunt path. Tape is the “Miracle” that holds them all together and keeps them from blowing away!! My Friend in Baltimore, "Flidais," lost points, because her team lost one of the final sections along the way.
8. A Cipher Wheel :- hopefully with both Alphabet and Numbers written on it is a very useful item to have in your kit. I found my Cipher Wheel useful twice in the same hour during a Baltimore Hunt doing both Caesar Ciphers and Numerical Letter shifts. --- My own code disk, which I designed myself, I keep down to a five, or six inch size for ease of handling and storage. ---- E-Mail me at Rassilon@erols.com if you would like a copy of this pattern and I will be happy to share it with you.
9. Pre-made work sheets with the “Alphabet” typed out neatly on "one line" in three places on the sheet. These are useful if you have to make new alphabet ciphers, based on a Key Word, or Phrase you are given. --- I’ve run into these ciphers several times so far. --- Every time you have to stop and rewrite the full alphabet, it costs your team nearly a full Minute. And Races have been won, or lost by One, or Two minutes alone. These again are kept in the back of my Clear Report Folder.
ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRST...
10. Water!!! Not only to drink... but to use in the hunt as well. I went to a Drug store and bought a Small Travel Size Spray Bottle, about three inches long. The sprayer holds about an two ounces of water and costs about one dollar.--- Perfect for Water Clues. --- The sprayer does not over-soak the message, as does dipping the clue. You are less likely to lose your Secret Message due to drowning. Most Water Clues tend to be a one shot deal.
11. Power Bar Snacks:- – Ravenchase Hunts, on average, are about three and a half hours in length. And while there is always a wonderful Restaurant to look forward to at the end of the Hunt; a Power bar, or two, in your pack is a great way to take the edge off your hunger, and keeps your Energy levels up and your Mind Sharp.
13. A Small Pocket Calculator:- – Many times during hunts I have encountered Number Ciphers, where I had to crunch, or subtract numbers down to find my true substitution numbers. (My own higher math centers of my brain have been Dead since High School. --- A Calculator is a God Sent) --- Also, highly useful at the end of the race when figuring out the Bar Tab, and who owes what, from your teammates at the party afterwards.
14. Magnet and String:- Twenty five feet of heavy cotton string rolled up. I have heard and read of them being used in Ravenchase hunts to retrieve clue scrolls from pits and gullies, but thus far have not encountered them in my own hunts. --- For myself, I bought (2) Telescoping Pens with Magnetic Tips. They extend out 26" inches can be clipped on to string loops easily and has a magnetic tip that can pick up 2 1/2 pounds. ---- They are also highly useful for counting Memorial Bricks under your feet, and once again Word counting on large historical wall plaques.
15. Mirror:- – A Small Hand Held Mirror . I carry a Unbreakable “Metal” Boy Scout Camping Mirror. --- Pocket Mirrors are very useful for looking under things like park benches, Phone Boxes, or the other side of Fence bars and railings, for Hidden Clues taped just out of sight. Great for reading Da Vinci Reversed Ciphers.
16. A Small Pocket Compass:- --- Unless you were born with a perfect sense of direction, a Pocket Compass is useful to orient yourself to your map. --- I lost fifteen minutes on a hunt, simply because I was holding the Map the wrong way up. --- Live and Learn!
17. QUARTERS:- Yes, it sounds strange, but having at least Three Dollars worth of Quarters in your kit bag will have several strange and wonderful purposes. One: In the event your Cell phone fails you, you can use a Public Phone to call in for help. Two: On several Hunts, the "All Important" clue scroll was hidden in a Public Newspaper Box, underneath the regular papers, or perhaps in the door. --- The Quarters can be your "Opensaysme!" to the locked-away clue (Ravenchase Clue Writers can be very, very, "Sneaky" when hiding clues) Three: The coins are great addition to your kit for survival against Street People and Panhandlers, while you are racing around the city. And perhaps your gift to the poor, and less fortunate, will be adding good Karma to your quest, and for the Win.
18. A Camera:- (Optional) It is great to record the fun of a Ravenchase Hunt. But, to be honest, many times I am rushing around so much I completely forget to take Pictures. --- But, there is a plus to having a Camera Person on your team. --- In one race, I could have shaved ten minutes off my race when I needed to refer to a site I already visited and re-read a plaque I saw, but I did not have the picture. --- In another race, our team was "saved" by our teammate, “Holly from Down Under,” because she had taken the one a single photograph of a Historical Plaque we needed in order to correct a major mistake in our final answer. --- Thank you, Holly!!! We Miss you!
19. A Code Book:- Yes! -- but, for mine, I copied out those codes I have encountered in the past and reduced the weight of my code book down to less than a eight, or nine ounces. (Remember Weight is the enemy on a hunt!—Travel as light as you can!) One of my friends carried a five pound code book in her backpack up the side of a mountain during the Harper’s Ferry Hunt, and nearly killed herself doing so.
The VIGENERE Cipher Grid should always be PAGE ONE in your code book. ---- Learn especially how to use it, and read it quickly. --- For myself, I also carry a small clear right angle triangle about five inches long at all times to aid in my quick decipherments.
If you buy one code book for your bookshelf, buy the best. Codes, Ciphers & Other Cryptic & Clandestine Communication by Fred B. Wrixon (2005). But this is far too heavy to take on a hunt, unless your are in a driving event. It weighs almost five pounds.
A better one to carry with you is a light weight paperback called “Codes, Ciphers and Secret Writing” by Martin Gardner This book contains a great overview of codes and Ciphers for the beginner. --- But, Don’t Obsessive or “Panic” Over This! --- Ravenchase Adventures makes game codes “Challenging,” but they “Want” you to break them. --- A good general overview of famous codes will always help you endlessly in your Quest for the Gold!
20. ALKA SELTZER:- This will never help you solve any clues, or reveal secret messages; but a few packs in your bag, is great for the feasting after the hunt and the after effects of the Ravenchase Party.--- You'll want a clear head for Day Two of a Hunt, or if you have to go back to work. --- Fuzzy Heads and Upset Stomachs, do not a winning team make. ---
21. A Bag to keep everything in:- Over-the-shoulder Side Bags a'la "Indiana Jones" are the best; rather than Backpacks, as they allows quick and easy access for you, even if you are on the run. --- For myself, I bought a “Israel Parachute’s Bag” off of E-bay and added my own logo to it. --- It Contains three inner sectional compartments and has a front button-down pocket. --- Ravenchase Adventure’s will, sometimes, provide you with a Over-the-Shoulder Bag, or Fanny Packs, but never count on them being there. --- Every race from Ravenchase is unique… which makes every Race a New and Fun Adventure to look forward to!
What to Wear on a Ravenchase Hunt:
Very Important!
We all dream in our hearts of looking like Indiana Jones, or if you’re Female, Marion Ravenwood. --- But, to be honest, in all my hunts with Ravenchase Adventures, I have yet to find a single use for a Bull Whip...
What is far more Useful on a Hunt is a Great pair of Walking, or Jogging Shoes! ----I promise you; you will pound a lot of pavement out there on a Hunt.
Open-toed shoes, Sandals and Flip-Flops, may look great... but, are never very practical on a Hunt. --- Best Rule of Thumb to follow is... Dress for the Weather. --- Dress comfortably.--- Wear your Play Clothes, because you will, I promise you, get a little dirty searching among the Bushes and Ivy for your hidden clue scrolls. --- Remember, you are there to have FUN... not to model for "Vogue" Magazine!!! --- For myself, I highly recommend "Cargo " style of Pants and Shorts. --- The extra large pockets are great for carrying and distributing the weight of your stuff, and again giving you easy access to it all. ---If you are smart enough to keep track of which Pocket you put it in.
Winning Strategies from the
Famous Hunters out there themselves:
Just to add on: Team A-Squared always brings a notebook filled with those plastic sheet protectors (first race we ever ran, it rained. I STILL can't get the smell of wet, burnt map out of those shorts...) which has the added benefit of getting those pesky scrolls to lay flat.--- I think “Team Brilliants” should empty out their kit bags, you might find a whole other team in one, and a full service bar in the other
--- Alexnanji
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On our hunts, we did, however, when we remembered, bring a Dictionary and have A "Phone--friend", who was near a computer, if we needed directions, or to due a quick look up of something on the internet. --- But, if you really want to take home the Gold, it pays to use "All" your resources. But with Ravenchase, we always had tons of fun.
--- Jencrush
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Team Communication Rules are also a must!!! You want to establish a “SAFE WORD,” or Hand Signal that your Team members can use and that would be somewhat unobtrusive to other teams, to indicate you got the clue at the location.--- “HEY GUYS, I GOT IT!!! It’s Right over Here; behind the Tree!!!” Somehow just doesn’t... REALLY... Work... Well... for getting ahead of other teams during a chase.
--- Chase Monkey Dave
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See You All on the Next Hunt!!! – Rassilon
"Remember, there is a little "Indiana Jones" in all of us..."
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