Hobbies

[NW Cat Owner]

I bring along a ton of stamped images from rubber/clear stamps. I sit on the dinette or in the Clam and color away, while listening to nature (outside) or music/watching DVDs (inside). Then I make cards with them when I get home that I can send individually to friends (such as birthday, get well or just cuz), or gift bundles of cards or sell at craft shows.

I also buy local postcards and mail them to various friends. Be sure to stock up on postcard postage (less than first class envelopes) and I preprint address labels ahead of time.

And I have a huge pile of books to work my way through. I greatly enjoy reading in the trailer as it's usually way quieter than at home and with lots fewer interruptions.

I also bring used books with me that I can put in any Little Free Libraries that I find along the way. Many of them are beautifully decorated and just fun to look at even if I don't find books in them.

[Mrs. iamunique127]

I suggest you get a dog; a big dog who will play with you any time you want, and take you with her on long walks each day. If you give your dog love, attention, and consistent but gentle obedience, she will fill your life with joy.

"If there are no dogs in heaven, then I want to go where they went." Will Rogers

[NW Cat Owner]

well, crud if someone could rotate those photos that would be great. I forgot that happens with photos from a phone. Haven't been on here for so long.

[EllieB]

We have booths in an antique mall near our home. When traveling, we go to thrift shops, auctions, flea markets, and yard sales in search of treasures. Cleaning our finds, researching values, and safely packing things away keeps us occupied.
Also, I am basically lazy, so having nothing to do is a pleasure.

[danmc44]

Add Rod Building to this list!

[Farther]

Originally Posted by Dave Walter

Some of my more enjoyable past times include cycling, running, hiking, paddling, skiing, eating, drinking, reading, listening to music, watching movies, internet browsing, sleeping.

With the exception of skiing, this is a great list.

[Vermilye]

I've had many hobbies, but the most important (to me) is photography. I still enjoy cooking, gardening, and lots of reading, although I miss gardening when on the road.

I just finished canning 20 pints of tomatoes, and for the first time in my life, bought them rather than grew them. I suspect they will make the same sauce, but I do miss watching them grow.

[Artlady]

Try watercolor painting. As far as materials go, you will need an 8 x 10” watercolor pad, a couple of brushes, maybe six tiny tubes of paint, a little palette with wells, a water container, pencil, some sketching paper, and a book about learning to paint watercolors.

It’s something you can do at night at the table, or during the daylight, paint outside near your trailer.

You could also take a small abbreviated kit with you on hikes. It’s a good way to commune with nature, or appreciate the view in front of you. This way, you get to interact with your surroundings as well as record the view along with your impression and feelings at that moment.

It’s wonderful!

[margie]

Have you tried needle felting? check it out online. it is a craft developed in the 1980's and very versatile. you can make sculptures without the wood chips too! my etsy shop is BirdsofNewEngland On our last trip, I made a blue jay

[padlin]

A few things from the OP. First off, thanks all for the ideas.



I had thought about painting, or even drawing, not that I can do either, I'm a stick figure kind of guy. Maybe I'll look for a book or a web site for such.



We have a dog, it's a very little dog, all of 6 pounds. Took her out for her first camping trip last week. After going a couple years without you forget how much it limits what you can do. We're not leave her in the camper folks so she goes where we go. Having a dog with you sure takes up some of ones free time.


I actually started to build a fishing rod a couple years ago, bought a glass blank as I couldn't find what I wanted premade. When I got around to pricing out all stuff one needs I put it on hold, which is where it sits.


Hiking is limited, due to the dog. She can do a couple miles then needs to get picked up. Still, we did 3 of these each day the weather was decent.

[SHolderfield]

Originally Posted by Chama

We combine our love of travel and camping with hiking and photography. That way, we stay motivated to get out and see new things and get a visual reminder of all the interesting places we have visited. After post processing in Photoshop and Lightroom, I put the best ones up on my Flickr site for the world to see.

This is the main reason I have my 19 on order for March next year. I want to do longer than a half day photo outings and use the night time to "develop" my shots in Photoshop/Lightroom. I can hardly wait! 📷

[Swampy]

Originally Posted by padlin

I need a new hobby, getting bored when I'm sitting around the camp, especially when we're inside. Can't carve inside, can't practice the uke, cause I'm lousy at it and I drive Deb bonkers, to say nothing of the neighbors. I read a lot, but I need something else too.



So what do you all do to pass the down time?

padlin, I enjoy tying flies then going fishing while at camp. Other times, you'll find me riding my bicycle or walking the hiking trails. I enjoy playing my guitar while I'm outside (even the acoustic is too much for inside trying to drown out the A/C noise.)
If you are more into indoor activities, try a few games of solitaire, or solve a few sudoku puzzles. Or play games on your lap top or tablet. Find something you like then just do it! Good Camping ...... Swampy

[Old Fulica]

Originally Posted by Iowa Dave

Hi Steve
I like watching birds. I watched a couple in Osyooos for two days. They were catching bugs on the ground next to our camper. I did not have my book along so I did not know what they were exactly. Len (Old Fulica) on this forum came along. Knowing he was very proficient in bird I.d. I pointed them out. They were Say’s Phoebe which to my knowledge I’d never seen before. They could see bugs in the grass about the size of a baby grasshopper from about 40 feet away, swoop down, pick them off and be back on their perch spot in less time than it takes me to message this.
Hope to see you again this fall.
Iowa Dave

Nice meeting you Dave. Yes, we travel far and wide to find different varieties of birds. It gives us a purpose. We combine the experience with photography. Here is another Say's Phoebe.

[Old Fulica]

Originally Posted by SHolderfield

This is the main reason I have my 19 on order for March next year. I want to do longer than a half day photo outings and use the night time to "develop" my shots in Photoshop/Lightroom. I can hardly wait! 📷

That's one of the main reasons we have our trailer. Just returned from coastal BC looking for Grizzlies. We were sitting in camp chairs facing a river when this one unexpectedly came up behind us. It walked by us and into the river. Like you, I process the pictures on the laptop in the trailer. It's a great hobby.

[Mike Lewis]

When photographing birds with local camera clubs I realized that I enjoyed watching the birds more than photographing them, as my bird photos are... uninspiring. Beforhand I thought birdwatching was an odd hobby. Now I understand its appeal.

[Old Fulica]

Originally Posted by Mike Lewis

When photographing birds with local camera clubs I realized that I enjoyed watching the birds more than photographing them, as my bird photos are... uninspiring. Beforhand I thought birdwatching was an odd hobby. Now I understand its appeal.

[BC Rockcrawler]

Like Upfisk, my wife and I Geocache. We don't use the app on the phone although we now have a phone with it installed. We use Garmin GPS's. It gets us exploring parks and generally takes us to neat places.

[Eggscape]

Ham Radio...not only can you talk to and meet up with some fine people, but it can also be a safety feature as well. Many areas we camp do not have cellphone or any phone coverage. Ham Radio allows you to stay in touch with the outside world with the many mountain top repeaters that extend your radio signal should an emergency situation arises for you or anyone else in the camp ground.

[stratos175]

I've spent a fair amount of time backpacking out west and the one thing I've never seen in the wild is a Grizzly bear so the idea of going somewhere just to look for those sounds like fun, I think. LOL GREAT PICTURE.

Enjoy the journey,

Steve

[Mike Lewis]

Originally Posted by stratos175

I've spent a fair amount of time backpacking out west and the one thing I've never seen in the wild is a Grizzly bear so the idea of going somewhere just to look for those sounds like fun, I think. LOL GREAT PICTURE.

Enjoy the journey,

Steve

Go to Jasper, Alberta. There are bears everywhere, both black bears and grizzlies. I saw a grizzly standing beside a highway, looking down the road. I wondered what he saw, then I drove a bit farther and saw a cyclist approaching. Canadian meals on wheels, as the bumper sticker says.