PS I don't shoot nor fish and don't have a garden / allotment neither. I guess foraged fruits and foods would make a good winter / autumn activity to process but too late for stocking up now I think. Some good hobbies so far.
Hobbies??
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My indoor hobbies have progressed to making chainmail. It's really fun and pretty easy and you can do it on the coffee table. Here's a link to the YT vid that taught me. Just making squares at the minute but hopefully get up to a hauberk eventually...
On a side note any other maillers on here? And does anyone know a good supplier of non-galvanised steel wire? (sorry thread-jack)
On a side note any other maillers on here? And does anyone know a good supplier of non-galvanised steel wire? (sorry thread-jack)
A non-bushcraft cheap hobby - table tennis!
In the spirit of the new years "get fit" promises everyone's been giving in that other thread it's a good one to try out. You need your own racket (10-30€ for an OK starter one) a set of balls (2€ for 6 balls) a place to play and a mate. In the sports center in my village I can rent a table for about 2€ for 1,5 hours.
Table tennis is as cheap as hobbies come, we even have a table in our office where we play a couple of rounds per day. Improves hand-eye coordination and if you play longer it works up a bit of sweat too.
In the spirit of the new years "get fit" promises everyone's been giving in that other thread it's a good one to try out. You need your own racket (10-30€ for an OK starter one) a set of balls (2€ for 6 balls) a place to play and a mate. In the sports center in my village I can rent a table for about 2€ for 1,5 hours.
Table tennis is as cheap as hobbies come, we even have a table in our office where we play a couple of rounds per day. Improves hand-eye coordination and if you play longer it works up a bit of sweat too.
I probably have too many hobbys:
Mon: Fencing
Tue: Assistant Scout leader
Wed: HFT airgun shooting
And most other weekends i'm either doing 17th Century Living history/re-enactmnt or Paranormal investigations.
Is it really that obviouse that i hate my job so much i need many outlets. LOL
Mon: Fencing
Tue: Assistant Scout leader
Wed: HFT airgun shooting
And most other weekends i'm either doing 17th Century Living history/re-enactmnt or Paranormal investigations.
Is it really that obviouse that i hate my job so much i need many outlets. LOL
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Dreadhead
Bushcrafter through and through
im indoors a lot at the moment so been learning leathercraft and iv been teaching myself norwegian for almost a year now. spend all day having conversation with myself and trying tae persuade friends tae learn with me 
think the gf will have to soon otherwise she will never understand me
think the gf will have to soon otherwise she will never understand me
Don't let the girlfriend understand you, mate. Many a promising relationship has ended that way...
greensurfingbear
Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
made me laugh.
My indoor hobbies, leather working, carving, and I enjoy playing games, table top wargames and card games etc. I like to balance it out though as I get bored if I do the same thing all the time.
Used to do Ju Jitsu myself. Then they changed sites and moved the sessions to earlier time so I couldn't make it after work. Then I broke my hand and couldn't do anything involving a good grip or punching as I can't clench into a fist. Tried to do Tae Kwan do (bad spelling) after the broken hand but it was too painful even without using the hand I broke to punch. We had to do push ups with our fists which I couldn't do. Shame as I was as fit as I ever got when doing Ju jitsu and flexible too!! I got so flexible I could twist into quite some strange shapes to get out of locks when down on the mat. Plus I could grip my hands together (one form above and other from below) and then rotate it all the way around my body, stepping through the linked arms then returning back to the starting position. Amazing how good martial arts can be to your flexibility, strength, balance, agility, fitness and also your mind. It really kept me alert as it is a thinking sport / hobby I think.
They started doing kick boxing before my ju jitsu session. Some did it for fitness and some kick boxers came to give ju jitsu a chance. We were doing some training to learn how to take a punch without getting hurt. We were taking turns to punch each other in the shoulder (in pairs) at half power. I teamed up with a guy who had been doing kick boxing for 18 months and he wasn't pulling his punches. That got me annoyed so when it was next my turn with him I let loose and knocked the bugger across the room. He got up to take his turn and I got a tap I hardly felt!! Taught him.
Ju jitsu wasn't cheap. The training cost a bit over a year and the two day long training seminars with other groups too. They were good, a full day learning ju jitsu, Aikido, Ninjitsu, Karate, Judo and some other techniques too with visiting instructors from other clubs in the same international body. Was great sometimes as we got training sessions from the likes of two of the Israeli national judo squad. The Israelis have one of the best judo squads and these guys were among their best so we got a good training session from them.
They started doing kick boxing before my ju jitsu session. Some did it for fitness and some kick boxers came to give ju jitsu a chance. We were doing some training to learn how to take a punch without getting hurt. We were taking turns to punch each other in the shoulder (in pairs) at half power. I teamed up with a guy who had been doing kick boxing for 18 months and he wasn't pulling his punches. That got me annoyed so when it was next my turn with him I let loose and knocked the bugger across the room. He got up to take his turn and I got a tap I hardly felt!! Taught him.
Ju jitsu wasn't cheap. The training cost a bit over a year and the two day long training seminars with other groups too. They were good, a full day learning ju jitsu, Aikido, Ninjitsu, Karate, Judo and some other techniques too with visiting instructors from other clubs in the same international body. Was great sometimes as we got training sessions from the likes of two of the Israeli national judo squad. The Israelis have one of the best judo squads and these guys were among their best so we got a good training session from them.
I miss martial arts.
Did Judo for years when younger then did a bit of Systema and Krav Maga in the past but sadly not alowed to return to martial arts due to shoulder injury from bike crash a few years ago.
Did Judo for years when younger then did a bit of Systema and Krav Maga in the past but sadly not alowed to return to martial arts due to shoulder injury from bike crash a few years ago.
learn to juggle 3 balls, there are loads of tricks, you don't need special kit, you can juggle 3 rocks or snowballs when you're out and about. i've got 3 bright yellow balls that float which i keep with my canoe kit or to use down the beach when i'm drying off after a swim.
I've always fancied having a go at making leather gear, but for some reason I've never had the nerve to take the plunge. Don't know why particularly but I see some of the stuff some of the guys on here make and I'm just amazed. I guess it comes from not really knowing where to start. I'm a hands on learner but tend to need someone I can refer to point me in the right direction and for guidance.
Spoon making is something you can do in your lounge quite easily however I tend to do this when no one else is around as I can't help but make a huge mess and this avoids the moaning, although I like Spandit's apron idea. the end product is great fun as well, even if it doesn't pan out. i was having a go at making a tankard once which didn't work out but it makes a great door stop!
I did a blacksmithing course once, which was great fun and there are some/ were some instructions on here as to how to make a small furnace using an old hairdryer, but it sounds like space is an issue and if like me you live in a rabbit hutch the neighbours might get a bit fed up of the noise and smoke.
Some great ideas on here!
Spoon making is something you can do in your lounge quite easily however I tend to do this when no one else is around as I can't help but make a huge mess and this avoids the moaning, although I like Spandit's apron idea. the end product is great fun as well, even if it doesn't pan out. i was having a go at making a tankard once which didn't work out but it makes a great door stop!
I did a blacksmithing course once, which was great fun and there are some/ were some instructions on here as to how to make a small furnace using an old hairdryer, but it sounds like space is an issue and if like me you live in a rabbit hutch the neighbours might get a bit fed up of the noise and smoke.
Some great ideas on here!
My hobbies are crafting and artistically inclined, as of late carving bone pendants has kept me busy.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/68457457@N04/6290774874/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/68457457@N04/6290774874/
Do a few different things as time allows. As well as the obvious out in the woods stuff, it breaks down as follows really.
Anything aviation related, but thats to do with the job. I'm sad enough to fly even when I'm not getting paid to do it. I also love visiting old aviation museums though, and seeing what the guys took into the air before I came along. Also hobby engineering, turning on a lathe etc, fabricating parts, designing solutions and re engineering items, as thats again to do with where I started my working life and keeps my mind occupied when I have down time or what not.
On the more physical side, well I am working towards my FAC1 as I love to target shoot, and really enjoyed the limited amount of shooting I did while in the service. I also do something called combatives. I did Krav Maga for a long time (started back in the 90's) and a while ago realised much of it came from Sykes-Fairbairn and their combatives system, so I've started into that and I'm really enjoying it. I'm lucky enough to be getting taught by a Royal Marine instructor with 30 years plus experience of it. The bruised ribs I'm just getting over are proof that I have much road left on that journey!
Mate also has an MMA gym, so we like to spar etc with him, but I'm not into the whole MMA thing at all. Useful for the exercise and different styles.
Also a bit of a gear head. Like cars, and have a dedicated track car, but sadly due to working hard last year never got a chance to track her. Maybe this year. She's all rebuilt and ready to go, so hopefully the weather gods and the spare time gods can have a word with each other this summer.
Anything aviation related, but thats to do with the job. I'm sad enough to fly even when I'm not getting paid to do it. I also love visiting old aviation museums though, and seeing what the guys took into the air before I came along. Also hobby engineering, turning on a lathe etc, fabricating parts, designing solutions and re engineering items, as thats again to do with where I started my working life and keeps my mind occupied when I have down time or what not.
On the more physical side, well I am working towards my FAC1 as I love to target shoot, and really enjoyed the limited amount of shooting I did while in the service. I also do something called combatives. I did Krav Maga for a long time (started back in the 90's) and a while ago realised much of it came from Sykes-Fairbairn and their combatives system, so I've started into that and I'm really enjoying it. I'm lucky enough to be getting taught by a Royal Marine instructor with 30 years plus experience of it. The bruised ribs I'm just getting over are proof that I have much road left on that journey!
Mate also has an MMA gym, so we like to spar etc with him, but I'm not into the whole MMA thing at all. Useful for the exercise and different styles.
Also a bit of a gear head. Like cars, and have a dedicated track car, but sadly due to working hard last year never got a chance to track her. Maybe this year. She's all rebuilt and ready to go, so hopefully the weather gods and the spare time gods can have a word with each other this summer.
Biker
Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Just chipping in my tuppence worth that could be done indoors and incorporate some job satisfaction at the end of it too. Model making. Remember those airfix kits as a kid? Well they really can be as complex or as simple as can be or as far as your wallet stretches. Airfix still make models kits. Tamiya is another good make but I would avoid Revel as the parts never really went together properly when I made kits 35+ years ago. Maybe things have got better since then. I haen't made a model in decades now.
I got given a painting by numbers kit by my mate as a joke christmas present a couple of years ago, I loved it,though I haven't really had the time to sit and actually do it. I fully intend too one day.
Model making and painting by numbers increases your dexterity and hand to eye coordination and once learnt you can then move up to more complex tasks and hobbies incorporating mode making and such.
The leather working is a really good hobbie to get into, also Macrame also known as paracord knitting, the basic knots are there. I learnt years ago from my mother and was surprised to see the same knots on the survival bracelets.
Loved the suggestion of chainmail. I watched that vid and it looked sooo easy. Gonna have to try that sometime.
Hmmm I think I need another hobby to add to my already full list so I might give this year a chance to learn somehting new.
+1 for those Michel Thomas language CDs. I have the set and learnt a lot from them, but soon get bored just sitting and listening. I really ought to have them playing in the background and absorb the info gradually.
Thanks for all the other really good suggestions that have been posted, certainly food for thought!
I got given a painting by numbers kit by my mate as a joke christmas present a couple of years ago, I loved it,though I haven't really had the time to sit and actually do it. I fully intend too one day.
Model making and painting by numbers increases your dexterity and hand to eye coordination and once learnt you can then move up to more complex tasks and hobbies incorporating mode making and such.
The leather working is a really good hobbie to get into, also Macrame also known as paracord knitting, the basic knots are there. I learnt years ago from my mother and was surprised to see the same knots on the survival bracelets.
Loved the suggestion of chainmail. I watched that vid and it looked sooo easy. Gonna have to try that sometime.
Hmmm I think I need another hobby to add to my already full list so I might give this year a chance to learn somehting new.
+1 for those Michel Thomas language CDs. I have the set and learnt a lot from them, but soon get bored just sitting and listening. I really ought to have them playing in the background and absorb the info gradually.
Thanks for all the other really good suggestions that have been posted, certainly food for thought!
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Cheap hobby for me. I have to buy the plasticine but I've had the paint set for ages. The wood and empty bottle I found ashore somewhere. Can only do it in quiet anchorages or alongside though..
It's my old Gaff Cutter..
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