If and when TS does HTF and we’re stuck without all of our electronic gizmos to keep us entertained or the mainstream media telling us what to think, have you ever wondered what it is you’d do in your spare time? Granted, there may not be a whole lot of spare time at first, but as things even out I suspect you and your family will find yourself with time on your hands – especially in the evenings in that magical hour or two before bed time.
That got me thinking about some of the things I like to do that might be productive as well. I like to play guitar – mostly acoustic, although I haven’t done much lately and have forgotten quite a few of the songs I once knew how to play, but it wouldn’t take much to get back into it. I like playing and my father and I will take turns passing the guitar back and forth when we have our outside fires. Not that I’d ever be mistaken for a professional or that I’ve had people calling me up asking me to be in their band mind you. It’s just something I like to do. I find that most people who can’t play an instrument are very forgiving of the wrong chord or something not being played just right. As long as it sounds somewhat like the song they’re happy.
Another thing I like to do that doesn’t require electricity is drawing. Again, I’ll never draw a masterpiece, but I
do enjoy the process and if the picture is recognizable as the subject that impresses people too. You don’t have to have mad skills in order to make people smile, but this is something that takes up a lot of time. I average about eight hours for a portrait and that’s a lot of your life to put into something. (Picture here is of my son sleeping with his hat on. Sorry for the poor quality photo – the white spot is light from my camera.)
Reading is another thing I enjoy although I’m not sure it can be considered a hobby. But a lot of folks out there enjoy it and have libraries, so I thought I’d throw it in here.
I also like to write and writing for this blog is a great relief valve for that particular itch, but it can take time as well. Now that Calamity Jane is on board I can enjoy the process more instead of wracking my brain and trying to hit three deadlines a week. (I can’t imagine how Ranger Man did it by himself full time for a year. Talk about burnout!)
Another area I haven’t had much time for lately is honing my outdoor skills. Having kids and a full time job can make it hard to get out there sometimes, but as much as possible I like to get out to my lean-to whenever I can. Any dirt time beats none at all.
I think that these hobbies could have some potential use after a SHTF event – if for nothing more than entertainment.
How about it? Do you have any hobbies or fun things you like to do when you’re not prepping, working, or with your family?
Sound off below!
-Jarhead Survivor
Well l don’t have much in the way of hobbies other than quilting which is always something we can do as a group or on our own. We do however like board games. We play a lot of scatagories, scrabble,and anything with dice. When l went through hurricane charlie, the one big thing was keeping people occupied without tv’s and computers. Thank goodness l was prepared with board games. We played password, uno, canasta, poker, you name it. Keeps peoples moral up and keeps tempers down.That’s another reason why l bought a LOT of popcorn (not microwavable) because it’s an easy snack and keeps the kids happy.
P.S. WOW that’s an awesome picture!
yeh, what gat31 said.
FYI, if you hv a grainmill or grinder You can use popcorn to make cornmeal in a pinch. ITs pretty popular in some parts of the country, they even sale it.
I love leather work, Got a buffalo+a deer hide now just waiting for my muse to beat me. I’v made ’bout 5 sets of Mocs, a pipe bag(with bead work) a hunting pouch(with bead work) A gun belt,and a set of sled harness this summer. Made a few little projects like knife leather+holsters+belt bags(no bead work). I also love to sew, garden, + flint knap. And DON’T sell that drawing short, Its WAY better than I could do on my best day.
I dont do bead work, but i did make a set of mocs from a hobby kit. Not so good. Look great but they just dont hva enough substance. I want a patern for the Plains moc hi boots. I think those would workout better.
“Back To Basics”, pg 301.
your foot is the pattern.
1981 The Readers Digest Association, Inc
Library of Congress Catalog Card Number
80-50373
ISBN 0-89577-086-5
Spook45; Hang in there bro. the more you do the better you get. I use the eastern center seam pattern for most mocs, I sew an outer sole on em , that helps a lot. I only do Hi tops for snow boots, WAY cheaper. The round “pucker toe” works great for Muck Lucks ,But it almost never gets cold (below 20f) here so……And Mucks cost a lot to build.P.S. Make mocks with leggins, that way when the mocks blow out ,you keep the leggin and just replace the shoe.
went to an event this wkend called a “Knap-in” its about paleo technology and people sit around and learn how to knap flint into useful items like arrow heads and knives. We also threw Atlatels. That was interesting, pretty cool really, not much different in style than throwing a tomahawk. Makes for a great hobby tho and turns out useful items.
Yeh! I’v made about 12 palio points this summer (bone+stone think I got bout 30) I love the atlatel When I next head for moms I’m gonna stop and harvest some creek cain for arrow and dart shafts. I need to get up to the lake and get some more pine rosen to cook down.( thats glue to you modern types)
Do my own leather too. Make holsters nad knife sheaths and whatever, Ide rather make it than buy it anyday.
I like practicing with hand tools as much as possible. One day the lights will go out and the dewalts won’t work. Figure practicing with the hand tools now will provide some skill if needed
Jarhead,
I like to draw also, though I seem to have less and less time to enjoy it. Not only is it time consuming but , I personally, have to be in the right frame of mind to do it. The last couple of years I have gotten into woodcarving. I carve little characitures, walking sticks, Christmas/santa ornaments and so forth. I would like to learn to make some simple log furniture, might be able to barter when the SHTF…also have guitar, love music, but know about 3 chords and that’s it.
“3 chords and the truth”! — U2. That’s all you need.
I don’t play guitar much any more either. Also banjo, mandolin and drums. Mostly busy w/ other stuff and new interests. My son and I host an open mic night at a local restaurant once a month. It’s amazing the unsung talent (punny huh?) that is around. When I was coming up they were called ,Hoot nights, after old fashioned hootenanies. The usually end up with jamming and improv songs. They may make a comeback when TV and Computers are gone. It will be quieter after dark I bet. Starting to get into knife making. Also leather work sounds interesting. There used to be Orienteering events before GPS and smart phones. Running a course using map and compass. Story tellers and bards might make a comeback. One of the fairs I went to this fall held contra dances.
Some projects on my to-do list. Make a jerky cage, a wire container I can hang sliced meat to convert to jerky.
Bought a old beat to hell Foster Bros 1290 meat cleaver, no idea of vintage but the sources I’ve sound say its really old. Make a nice camp chopper for big game processing (aich bone) and kindling chopper. Needs a sheath I think – a thrift store old trucker’s wallet sounds like maybe it would work. The money pocket for carrying a diamond stone for sharpening.
you can make jerky just on oven wracks. We used to hang it between the rungs on toothpicks and set the oven real low. Crack the door open just a lil so the air can circulate around. Works real good.
I’ve done the same (oven drying), but I’m looking to go outside and use the sun. The cage protects the meat from critters like birds, felines and others. My brother made one that is about ‘satchel sized’, and putting in the cut meat at mid morning will gain him his jerky by late afternoon. In full sun, I should add.
I’d love to spend an hour a day reading and discussing the bible with my kids.
Baking and cooking with shelf stable foods has become my new hobby. We bought a years supply of freeze dried and dehydrated foods from http://www.srmarketplace.com. Got a great deal but how do you cook with this stuff? Powdered eggs, freeze dried celery and Beef TVP have never been used in my mother’s kitchen. It has been an interesting learning experience. Thank God they have some great recipes right there on the website. It’s better to learn now then when SHTF.
I know a few guitar chords. We have a few guitars.
I have a mandolin kit from “Grizzly” that needs to be finished. There are a couple violins, and tin whistles laying around in this mess somewhere. I don’t have a clue how to play them. Hopefully they will do more than collect dust after the “emergency” stabilizes. I try to keep more books around than I’ll ever be able to read.
A man needs something wholesome to do with his time.
(instead, I’m a Radio Control and Model Airplane wannabe)
“wholesome…..instead…” You crack me up. By the way you aren’t my real uncle, Mom let the cat out of the bag.
well, yes D”ja’c, I’m not really your uncle. right now there are only two real nieces, and four nephews. I rarely see them. (mostly through my own fault) …still, I feel the need to give uncularly advice.
Kids today are bombarded with un-wholsomeness.
The “Evil Clown Posse” was trying to have them taught, autoeroticism in health class years ago. they try to convince confused or curious children to become homosexuals. They’ve turned a large percentage of our young women into floozies. (glad I don’t have a daughter)
in the springtime, a young boy should have his mind on baseball… (and Scoutcraft) until he’s ready to attend school dances. (and even then he shouldn’t know any “Dirty” dancing moves)
back in my day, the Phillies and the Mets were always fighting it out for the Cellar, so I never became a baseball fan. sometime back in the mid sixties, I developed a Dope (and Balsa wood) habit. occasionally I even get one of my UAV’s (cleverly disguised as a toy airplane) to fly…
I have cards and chips for stuff like poker and pinocle. Dice and I’m buying a lot of the Yahtzee score pads. Journals and water color paints and artists pads for painting, dominos and cribbage boards. I have a dart board that is electronic but we can use it grid down.
My big thing this winter is learning to use a lap loom and a knitting loom as well as sewing.
chess is always a good standby
Being naturally creative has been both good and bad , however , I always had something to do , drawing/illustration takes focus and time . Its a good thing to have .
You actually make it seem so easy with your presentation but I find this matter to be really something that I think I would never understand. It seems too complicated and extremely broad for me. I am looking forward for your next post, I will try to get the hang of it!
There are a few other projects as well. I saw that take-down wood stove (forget the name, but it looks like a cube and takes down to flat metal pieces). I was thinking of attempting to make one out of electrical J-Box metal cover plates, those about 4″ x 4″ with rounded covers. Cutting tabs that allow them to lock together (or maybe bolted together) – its worth a try!
Harmonica tooter here, blues artist wannabe, but it’s just for me so I don’t care, but it did spark an interest in yard sale stuff that is really cheap, I have picked up a few flutes, tom-tom type drum’s, chimes, kudzoo blah blah blah, squirreling it away for the “day” to pass on to others that will show up because they have been told by Unkle that “it” is coming,,,, of course alot of time will be spent just living and learning so my basic job/craft/hobbie will be to teach others what I have been learning, Thank God for book’s on how to and other venuse….. keep the great ideas coming, all we learn now and do will save alot including cash when we learn first the right way and avoid the mistakes…..
I used to do improv & stand-up comedy for a living & that was – by far, the funnest thing I ever did but not a whole lot of money in it. Being in front a live audience & feeding off of their prompts was fantastic.
I was able to do about a dozen voice impressions as well as mimic most anybody’s body movements. So if the chips were down, entertainment for me would be easy.
I consider something genuinely special in this site.