So I have about 80 days left over in the A-Stan and, for those of you who know first hand, the last stretch is the longest. Shaving is currently my number one hobby but that's only a small portion of my morning. I like FPs and write as much as possible and I've just recently picked up pipe smoking to kill some time and relieve some stress in the evenings. What are some suggestions that I can do that doesn't involve me aquiring a bunch of stuff I have to ship back or involve strain on the bank account?
Looking For A New Hobby
- Thread starter Bcobu1102
- Start date
Reading is one of my favourite hobbies.
Pop into the calligraphy thread in the Nib. Some of our guys do some great work, and you can pick up nibs and nib holders for cheap.
http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php/328452-The-Calligraphy-Thread
http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php/328452-The-Calligraphy-Thread
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Both Reading and Calligraphy are excellent suggestions. They also fit well with your desire to not acquire more "stuff".
I'll endorse keeping shaving as Number One!
I'll endorse keeping shaving as Number One!
I'd love to hear suggestions for hobbies that don't break the bank account! I thought DE shaving would be one, but there are so many razors and products to try. I've gotten into wines lately. Part of the hobby is finding good ones for less $$. Helps that my wife works at a wine shop. My youngest daughter has gotten me back into comic books a bit recently. We read a classic Spider-Man before her bedtime and then I go have a nice glass of cabernet.
Reading is about as cheap as it gets.
https://play.google.com/store/books/collection/topselling_free?hl=en
Astronomy (Star Gazing), Ornithology (Bird Watching), Geology (Rock Collecting), Linguistics (learn a new language), or take some online classes. There are many free classes available on a wide variety of topics.
https://play.google.com/store/books/collection/topselling_free?hl=en
Astronomy (Star Gazing), Ornithology (Bird Watching), Geology (Rock Collecting), Linguistics (learn a new language), or take some online classes. There are many free classes available on a wide variety of topics.
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Go buy a sharpening stone and learn to sharpen all your knives freehand.
I have a Spyderco Sharpmaker, a Lansky kit and other rigs but still sharpen by freehand when I want to relax and find peace.
Panfishing is my other escape. Nothing like a tube of crickets and a spinning rod to make stress run away.
I just figured out you are in Afghanistan so I doubt bluegill are biting there this time of year. lol
I have a Spyderco Sharpmaker, a Lansky kit and other rigs but still sharpen by freehand when I want to relax and find peace.
Panfishing is my other escape. Nothing like a tube of crickets and a spinning rod to make stress run away.
I just figured out you are in Afghanistan so I doubt bluegill are biting there this time of year. lol
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Slash McCoy
I freehand dog rockets
Get a Dremel, sandpaper, and a dozen Gold Dollar #66 razors. Consider them to be half finished blanks. Make your own dream razor!
I find reading passes a lot of time over here on the other side of the GOO. I also find that I spend many hours learning useless stuff through random youtube videos, which lead to more research online. I'm not sure how your internet situation is over there, but I seem to do a good job burning several hours trying to find the end of it over here. If you have an android phone or tablet you can download videogame emulators and pull the games off of the web. A PS3 controller pairs to the device and you can rock some old school video games. There's a little device called a game klip (pretty sure it's spelled with a K) that holds your phone onto the controller, so it's like your own hand-held game. I'm sure the use of the phone will be hindered by opsec considerations, depending on where you spend most of your time though...
Good luck over there. Hopefully your time goes by quickly.
Good luck over there. Hopefully your time goes by quickly.
Learn a new language.
target shooting.
If you're looking for something to with your hands, try card magic. Decks of cards are cheap, and there are tons of books on the subject, though I strongly recommend the Card College series by Roberto Giobbi. Being able to amaze people with a good trick is fun, and it's amazing how easily you can spend a lot of time practicing different sleights.
This one can be not only fun to learn but come in very helpful when you least expect it. I imagine you already have the material at hand.
http://www.animatedknots.com
http://www.animatedknots.com
Photography can be a bit of a rabbit hole if you let it become one, but it can also be explored and learned well on the cheap, especially if you set some limits for yourself. I like old film cameras, most of which I've picked up for less than $50. A couple of 50 year-old rangefinders were less than $20 at an antique store, and I learned to do some basic repairs and maintenance myself. A 30 year-old photography book from the used book store introduced me to what all the little numbers on the lens and inside the camera meant, and the basics of composition. I had several years of fun this way until digital photography came along, and I still enjoy taking an old camera to the park with my kids.
It may not be easy to put together an outfit over in the sandbox, but it might be easy enough when you return home.
Otherwise, I agree with a lot of the suggestions above. I've been learning leather braiding on and off for a few years, and sometimes combine that with carving wooden beads or jewelry. And there's always reading and creative writing when it's too hot or cold to be tinkering in the garage. Feed your brain.
Thanks for your service, and godspeed on your return home.
It may not be easy to put together an outfit over in the sandbox, but it might be easy enough when you return home.
Otherwise, I agree with a lot of the suggestions above. I've been learning leather braiding on and off for a few years, and sometimes combine that with carving wooden beads or jewelry. And there's always reading and creative writing when it's too hot or cold to be tinkering in the garage. Feed your brain.
Thanks for your service, and godspeed on your return home.
+1 on photography. I wish I had more pictures of my time in the service. Grab a point and shoot, some sd cards and take pictures of everything. Years from now they will be priceless to you.
make your own knife out of military scrap and locally sourced wood for the handle
- Thread starter
- #17
I think I'm going to look into calligraphy. Photography brings a lot of negative attention out here, and there is no wood, plus any scrap I use to make a knife would be confiscated by customs. Tryin' to keep me down!lol
Slash McCoy
I freehand dog rockets
Tarot
Learn to play harmonica. They don't cost much, they're portable, and it's fun to learn a little blues or jazz. Although if you don't have privacy the others may not enjoy it much while you are learning 
Drawing! It doesn't matter if you're good or not as long as you enjoy it.
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