With the winter of 64 event coming up, I did some pre planning for my trip, getting my route mapped out, looking for shortcuts and the like which I'll "tweak" over the next few weeks.

Now for the reality check. It's 341 miles each way from my door to the event site. I checked 3 on line sources. All show the same route and the same mileage. That's 682 miles round trip for those using new math. So, let's figure out the cost that just got added to my registration fee. Gas here is $3.15 a gallon. In New York, add 60 cents a gallon. The only vehicle I have to drive gets 18 mpg on the average highway.

Fill up before I leave: 341/18= 19 gallons x $3.15= $59.85
Fill up in NY for the trip home 19 gallons x $3.65= $69.35

59.85 + 69.35 = $129.20 for gas. Now,

I gotta eat during a 6 hour drive so let's add two $10 meals.

$139.20 + registration fee = $169.20 Now, add in the personal day I took.

I can go to my hunting camp 6 full weekends with groceries for that. Anyway it's always fun to look at the actual numbers. It's what I do.

Do you think the hobby is shrinking? Yes, I do. The costs would be more for a family of four traveling to Gettysburg from southern Virginia. What does that kind of expendature cost a family of 4? What does it do to their budget?

I personally am finding I am having to make choices because of the cost of fossil fuel. I'm sure I'm not alone.

Dave,

Yep, sat down with the boss this weekend and we determined we could not aford both Gettysburg events when you calculated in the time of from work. Was really wanting to do both too but the only way for that to be feasable would be to work most of the week between them and with gas prices being what they are, there is no way I could afford two trips from Florida back to back.  

--Last edited by toptimlrd on 2008-01-14 17:20:05 --

When the cost of fuel is mentioned in reference to this hobby words like dedication and commitment are frequently heard.  OK, they’re just words and wind.  But, when the practitioners of reenactment or bust start talking about sacrificing family obligations for this hobby it seems to this poor cynical soul that is synonymous with having heads in the sand.  They, of course, do not use the word sacrifice.  They will say things like “adjust priorities.”  Around this Gulf coastal domicile family is the priority.  If any adjustments are made it will be with a leisure time activity type hobby.

We are a family of 6, but we are only 3 hrs from Gettysburg, so about a tank of gas. Guess its a matter of looking at food.. dollar menu, take your own to eat on the way. Or just consider it your vacation and have fun with it We have already paid our registration for both events. Our biggest thing is making sure we have someplace to stay from the time AHT ends until we are allowed at GAC on Wed. Its then that things start adding up... are we going to have to find a hotel (and the closer we get the harder its going to be to find), add in then we cant cook our own food (dont think they will allow campfires in the hotel rooms). That will add up if we have to do that, so hopefully we wont!

Grumpydave is right about having to make decisions in light of costs of things and getting to events, etc.


I've only been in this for a year now and have tried to make every event that our company selected in 2007 which for the most part have been close to home.

I know I've already made some changes what I will be doing just as I did when I enlisted last January.  For example in 2007 I gave up my Saturday golf games since I had already purchased a partial season ticket for our Cincinnati Reds before I joined).  Once I joined I recognized that giving up golf would provide $ to work on building my kit.

For 2008 I've already decided I'm not going to go to as many baseball games (parking alone at $5-12 will same me $100-250 since my son was paying 1/2) and if I give up the Saturday golf I'll save another $300-400...enough to purchase my rife and return the company one for a new enlistee.

The gasoline, food and registrations for us is managable and I'm free most weekends so I'm blessed that I don't have to take off from work to attend a weekend event.  But I know I still have to be careful to balance off everything from a personal standpoint (with the Mrs.)

its the balance thats the hard part! Though its opposite here.. I gotta be careful with the Mister. I do have all the kiddos on my side

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chatrbug wrote : Our biggest thing is making sure we have someplace to stay from the time AHT ends until we are allowed at GAC on Wed. Its then that things start adding up... are we going to have to find a hotel (and the closer we get the harder its going to be to find), add in then we cant cook our own food (dont think they will allow campfires in the hotel rooms). That will add up if we have to do that, so hopefully we wont!

If you're going to be camping for the events, consider the several campgrounds in the G'burg area for the time in between, with the gear you already use for the events.

I have a differant life style than most , I guess. I am 58 and have been retired with all my bills paid for 8 years. (The steel mill I worked at has a 30 years and out retirement.) when I started this hobby(Three years ago) I got an easy part time job , just to finance my hobby. So, like Dave , my biggest expenditures are gas and food.No children to be concerned about and as long as our events don't clash with those "special to the wife" dates. I am in good shape.In fact, I beleive she is glad to get my old backside out of her face 7 or 8 weekends a season.
I am looking forward to being at Gettysburg this year. (My first time there as a re-enactor.)That is a big drive from south western Ohio, But I will save up for months for it.
This is a great forum and I read it daily. Thanks to all involved with it and all those who post here. I have learned alot.
Keep your powder dry. The Union Forever!
Com. Sgt Dan Girton , Co. A , 6th OVI

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If you're going to be camping for the events, consider the several campgrounds in the G'burg area for the time in between, with the gear you already use for the events

Waiting on word to see how many days we need to find a campground or place to stay. Biggest thing will be finding someplace with a half decent shower! Thank goodness I have a very small washtub lol.

I won't talk about last year. I'll start fresh this year. Drive to Nashville from Minneapolis next weekend for the N/SA meeting in a vehicle that the most it ever got was 18mpg. Fly to Buffalo in February plus ship a box from home. Lord knows how much that's going to run. In May, drive to Kansas City in same vehicle. In June, take a chartered bus with my unit to Andersburg. July, drive to Upper Souix Agency (this is local, it's only 4 hours away) for a LH.. Sept., drive to Pilot Knob for Marmadukes Raid. Nov., drive to Springfield, Ill. for the Western Brigade congress. This is not to mention going to about 12 unit meetings. I think this is actually less than I did last year. Yep, gas prices are taking their toll on my hobby.

Rob  

--Last edited by rob murray on 2008-01-15 11:38:44 --

I know gas isn't cheap, and I am not wealthy, but adjusted for inflation, gasoline costs us less now than it did in 1981 (admittedly, that was a year of shortages).  For me, skipping a couple of nights out makes up for the costs of a full tank of gas, and when I am able to get into the field, nothing replaces the experience.

B.C. Milligan  

--Last edited by Remise on 2008-01-15 11:22:06 --

My Mainstream Unit is located in eastern Pennsylvania and southern New Jersey. We had our annual meeting on Saturday. The consensus of the group was that they only wanted one trip to Virginia this year. There are lots of small local events here in eastern Pennsylvania and they are the events getting attention. People just aren't willing to drive three or four hundred miles and use up a day or two of vacation to attend an event.    

Okay.. we have it planned now (or I do).. AHT til Tuesday morning, a hotel for Tuesday night (suppose someone might appreciate it if we took hot showers!), sleep in a real bed for the night. Wed. we will set up at GAC

Its not the hobby thats getting us, its going to be our trip back to Missouri that is going to hurt the pocket book! Guess we have to see the people we love at some point.

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People just aren't willing to drive three or four hundred miles and use up a day or two of vacation to attend an event.

Bill, you probably are right in general.  However, I will do it if the event is exactly what I'm looking for to do.  Of course authenticity, historical scenario, and desire has to outweigh the distance.

Showers are over rated...

I think lots of event hosts are going to find out just how much the cost of living is going to effect our hoppy in the next two years.

I've done some hard thinking about spending $200+ to play war for a weekend with grown men. And, there's no way I'll be adding the cost of some specialty item I'll only ever use for one event or only one time every 4 years. I don't see many(or any) more 3 to 6 hour trips in my future. Fuel prices have about taken the car pool possibility of saving money away. I've herd these words more than one time, "Do I eat or buy fuel oil?" from folks who I'd never have thought. They're not even thinking about a hobby anymore.

In my case, I can find a living history almost every weekend and drive 30 minutes if I get the urge. I guess I'm lucky in that respect.

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GrumpyDave wrote : In my case, I can find a living history almost every weekend and drive 30 minutes if I get the urge. I guess I'm lucky in that respect.

I am lucky like Dave that I live in SE Pennsylvania and have choices as to local events and living history. The higher increase in gas and don't forget oil related items or transported goods  that we all purchase have increased also. Tough for a person with a growing family and responsibilties to attend as many events as they desire.

My experience over the years has been, young unmarried persons get into the hobby and have no problems. Then they get married and maybe the spouse joins in also, so not too bad yet. Children come along and of course as they grow they need your attention and quite a few people either leave the hobby or just cut back. Then you have the old fellow such as myself. A little too old for the long authentic marches anymore, been to reenactments and done that many many times. So I just basically pick 4 -6 at most, living histories or smaller events and attend those.

I guess you could tie this into the age of man scripy and call it the age of the reenactor.

The Army of the Pacific seems to have the right idea just one nice event per year for the units with the AoP and I suppose local events the remainer.

I have rambled enough....

pays to live in PA

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Showers are over rated

Yah well.. we are talking about June and July... and 10 days out and about. Not all in period clothing, but since we are going to play tourist during the week, I figured a shower might be good.

Cost

Gettysburg in July this year for me 1200 miles(round trip) pulling a 16ft. trailer with cannon-limber. approx.15mpg. 3.30 gal=264.00 fuel alone. registration early 15 dollars. 50lbs gunpowder approx. 600 dollars if I'm lucky. Food etc. I'm round balling it but I figure Gettysburg will cost me 1000 dollars. This is the last time I shoot a big event after this no money or powder no show. The hobby is so divided in the West now I don't really like spending the money on what some might call a big event anymore. I've never been to Gettysburg so I want to go at least once. I'm not complaining yet stating a fact. I don't have the t-shirt from Gettysburg.

Always
Doug Thomas
Lyons Battery CS
Kentucky  

--Last edited by captdougofky on 2008-01-15 22:42:34 --

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Ken Cornett wrote : Bill, you probably are right in general.  However, I will do it if the event is exactly what I'm looking for to do.  Of course authenticity, historical scenario, and desire has to outweigh the distance.

Ken,

The majority of the folks in the First Battalion aren't interested in campaign events. There are fourteen different events in eastern Pennsylvania amd southern New Jersey within a hour and a half from my house. The big question is which of these events to support.

The more authentic events are few and far between. If you want that experience, there's really not much alternative to travel.

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GrumpyDave wrote : In my case, I can find a living history almost every weekend and drive 30 minutes if I get the urge. I guess I'm lucky in that respect.

Location, location, location.

For those situated in the heart of the territories most active in our period of interest, I bid you a jealous "congratulations".  We central Ohioans, with no battlegrounds to call our own (except Buffington Island) and others of our ilk have no choice but to pack up the buggy, stuff as many of us as can stand it into cramped quarters and sally forth to those places we hold dear, sharing what expenses we can for the common interest and good.  Those of us who can carry a little extra of the burden do so willingly to maximize participation for our comrades.

Yeah, we can pick and choose amongst any number of local and slightly larger events within the state, but if you want to play on the real fields you just have to bite the bullet and pay to play.  It beats the hell out of playing golf or tennis all summer.