This year for most of us the season is about over. I'm working in Northern Indiana for a couple of weeks and diesel just hit 3.60 a gallon. If things don't ease up a bit I'm thinking the hobby will take a bigger hit on numbers due to cost than age and burn out. I'm going to the GAC Gettysburg next year, but long trips after that for the hobby may not be in the works. Gunpowder with hasmat charges and cost isn't getting any better either. Its getting to the point we as a hobby will only be done by the chosen few or those individuals that money is no object. Young people wanting to get in may not be able to afford it because of gas and fees alone. Christmas around the corner folks its simple math and the numbers aren't matching.

Always
Doug Thomas
Lyons Battery CS
Kentucky

It is causing a rethinking on some of the events we usually attend.  In our area, a local event can be an eight hour drive.  We have started to meet and combine horses into larger trailers to save expenses.  We did two longer trips this year and it hurt a bit.  I do see it as an issue for us for the upcoming season (actually it is a continuation of our season since our break is during the summer!).  Powder does not impact us as much as it does for you guys in artillery.  Our major expense is feed.  We were lucky to get rain this spring.  That gave us a break in the cost of hay.  The late summer and fall has not been good and it looks like the prices will be up again.  When I have to make a choice, it is easy for me.  The horses have to eat.  I do not have to play.  If both go up, I will not be going to many beyond the really local ones.

I am not sure what the impacts will be for you guys in the East and Midwest.  For us to attend events even in AOT areas, it might be tough.

Barry

Talking to some Cav members at Perryville this year. Dry as popcorn in Kentucky, good round bales going for as much as 75 or higher. Cav and Artillery have the most cost. Gas treats everyone the same. I have to buy diesel. More local for me after Gettysburg GAC next year.

Always
Doug Thomas

I have to agree with you Barry.  Here in Arkansas we are pretty well located to do various events in the Trans Mississippi Theater,however,due to the price of fuel and,various other expenses,the multitude of events that I attend in the spring will be curtailed in order to handle Gettysburg GAC.  

--Last edited by 1stSgt P. on 2007-11-13 18:41:46 --

Diesel was $3.39 in upstate NY a couple of weeks ago, and probably higher now. Regular unleaded was is $3.08 here in the People's Republic of Maryland, and the Commissars want to add another 35 cents state tax to road fuel. Round bales (cattle grade) are up to $90 for the 800#.  Horse hay (50 to 60#) is looking at $10 per bale retail in late winter. The drought has been bad here, too. I went to some sort of long distance event a couple of years ago when fuel was $3.85 at one point, so at least the prices aren't that bad.

Futures will go over $100 per barrel prior to profit taking, and people will car or vanpool to events. Local events (5 or less hours one-way) will do about the same as regional events (5 to 12 hours or more one way) around here. Yeah, I know, for some of you 12 hours will barely get you out of state, if that!

Some segments will continue to grow. Other segments will wane. Death and taxes remain as Ben Franklin put it.

Charles,

Since travel is going to get (with a son in college out of state too!) harder with the above mentioned expenses, I think I am going to work on my civilian impression and contact Cody about opportunities for different experiences a little closer to home.  I do want to balance my family time with my other interests too.

Barry,

For that civilian attire, don't forget about a good MSG impression opportunity at Pea Ridge during the weekend of 7-9 March 2008. Another expenditure is vacation time, and I'm looking at eleven days in 2008 for prep and travel to a number of events, including a four day block for Winter 1864 in February.

Seeing how there is absolutely nothing going on in July, maybe I should ask Doug if he needs another gun bunny for GAC'burg.  

Quote :

Charles Heath wrote : Barry, For that civilian attire, don't forget about a good MSG impression opportunity at Pea Ridge during the weekend of 7-9 March 2008. Another expenditure is vacation time, and I'm looking at eleven days in 2008 for prep and travel to a number of events, including a four day block for Winter 1864 in February. Seeing how there is absolutely nothing going on in July, maybe I should ask Doug if he needs another gun bunny for GAC'burg.

Charles

More than welcome, We are a mainstream unit. Home of big guns and big coolers. I'm signed up under Baxters Battery CS. Hope to get a couple more guns to head north with us. 4 guns out of Kentucky and Tenn.

Always
Doug Thomas
Lyons Battery CS
Kentucky

Doug and Charles,

I'll be there with my mainstream cav unit.  Hope to see you both.  Doug, do you have an extra cooler for him?  Sorry Charles, we do not carry sabers so no fairy dances for us.  I am going to tie this trip in with a visit back east with family.

Charles, can you send me info on Pea Ridge?

Doug & Barry,

I only have two fish coolers here in The Bunker, and they are only 48-quart models, the good news is they are both the correct branch color. I sure hope Coleman and Igloo are approved vendors.  

Meanwhile, back in the event world, click this link for some Pea Ridge NPS LH info:

http://www.authentic-campaigner.com/forum/showthread.php?t=13196

i wish i could carpool... we have room for one lol... and thats if we leave the tent, coolers and extra clothes at home! the cooler i can handle not taking, no prob workign around that. its the tent and extra clothes i have probs with.

Coolers

48 qt. Just the right size.  

Always
Doug Thomas

Doug, with any luck, I'll be able to scrape up a common tent, and some camp stuff for GACburg, so I won't feel terribly out of place.  

Gas is $3.07 here in Western N.C., but is retreating slightly. The local cheapest station is now $2.99. Still, the cost of fuel is going to be a factor we will all consider for the '08 events. We attended Gettysburg this year, but the consensus is that we will have to pass it up for '08. We were considering the Anders event, as we were disappointed in the quality of the big event. Gettysburg is a 9 hour trip, so an 18 hour round trip would cost me $240 plus in fuel alone. Many of our unit members simply can't afford that expense. Even with carpooling, the fuel cost would be prohibitive.
 Fortunately, N.C. has a myriad number of events available to us. We will be looking long and hard at each one that we are considering for next years schedule. We feel that a smaller, closer to home event would allow more members to attend, with the result of keeping them an active member, rather than a disgruntled one who can't afford road trips.
As a footnote, I attended the Secessionville event near Charleston, SC last weekend. The numbers were way down, especially among the "real" Yankees. The Palmetto Battalion galvanized for the whole event, which helped to the point to where the Confederates were outnumbered, which is a rarity to say the least. The good news was that SC has some of the lowest gas taxes in the South and we filled up before crossing back into NC for $2.85 per gallon. Still, the cost for this 8 hour round trip was around $120 for fuel. Maybe we'll all get lucky and fuel prices will drop, but I'm afraid that by summertime, we'll all be in "pump shock."

Gregg Hensley
22nd NCST, Co. K
The McDowell Boys  

--Last edited by Gregg Hensley on 2007-11-17 09:42:53 --

It's still cheaper than green fees and carts.  And it's never been called "A good walk spoiled".  

Off down here we are well into the spring season.  Already it is quite obvious the number of participants are down from years past.  Maybe we have gotten beyond the talking phase of fuel prices having a bearing on the hobby.

Quote :

Curtis Makamson wrote :   Already it is quite obvious the number of participants are down from years past.  Maybe we have gotten beyond the talking phase of fuel prices having a bearing on the hobby.

Curtis,

I'm seeing the same situation at the Neshaminy event, up here near Philadelphia. Most of the Federal troops are local, but the Event draws Confederates from Maryland, Northern Virginia, and New York. Federal participation seems about normal, but Confederate registration is way down. I'm hoping for a last minute surge!

I like your comment about golf Bernie as you are so on target its scary.  When I enlisted a littel over a year ago and realized what it would take to get the necessary equipment, travel to events, etc. I actually gave up golf for the entire year...saved me a minimum of $40 per round...and that can buy a lot of the other kind of rounds.

I guess our hobby is no different than if you lived in Virginia and liked to ski.

Regular unleaded gasoline: $3.51

Road Diesel: $4.15

Off Road Diesel: $2.76

...and climbing.