A recent video we posted about Robin Barrett’s Class C RV garden got some of us talking about RV hobbies. Besides the act of RVing being a hobby unto itself, we wondered how many of our readers take their hobbies or crafts along with them while they travel and what that looks like.
Personally, I probably have too much hobby stuff on board.
I always carry my sewing machine and all the necessary sewing accouterments (I really need to pare it down since I barely use these).
Plus I am an avid knitter/crocheter/fiber artist. Again, I probably have too much yarn with me, but my art style demands lots of different colors and textures (for instance, see the freeform purse photo at the top of this page).
I am also a tie-dyer, although I am still figuring out how to bring all that stuff with me because it’s a lot. But I do bring old or ugly shirts (you make a lot of ugly shirts when perfecting new dye designs). These get recycled into locker-hooked rugs like the one below.
Did I mention I carry a LOT of hobby stuff? I do, but it’s worth it because these things bring me peace and joy.
What about you? Do you take along any crafts or hobbies when you travel?
Please share! We’ll do a follow-up article with a compilation of the most compelling answers in the next week or so.
To participate please fill out the form below (DO NOT ANSWER IN THE COMMENTS ON THIS PAGE). Thank you.
(*Comments might be edited for grammar and brevity.)
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Amateur radio. Quilting is also in the mix.
My hobby is photography, as a telephoto and close-up lens is always handy; my wife’s hobby is reading and her iPad library is chocked full of books, old and new downloads. We also consider our dog(s) and cats(s) hobbies!
I bring my big-buck, high-tech Uniden scanner with me to see just what I can pick up and hear in the neighborhood. Big cities? Crazy. Small towns? Interesting.
I take my amateur radio and activate for POTA.
History, birding, and geology are my hobbies and photography and crafting are my wife’s. So, I do the trip planning to historical sites and museums, wildlife areas, national parks and monuments, and interesting geological areas, while she takes photos of those places. When we had a small travel trailer, she was limited in her crafting. When we got a fifth wheel, she started hand-piecing quilt squares to sew together when we returned home. One winter we snowbirded in a Tucson park model, so she took her computerized paper cutter. She designed and “manufactured” hundreds of unique gift tags (we still have enough tags to last all of our remaining Christmases!). Last year, she began crocheting small stuffed animals for a child care center and decided that was her most RV-friendly hobby yet. She is now ordering yarn by the crate from Turkey, so she has enough to last until we get too old to RV!
About the same for us, DW makes jewelry and such. In addition I try to do some wood carving.
Amateur Radio. my wife and I are both hams.
Full time 17yrs – Lack of space dictate my hobbies. Now they are reading, web research, hiking, sight seeing, RV repairs, Jeeping when possible, reading RV Travel….., marveling at the stupidity of man…
I’m glad we’re on your list of hobbies, Richard. Thank you! And I’m especially glad we’re not included with your final item. 😆 Have a great day! 😀 –Diane at RVtravel.com
Mine is not a hobby as more of a lifestyle. I make all our personal, cleaning, and medicinal products using organic herbs, essential oils, melt/pour soap bases, etc. I have an apothecary in a cabinet and drawers and essential oils, oils, soaps, soap nuts, and other ingredients/tools to make our products in a row of overhead cabinets. When we run out of something I can make it instead of running to a store. I also take online training classes in herbalism.
That is so cool 😎!
Puttering, accessorizing, and optimizing the RV is one of my hobbies so it goes along by default
For us, traveling in the RV IS the hobby.
I agree, need to be careful about loading up on wants vs needs when traveling. I enjoy the simplicity of camping and do not need to bring along a bunch of extra stuff from home. Trying to get away from some of that stuff when camping
I collect gas pressure lanterns, made by Coleman and others. I have about 22 lanterns at home and every trip I take a few with me to use at the campsite. There’s nothing like the hiss of a Coleman lantern!
I have a similar collection but they are lanterns that burn lamp oil. I only keep the ones that still have a working wick adjustment.
It says “Don’t answer in the comment section on this page” I think it’s funny how people won’t follow directions… :))
Yep, me too but it happens with EVERY one of these articles we do. 🙁
My wife has several hobbies. She crochets and does other crafts and reads as a hobby as well. So when we are out and about she always has one or more with her.
So sorry, Bill. For some reason our sometimes overzealous spam filter thought your comment was spam. 😯 I just found it in the spam folder and approved it. The filter does make mistakes, obviously. Our apologies. Have a great day. 😀 –Diane at RVtravel.com
Chess set and of course my golf clubs!