My things outside of paintball:
Generally anything that involves being in a field socially:
There’s the social side of big game paintball, (which is of course in paintball but out of playing)
From watching some mates in tournaments I widened my paintball interests to watching if I have an interest in the teams, to photographing and a little dabble in tournament play.
I’m not committed enough to play competitively, and prefer scenario. But I found that my interest is in all flavours and the adrenaline rush.
Photographing a tournament or running a game sometimes gives more of a rush as you have more time ‘amongst action’
(But I’ve retired from tournament photography as I have a problem in one of my fingers, so want to avoid that being shot)
Then you can put your feet up and have some drinks together with war stories
My other bit of field socializing is festivals etc, but I’ve moved away from paying to go to a festival to being part of traders at a festival/event.
I help out friends who trade at country/steam shows, music festivals, steam punk, craft fairs, comicons.
Depending on the particular show I’ll go as free unpaid staff, or pay part of the pitch entry for cheap entry.
The ideal show is when we are set up facing the main stage (good spot for customer footfall, but also that I can sit with my cool box of drinks and listen to the music)
When all you peasants are dragging your chairs all the way from the campsite to stage and queue for lukewarm drinks I’ll just watch you struggle by
I can get some photography in as well
These are all currently off, and the last we did was London comicon at the last weekend of february/march
The main problem now is planning for 2021 and fitting everything in alongside what organisers are able to commit to with an unknown future
I go to a local auction and get things both for me and for friends shops & stalls.
I have my little DelBoy style side line on eBay and at the shops/stalls
My lockdown hobby has been doing some gadget experimenting with arduinos.
At our TFD events we’ve had various gadget props, built by our technology guy, so I’ve been teaching myself and trying to work out some props and game modes / to use them