Come on, give me some more activities to be obsession about, my GF will love it!

If you make your own stuff you can waste more time doing that

While that may be obsessive….it's be more messy in my shaky hands. :p

Get into backcountry skiing!

Then you too can have multiple boots, skis and bindings. Discuss skins vs. waxless vs wax. Wax poetic (ha!) about Blue Extra and why you hate to use klister. Throw in the perennial debate about Tele vs. AT and why Nordic Backcountry is totally different than Classic Nordic skiing. Good times will be had by all!!!! :)

Of course with all these gorgeous places you're going, you're going to need to get into photography! First there's the gear…and OH so much pricier than UL backpacking gear! Then you've got the processing…lightbox, photoshop…tagging and geotagging it all….then uploading it several places. Don't forget a photoblog and of course your Flickr account which need to be kept up to date. And since you've put so much blood, sweat, and tears into this…online backups and a home server and an extensive DVD cataloging backup library.

Not your thing?

Then there's always fly fishing.

Good one….I cut off my photographer obsession with a Panasonic DMC-LX5 w/ full manual control. Even though SLRs are nice, carrying one on the trail would make the UL side of my wretch. haha.

I added the star gazing because I always stay up late when I am in the woods so it is fun to learn some things about those white dots above. There are some cool free downloads for it. I fish in the warmer weather and in Texas, hiking is too hot from may-september.

My dad lent me a CD set with a bunch of bird calls on it (Birding by Ear). I randomly popped it in my car one day and within a couple months, I was an avid bird listener. I still have no idea what some of these birds look like, but I probably know 75-80 songs/calls now. I'm now working on MORE Birding by Ear.

I could definitely see myself getting into stargazing a bit. Kind of for the same reason as birds. I like to know what I'm listening to while hiking, and I bet I'd enjoy knowing what I'm looking at during the night.

Buy a mountain bike and take a few classes on maintenance. Add a couple bike stands in the living room with parts strewn about.

Sea kayaking is a Venus Fly Trap in my neck of the woods— we're surrounded by big lakes and a zillion miles of saltwater coastlines. Beware :)

I already have a Folbot Cooper kayak, she's lucky it packs small. :p

No mountain bike…there's always tomorrow!

When I can't go backpacking, a day trip on a mountainbike is almost as good. Plus plenty of tools and assorted solvents for the living room (spreadsheet for keeping track of them), another hydration pack/backpack with airflow (one more spreadsheet) with second set of miniature tools, air pumps, etc.. for the pack (one more spreadsheet) and …. BONUS!!!! …. a bike rack in the living room. Daily cleaning, tune-ups every 2 months, and bike rides that can turn into hikes after smashing gears, it's never boring.

Just for a little motivation, here's some pics of the 29'er this weekend while the forests just a little north were on fire.

reflector since it's illegal to ride in some cities without one .. dual use

Of course there's the paint job to seal the deal with the GF

Mountain bike……………and a road bike! Then you can bore her with carbon vs. titanium, Shimano vs. Sram, compact cranks, ceramic bearings, tubular vs. clincher, etc. And nothing makes a significant other happier than when you bring home a $6500 bike, and brag about it being on sale for $3000 off.

$6500 or above is a little much, considering a generic $250 REI bike can be stolen for it's parts. One problem with bikes.

A decent aluminum bike can run less than a grand, with 20% off on sale. Surprise her and buy 2. In all seriousness, these will can get all in shape PDQ with regular, tough riding better than the vast majorities experiences with gyms and their payments..

Plus it gives you all a chance to surprise your GF, wives, etc… with spandex and Lycra.

Just to revive this thread a bit I picked up a dual sport motorcycle a few months back. Tons of fun and I get to obsess over similar spreadsheets with spare parts, tools, riding gear, and camping gear!

Of course I commute on it too so gas savings come into play and I've seriously considered joining fuelly. Hypermiling a motorcycle is fun.

I've never had more fun in my life, riding motorcycles on the track, touring the country:

But I no longer ride. I was recently contacted out of the blue by someone who bought the same model bike I used to own a long time ago for his son. My response to him sums up my thoughts on bikes having been on both sides of the equation. He never responded…go figure. :p

From: Bryce
To: kevin
Sent: Tue, May 3, 2011 5:10:30 PM
Subject: Re: 84 CB700 SC Owners Manual

Hi Kevin,

I'm sorry to say, but I not longer have that PDF.

With that said, I no longer ride motorcycles on the track or street. I was in a very serious accident in 2007 where I hit a deer in the middle of the day on the highway while returning from a 3000 mile trip.

As a result I am permanently crippled on my right arm and leg after multiple surgeries (will eventually need knee replacement) and months off from work:
http://www.facebook.com/media/set/fbx/?set=a.518913730736.2046903.17506531&l=7e83b50a1a

I was wearing full gear head to toe with mouthpiece (that is why I still have my teeth) and chest and back protector. The gear saved my life, but was no match for wildlife and guardrails.

(Food for thought…ask your son to put on his full gear and slam his elbow into a brick wall as hard as he can….ask him if it hurts even a little, then in your mind multiple it by 100 to simulate a motorcycle impact and then ask yourself if "full gear" really could every protect him as well as you'd like it to?)

When I used to hear of a friend getting into an accident I used to say to myself "I'm better trained, I've ridden for years on the track, I'm more cautious on the street, I could of handled that." But in this case, I could not.

For all the tremendous fun motorcycles gave me (it was in fact an addiction), including trackdays and touring the country…. if I knew it would one day decimate my body to the point where I could not enjoy the simple things in life (I cannot run down my own driveway to the mailbox, I can't shake your hand, etc.) nor things I've enjoyed since a child (I've played soccer my entire life, including in college) I would of passed.

Since my motorcycle accident, I haven't lived in a padded room, nor do I advocate that in general. I've gotten into backpacking and kit cars, namely Lotus 7 replicas that have given me back the rush of motorcycles in every way shape and form, but with a much higher safety envelope.

You don't even have to build them yourself, I bought mine used and drove it home. It was an incredible trip:
http://www.facebook.com/media/set/fbx/?set=a.571806852496.2103433.17506531&l=b6bd698987

Having been on both sides of the fence, both an alpha male riding a bike where no one could tell me squat about safety and potential hurt on a bike because I was "doing it right," to the guy I am now who threatened to excommunicate his little brother when he asked about buying a bike…..I know this reply probably comes off a preaching to the max so I apologize in advance. I just have had the opportunity to love and hate bikes, so I figured I'd let you experience a little of what I've been through and make the call yourself. My parents knew they couldn't control me when I got into bikes, and I wish they did to a certain extent, it's tough to see your Dad cry.

If you fwd me the post you are referring to, I might be able to refresh my memory and perhaps locate it again for you.

Good luck either way you go,

Bryce

From: kevin
To: Bryce
Sent: Tue, May 3, 2011 4:27:55 PM
Subject: 84 CB700 SC Owners Manual

Been searching for a manual for my son's 84 Nighthwak 700s and came across your post from way back in 2001. Do you still have a scan of the manual by any chance?

Thanks,

Kevin

I have a Yamaha WR250F and a 1992 CBR600F2. I work out of town now, so my friends ride with others, I use the Honda for trips to town for shopping on Saturday and lunch. Sort of a bar hopper. Plus, like every Yamaha I have ever owned, the one I have now is hard to start when it cools down in the Fall, it likes warm weather. Then there is the vintage snowmobile that gets ridden only a little as all my friends have sleds at least 20 years newer and so much faster. So many things to do, so little time for each.

Packraft.

There's currently enough obsession surrounding those miniature packable rafts to keep you entertained.

Dirt touring on a bicycle. It's awesome! You can cover an insane amount of territory. Heading out for a 10 day dirt lap in OR and WA in two weeks. Plenty of equipment and such to keep you busy with Ebay and stuck in the man cave wrenching on your rig.

The most obsessive people I know are ultra-marathoners. They eat, sleep, run, and sometimes work a little to support their addiction.

Minor hobbies can be also done on the trail, some are sure to ruin a date, such as pocketscopes for seeing distasteful stuff living in the 'pure' water.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Natural-History-Museum-Pocket-Microscope/dp/B0015X4Y5S/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1315210776&sr=8-3

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/MICROSCOPE-TREKKER-PORTABLE-REVOLUTIONARY-GREAT-GIFT-/120735461979?pt=UK_BOI_Medical_Lab_Equipment_Lab_Equipment_ET&hash=item1c1c64f25b

C:UsersrobDesktopmiscapeWebpageClonewww.microscopy-uk.org.ukmagartjun05dwtrekker.html

The second one also makes a T mount camera adaptor.

Ooops,

Correction:

http://www.microscopy-uk.org.uk/mag/indexmag.html?http://www.microscopy-uk.org.uk/mag/artjun05/dwtrekker.html

Depending on how you approach it, training for a half-Iron or Iron Man distance triathlons can completely take over your life. I know from experience.

Otherwise, definitely second the fly fishing suggestion. Huge amounts of money and time can be sucked up. Each night you can carefully study which insects emerge at what times of the year where you will be trekking, and what they look like, so you can bring *exactly* the right assortment of flies with you… Don't get me started on what you can spend on gear… She'll love it. :D

Scuba diving – as soon as you jump off the boat all the gear feels weightless – this should bide well with the ultralight gang. Due to being weightless and little stress on the joints, it's a hobby you can keep doing as you age as well. Equipment wise – well it can be as cheap or expensive as you want to make it. If you like photo, underwater photo becomes an obsession for many. I've stayed out of that – I just dive.

I imagine many of us like hiking/climbing due to the exploration aspect and scuba diving has this same aspect just under water. Wildlife tends to be easier to get close to as well. Since it almost always is done in pairs it's something you can get your girlfriend into as well and can be dive buddies.

This combines hiking and Tupperware so your GF could have more involvement…..

(I am joking right…this is not a serious post. I'm not sure I even spelt it right.)
:-)