Has gas prices affected reenacting?

[battlebaby4]

I  felt this question was best for the general area of this forum since all reenactors have to travel to and from reenactments.
 Gas is having a effect on my unit and me. It is hard to spend 70.00 in gas to go to a event far away plus pay a 25.00 event fee. Then add in food.
 We had to skip Torrance,PA for this reason. We are trying to carpool to more events. The only summer roadtrip for us will be Thunder over Michigan in August.
We're looking into renting a large van, splitting the gas and rent fee.
 95% of the events we do this year will be local stuff. parades, living histories and events under 2 hours from homebase Erie.
 How is the gas effecting you and your unit? Is it harder to try a new event because of it? or go to one that is falling off in participants.

 Pat

[Sturmkatze]

Yes, I have to say that it affected partly, my decision not to go to Lafe this year -- yeah, work was most of it, but 1000+ miles driving?! Not in a car that gets 15mpg.

If I didn't live only 30miles from the WWI site, I probably wouldn't be going. Money is tight these days 

[Antonescu]

I find it interesting that everyone is "surprised" by the rise in gas prices. If you paid attention you could tell that prices would be going higher after the jump last year. Only use the car to go to my family, in-laws or to see houses other than reenactments. At most out 2 weekends a month. To be honest, the price of gas isn't affecting me that much.

[Sturmkatze]

$3.45 tonite. WHAT BULLshite! And what will anyone do about it? It's not like I live somewhere w/ public transportation. No, we need something that will break the commodities traders and cause oil prices to plummet. What about yon huge oil find in the Dakotas?

[Antonescu]

LOL, try $3.79 at the gas station two blocks from by past the Queensboro Bridge. Find more oil? Hell why can't we do synthetic fuels? The Germans came up with stuff during the war due to shortages in fuel so why can't they do it with the new technology?

[Rockman]

I've been kind of wondering about why synthetic fuels haven't been pursued more agressively.  Hell, if the Germans could do it with 1940's technology, it shouldn't be that big of a deal to gear up with the technology available now. Maybe affordable fuel isn't quite as profitable for the Oil Barons..... just doesn't have the same smell as obscene profits.  -But we know the smell of B.S. when it wafts our way!.....

[Sturmkatze]

Synthetic fuels are quite expensive, which is why they only do stuff like that during wartime when they have no other choice.

Here is an interesting article, one of many I found on google about the new oil field. Now, if only the Bush/Clintons don't let their cronies keep us from seeing any advantages with on this...

[Antonescu]

Synthetic fuels are quite expensive, which is why they only do stuff like that during wartime when they have no other choice.

Here is an interesting article, one of many I found on google about the new oil field. Now, if only the Bush/Clintons don't let their cronies keep us from seeing any advantages with on this...

Damn, the US government should buy the land up ASAP if able then drill it. Make a deal with the refineries and oil companies to provide gas here in the us for like $2.00 per gallon for 50 years!

[Sturmkatze]

Why are you not at WWI?? Bad Rob, BAD! I came home to let my dogs out... going back early.
M.

[Huntar]

it hasn't affected my decisions to go to events.

if you enjoy it, do it. don't worry about what it costs unless you wont be able to eat for a week.

[Bonnie aka blnzrfn]

LOL......My family has a new diet plan its called high gas prices    .........We've cutback on places we had planned on going  .....and we offered up our 10 acres for a training weekend (instead of going to some state park)  because everyone is trying to cutback...

[Antonescu]

Why are you not at WWI?? Bad Rob, BAD! I came home to let my dogs out... going back early.
M.

WWI and Torrance were this weekend. On top of it baby shower in WV (BTW that is where I am with no cell phone service). Wife having cancer surgery and having a baby shower a month later takes top priority in my book.

[Sturmkatze]

WWI and Torrance were this weekend. On top of it baby shower in WV (BTW that is where I am with no cell phone service). Wife having cancer surgery and having a baby shower a month later takes top priority in my book.

I'm not saying it doesn't... we all just thought you were going to be there -- people were walking around (literally) asking "Have you seen Rob Haught?" I think guys in your unit were getting tired of people asking.

WHY would they hold a WWII event on the same weekend as WWI? How stupid! A lot of guys do both. 

[Antonescu]

Well I know that you weren't saying that. I am going to be there in November for sure though. Will be busy that month with Haydenville the last weekend in October then Newville then Torrance the following weekend (or Bedford if allowed to attend as Romanian).

[atlanticwallblanks]

I was walking around both events asking for Rob 

If I have your grenade launcher for a year does it become mine by default?

As for the events being on the same weekend, I know the event coordinator of Torrance and he decided that with gas prices, moving it one week forward wouldn't change turnout. He couldn't move it one week back as the farmer was planting the fields as soon as the event was over.  I think he is right but it still sucks that they were the same weekend.

I do think gas prices are having an effect.  WWI was way down last weekend. Torrance was slower. Combined they were down about 50%  There was not a lot of car-pooling going on either.  We make that rule number 1 in our unit. No more than 2 vehicles for everyone.  Problem with that is so many guys have small cars for better gas mileage that you can't car pool effectively.

Opec is at its breaking point, the Bush / Cheney oil machine is killing us.  (yes I voted for them   )

The cumulative effect of the higher prices is hurting an already weak economy.  That will hurt events more as this goes on.

Robb