Submitted by reddituser6213 t3_yl9lfe in newhampshire
I feel like I’m missing out on a lot of fun stuff like ATV riding and snowboarding and stuff like that but all that stuff costs too much money for me right now. Am I only going to be able to just go hiking and that’s it?
I’m honestly getting a little bored of hiking. I do it too much I think. I need to spice things up but I got no money
Sometimes the ski areas sell their old rental equipment for peanuts, you can try calling them up and asking if they have anything like that coming up.
That’s good to know. Thanks
Find better trails?
Yeah I'm kinda in the same boat, I did it most weekends in the summer and now I'm looking for something different to do.
Split my firewood for me. You can do it free of charge
Disc golf is very fun and pretty cheap. You can get a set of three discs for about $30 that will work perfectly fine and last you (in theory) forever. We have a lot of good courses in NH, and they are all free to play. If you’re not familiar, there are “holes” just like in regular golf, but instead of being in the ground they are about 5’ tall and actually sort of look like a bowl with a pole in the middle, and chains coming down to the edges of the bowl from the center pole. You have tees just like in regular golf, and you throw one of your discs (they’re basically small frisbees) and try to get as close to the hole as possible until you’re close enough to throw them in. The courses are set up on town-owned land and wind through the woods. So you get to explore the forest (sometimes a bit too much exploring if your disc goes off course), get some exercise, and have some fun. I’m very much an amateur (read: not good at all) but have found the disc golf community to be super friendly and very non-judgemental.
if you have no money, some towns have free equipment exchanges for winter based activities. Maybe reach out to them see if you can get a free board and some boots or even ice skates for ice skating somewhere.
Manchester Moves has an outdoor gear lending library.
Ever tried disc golf? Pretty fun if you’re into that kind of stuff.
Seconded! Also I’m really bad at it and only go like twice a year… I see people of all levels out there enjoying it! Just make sure to let faster players play through.
No I haven’t but I should check it out
Waterfall hunting. Its hiking, but more fun IMO. When the water is super low, you can go straight up riverbeds in all sorts of places. Because you’re following a river, its basically impossible to get lost. Download Gaia and go explorin.
Try the Ellis river east of Mt Washington for a start.
Also Canoeing/kayaking if you can get your hands on a boat.
Good idea thanks
Cross country skiing is much cheaper than downhill. Awesome cardio in addition to a challenging hobby.
Disc golf!!!
Never played it before but I’ll check it out
Getting into mountain biking can be fairly cheap if you get a bike used
This is inaccurate
Dipping your socks in a river.
Hmm. Moist
Snowshoeing in the winter
An inflatable stand-up paddleboard in the summer
Birdwatching all year round
Each of those is a bit of a pricey investment initially (around $300 for a good new set of binoculars / an inflatable SUP / a snowshoe bundle) but gets you more than a few years of use out of them, and gives you quite a few things to do all year round.
And, as mentioned, look on FB Marketplace for used/cheap gear, such as a mountain bike or kayak.
Geocaching is fun and free
Heard of it… curious how you get into this?
r/geocaching There is a wiki there with everything you need!
Sweet. Thanks!
I know this isn’t a solo adventure, but have you thought of being a volunteer for a something? Like a community kitchen, a conservation commission, a rails-to-trails committee/worker, an inmate advocate, a Big Brother/Big Sister, etc.? It may not seem all that awesome or cool, but if you care for or have empathy for others, you will get to meet like-minded people with these activities. Think outside the box…there are a lot of opportunities to improve yourself, get a great recommendation for your work and improve who you are as a person.
Honestly…if I could go back in time and make some changes in my past, I would focus more on what I could have done that was service-oriented. I focused on me and where I would end up and how much I would earn…sure, it got me where I wanted to be and it keeps my family secure & happy, but I think I would feel a lot better about my life path had I given more time to service for others and actually made a difference in this world. Just a thought. Sorry for weighing in so heavily.
I’ve never considered that but I’ll look into it. I have been focusing more on myself lately
Go birding. Tons of apps that make it a lot easier to figure out this little sparrow from that little sparrow.
Haven’t thought of that thanks
Kayaking, ice fishing, but a cheap beater sled and romp the trails. Some of the best riding you can do is on 1000$ beaters you don’t really care about lol
Can you still buy $1,000 beaters?
Not before the winter you can’t
Rock hounding, mushroom hunting, maple tree taping, foraging the possibilities are endless!
Snowshoeing, geocaching
Do you have any good geocaching app recommendations? I tried it once but only found areas in like parking lots. I would want to go geocaching on hiking trails or secluded forests or something
Depends, what part of the state are you in?
Around concord
Fishing, Kayaking, snowshoeing, hiking ... Take a look on FB marketplace for cheap gear! You can find $100 kayak and will have it for life! Also, bikes ... seems like a lot of people get into a hobby and loose steam. Buying used is a great way to get outdoor gear for less!
Nap
slack lining
outdoor rock climbing / bouldering (all you need is a crash pad)
Look into joining a town's conservation group. Most do regular hiking/biking trail maintenance and need all the help they can get. It can be fun if you're into that type of stuff.
Metal Detecting for artifacts (just pickup a $150-400 metal detector)
Gold panning
Build an Axe Throwing target out of stumps and have fun axe throwing or learning how to throw knives.
Photography
These are interesting ideas thanks
Learn how to forage! Berries, herbs, fungi - it’s SUPER fun, and not only is it free, you actually gain something!
Every walk in the woods is a treasure hunt. It's like you are six all over again
Absolutely love this suggestion! Definitely worth giving a shot if you enjoy learning about the things around you and the benefits of them
Mushroom hunting
Fishing
Small game hunting
The entry expense is relatively high, but fat biking is year round fun. Once you buy the bike and helmet... basically, that's it. There's a pretty vibrant community of people to meet who fat bike. Good bikes are pretty expensive though, and likely more than you indicate you want to spend.
You could probably get some inexpensive fishing gear. I combine hiking and fishing in the whites to get my sanity restored. Granted, that's not exactly a year round activity.
Are there nice biking trails for fat bikes that are similar to trails you’d find for ATV stuff? Because that would be fun and I guess a little cheaper
green woodlands is a great option. Not sure about winter though.
yeah, but usually the biking trails are singletrack. It's really mountain biking, but there's often a contingent in the winter that sets up the biking trails so that fat bikes can use them.
Which reminds me... another cheap activity... snowshoeing. that's how a lot of the fat bike trails get packed down to ride on. So it can kind of expand.
There are MTB bike groups all over the state, and then usually fat biking groups are a subset of those.
Hike
To be completely honest I’m getting a little bored with hiking. Is there anything else affordable I can do to spice things up?
Check Concord parks and rec. Looks like walking, pickleball, dodgeball, yoga, disc golf. If you're looking for cheap, any local rec that offers adult classes might be good.
Try urban exploring. there’s some good spots around New England if you don’t mind driving
Excellent idea, but one thing to be mindful of: take a buddy! If you get hurt, there’s only YOU to get yourself out of the situation. There are a LOT of places in NH and VT where there is no cell service.
Cross country skiing, ice skating, snowshoeing… try looking in your area to see if there’s an upcoming ski/skate sale where people donate/sell old equipment for cheap.
Normally there are ski swaps at the end of November
Good idea thanks
Pan for gold.
Drink Tito‘s handmade vodka
An old pair of skis and boots off FB marketplace and an Indy Pass will get you into downhill skiing for under $500. It’s not free but its not a lot for a whole winter of entertainment. Plus Indy lets you finance interest free.
Or you could purchase a pair of cross country skis for the price of two days down hill and pay nothing to minimal fee.
I don't know what your budget is, but for snowboarding, skiiing, xc skiing etc, a lot of shops do seasonal leases for under $200 for the winter. http://www.swsports.net/boot-club
If you're a college student you can get a winter college ski pass that's multi mountain for about $400 right now, if you're not a college student you can usually find a midweek season pass for <$500 to many mounts, or you can get an xc ski pass to Gunstock for $200 for the season.
Snowshoes are relatively cheap, and you can get them on FB marketplace or craigslist used for under $100.
200 dollars is doable. I am very interested in trying out snowboarding this winter
If you've never snowboarded before and you're near Manchester you can try the McIntyre Adult program, for about $400 total you get a snowboard, a helmet, and 5 lessons on Thursday nights! https://www.mcintyreskiarea.com/adult-programs/
That sounds good I’ll check that out. Thanks
Disc golf. Check out Breaking Chains for discs and guidance.
SomeSortofDisaster t1_iuxciqd wrote
Hiking is pretty cheap until you start buying good gear.