Kitbash your own Kamping

It’s been already a few weeks, since I attended a very special event in this little hobby niche of ours. In the Belgian town of Leuven, hidden amongst bushes and trees on a hill overseeing the town, a gathering of very excited nerds took place that left a lasting mark on some if not many who attended.

What is Kamping Kitbash you ask? Probably you don’t, because there has been so many posts both on that cursed photo app or within the blog-sphere, you would have gathered already a pretty clear image in your head what the event entails.

Nevertheless, let me give you the briefest possible summary, as I want to use this post to rather reflect on the nature of such events, their impact on people attending (and not attending) and the very broad term “community”.

Kamping Kitbash is – as the name implies – very much focused on the crafty side of the hobby, though it’s not the exclusive topic. But the hallmark of the event has to be a bathtub full of bits, in the middle of a large room, with dozens of people sitting in superglue fumes, merging said bits in the most creative ways. Variations of this activity include pass-along kitbashing and consequently pass-along painting. It’s a relentless exercise that gets even the stalest creative juices flowing.

Now with this latest instalment of the event (and the first one I attended in person) the 3-day-stay at or around the venue was enriched with a plethora of fascinating workshops, of which one could sadly only attend two of their choice. If you have had literally any touchpoint with the creative and artistic side of the hobby, the list of workshops will give a very clear picture, I’ve attached a screenshot. Personally, I was able to attend toolmaking with Terran (@conjuredcraft), who made us touch grass and create crafting tools from natural materials. And my second workshop was World-building through Mask-making, a fascinating experiment hosted by Shane (@7he_blindman). I will follow up on this world-building idea I had during the workshop, one day. In a RPG setting of some sort.

Outside of the official programme there was plenty of room to also organise some gaming, and you would see every day some impromptu gaming or RPG sessions happening. Framing this were events organised by the Kamping Kitbash team themselves, one was the musical storytelling evening (@jappedelva) and the other was a cozy, clitoris-themed circus show (what a chain of words!) during Sunday night (@sien.vanacker). Absolute highlight.

Not to mention that there was a whole volunteer team keeping everyone comfortable, well-fed and well-hydrated. Leuven city tours (at night and day) were also included. Attendees had also the chance to sell some of their beautiful wares, and some even gave away stuff for free, in particular Mathilde and Jonathan from @vaevictisminiatures, who gave away hundreds (yes, hundreds) of minis for free over the weekend. Incredible generosity.

So overall, it was hands down, one of the best events I have ever been to. Even if – or maybe because – it wasn’t so much focused on the gaming aspect of the hobby, but rather the arts and crafts side of it. My feeling was that all KK-attendees were still feeding off of the energy they gathered from this event for weeks, and it was supercharging peoples creative outlets, as some of the blog posts or creative works on various Discord servers show.

There was definitely a downside to all of this – which leads me directly to my point. Though, downside might be a strong word. Before and after the event I heard from / read about people unable to attend voicing their fear of missing out, or FOMO as my fellow kids use to say. Insert Steve Buscemi meme here.

Now, is this justified? To feel like one has missed out? Yes. And no.

Of course, the level of professionalism, diversity, inclusion, organisation, size and even routine of Kamping Kitbash is a sight to behold and an experience to remember. No doubt about it. But also, when you ask the organisers (shout-out to @666_crafts @mesreg @tine_fielding @hippoliet_) how it all started, they will tell you that the ball got rolling with the simple wish to “hang out with all my friends and do hobby stuff.” Simple as that. And now, just a few years later it has reached 70+ attendees and is being visited by people from all over Europe and even the US. Tickets are selling out within minutes.

What I am trying to say, and frankly so many of the lovely humans attending KK this year have repeated this: don’t feel FOMO for something that you can start right now, right there, where you are sitting. The start of your own local community is just one simple, small event away.

Need inspiration? You can start by checking out the goals and event bible of Kamping Kitbash.

Do you want to have a craft focused event? Gather a few of your friends, throw some sprues and bits onto the kitchen table and bash away, with some good drinks and good music – done.

Do you want to have a wargaming event? Pick one of your favorite games, and become its ambassador in your local area. Create 2-3 warbands for it, and invite people to play.

Do you want to host workshops? Go for it. In your local area there are certainly people who can share knowledge and experience they have. From my personal, local community I can attest that we have people who have already been teaching non-metallic-metal painting, or digital kitbashing with Blender.

If your local scene already has a room that is being used for hobby events, like game nights, even better! Because people organising events will confirm that finding the venue is always the hardest challenge – once that is set, everything else will most likely follow.

Also, expectations are not high, if you invite your friends at first. No one expects a cozy, clitoris-themed circus show, if you know what I mean (yes, and it is also an excuse for me to write that string of words a second time).

Who knows, what it might snowball into? And if it doesn’t, it’s also fine, because all you need to experience that special Kamping Kitbash feeling is a pile of bits, a few good friends, and maybe a snack. You have re-created for yourself 90% of the fun that was had at that special event in Belgium.

Go kitbash your own kamping.

(all photos courtesy of the very talented Daan @mesreg)