I have dabbled in SCA and Buckskinning. I know a lot of (USA) Civil War reenactors. Each genre has its group of those who are committed and those who do it for fun on the weekends. One of the buckskinners dressed in his pre-1840's garb through his regular week and used to light his pipe using flint and steel. If allowed I'm sure he would have walked around town carrying his flintlock.

The SCA people I knew in Georgia were not that committed though they worked hard at learning the period and the arts and crafts of the time. The fighters worked hard at honing their skills but also learned the other lessons needed to be educated enough to talk about their hobby.

My own persona in Georgia, The Shire Of The Crystal Keep, was Harald Naemanson, a farmer from Iceland in the 12th century. That put me into the Medieval period and still allowed me to be a "Viking" though by that time the raiding part of viking was done and it was mor trading.

I have to say I thoroughly enjoyed my time in both aspects of reencating and I prize my friendship with the people I met. One buckskinner I met was from Germany. He could handle a bullwhip so well he could take a cigarette out of a man's mouth. Many men I met could throw tomahawk or knife. One friend of my father's could use his flintlock rifle so well that he could hit the edge of playing cards and cut them in half with a bullet. He also used to split a rifle ball on an axe blade and brak two clay pigeons at the same time. Another built wood and canvas canoes that were so beautiful they could break your heart. They all made their own clothes or bought them and decorated the clothes themselves. They all cooked in the traditional style.

One adventure I participated in was helping the 20th Maine Volunteers (reenactors) demonstrate maneuvers under fire. We bucksinners hid in the woods and ambushed them as they marched. We fired wads of paper on black powder. They turned into a firing line, leveled their muskets, and started a volley fire that raised the hair on the back ov my neck. Then they fixed bayonets and charged. I was ready to surrender.

It was all good clean fun, better than a lot of what passes for fun these days. I would do it again if I could.