It
is always interesting to me when I speak
with other outdoors people about what
they bring to combat boredom on their
longer trips. As you can see from the
photo, I like to snuggle up under the
tarp, using my pack as a headrest, and
read a book.
I spoke with
our readers and here are some of these
ideas they came up with for beating boredom
around camp and others can help pass the
time if you become weather bound and are
stuck in your shelter waiting out a storm.
Games
Cards
Uno
Cribbage board
Checker board (some
canoeists paint this on their paddle)
Chess
Rummoli (use pebbles
instead of Poker chips)
Dominoes
Ring Toss
Scrabble
Yahtzee
Travel Mastermind
Chutes and Ladders
(also can be painted on a paddle)
Bocce
Marbles or Alleys
Backgammon
Backpacker Games from
Magnetic Poetry
20 Questions
I Spy
Charades
Tic Tac Toe (draw
a line in the dirt and use rocks or
pine cones)
Clapping Games
Hide and Seek
Mankala (an African
game played in the sand with pebbles)
Twister (although
after a few days in the bush you may
not want to be that close)
Other Ideas
Fly a kite
Write or draw in a
journal
Paint
Take photographs
Read a book
Play with a hackysack
Throw a Frisbee (several
companies have lightweight versions)
Hang a very sturdy
rope in a tree for the kids to swing
from
Whittle (make sure
you have bandages handy)
Make a sandcastle
if you are lucky enough to have a
beach
Identify plants, animals
or birds
Crosswords and word
searches
Play Badminton
Have a sing-a-long
Of course,
what you decide to take will depend on
the style of the trip, whether you are
backpacking or canoeing, and your interests.
Written
by Laurie March
Photo courtesy of Michael Rogers