Trail Entertainment

[Cuffs]

When Im hiking, I tend to make my destination camp long before sundown.  If I am hiking alone, this time in camp can get pretty boring/lonely.  When hiking with others, the conversation can carry on til the wee hours.

When hiking, do you take along anything that may help you pass the time or stall the boredom?

Depending on the trip, I'll take one of the following:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pass_the_Pigs
this is a version of a dice game where your 'dice' are little pigs.  You get varied points depending on the how your pigs land when rolled.  Scoring can be quite contentious in debating a specific landing!

http://www.boardgames.com/tossupdicegame.html
Set of 10 dice that come packaged in a convenient little box about the size of 1/2 a deck of cards (great for the pack!)  The die are colored red, green and yellow.  Its similar to Yahtzee.  You roll all the die, the green ones are a point each, set those aside, you can opt to roll the remaining die hoping for green.  Yellow really means nothing, just taking up space.  You can continue rolling til all the die are green, but if you get no green die, you lose all current points for that roll session...  Set the limit 100, 200, 300 points to win.

And lastly a set of tiny mini dice.  I take 6 of them, and play Yahtzee.  I take several sheets of score pads along too.  These die are TINY!  ony about 1/4" across each!  

Thats my evening entertainment in camp, whats yours?

[ednotmilkman]

you don't need entertainment on a forced march till 9pm !  So it is when I have determined ahead of time to hike 45 miles in 3 days and the first day I get to the trailhead at 4pm

 I sometimes wish I'd taken a deck of cards with a group, but when I do, there is nobody wanting to play. I switch back and forth on my internet fun between alatrails and yahoo bridge to pass the night at home, so I'm getting very good at bridge, but can play canasta, spades and anything else you care to remind me of, but I guess canasta would be OUT since you need 2 or 4 decks. Most of my card games except rummy need 4 people as well which it nigh impossible in these here parts.

I do carry my very heavy study Bible along with whatever devotional material we are using at my church if there's room and its more than 3 days. A study Bible is worth its weight compared to a plain text Bible since I can't continue reading all the interesting related stuff and Old T, New T, references in the later. I have carried my recorder (the little plastic flute), but I'm pretty shy about playing unless I'm alone, and I gotta carry a campfire songbook or an old church hymn book as well since I can't play by ear or memory. It's hard to keep time and turn pages in the songbook in the dark when you have to have both hands on the instrument too.  I tried a harmonica, but I've not devoted the time to master it.

If it was a big enough group, you could assign one person the laptop or dvd player, one person carry the DVD's and everybody else carry spare batteries

I can't believe I am sitting here wasting so much time on this at this hour ! It's all you fault Cuffs for bringing up these useless questions that I feel compelled to answer; why don't you go play some yahoo bridge tomorrow night 

And another thing, y'all stop giving me any more karma, its addictive, making me think I should get even more.

good night and good bye

[Haveuseen1]

I usually bring a book and almost always have Uno cards with me.

[PastorLarryT]

If you'll bring a 10 year-old Cub Scout along with you there isn't any need for anything else for entertainment.   

BearLeader is right -- taking some kids or youth along will "fill up your spare time"! 

I usually take a small Bible and my ever-present journal.  I've never really thought about taking cards or a boardgame of any kind.  I like to star-gaze, listen to the sounds of the night, and think about the next day's adventure.

If I'm in a group it's usually staying up late talking around the campfire.

[Nalgene Ninja]

3 kids never bored. On occasions where it was just DW, we just enjoy hte quiet and talk. And I sometimes bring a book and/or cards.

[Cuffs]

you don't need entertainment on a forced march till 9pm !  So it is when I have determined ahead of time to hike 45 miles in 3 days and the first day I get to the trailhead at 4pm

 I sometimes wish I'd taken a deck of cards with a group, but when I do, there is nobody wanting to play. I switch back and forth on my internet fun between alatrails and yahoo bridge to pass the night at home, so I'm getting very good at bridge, but can play canasta, spades and anything else you care to remind me of, but I guess canasta would be OUT since you need 2 or 4 decks. Most of my card games except rummy need 4 people as well which it nigh impossible in these here parts.

I do carry my very heavy study Bible along with whatever devotional material we are using at my church if there's room and its more than 3 days. A study Bible is worth its weight compared to a plain text Bible since I can't continue reading all the interesting related stuff and Old T, New T, references in the later. I have carried my recorder (the little plastic flute), but I'm pretty shy about playing unless I'm alone, and I gotta carry a campfire songbook or an old church hymn book as well since I can't play by ear or memory. It's hard to keep time and turn pages in the songbook in the dark when you have to have both hands on the instrument too.  I tried a harmonica, but I've not devoted the time to master it.

If it was a big enough group, you could assign one person the laptop or dvd player, one person carry the DVD's and everybody else carry spare batteries

I can't believe I am sitting here wasting so much time on this at this hour ! It's all you fault Cuffs for bringing up these useless questions that I feel compelled to answer; why don't you go play some yahoo bridge tomorrow night 

And another thing, y'all stop giving me any more karma, its addictive, making me think I should get even more.

good night and good bye

No one said anything about going on a 'forced' march.  Hiking is at your own pace and skill level.  I also would refuse to hike with anyone who brought along a laptop and/or dvd player.  I go to the woods to get away from these things. 

By the responses, I do not see where my questions are any more useless than any one elses.  Sorry you feel that way.  Dont like them, dont answer them.

[Nalgene Ninja]

deleted

[Magic City Matt]

I can't believe I am sitting here wasting so much time on this at this hour ! It's all you fault Cuffs for bringing up these useless questions that I feel compelled to answer; why don't you go play some yahoo bridge tomorrow night 

And another thing, y'all stop giving me any more karma, its addictive, making me think I should get even more.

good night and good bye

Gotta admit Ed. That really could be taken as mean spirited.  Perhaps you should consult your doc about an ambian prescription. I understand they work great for those who don't sleep so great. Sleep deprivation is prone to make you do and say crazy stuff.

I think trail entertainment is a great subject. Golden and Rylan over at Southeastern Backpackers spend loads of time talking about it. Apparently they tend to listen to books on tape via their ipods on the trail. I personally still just enjoy listening to the wind in the trees at night and the sounds of the forest by day. Most of the time I am Hiking with Lesley and it gives us a chance to talk about things without interruption, Unless a grouse buzzes us or something like that.
It seems to me though that those who have been doing a lot more hiking than us tend to bring some form of entertainment along. Does that ring true for you guys?


Matthew

[TKOdom]

Generally, I just bring a book.  Might bring cards along if I'm with a group.

[Cuffs]

Generally, I just bring a book.  Might bring cards along if I'm with a group.

I tried the book thing, but kept using up all the battery life in my headlamp!  Now I just journal while its still light and then work by the light of the campfire, play my dice games!

[TKOdom]

I tried the book thing, but kept using up all the battery life in my headlamp!  Now I just journal while its still light and then work by the light of the campfire, play my dice games!

Yeah that could be a expensive as I start increasing the length of my hikes. I was thinking of carrying a candle lantern for the night time reads.

[ednotmilkman]

About what I said last night, if we had all been in the same room, or better yet under the same stars, it would be easy to hear my intent.

But then I probably couldn't think and talk fast enough to be funny in that situation.

Cuffs, I was hinting that I only blame myself sometimes for the time I spend on alatrails when I could be ................ ....

watching TV, or other more worthy pursuits like cutting the Bahia grass three times a week in the yard.

I picked on you only because you like to ask questions to get the rest of us to contribute. I really think it's great to be able to "speak up" and get us thinking about the trails.

So maybe you can forgive me this once, Cuffs; but I was serious about those karma points.

Good night John Boy , no prescription needed here

[Cuffs]

I really think it's great to be able to "speak up" and get us thinking about the trails.

Thats all Im trying to do here... trying to drum up activity!  Your angry smiley said otherwise...

[Rob]

Cuffs, I can appreciate your efforts, I too USED to try to get some more participation on the forum from other folks by posting questions and not all were well recieved. Guess not everyone is as inclined to care about what everyone else is doing out there on the trails, however I for one do not intend to let this discourage me from posting things that are of interest to me, and if I get a response from others that are interested then it's an added bonus for me. There are a few that would never respond directly to my posts no matter what, only a secondary reply through someone elses comments is all that I can expect from them, no matter what kind words, contributions, or other replies I make to their posts, but this is of no concern to me, I just choose to not let others problems or childish behavior hinder me from my efforts.

ED, This is not ment as an attack on you, I am just speaking in GENERAL terms. I'm just not sure why, if someone doesn't have something constructive to add, they don't just pass up the post. Once again, speaking in general.

[Rob]

LOL BL, Good One.

Truly though, I think that not everyone is interested in all aspects of the outdoors, thus not all posts are of intrest to them. Sometimes we let our personal feelings reflect in our responses to those posts, instead of just letting it go. That is what we have Moderators for, let them do their jobs and make the judgement call on what belongs and where it belongs on the forum. Maybe we can all be happy campers, bikers, hikers, boaters, geocachers, couch potatoes or what ever we choose to be.

Now.......... Back on topic, I choose to not take any additional entertainment with me (although the "pig dice" are quite intertainng) when I hike. I can be quite content just enjoying the wilderness by myself. That's one reason I choose to hike solo for most of my excursions. I am also usually so excited about what the next day has in store that I spend time reviewing information on the area I am hiking, or just plain star gazing.

[Cuffs]

Now.......... Back on topic, I choose to not take any additional entertainment with me (although the "pig dice" are quite intertainng) when I hike. I can be quite content just enjoying the wilderness by myself. That's one reason I choose to hike solo for most of my excursions. I am also usually so excited about what the next day has in store that I spend time reviewing information on the area I am hiking, or just plain star gazing.

I love to just sit and enjoy the sounds of the forest around me too!  But there are some times that I find myself actually 'borded.'  Dont know why and theres not particular reason it happens, but once in a while when hiking, I'll pull out the small games to entertain myself and / or hiking buds for a little bit.  They are not an every night ritual, but just to pass the time when needed.

[PastorLarryT]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pass_the_Pigs
this is a version of a dice game where your 'dice' are little pigs.  You get varied points depending on the how your pigs land when rolled.  Scoring can be quite contentious in debating a specific landing!

There's a person in our Outdoor Ministry group that would simply LOVE this game.  I have got to find some of these little piggies!  Thanks for the info Cuffs.

[Cuffs]

PLT,  I just got this set and found it at Target!  Its in the same toy area as the card games like UNO and other travel type games! Was under $10, comes in a travel box and weighs less that 7 ounces (for the backpackers who need that info!)

[highlife]

We also like to hear the wind in the trees. Taking a radio or such to me is no different then popping a tent up in your living room and calling it camping.

We mostly sit around and talk and sometimes play cards (rummy etc)
We got the mini cards from here

http://www.backpackinglig...t/mini_playing_cards.html

They also have mini dice.

If there is a decent stream nearby we will play in it, catch some crawdads for a snack or just do it for fun.

[Lesley]

We do take a mini pack of cards. Now that fall is here acorns and acorn caps make a good substitue for poker chips