Camp entertainment

If I'm not on the water fly fishing, we're usually playing cribbage, horeshoes, reading, etc. I do a little fly tying now and then in camp. Occasionally I'll try my hand at whittling/wood carving but I'm lousy at it. I honestly enjoy chopping wood so I've been known to buck up enough for a week and then pass it out to nearby parties if we're in a spot with other campers. I'll usually spend a few hours every trip practicing survival skills, whether it's building a shelter, trying different types of fire starting methods or messing around with land nav.
 
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I like setting up some little competitions for the kids/adults. This like:
  • Treasure Hunt: Orienteering w/compass to find the buried treasure at the end.
  • Light a Match: Stand wood matches upright on a log (in a crack/seam) and see how many strikes (full swings) with a hatchet it takes to light one (kids get hatchets, adults have to use an axe). You can set 4-5 matches up in a row for those that are good and make it a race...
  • Wildfire Wood race: Wood cutting race (individual or teams). Get wood (logs to be split, tree lengths to be cut into 2' lengths) - have teams cut wood as fast (and safe) as they can. Great event right before evening camp fire time...
  • Spear fishing (check local laws).
  • Night flashlight tag (in/near the camp) - set clear boundaries and young ones must pair up with an older partner.
I've got plenty more - just be creative and look around at what mother nature is providing you...
 
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Pitching washers, playing music (guitar, harmonica, ukelele), playing cards, frisbee, battling mosquitos, Target practice (firearms), skipping rocks, catching frogs, fly fishing, playing with the dog...

Basically, turn off your electronic devices...especially for the kids, and in a couple of hours their and your imaginations WILL take over and you'll have great memories.

I also try really hard not to play music, if it's not generated from an instrument in the camp, (guitar, etc) and I think that really adds to the experience.
 
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There is always squirrel fishing.
  1. Buy a cheap/inexpensive kids fishing rod and reel.
  2. Tie a peanut to the end on the line instead of a hook.
  3. Cast the "bait" out near where the squirrels are (not in the trees).
  4. Enjoy the possibility of reeling in a big one...
If the squirrels are biting, this is a blast..
 
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ButDad said:
There is always squirrel fishing.
  1. Buy a cheap/inexpensive kids fishing rod and reel.
  2. Tie a peanut to the end on the line instead of a hook.
  3. Cast the "bait" out near where the squirrels are (not in the trees).
  4. Enjoy the possibility of reeling in a big one...
If the squirrels are biting, this is a blast..
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Off topic but I got to spend a few days on Wake Island to and from Thailand for training exercises. The folks stationed there hunt rats for fun. The island is infested with them and they're quite large. Some of them use pellet guns, some slingshots stuff like that. Others who had grown bored with the pellet guns would take a fishing rod put a piece of SPAM or something on it an cast it out into the grass and "fish" for rats.
 
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darjo242 said:
Not sure if this has been addressed or not, but thought I'd throw this out there as I am looking for a little inspiration for my entertainment bag for trips.

What all do you guys like to do for entertainment, aside from the obvious (exploring, cooking, reading, music, etc.), while hanging out around camp while out?

The memories I have involve games of Uno or horseshoes. what do you all carry in your kits to pass the time and get in some quality bonding time with other folks around you?
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My wife brings a small white board with marker and we play hangman and Pictionary. We have also brought dominos and bingo in the past.
 
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91B/91S said:
My wife brings a small white board with marker and we play hangman and Pictionary. We have also brought dominos and bingo in the past.
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Interesting screen name... I was a 63S, 63b, and 91B... thank you for your service
 
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darjo242 said:
Not sure if this has been addressed or not, but thought I'd throw this out there as I am looking for a little inspiration for my entertainment bag for trips.

What all do you guys like to do for entertainment, aside from the obvious (exploring, cooking, reading, music, etc.), while hanging out around camp while out?

The memories I have involve games of Uno or horseshoes. what do you all carry in your kits to pass the time and get in some quality bonding time with other folks around you?
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Honestly, when it comes to Overlanding the answer is basically sit around a camp fire and BS. When we take trips with our 5'er we have our RZR to ride, we have a satellite with 3 TVs (including one outside), and there seems like there are lots of activities. When I "Overland" I try to have as little interaction with electronics (outside of using it to find my way) as possible. I usually have some sort of bluetooth speaker with me, but honestly, most Overland trips I never even turn it on... and love it that way.

-TJ
 
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Reminding ourselves that we have worked hard to make this trip happen so get off our collective butts and make something happen!

Cornhole, poker, watching cowboy tv (campfire), fetching and processing wood, target practice, whittling, making up new drinks, ATVs, field repairs, ham radio, lock picking, photography, cooking, proactively seeing a group need and taking care of it before it is an issue, movies (small projector and a sheet). Really anything that we might normally do that we can fit into the rig(s).

Competitions... Best shot (many types), hawk throwing, knife throwing, horse shoes...
 
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91B/91S said:
Thank you as well. It’s always good to meet a fellow veteran. We have to stick together as many seem to be falling these days. send me a message if you ever need to talk.
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I’m here as well. I love sharing my stories as well as listening to others. Send me a DM sometime and I will send you my contact information
 
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