- Joined
- Jun 30, 2008
- Messages
- 278
I am curious just how many people have made up some sort of game to keep the mind occupied when in the bush. Boredom is often a real problem for me, so I have made up a few silly games that can keep me entertained. I usually do this when on a casual weekend outing, not while doing any serious trekking or in a survival situation.
1: Backyard olympics. This is pretty straightforward. You replicate olympic track & field events using rocks, branches etc instead of shotput, discus, or javelin.
2: If you have company along with you, try competing in fire building races.
3: Good ol' hatchet throw. Find a stump, make a line in the dirt and toss the hatchet into the stump from the line. Go for 10/10.
4: Shale breaker. Set up some pieces of shale vertically so they stand upright. Make a line some distance back and throw rocks at the shale and try to break it. This is especially fun if you limit your arsenal of rocks to say 20, and you score yourself any way you wish. Commonly, this is done vs an opponent, where the most shale broken with the fewest rocks is desireable.
5: :jerkit: (ok, I didn't invent this one, heheh.)
6: Boulder bowling. Just as the name implies, you bowl with small boulders, and use pop/beer cans as pins.
7: Fishing for beers. We did this in the 70's when we all drank a lot of beer, and this takes at least 3 people all rotating turns. If you have a small creek a few inches deep, a six pack, and a fishing rod, you can play this stupid game. Pull a can from the six-pack, and send the remaining five (still in the holder) down stream. your friend will use the fishing rod to hook the empty loop on the six pack and get the beer, while another friend downstream ensures the beer or the six-pack holder does not go too far so as to get lost or pollute. Whoever catches the beer gets one, you change positions, and you continue this until there is one beer left in the pack. I know I know, it sounds silly, but it actually is fun.
1: Backyard olympics. This is pretty straightforward. You replicate olympic track & field events using rocks, branches etc instead of shotput, discus, or javelin.
2: If you have company along with you, try competing in fire building races.
3: Good ol' hatchet throw. Find a stump, make a line in the dirt and toss the hatchet into the stump from the line. Go for 10/10.
4: Shale breaker. Set up some pieces of shale vertically so they stand upright. Make a line some distance back and throw rocks at the shale and try to break it. This is especially fun if you limit your arsenal of rocks to say 20, and you score yourself any way you wish. Commonly, this is done vs an opponent, where the most shale broken with the fewest rocks is desireable.
5: :jerkit: (ok, I didn't invent this one, heheh.)
6: Boulder bowling. Just as the name implies, you bowl with small boulders, and use pop/beer cans as pins.
7: Fishing for beers. We did this in the 70's when we all drank a lot of beer, and this takes at least 3 people all rotating turns. If you have a small creek a few inches deep, a six pack, and a fishing rod, you can play this stupid game. Pull a can from the six-pack, and send the remaining five (still in the holder) down stream. your friend will use the fishing rod to hook the empty loop on the six pack and get the beer, while another friend downstream ensures the beer or the six-pack holder does not go too far so as to get lost or pollute. Whoever catches the beer gets one, you change positions, and you continue this until there is one beer left in the pack. I know I know, it sounds silly, but it actually is fun.
I have done the rock throwing competitions too. My Dad and Grandpa used to let us build stuff which was always fun for us kids when camping. Last summer we sent our son and another boy from camp on a mission to build a snipe trap. They got busy and stayed that way all day working on the trap. Being into the survival thing it's always fun to practice skills that one might need for real someday. Ever try lighting a fire using a small survival kit? How about with 1 hand? Gets ya thinking for sure 
