Preventing Boredom

[state_camper]

What do you do to prevent boredom when you're camping? We mostly camp at state parks, so we like to hike their nature trails, swim and fish. We also bring cards and board games, and everything to set up a makeshift horseshoe pit. :~)

 

[CozInCowtown]

I generally don't get "bored" but definately enjoy the quiet time.
My pipe, a campfire and the good book are allways a welcome reprive from reality.
Allso, allways something to do while in camp, plus there are allways kids, Foster Kids, kids friends and strangers kids to do something for/with/to.
DC

 

[dinosaur]

I bring a girl I can chase around the camp until she catches me.

 

[Rosie]

I gather firewood, build two fires a day, cook, and clean out the tent. Any time left over after that is spent hiking, swimming, foraging for berries or relaxing. Who has time to get bored?

 

[Lamebeaver]

Fishing, climbing, hiking, exploring, rockhounding, gold panning, chores around camp, reading. Boredom isn't usually a problem.

 

[Grandpa]

Listening to lound music on the boom box with the base cranked full blast, letting the kids run around the campground on their 4 wheelers and motorbikes with the muffler baffles pulled kicking up dust and running over other peoples kids and dogs. Bring the big dogs and let them run around marking territory and humping every other dog in the campground. Sending wife back to town for more beer and ice. Then by sundown, all them other people have pulled out so we can have the campground to ourselves and get a good nights rest. Loads of fun. Gonna bring all my friends next time.

Every time I go to a public campground, I get the guy above for a neighbor. So I go find a nice quiet remote nook in the backwoods to camp.

 

[Pathfinder1]

Listening to lound music on the boom box with the base cranked full blast, letting the kids run around the campground on their 4 wheelers and motorbikes with the muffler baffles pulled kicking up dust and running over other peoples kids and dogs. Bring the big dogs and let them run around marking territory and humping every other dog in the campground. Sending wife back to town for more beer and ice. Then by sundown, all them other people have pulled out so we can have the campground to ourselves and get a good nights rest. Loads of fun. Gonna bring all my friends next time.



Hi...


Thanks for my ayem chuckle...enjoyed it...!!

 

[Pathfinder1]

Hi...


After thinking about it, it dawned on me that I might be afield BECAUSE of some boredom.

I will explore (or re-explore) the area, go fishing, learn what the local wildlife is up to by observing their tracks in the mud, gather firewood (a small chore, as I use a very small campfire), study the wildlife, perhaps snap some photos, perhaps improve my (non-public) campsite.

For those of you who camp with children, have you ever thought about having a firewood-gathering contest?

I once was watching two small boys for their their parents who would be gone for an hour or two. In order to have some peace and quiet while the parents were gone, I told the boys we were going to have a sleeping contest. The first one asleep would be the winner. They fell asleep in no time at all...!!

 

[georgia_outdoors]

Listening to lound music on the boom box with the base cranked full blast, letting the kids run around the campground on their 4 wheelers and motorbikes with the muffler baffles pulled kicking up dust and running over other peoples kids and dogs. Bring the big dogs and let them run around marking territory and humping every other dog in the campground. Sending wife back to town for more beer and ice. Then by sundown, all them other people have pulled out so we can have the campground to ourselves and get a good nights rest. Loads of fun. Gonna bring all my friends next time.

Every time I go to a public campground, I get the guy above for a neighbor. So I go find a nice quiet remote nook in the backwoods to camp.

Haha! I've gotten that first neighbor, too. :-/

When we go camping, boredom is never a problem, because there's so much to do. We try to make the most of everything our campsite has to offer, from hiking all the trails to swimming and fishing in all the lakes. And there's always a fire to stoke and a meal to cook!

 

[Johnny]

Cards and games are good boredom killer but we often bring so much gear into the field for testing that we hardly get to do any other stuff.

 

[ppine]

State camper,

Maybe you need to cultivate interests in some of the things nature has to offer like wildlife, flowers, trees, geology, archaeology, birds, stars and weather watching.

It is possible that you are suffering the effects of being disconnected from electronic media and bright lights. Try focusing on things other than your normal indoor life.

 

[dinosaur]

Hooray for ppine! How is it that anyone can get bored in the wilderness? Perhaps they are not thinking correctly or paying attention to what is going on around them.

I can become relaxed, but never bored.

 

[hiking_and_biking]

What do you do to prevent boredom when you're camping? We mostly camp at state parks, so we like to hike their nature trails, swim and fish. We also bring cards and board games, and everything to set up a makeshift horseshoe pit. :~)

Kudos on the horseshoe pit! There's a game I haven't played in a while...

We're water lovers, so we like swimming, fishing, kayaking, canoeing, etc. At night, we like to sit around the campfire, cook s'mores and "shoot the breeze". We're also big on hiking and biking, when there are trails available for it.

 

[ejdixon]

What do you do to prevent boredom when you're camping? We mostly camp at state parks, so we like to hike their nature trails, swim and fish. We also bring cards and board games, and everything to set up a makeshift horseshoe pit. :~)

I can't really say I've ever been in a situation where I found myself trying to prevent boredom while I'm camping. On one hand, there is always something to do. At times, doing nothing is enough for me. :tinysmile_grin_t:

 

[georgia_outdoors]

Ejdixon, well spoken about doing nothing, lol. I think that's one of the reasons that I like camping so much, because for some odd reason, even "doing nothing" is still doing something when you're camping. (Does that make any sense? lol) It's an intentional lack of activity, if that makes sense. It helps you get away from your every day life and your every day stresses, and helps you to relax instead.

 

[georgia_outdoors]

State camper,

Maybe you need to cultivate interests in some of the things nature has to offer like wildlife, flowers, trees, geology, archaeology, birds, stars and weather watching.

It is possible that you are suffering the effects of being disconnected from electronic media and bright lights. Try focusing on things other than your normal indoor life.

I wonder if you haven't misunderstood state camper? I think they were simply asking what we like to do when we camp, not to imply that camping is, in and of itself, boring. Because, when you think about it, anything that you choose to do, like "cultivating interests in some of the things nature has to offer", is helping you to prevent boredom.

 

[carmen]

A bored mind is a wasted one. I think too many people are still "plugged in" and forget what the great outdoors are all about. The outdoors were here well before computers, smart phones and laptops. When we remember that and unplug, the rest is easy.

 

[FreeWilly]

Fishing, climbing, hiking, exploring, rockhounding, gold panning, chores around camp, reading. Boredom isn't usually a problem.

This pretty much sums it up. If you're going to be bored camping you shouldn't really go. Just make sure you do things like Lamebeaver says, and also I assume you don't go alone so go with people you enjoy being around. Camping should be fun and relaxing.

 

[ejdixon]

Ejdixon, well spoken about doing nothing, lol. I think that's one of the reasons that I like camping so much, because for some odd reason, even "doing nothing" is still doing something when you're camping. (Does that make any sense? lol) It's an intentional lack of activity, if that makes sense. It helps you get away from your every day life and your every day stresses, and helps you to relax instead.

For me, it does, georgia. My girlfriend and I rarely get the chance to get away from work and just relax. Personally, nothing still beats just lazing around and getting some peace and quiet.

 

[state_camper]

Thanks everyone for responding. Nice to know what everyone likes to do when they're camping! However, I think many of you misunderstood my post. I never meant to imply that camping is boring! In hindsight, perhaps I should have asked, "What all do you like to do when you go camping"?, and never mentioned anything to the effect of "preventing boredom". (Although anything you choose to do, like georgia_outdoors stated, prevents boredom!) So my apologies for those of you who misunderstood my point!