How to Entertain Yourself on the Trail: 10 Ways to Make Hiking (and Camp) More Fun
You hiked 15 miles. You set up camp. Dinner is done. It is 7 PM and the sun will not set for two more hours. Your phone is in airplane mode (battery conservation). There is no Netflix. No scrolling. No notifications. Just you, the mountains, and the long, beautiful emptiness of an evening in the wild. What now? This guide is about filling that space with things that make you glad you came — and making the trail itself more fun than just putting one foot in front of the other.
Key Takeaways
Staying entertained on the trail and at camp comes down to low-tech, lightweight options – pre-downloaded audio, nature ID games, photography, reading and stargazing – that protect both battery and presence.
- Audio: use a single earbud (one ear open for safety) for podcasts and audiobooks on long flat sections.
- Reading: a Kindle weighs about 7 oz and holds thousands of books.
- Stargazing: most backcountry sites sit in Bortle 2-3 darkness, darker than 95% of the populated world.
- Photography: instant or trail cameras turn the walk into a creative challenge.
- Presence: walking meditation and nature games beat scrolling for memory and mood.
On the Trail: Making the Walk Itself Fun
1. Podcasts and Audiobooks (Pre-Downloaded)
Download before you leave — the trail has no Wi-Fi. A single earbud (leave one ear open for safety and nature sounds) transforms a monotonous 6-hour flat section into a journey through a story, a conversation, or a lecture. Keep the other ear free for birdsong and stream sounds.
Pro tip: Download at 2x length of your expected trail time. You will listen more than you think.
2. Nature Identification Games
Turn your hike into a scavenger hunt. Challenge yourself (or your hiking partner) to identify:
- 10 different bird species (by sight or call)
- 5 types of trees (by leaf or bark)
- 3 animal tracks
- 1 edible plant (only eat if you are 100% certain)
A pocket field guide or the iNaturalist app (works offline with downloaded data) turns every trail into a classroom.
Audubon Society Field Guide to Birds
831 species · Color photos · Range maps · Habitat info · Pocket-sized paperback
Carson MicroBrite Plus Pocket Microscope
60-120x magnification · LED lit · Battery powered · 2 oz · Examine leaves, insects, rocks, crystals
3. Trail Photography Challenges
Give yourself a daily photo challenge to see the trail differently:
- Macro Monday: Photograph tiny details — dew on a spider web, moss texture, lichen patterns
- Golden Hour: Only shoot in the first and last hour of sunlight
- One Color: Find and photograph everything in a single color that day
- Strangers: Ask fellow hikers if you can take their portrait. Share it after.
Fujifilm Instax Mini 12
Instant prints on the trail · Auto exposure · Selfie mode · Credit-card size photos · 8.3 oz
4. Walking Meditation and Mindfulness
Not everything needs to be a distraction. Some of the best trail moments come from radical presence — walking in complete silence, noticing every sensation, and letting your mind settle into the rhythm of your steps. See our Nordic Walking for Mental Health guide for a structured walking meditation practice.
At Camp: Evening Entertainment
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5. Music Around the Fire
A small instrument or a portable speaker transforms camp vibes from “survival mode” to “this is why we came.” Ukulele is the hiker’s instrument — small, light, easy to learn, and sounds good outdoors.
JBL Clip 4 Bluetooth Speaker
5W · IP67 waterproof/dustproof · Carabiner clip · 10h battery · 8.5 oz · Clip to pack
Kala Learn to Play Ukulele Kit
Concert size · Includes online lessons · Gig bag · Tuner app · Mahogany body · 1.3 lbs
Hohner Special 20 Harmonica (Key of C)
Professional quality · Airtight · 2.4 oz · No learning curve to make sound · Blues/folk/camp
6. Reading
A Kindle weighs 7 oz and holds thousands of books. A paperback weighs the same but you can share it, leave it in a hiker box, and it never needs charging. Both have a place on the trail.
Kindle Paperwhite
6.8″ display · Waterproof · 16GB · Warm light · 10-week battery · 7.23 oz
7. Card Games and Word Games
The best camp games are small, waterproof, and playable by headlamp with tired brains. These three have been field-tested in tents, shelters, and picnic tables across four continents:
UCO Waterproof Playing Cards
Plastic cards · Play in rain, by the river, in the tent · Washable · Standard 52-card deck
Taco Cat Goat Cheese Pizza
Fast-paced card game · 2-8 players · 10 min rounds · Makes everyone laugh · 3.5 oz
Bananagrams
Anagram word game · No board needed · 1-8 players · Banana-shaped pouch · Educational + fun
8. Journaling and Sketching
A trail journal is worth more than any photo ten years from now. Write the small things: what you ate, how the light looked, what the stranger at the shelter said, how your feet felt at mile 12. Future you will thank present you.
Leuchtturm1917 A5 Dotted Notebook
Dot grid · 251 pages · Lay-flat binding · Table of contents · Pen loop · Pocket · 11.6 oz
Sakura Pigma Micron Pen Set
6 nib sizes · Archival ink · Waterproof · Fade-proof · Perfect for nature sketching
9. Stargazing
Most backcountry campsites are in Bortle 2-3 darkness — darker than 95% of the populated world. On a moonless night, you can see 3,000-5,000 stars, the Milky Way as a physical band of light, and satellites passing overhead every few minutes. A pair of binoculars reveals Jupiter’s moons, the Orion Nebula, and star clusters invisible to the naked eye.
Celestron Cometron 7×50 Binoculars
7x magnification · 50mm objective · Wide field of view · Designed for astronomy · 28 oz
Free stargazing apps (Stellarium, Sky Guide) work offline and use your phone’s gyroscope to identify what you are pointing at. For a deeper dive into night sky activities, see our Night Hiking Guide.
10. The Art of Doing Nothing
This is the skill most hikers never master — and it is the most valuable. Lie in your hammock. Watch clouds move. Listen to the river. Let your thoughts wander without reaching for a device. Boredom is the gateway to creativity, and the backcountry is one of the last places where true boredom is still possible.
ENO DoubleNest Hammock
2-person · 400 lb capacity · 19 oz · Breathable nylon · Stuffs into attached pouch · Carabiners included
Helinox Chair Zero
1.1 lbs (!) · 265 lb capacity · Packs smaller than a water bottle · Premium camp luxury
Trail Entertainment Packing Guide
| Trip Type | Entertainment Pack | Weight Added |
|---|---|---|
| Day Hike | Phone with downloaded podcasts + bird guide app | 0 oz (already carrying phone) |
| Weekend | Kindle + waterproof cards + JBL Clip 4 | ~1 lb |
| Week Trek | Kindle + journal + pen set + cards + harmonica + binoculars | ~2.5 lbs |
| Thru-Hike | Kindle + journal + ukulele + hammock + cards | ~3.5 lbs |
The golden rule of trail entertainment: it must weigh less than 2 lbs total for trips under a week. Every ounce of entertainment competes with food and safety gear. The Kindle (7 oz) gives you the best entertainment-to-weight ratio of any physical object ever invented.
Bottom Line
The trail is not boring. You are just unprepared for quiet. Pack a Kindle, a deck of waterproof cards, and a journal — and then let the wilderness entertain you with its own programming: sunsets, stars, birdsong, and the sound of wind through trees. That is the content you came for.
About the Author
Alex Mercer — INWA Level 2 Nordic Walking Instructor
Certified by the International Nordic Walking Federation (INWA) since 2019, Alex has coached 500+ walkers from beginners to ultra-distance competitors. Sports science background with a focus on biomechanics, gait analysis, and evidence-based training protocols. Regular contributor to walking and outdoor publications.
