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11 Best Fun Items to Stock for Any Emergency

best board games for quarantine

There are many reasons you may find yourself and your family stuck at home. Could be dangerous weather in your area, power outage or the current Coronavirus Pandemic the world is experiencing. These “events” tend to occur more regularly these days. In fact, you can rest assured there will be another event next year or the year after.

Vacations get cancelled, work may send everyone home for weeks and you may end up self-quarantined with nothing to keep you entertained – it’s hard to predict when you will get back to your normal life. You may be ordered to stay home and not travel by your local government. A million things can happen, that’s why it’s important to not only stock up on essential items, but “non-essential” items for fun as well. You need to have at least a little fun during your self-quarantine. Your mental health demands it.

This list includes some essential items as well as non-essentials. The goal here is to be able to entertain yourself, while stocking some important items at the same time.

Here are some of the best fun items to stock for a quarantine:

Throwing Knives and Throwing Tomahawks

Not to be used at the same time as drinking games as that could easily take a turn. Throwing sharp objects have been a tradition for many years and is seeing a resurgence. While it takes a little practice to get started, there’s not much more satisfying than throwing a perfectly balanced hunk of metal and sticking it into a slab of wood. You may want to watch a video on how to properly throw as it’s not the way you would imagine. Many people try to baseball throw them, but throwing knives takes a little more finesse. Throwing tomahawks are a little easier to master and you can be sticking them within the same day. I would suggest getting a set of throwing knives or throwing tomahawks versus just one because you don’t want to have to constantly retrieve them and lose your spot. I recommend the SOG Tomahawk Pack of 3 Throwing Hawks. They’re balanced well and you get three so you can stand in one spot and test your throws.

Kettlebells

You have to retain some type of shape during your quarantine and kettlebells are the perfect fit for any type of workout plan. Many people are able to replace nearly an entire gym with one kettlebell. I’ve done it and so have many others I know. Watch a few videos on proper form before you start. You will quickly see just how effective kettlebell workouts can be, especially when your gym is closed due to a nationwide virus such as Coronavirus.

Drinking Games

Board games for adults. If your household consists of adults – these may be worth looking into. Drink responsibly, but have a good time. Drinking games are great for bonding with other adults and can be loads of fun.

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Whiskey

An obvious choice for a quarantine, so it really didn’t need to be said. Or did it? You probably have enough bourbon in the cabinet for a few good pulls and that’s it. You would run out by the 2nd day of quarantine. Buy the half-gallons and store them with your survival gear year-round. It may sound like over-kill, but alcohol has multiple uses beyond just drinking. It can be a cleaning agent as well as great for trade for other items. I suggest buying a bottle each paycheck and stocking up.

Board Games

Most households in the 80s and 90s had a closet dedicated to board games. That’s not the case anymore and if you do have board games, they’re usually missing a few pieces. Advancements in board games have come a long way since you last played at your grandmother’s house. You should check out what’s currently on the market and grab a few. Many of these never get old, no matter how many times you play. Monopoly may not be the best choice during a month-long quarantine, if you catch my drift

Bow and Arrow

Not only a great way to put meat on the table – shooting a bow and arrow is a great way to pass the time. You don’t need a professional set either, a basic compound bow will work. Be sure to get plenty of arrows so you can shoot from your rooftop.

Tobacco Pipe and Cigars

We’re not suggesting you take up a habit just for quarantine, but if you already smoke, it’s a good idea to stock up on pipes and pipe tobacco just in case your local store gets shut down. I’ve been using a simple corn-cob pipe for years and have no complaints. You can spend a lot of money on tobacco pipes, but I would prefer to save some cash and go with a quality corn-cob pipe and spend more on the various tobacco flavors. You have a lot of options with pipe tobacco – it comes in more flavors and types than you can smoke in years. Pipe tobacco is also much cheaper than other alternatives, you can get quite a few smokes from one tin or pack of tobacco. There’s not much more I enjoy than getting up with the sun and smoking on the back porch during a quarantine. Smoking a tobacco pipe takes a little practice as opposed to cigarettes or cigars. There’s a process involved, much like making hot tea – the process becomes part of the enjoyment. Watch a video and learn more about smoking pipe tobacco.

Not a fan of pipe tobacco? Keep a few good cigars on hand for the next shut-in. You will want to invest in a good humidor to store them in and keep them fresh. Cigars go stale if left out and they can dry up quickly depending on the climate you live in. They’re only good for a few days when left out where I live and either need to be smoked right away or stashed in a humidor. Remember, if stores shut down you will have no way to replenish your stock without risking catching whatever virus is going around.

Crank up Emergency Radios

We suggest you have a few of these on hand at all times, not just during a period of self-quarantine. You never know when the lights will go out or you need to keep up with local news. The best solar crank emergency weather radios have multiple ways that you can keep them powered up – solar panels, hand crank, USB and AA batteries. You don’t have to spend a pretty penny to get a good one, but do check out the various options each one has. The basics that each crank radio will have are radio of course, flashlight, lantern light, USB charger for phones and more.

Books

While electronic books are great, you will likely want to stock up on physical copies as well. You may not have a reliable way to keep your device fully charged and running through the countless nights you may be stuck in place. Books are cheap and you can find any genre you can imagine on Amazon.

Playing Cards

Everyone likes a good card game, unless of course, you’re quarantined solo. Even then you can play solitaire. Always good to have on hand in case you have company. There are nearly an unlimited amount of card games to learn – just don’t gamble with your food. 

Cold Steel Hand-and-a-Half Sword

Ok, so maybe a full-size sword isn’t the most practical thing to have – or maybe it is. You’ll have plenty of time to master it during your quarantine. Be warned – these are real swords and can cause real damage. If the world ends, at least you’ll have a cool weapon.

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