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-Animal
12-29-2013, 11:27
Any Chess players hiking in 2014? I’m thinking about carrying a Chess set as a luxury item. In 2012 I managed to find five fairly good opponents on the trail. I played professionally for two years, and I teach Chess, so I usually give odds to even the game and sometimes free lessons.

Wise Old Owl
12-29-2013, 11:32
Hi Animal, yes what people do is get a ruler or t square & Sharpie and make a large game board at the top of the self inflating mattress. Then just carry the pieces... However with the younger crowd its more card games. 25444

Deadeye
12-29-2013, 13:15
My Dad & I played chess on our hikes of the LT. We had a small travel chess set, about the size of 2 decks of cards, with plastic chessmen that plugged into holes in the board. I don't see anything similar on the internet now - seems most are magnetic - but there's probably a travel set that's light enough to work.

Starchild
12-29-2013, 13:20
In some circumstances yes I would play you, but on the AT because of the demands of time that would be a bit unlikely, and if I did I would be rushing thru it not realy on my game, but that is me. YMMV

-Animal
12-29-2013, 13:52
In some circumstances yes I would play you, but on the AT because of the demands of time that would be a bit unlikely, and if I did I would be rushing thru it not realy on my game, but that is me. YMMV
Thanks guys. I was thinking of making the board on top of my bucket with black tape and then carrying some light plastic pieces. The players I met were eager to make time to play me several times.25446

Slo-go'en
12-29-2013, 14:00
I suppose it would be a good way to kill a rainy afternoon if you didn't feel like going out into the weather. I have a backpaker's Backgammon game which is in a roll up cloth board I bought many years ago. At 4.5 oz, it wouldn't too unreasonable to carry but I never have.

theinfamousj
12-29-2013, 15:33
Granted, I am just a section hiker, but I have a bandana that has a board on it and then I carry a sharpie. In the field I collect random bits of nature (rocks, acorns, stick bits) and sharpie the type of piece they are on them.

I can play chess and checkers this way, and everything serves multiple uses.

Sent from my SGH-I777 using Tapatalk

Autummyst
12-29-2013, 16:17
Any Chess players hiking in 2014? I’m thinking about carrying a Chess set as a luxury item. In 2012 I managed to find five fairly good opponents on the trail. I played professionally for two years, and I teach Chess, so I usually give odds to even the game and sometimes free lessons.

I would play if we crossed paths on a zero day or nero day. I don't really know what I'm doing, but it's fun to me regardless.

jimmyjam
12-29-2013, 16:25
I noticed this summer that the shelters from about Maupin Field to Cow Camp Gap all had chess/checkerboards intricately craved into the floor .

Dogwood
12-29-2013, 16:41
I have no time to toy with you on a hike Animal. Check Check Checkmate. Pay up the Knorr's Side and tuna packet you owe me now. :p

whisper walking
12-29-2013, 18:42
Even though I happen to be the third worst player in the history of the game, I still love chess. I carry a water-resistant, paper set in my pack.

Zep
12-29-2013, 22:11
I would love to play if we ever cross paths! I was in chess club in HS, and play every once in a while now, but I'm actually planning on taking my mobile set as well. It's a leather roll up board w/ leather covered cardboard pieces (pieces are round w/chess symbols/checkers flipped) and they go in a zip up pouch on the side of board. It's very light and compact, but not very good when it gets wet, as I learned on my last excursion. Not sure where I got it but it's one of my most prized possesions.
I'm leaving March 15th NOBO, hope to meet you (and any other chess players) out there!

SunnyWalker
12-29-2013, 23:37
This is what I use for entertainment: http://www.esnarf.com/3908k.htm However, If I met up with you I'd love to take a break to play chess with you.

Zep
12-30-2013, 00:07
This is what I use for entertainment: http://www.esnarf.com/3908k.htm However, If I met up with you I'd love to take a break to play chess with you.

I'm also down to play some blackjack, texas hold em, spades, or rummy!

tiptoe
12-30-2013, 11:59
Somewhere in New Hampshire south of the Whites I believe there's a double privy with a chessboard between the seats. So if you make it that far, all you'll need are the pieces.

-Animal
12-30-2013, 13:05
Somewhere in New Hampshire south of the Whites I believe there's a double privy with a chessboard between the seats. So if you make it that far, all you'll need are the pieces.

…and a need to sit for a while
Thanks everyone for the replies… if you see me- 25453
-and I’m hard to miss. I will be ready to play.

HooKooDooKu
12-30-2013, 14:00
With a little bit of effort, there's all sorts of possibilities for taking games on the trail.

Here's an example of a Monopoly game I put together for playing with my kids when we go on camping trips. It's total weight is 6oz with MORE than enough money and pieces for 4 to 6 players.

25455
The board was created in Microsoft Paint using some graphics I found online, printed on card stock (you can see the creases where the board folds up). The properties were scratch built using an Excel spread sheet printed on card stock. The money was printed on colored paper using graphics I found online. The Chance/Community Chest cards were scanned from an old monopoly set (I don't like the design that comes with a modern monopoly set) and printed on colored card stock. Houses and hotels are simply colored paper clips as are the playing pieces. The white envelopes are to hold money and property together while playing. All paper was treated with a map sealer. The dice come from a modern monopoly set. I specifically wanted the 'speed die' as it easily makes a full blown game last only 45-60 min.

beaud
12-30-2013, 16:11
Animal, if we run into each other out there I'd be happy to give you a run for your money. I'll have no chance with a former pro, but I love a good match.

NOBO starting in early March...I'll keep an eye out for you.

HikerMom58
12-31-2013, 11:17
Hey Animal.. I do believe I remember hearing about you hiking some last year too. :) I think I remember seeing Green Mountain Hostel put up a picture of you as one of their guests. You are well known for carrying that bucket if you are the same person as last year. :cool:

4Bears
12-31-2013, 11:19
Easy enough to make a board, just find some checkered cloth, then use the pieces from a small travel set, probably be 3 ounces. Then just bundle it up together with a rubber band or twist tie. The occasional game would be a fun diversion.

-Animal
01-01-2014, 04:55
Hey Animal.. I do believe I remember hearing about you hiking some last year too. :) I think I remember seeing Green Mountain Hostel put up a picture of you as one of their guests. You are well known for carrying that bucket if you are the same person as last year. :cool:
Hi HikerMom, Yes that was me…I think I’m the only one who goes very far with a bucket. I’ve heard of a few people who lasted a week or two and then quit. It’s not easy. GMH put up a picture of me in 2012. I enjoy reading your posts and threads here on whiteblaze and wanted to tell you... thank you for being so helpful, especially to the newbies on here.:)

HikerMom58
01-01-2014, 22:10
Hi HikerMom, Yes that was me…I think I’m the only one who goes very far with a bucket. I’ve heard of a few people who lasted a week or two and then quit. It’s not easy. GMH put up a picture of me in 2012. I enjoy reading your posts and threads here on whiteblaze and wanted to tell you... thank you for being so helpful, especially to the newbies on here.:)

Thanks for the kind words -Animal! You are one of a kind, for sure, carrying that bucket, I'm sure it's not easy at all ... Maybe I will get to meet you this year! :0)

Ulysses2014
01-02-2014, 15:00
I've been thinking about bringing pieces, too. Would love to play sometime.

SCRUB HIKER
01-02-2014, 17:28
Somewhere in New Hampshire south of the Whites I believe there's a double privy with a chessboard between the seats. So if you make it that far, all you'll need are the pieces.

There's the Piazza Rock Lean-to in Maine, just north of the road for Rangeley. It has a cribbage board now, according to this guy (http://ryansthruhike.tumblr.com/post/28694895649/interesting-privy-setup-at-piazza-rock-lean-to), but I could swear in 2011 when I went through it was a chessboard. Maybe the MATC decided to change it up. Or maybe I just remember it wrong.