Camping and Outdoors Trivia for Seniors: 20 Questions

Oct 8, 2026

Here are twenty camping and outdoors trivia questions with their answers, in four rounds of five. The rounds move from the old canvas gear and the campfire out to the trails and lookouts, and finish with the family road trips of the 1950s to the 1970s. Each answer sits under its question.

This is talk around a table, not an outdoors examination — read slowly, and let the stories run.

How the twenty questions are grouped

Read one round at a time; allow ten minutes for five questions and the talk after.

Round	Theme	Questions
1	The old gear that came out every summer	1–5
2	The campfire and camp cooking	6–10
3	Trails, water and lookouts	11–15
4	Family road trips, 1950s to 1970s	16–20

Round 1: the old gear that came out every summer

1. What was the heavy tent of the 1950s usually made from? Cotton canvas / Nylon / Polyester / Plastic sheeting. Answer: cotton canvas. Packed away damp, it went mouldy. Who dried it?
2. Which lamp ran on kerosene and had a glass chimney? A kerosene lantern / An electric torch / A gas lamp / A candle box. Answer: a kerosene lantern. Its light drew every chair. Still smell it?
3. Which flask kept the coffee hot from first light to the first stop? A vacuum flask / A milk churn / A water jug / A tin pail. Answer: a vacuum flask, or thermos. The lid doubled as a cup. First cup?
4. Which folding bed lifted a sleeper off the cold ground? A cot / A hammock / An air mattress / A camp stool. Answer: a folding cot. Canvas over wood, and it creaked at every turn. Cot or ground?
5. Which flat bottle hung on a strap and held water for the walk? A canteen / A thermos / A pail / A pitcher. Answer: a canteen. Many were army surplus in a canvas cover. Carry one?

Round 2: the campfire and camp cooking

6. Which three-legged iron pot sat in the embers with coals on its lid? A Dutch oven / A frying pan / A kettle / A griddle. Answer: a Dutch oven. Stew, beans and bread from one pot. What went in?
7. Which soft sweets went onto a long stick and over the flames? Marshmallows / Chewing gum / Rock candy / Liquorice. Answer: marshmallows. Burnt outside, melting inside. Golden or black?
8. Which campfire sweet is a toasted marshmallow and chocolate between crackers? A s'more / A brown betty / A fluffernutter / A fudge sundae. Answer: a s'more. The name came from asking for some more. Just one?
9. What went into a tin foil dinner cooked in the coals? Meat and vegetables in foil / A can of beans / Bread dough on a stick / A pie in a pan. Answer: meat, potatoes and carrots in foil. Some called it a hobo dinner. Yours held what?
10. What hung on a hook over the fire to boil water for coffee? An enamel coffee pot / A thermos / A tin bucket / A glass jug. Answer: an enamel coffee pot. Speckled blue outside, black inside. Whose job?

Round 3: trails, water and lookouts

11. Which activity is a long walk on a marked path with a packed lunch? Hiking / Fishing / Boating / Skating. Answer: hiking. The sign at the start began the argument about distance. How far?
12. Which hobby means watching birds through binoculars and ticking them off a list? Bird watching / Wood carving / Rock collecting / Star gazing. Answer: bird watching. Early morning was the best hour. Keep a list?
13. Which light boat is paddled from a seat with a single-blade paddle? A canoe / A rowboat / A dinghy / A sailboat. Answer: a canoe. The double blade belongs to a kayak. Which came first?
14. Which tower stood on a high ridge so a ranger could watch for smoke? A fire lookout / A water tower / A lighthouse / A windmill. Answer: a fire lookout tower. In a dry summer somebody lived up there. Climb one?
15. Which park, set aside in 1872, is usually named the first national park? Yellowstone / Yosemite / Grand Canyon / Sequoia. Answer: Yellowstone. Early visitors came by stagecoach and train. Which park first?

Round 4: family road trips, 1950s to 1970s

16. Which car had a long flat roof, a tailgate and room for the tent? A station wagon / A coupe / A sedan / A pickup. Answer: a station wagon. Some had a rear-facing seat children fought over. Back seat?
17. What did the driver unfold to plan the next day's route? A road map / A guidebook / A timetable / A newspaper. Answer: a road map. Free at the gas station; folding it back was the skill. Who navigated?
18. What did families pack lunch in for a roadside stop? A picnic basket / A paper bag / A bucket / A bread tin. Answer: a picnic basket, often wicker. Thermos in the lid, sandwiches in wax paper. What was in it?
19. Which campground chain, started in 1962, is known by three initials? KOA / YMCA / AAA / RAC. Answer: KOA, short for Kampgrounds of America. A site, a store and a shower in one stop. Follow them?
20. Which small card did families post home from a gas station or lookout? A postcard / A stamp / A matchbook / A ticket. Answer: a postcard. It usually arrived after the family did. Still have it?

Hosting notes that keep the table talking

1. Start with the gear round; the tent and lantern settle the table in.
2. Read each question twice, then wait. Silence usually means thinking.
3. Let tables of three or four answer together; the discussion is the enjoyable part.
4. Print in large print for anyone reading along.
5. Finish with an open question: ask which campsite everyone remembers best.

More rounds and themes

If the camping round goes down well, the travel trivia round keeps the talk on holidays, while the fishing round moves it to the riverbank. For an indoor afternoon there is farm life, gardening and weather trivia, and weekly groups pair the questions with the word search activity guide.

Frequently asked questions

How long does a twenty-question camping round take to run?

About forty minutes at a relaxed pace, with a pause after round two. For a shorter sitting, run the gear round and the campfire round, and save the rest for another day.

Do we need photographs or props to run this quiz?

No. Every question can be read aloud from the sheet. A thermos or an old road map passed round the table gives everyone something to hold.

What if nobody at the table knows an answer?

Read the question again and add one more detail, such as the decade. A camping question usually turns into a story about one particular trip.

Can these rounds work with a small group or one to one?

Yes. With two or three people, let everyone answer before you read the answer aloud. One to one works just as well, because a single question about a canvas tent opens plenty of talk.

Where can I find more rounds like this one?

The nostalgia trivia collection holds free printable rounds on travel, fishing, gardening, weather and childhood games, plus large-print word searches and bingo cards on the same themes.

These questions are offered for fun, enjoyment and social activity, with no claims about health or learning outcomes.

Try the travel trivia round next