Evan and I aren't really big "gamers". We like playing games...we just don't really have any. And usually we aren't that mad about it. But sometimes when we are in a situation where there isn't really that much else to do (i.e. car camping when it gets dark at 5 pm, backpacking when we are done eating dinner and all set up by 6 pm, and there are no books to read, or maps to study...), a game would be nice.
Last Spring before a romp in the Desert, I thought ahead and bought a deck of cards. It turned out that between the two of us, we knew exactly 2.5 card games (Speed, War, and some of the rules to Speed2), and they got old kind of fast. So in preparation for another trip, I wanted to bring along something else besides a deck of cards. Checkers? I was pretty sure we knew how to play those.
I made a tiny quilt consisting of linen scraps cut into 1.5" squares. 64 of them, to be precise. 
I confiscated a mini Altoids tin. Filled it with buttons. 12 of each color. I am teal, Evan is green. Obviously. 
And to make it "travel friendly", you can fold it up like a sleeping bag, 
And then roll it with the tin of buttons snug inside,
And now we are ready to rock. Checkers. Heck yes.
