The Ultimate Weekend Warrior Bucket List (92 Things You Could Do This Weekend and the Best Coolers to Take With You)

Weekend warriors come in all shapes and sizes, all ages and interests, all walks of life. We all have one thing in common, though: we can’t wait for the weekend. You work hard all week, so the adventures of the weekend are a welcome oasis. Even still, it doesn’t hurt to broaden your horizons or try something new. Weekend warriors, here is your ultimate (weekend) bucket list of 92 items (and some color commentary on each), broken down into eight categories so you can find the adventures that best suit you. Wherever you go and whatever you do, take your Bison rotomolded cooler along to help you keep your cool.

Nature lover

The idea of being stuck indoors all weekend appeals to you about as much as an appendectomy. You just love being outside and seeing all Mother Nature has to offer. This list is for you.

1. Plant shade trees (For your grandkids to enjoy)
2. Go snorkeling (Advantage: mouth breathers)
3. Get certified to scuba dive (Also, learn how to get out of a wetsuit without a crowbar)
4. Swim with dolphins (Try to believe they’re not laughing at you)
5. Explore a cave (Headlamps recommended)
6. Hike in every state park in your state (One weekend, all the weekends. Who’s counting?)
7. Watch the sunset over a body of water (Don’t forget the bug spray)
8. Watch a meteor shower (Telescope optional)
9. Go backpacking (This is more than just wearing a backpack. It’s fitting all your camping gear into a backpack that’s not too heavy for you to carry to and from a campsite)
10. Sleep under the stars (In the open air, next to the campfire, like they do in westerns)
11. Take a walk in the rain (Not a thunderstorm. Don’t be dumb.)
12. Take a day trip just to see fields of wildflowers (Depending on where you live, you may need to pack a couple of soft sided coolers for sustenance while you search)

For extroverts

People energize you. You want an excuse to invite people over for occasions like Groundhog Day, Opening Day, or Tuesday. To you, it’s not an adventure if your 10 closest friends aren’t with you. This bucket list is for you.

1. Host a neighborhood Olympics competition (Kids, adults, doesn’t matter as long as there are events and prizes)
2. Host a crawfish boil (You don’t have to be Cajun to enjoy a good mudbug)
3. Organize (or participate in) a flash mob (Note: this is not a group of people flashing)
4. Invite your friends over to play corn hole (Or any yard game, really. Badminton, anyone?)
5. Attend a music festival (Insert Woodstock joke here)
6. Take a roadtrip to the nearest college and tailgate before a football game (Bonus points if your Bison drinkware is in school colors)
7. Host a barbecue (If you can eat it, you can grill it. Except for ice cream)

Try something new

Naysayers and cynics, we see you off in the corner saying you’ve already done all the things on these lists. First of all, good for you. Secondly,challenge accepted. We dare you to do the things on this list.

1. Drink beer that’s been chilled in river water (Just transport the beer in a large cooler)
2. Make a movie on your phone (A movie that tells a story, not just footage of your buddy acting like a fool)
3. Hunt for treasures at garage sales (Treasure is defined as something you wanted to buy anyway, but now you don’t have to pay full price for it)
4. Take a hot air balloon ride (Touch a cloud while you’re up there)
5. Get a new tattoo (Grandma doesn’t have to know)
6. Attempt to slackline (The circus is hiring)
7. Build your own obstacle course (Or try out for American Ninja Warrior. It’s basically the same thing)
8. Make something from scratch (Cake, beer, dog house… you pick)
9. Go snowshoeing (May take longer than a weekend if you live in the South)
10. Learn something new(how to shoot a gun, how to grill the perfect salmon, how to administer first-aid, how to give furniture a facelift…)
11. Drive down a country road just to see where it goes (Alternative: Drive down back roads and roll the dice when you reach a junction. If you roll an odd number, turn left; even numbers, turn right.)
12. Learn to surf (Use the wetsuit skills you acquired while getting your scuba certification)
13. Learn to sail (Watch Moana for motivation)
14. Try yoga (Stretchy pants for the win)
15. Take a dance class (Tap, jazz, ballet, hip-hop, zumba, swing, line, salsa… surely you’re coordinated enough for one of them)
16. Discover an undiscovered view (Disclaimer: we do not encourage trespassing)
17. Watch something beautiful happen without posting about it on social media (Double-dog dare you)
18. Ride a Jet Ski (The hardest part is climbing on)

For the outdoorsman

Like the nature lover, you can’t tolerate being indoors for too long. Unlike the nature lover, you believe the outdoors are a place to rediscover your primal instincts and to revisit the age-old rivalry between humanity and the natural world. Enjoy the conquest.

1. Tie your own fly and go fly fishing (Also, zip your own fly)
2. Noodle a catfish (Yes, it’s a thing)
3. Gig a frog (Also a thing)
4. Go mudding (Put that 4WD to good use)
5. Go horseback riding (Ranchers, skip to the next item)
6. Go deep sea fishing (Pack the motion sickness medicine)
7. Drive an ATV off the beaten path (Push the limits as long as you’re wearing a helmet)
8. Catch a fish before breakfast (The early bird will provide the worm)
9. Fish from a kayak (The bigger the fish, the faster you go)
10. Kill a turkey with a bow and arrow (Sounds like a Thanksgiving remix)
11. Float the river and camp riverside (Bring your tackle box, just in case)

Parents (For the whole family)

Once you have kids, the opportunity for adventure changes. Not to fear. This list includes things an entire family of weekend warriors can do together. This list also works for folks who are just kids at heart. Happy memory making!

1. Go kayaking, canoeing, or stand-up paddleboarding (Guaranteed to make a splash)
2. Draw a chalk mural in the driveway (Start by tracing each others’ shadows)
3. Build a treehouse (Don’t buy a kit. Where’s the risk and creativity in that?)
4. Create a scavenger hunt for another family (Alternative: make one for your kids and make them work for the gift at the end)
5. Build cardboard cars and host a drive-in movie in your living room (Theoretically, all the popcorn will stay in the box cars)
6. Ride your bike to the park (Decorate your bikes and wear costumes to make it an all-out parade)
7. Feed the ducks (Try oats, corn, or bird seed instead of bread)
8. Fly a kite (Bonus points if you watch Mary Poppins first)
9. Blow bubbles (With gum or with little plastic wands and a soapy solution)
10. Plant a vegetable garden (Healthy, educational, and there’s no screen involved)
11. Do community service as a family (Not just when it’s court-ordered)
12. Play tag (It’s more difficult than you remember. Add a level of difficulty by playing on a playground)
13. Go roller skating (Roller rinks don’t have good food. Pack the Bison and tailgate before or after you skate)
14. Visit a trampoline park (An hour is more than enough jump time for the adults. Trust us on this)
15. Camp in the backyard (All the outdoor fun without the “Are we there yet?” car ride situation)
16. Picnic on the beach (Sand castles after sandwiches or it will be tough to distinguish the two)
17. Climb a tree (You’re tall enough to reach the branches now, so it’s more fun. However, you weigh more so make sure the branches can hold you)

Extreme

You’re an adrenaline junky and you don’t care who knows it. If there’s no chance you could break a bone or a record, you just aren’t interested. Okay. So, how many of these things have you done? What are you waiting for? (Side note: Bison coolers are the best coolers to take on your extreme adventures.)

1. Ride your bike 100 miles over the course of a weekend (It helps to be a hard ass)
2. Climb a 14-er (Easier said than done if you live in the plains. Fourteen 1,000s is NOT the same)
3. Run a marathon (Already done that, you say? Was it the Boston Marathon???)
4. Go cliff jumping (Ideally into a fairly deep body of water)
5. Go base jumping while wearing a wingsuit (In other words, try your hand at being a flying squirrel)
6. Bungee jump (Off a bridge, out of a hot air balloon, upside down… Mix it up)
7. Participate in a polar plunge (No need to travel. Just find the nearest swimming pool on a snowy day)
8. Sleep in an igloo (Some assembly required)
9. Go skydiving (If President Bush can do it, so can you)
10. Parasail (Skydiving for folks who prefer boats to airplanes)
11. Go rock climbing and repelling (Outdoors. Clipped in to ropes you tied yourself)

Honey-Do

Some adventures feel a little less glorified. But if the activity merits a cold brew afterwards, it’s bucket list worthy. If it earns some brownie points with your spouse in the process, well… you can thank us later.

1. Paint your house (Inside, outside, or both. Pick your poison)
2. Clean the windows (No option here. You’ve got to do them inside and out or you won’t know if they’re actually clean)
3. Detail the car (It’s like a trip down memory lane: parking stubs, french fries, high heels, sporting equipment…)
4. Mulch the flowerbeds (It covers up the weeds, if nothing else)
5. Clean the gutters (Of your mind and your house)
6. Help a friend move (You don’t have to own a pickup to be a helping hand)
7. Plant flowers (They’ll look good in that fresh mulch)
8. Clean out the garage (You’ll need somewhere to park that clean car)

For the competitor

It’s not a good weekend if there’s no chance of you winning something. You just love to compete. It drives you, and you just don’t understand people who aren’t competitive. For you, a list of challenges that may or may not involve ribbons.

1. Run in a mud run (Clean shoes are overrated)
2. Run in a color run (Don’t just taste the rainbow, become the rainbow)
3. Run in a charity run (If you’re going to compete anyway, why not help some people in the process?)
4. Run in an obstacle course race (Tough Mudder, Savage Race, anything that involves participants stopping to overcome a challenge in the middle of the run)
5. Participate in a softball tournament (Not just a game, an entire tournament in one weekend)
6. Do a sprint triathlon (Or an Ironman if you’re really ambitious)
7. Play disc golf (A 12-can SoftPak doubles as a disc bag in a pinch)
8. Learn to waterski/wakeboard (Sadly, the most difficult part of this bucket list item is finding a friend with a boat)

There are 92 items on this bucket list. How many of those have you already done? How many do you want to accomplish in the next year? Which one will you tackle this weekend? Tell us about it on our Facebook page. We’d love to see pictures.