Play room/Man cave

One thing that I believe the USA will have in common with my country in the not so distant future is entertainment and the way we spend out free time (other than working around the house, etc) .
I remember mentioning a couple years ago how due to prices and insecurity, people here mostly stay at home, a movie and pizza was usually a good plan.
Of course people go out and Buenos Aires has some of the best nightlife in South America in the downtown area of the capital district, but for most of us, either going eating out is something we certainly can’t afford anymore to do on regular basis.. even in not so regular basis. It’s been months since I last set foot on a restaurant of any kind.
Even if you find cheaper alternatives like going to the movies, security is also a problem. Many parents encourage their kids and teenage children to organize get togethers and parties at home where it’s safer.
So, I remember suggesting a nice TV and entertainment center, videogames and a decent DVD collection.
Some hard core survivalists thought this was hilarious since everyone knows that when the world ends there’s no power at all, ever again, and you spend your days with a leather jacket and sawed off shotgun scavenging the wastelands… :)
Anyway, today I think people see this a bit better: Tighter budgets guys, and sooner or later the crime will become more of a problem.
What can you do at home? Lots of things. Of course reading is great, the internet is useful for entertainment and work, and as long as you can pay for it chances are that you will have it. Even in the crappiest places of the globe people have internet access. Just check the little map somewhere in this blog.
Now, a dedicated play room is something a lot of people already have, but what should you look for?

1)Look for entertainment that doesn’t require power. You never know if blackouts will become something common. Here during some periods we used to spend several hours a week without power, sometimes going for 2 or 3 days.
Here are some good games you might want to look into and consider:

Pool
Foosball table
Darts
Chess/Poker table
Ping Pong table

2)A book collection provides hours of entertainment and a non power dependant information source.
Remember to print any important information you may have.

3)Again, plan on going without power for extended periods of time. This means if you have a chance to design your house, plan your play room with good natural light, or else you’ll depend heavily on oil lamps, candles, generator or battery lanterns.

4)Hopefully you’ll have cross ventilation in case you don’t have AC, some play rooms in attics can be unbearable during summer.

5) This room could have extra space for storage and sofas that turn into beds for friends or family that bug in for a while with you. An small but functional extra bathroom might come in handy.

6) Movies and videogames if that’s your thing.

7) Use your imagination. For example if you like shooting, maybe you can set up a corner as an informal airsoft/airgun range with a “western” theme, with metal silhouettes, a couple straw bail stacked, a bell, all things you could shoot safely. This can be done in a basement pretty much for free.

8)The “man cave” is the adult version of a playroom. Man cave, but I can see how women could have fun there too. When decorating keep the survival mindset present… maybe a few oil lamps here and there, a couple guns hanging around, always kept within reach . :)

This link has lots of “Man caves”, just looking around will sure give you several ideas.
http://www.mancavesite.org/photo_gallery.htm

Take care people.

FerFAL