Outside Inside Gifts Freestyle Horseshoes

Outside Inside Gifts Freestyle Horseshoes

Editor: Cory McLaughlin

Just the facts:
An age-old classic game, this Freestyle Horseshoe set includes four full-size rubber horseshoes, two rubber mats, two indoor stakes, two outdoor stakes, and a carry bag with instructions. Game play is simple: players take turns tossing their horseshoes, trying to ring one around a stake. If a horseshoe lands within 6” of a stake, it’s one point, if both of your horseshoes are closer than your opponents’ you get two points, and if you ring a stake with your horseshoe, it’s three points.
• Play indoors or outdoors
• Includes 4 full size rubber horseshoes, 2 rubber mats, 2 indoor stakes, 2 outdoor stakes, instructions and carrying bag
• Accommodates 2-4 players

My Story:
When you are at hunting camp things can get pretty dull in the hot middle hours of the day. It is often too warm to nap and there is only so many stories a man can tell. So we usually are looking for a little something to pass the time between hunts. Lucky for us Outside Inside Gifts by GSI Outdoors came out with this great little portable horseshoe kit.
The kit sets up in a flash and the rules are simple. The stakes are pounded in and that’s about all it takes. I was a bit bummed at the quality of the stakes as they are made of a hollow tube with pretty flimsy plastic. The ground has to be pretty soft to get them pounded in. Lucky that the kit also comes with a set of stakes that are mounted to a rubber base. I would still like to see the pound in stake be a bit sturdier. I understand that they are designed to be a packable game but backcountry ground is usually hard and rocky so a little more weight would be worth it if it meant a sturdier stake.
The shoes themselves are made of rubber and they function just fine. Due to the rubber material they have a tendency to bounce quite a bit but that just adds to the challenge! I think if there was a way to add a few ounces to them it might make the game go a bit smother but all in all they work. What I found was that the game would go forever as it is very challenging to get the shoes anywhere near the stakes when playing on hard ground. We simply adapted the rules a bit and had a great time with it in the end.
The game is really simple and thus does not require much story telling. In the end I found this to be a pretty nifty little set that would be a great addition to any car camping kit. I think the price tag of $36.95 is a bit steep but is worth the entertainment provided. If you put it into perspective it cost about the same for this kit as it would for 4 people to go see a movie. So, I think you will get your money out of this in the long run for sure. A little shopping around might find a better deal than what is listed on the Outside Inside Gifts site. I attached an amazon link below that offers a slightly better price.

Find them Here:
https://www.amazon.com/Freestyle-Horseshoes/dp/B075LJCN5V/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1508436298&sr=8-1&keywords=gsi+horseshoe

What can be done better?
As stated above I feel a bit of a tweak to the stake would be a nice addition. I would like to be able to use them in hard ground without fear of bending them. I would also like to see some weight added to the shoes themselves as it would make the game go a bit smoother.

I give this product a 3 star rating as it is fun but could use some improvements.