Camping is a great way to bring the family together, but it's not always possible to get out to a campsite with your tree tent. Or perhaps you want your little ones to feel comfortable sleeping outside, wrapped in a sleeping bag atop an air mattress, underneath the stars.
Having a camping experience is possible right outside your back window, and in this guide we will show you how to make a backyard campout a fun activity, for younger and older kids, and give you some backyard camping ideas!
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Why Camp in your Backyard?
Camping outside, even if it's right next to your bedroom, is a fun idea, and can be greatly beneficial. Out in the fresh air, your family can feel free and connected to nature. Backyard camping is a great start to your camping experience, as it can give you the opportunity to inspect your gear and give it a trial run, especially if you're new to tree tents. With family, you're never too far away from the comfort of your home, so you can always abandon ship if you needed to.
Young kids should be able to love the outdoors and having a backyard campout is a great start. Compared to regular camping, tree tent camping is much more versatile, as you're not limited to ground space. Just find 3 sturdy points to attach your straps to, and away you go!
If you have a few trees, but they don't seem to be the right fit, follow this guide on how to set up your tree tent without perfectly aligned trees. If you're yet to buy a tree tent, and you are unsure about the area of space you have between trees, check the product descriptions and read through our guides to see if you have the room to suspend your new tent.
Backyard Camping Tips
Plan and setup your backyard camping adventure like a real camping trip. This gets your little ones involved and prepared to go on potential camping adventure you may plan in the future. Things to include in your plan would be:
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Positioning of your tent, campfire, equipment, or any activities you have planned to do - Some activities you could try are:
Movie night inside the tree tent, under the stars.
Games den
Frisbee or Football/Soccer (You can use the tent opening or hammock hatches as a goal!)
Hide and Seek
Playground games you parents grew up on!
Weather, predicting and preparing for wind/rain/sun, and planning your activities around them. Maybe a scavenger hunt for the little ones.
Your space and the amount of storage you have, taking the correct amount of gear/food. Create a camping checklist. Don't forget your bug spray!
Setup your tree tent during the day, so you have plenty of daylight to master the art of setup up a Tentsile tent under the warm sun, allowing for plenty of time for fun things to do with the kids during the day, and set up for the night.
Create ambience with fairy lights, make your tent look like a spaceship, play nature sounds through a speaker and try to immerse your family. Ensure you plan plenty of activities for the kids, younger and older ones. Setting up a campfire is a great experience, using a camping stove or roasting marshmallows make for a memorable experience. Pull out a guitar or play flashlight tag when the stars are in the sky! Make your experience something to look forward to if you plan to head out on a real camping trip! Make it your own little campsite and set up multiple smaller tents around the tree tent, get some friends around to sit around a fire pit!
How to make the most of Backyard Camping
If your backyard doesn't have the facilities to accommodate our tree tents, invest in one of our stands or ground conversion kits, so you can have the tree tent experience without the trees! This makes for great practice for future campouts. Test out your accessories, such as your ladder, drinks holder, air mattress, rainfly, or your tent wall. If you have the trees and the gear, make a stack and test out your double bubble!
There many possibilities in backyard camping, the world is your playground, and the versatility of our tree tents enables exploration and experimentation. But after everything, ensure you all have fun hanging out in the trees and enjoy nature!
