Camping Right Outside Your Door
During last weeks of March, measures to contain the COVID-19 outbreak in the United States has dramatically changed the makeup of everyday life: 12-K schools, colleges, and universities across the country have been closed, numerous professional sport seasons cancelled, and the 2020 Toyko Olymics postponed until 2021.
Hand in hand with the cessation of these American and global stables and traditions are the social interruptions to the flow of everyday life. Social distancing and working from home become the new normal as many states- such as hardest hit New York, New Jersey, and California- have mandated non-essential business closures and stay-at-home orders, with many other states planning to follow suit.
In these stressful times, speckled with daily-changing economic uncertainty and the pressure of entire families working, living, and learning (now tens of millions of parents are tasked with homeschooling their children) at home for the foreseeable future, the desire to turn back the clock and return back to normal grows everyday. However, these disruptions are likely to remain for extended period of time until the crisis is mitigated. But as streets quiet and the warm weather rolls in, being at home stuck with your kids does not have to be a negative and can a great opportunity to create memories and give much needed attention to the important relationships in your life.
With imagination and a little bit of ingenuity, your backyard can become your own campsite for you and your family. Dust off your sleeping pads, roll out your sleeping bags, and practice pitching your tent. Check the weather for a clear night and spend it stargazing in your yard. Bust out the marshmallows and fire pit to toast up some s'mores. Trying to entertain young children? Create a fantastical quest to reach your campsite in your yard. The options are as limitless as your imagination. Buzzfeed and Trip Outside offers some creative ideas of activities to do with in the backyard for both adults and children.
If you're a beginner, this is also a great way to practice your camping skills and to acquire the gear you need. Required for every trip is a tent with an appropriately sized footprint, sleeping bag, and sleeping pad. A footprint is essentially a tarp to protect your tent's floor from moisture. Be sure that you purchase a footprint that is not to big or too small. If too small, your floor will not be adequately protected. If too large, then rain can collect and consolidate on the footprint.
For your tent, it's important to choose one that suits your needs. Tents differ in many ways, such as capacity (2 person tent, 3 person tent, etc.), seasonality (3 season, 3-4 season, 4 season), type (dome v. cabin), ventilation, material, and construction. We offer a number of premium ground tents from Oztent.
Ozent's RV-5 is a cabin style tent and has enough room for the entire family, sleeping five comfortably. In addition, by one person, it can be effortlessly set up in 30 seconds, so you don't have to waste time fiddling with support poles and mulling over confusing directions. The RV-5 constructed of a high-quality, waterproof, 8-ounce Ripstop Polycotton Canvas and a heavy-duty, heat-sealed PVC floor. Oztent also offers more dome style tents, such as Oxley 7 Lite, which sleeps seven. Each tent utilizes auto-lock construction for speedy setup.
Looking for a smaller setup for a a solo or duo journey? Check out the RS-1 Single Swag or RV-1. Oztent has a huge offering of tents, so you can find the prefect setup for your adventure.
However, even with the best tent, the area you choose to pitch it is vital to your camping enjoyment. Choose flat ground, away from hills, and consider exposure to sun and wind. Campmor offers a comprehensive guide on choosing a camp location.
Whatever tent you decide on, it is important have a test trial setting it up at home before going out, so you don't waste precious daylight and amount frustration in your camping party with numerous failed attempts at tent setup (frustration is also magnified by inclement weather). Being at home in time, gives you the perfect opportunity to perform dry runs with your tent to ensure your future outing will be the best it can be.
Next on the gear list are sleeping bags and pads. Like tents, sleeping bags differ in a number of ways such as temperature rating, bag cut (mummy v. regular), and material (down v. synthetic). A good sleeping pad is also as important as a good bag. Besides cushioning your body from the hard ground, it also provides a crucial layer of insulation. The Outbound Collective offers five tips on choosing the right sleeping bag.
Finally, other useful gear you made need for your camping adventure are headlamps/flashlights, camp chairs, camp table, knives and saws, water storage, stove and fuel, pots and pans, and eating utensils. A list of premium, time-tested products that we offer to fill in those gaps in your gear:
Campsite:
- Camp Table:
Cooking:
- Cutlery Rollups/ Complete Utensil Kits:
- Stove/Cook Top:
- Water Storage/ Water Solution
Enjoy camping with your family in the yard? You'll be itching to get out there once the stay-at-home orders are up. Pick your camping game up a notch and learn how you can outfit your car for it. Up next: Overlanding.
We'd love to hear from you!
Do you have memories of camping in your yard as a kid or do you plan on camping with your kids in your yard? If so, we love to see pictures or hear from you!
