Great American Backyard Campout 2012

Saturday, June 23rd, 2012 is the annual Great American Backyard Campout! Dust off those tents, pull out the sleeping bags, and bring the whole family out to the backyard for some fun together! Spend the night outside looking at the stars, and talk about things instead of zoning out to computers, video games, and TV.

Thousands of folks across the US like you and me will be participating in this fun activity, and even if you don't have a big backyard, there are lots of other areas you can hop into the car and head off to. From Department of National Recreation lands, to camping ground chains like the KOA, to your local state parks, you're sure to find a multitude of places within a short drive.

If you don't own a tent or sleeping bags yet, now is a great time to visit sites such as Craigslist or Freecycle and check the listings, or even post one of your own if you have extra camping equipment that you don't need. Garage sales and thrift stores are other good choices to check out for what you need at a good price, too. At our local Goodwill, we saw a Coleman sleeping bag for just $5, and it looked brand new! Just keep your eyes open - it may take a couple of trips to several stores to find what you need, or a week or two of patience on Craigslist, but you'll snag what you need.

If funds are super tight, one of my FAVORITE stores, REI, is participating in the Great American Backyard Campout via several of their locations. They often have camping equipment available for rental if you join in at their location. If you've never been camping before, this is a GREAT way to learn a few things - setting up a tent isn't always as easy as it looks - and the folks there will explain to you more about things you should have along with you, how to start a fire and cook in a dutch oven, and so much more. I've taken some of their classes myself before, and most of their instructors really know what they are talking about - they are not there to sell you things. (Many of their classes are free, such as Family Camping Basics)

Need some tips? Check out some of my past camping articles:

Getting Ready To Base Camp, For Beginners

Tips For Camping & Hiking With Kids

Best Tips for Teaching Your Kids to Enjoy Hiking

I hope you'll join my family and I on June 23rd, pitch a tent, make some S'mores, and have a blast!