Energize Your Summer: Backyard Camping Tips + $500 Gift Card Giveaway

Energize Your Summer: Backyard Camping Tips + $500 Gift Card Giveaway

Summer for some can mean long road trips throughout the province setting up in many campgrounds along the way. Although the camping experience doesn’t have to take you to the backyard of provincial parks, you can get a similar experience in your backyard.

When was the last time you popped up a tent in your backyard and camped out with the kids?

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Backyard Camping Tips

Backyard camping is an inexpensive way to spend quality time together. Energize your summer with these backyard camping tips.

Gather all your camping supplies. You will need a tent to fit your family, flashlights, headlights, camera and Energizer MAX® batteries depending on how elaborate you decide to campout. I love camping at home because I can leave the food in the kitchen and skip worrying about a cooler and ice.

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[bctt tweet=”DYK? 47% of Canadian campers agree that most camping essentials require batteries. #EnergizeYourSummer”]

Teamwork. Setting up your campsite together is a part of the bonding experience. If it’s been a while since you’ve camped out rest assure, tents have come a long way, and you can set a pop-up tent in minutes.

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Grill dinner or cook it over the open fire. I thoroughly prepare dinner in my kitchen ahead of time, and when we are ready to grill dinner, it’s all ready to go.

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We love cooking dinner or breakfast over an open fire. If you don’t have a fire pit no worries, you can grill your food at the BBQ well the kids play in the backyard or rest.

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Grab your GPS and after dinner may I suggest one of our favorite family games: Go geocaching. It’s a free worldwide treasure hunt. Google refers to Geocaching as; the recreational activity of hunting for and finding a hidden object using GPS coordinates posted on a website or app. Chances are you have a numerous Geocaches in your neighborhood or make your own. Be sure to have Energizer® Ultimate Lithium™ and Energizer® MAX® batteries on hand since they are the longest lasting batteries for devices like handheld GPS, digital cameras, and toys.

Race time. Our boys love to bring their powered monster trucks and race cars along camping with us. Load them up with Energizer® MAX® batteries and have a blast, climbing, running and building memories together well you laugh the night away.

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One of the kids favorite things to do when we have a backyard campout is a nighttime hike. When was the last time you walked around your yard in the dark? Energizer® makes a broad range of high lighting products for the outdoors, such as flashlights, headlamps, and lanterns. Pick your favorite and cast a spooky shadow or two along the way, you never know what type of story you will have to tell after a nighttime walk together.  Energizer® flashlights and lighting solutions keep your family safe in the dark.

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The kids loved Energizer Vision HD Headlight, with its three headlight modes and powerful LED headlamp beam. Up to 4X brighter than standard LED technology giving you light exactly where you were looking. Since it is waterproof and shatterproof, it is perfect for busy boys to play with. 


Before bedtime it is tradition to roast smores over the open fire when camping. If you don’t have a fire pit, I found a wood burning fire pit on Walmart.ca that would be great for any size backyard. Try these Oh Canada Maple Smores.

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Nothing beats a good campfire story. Scary or not telling stories together gets the whole family involved. Be sure to have your Energizer flashlight on hand to illuminate the moment.

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Got more backyard camping tips? Please share them below.

[bctt tweet=”DYK? Three in five Canadians say they are likely to go camping this summer. #EnergizeYourSummer”]

According to a recent survey from Energizer Families with kids are almost twice as likely to plan a camping trip compared to those without kids. Don’t want till you have kids, we spent many nights before kids with friends camping. Great way to make memories as a family or couple.

Energizer is Generous!

One In R Dream reader will win a $500 Walmart gift card. Canada only – contest ends August 21st @ midnight EST!


To keep your family powered during your camping adventures, a reliable resource for lanterns, flashlights, and long-lasting batteries is Energizer.caFor all your camping needs at the everyday lowest prices, visit Walmart.


Thank you for reading In R Dream!

This post is sponsored as always my opinion is all my own.



148 thoughts on “Energize Your Summer: Backyard Camping Tips + $500 Gift Card Giveaway”

  • The last time I had a backyard camp out was a few years ago when it was so hot in the house due to weather, so we slept in the tent outside!

  • The last time I had a backyard campout was about 25 years ago when my kids were 6 and 8 years old. It would be so fun to have a campout experience with my grandchild.

  • My son and his friends had backyard campouts frequently. They also really enjoyed being able to come into the house for a hot shower the next day.

  • Last time we had a backyard campout my daughter was 12 it’s been years, we need to do it again..it was so much fun

  • Been awhile – closest to that a Roadtrip July 2016 to BC. Best tip – if you ever find yourself without Deep Woods or Off – just carry a small bottle of Listerine. Amazingly, tried and keeps mosquito at bay.

    Eva Mitton-Urban

  • We got caught in torrential weather one year so my tip would be to be cautious and aware of weather in the area you are travelling to 🙂

  • We have never had a backyard camp out oernight but we have campfires almost every weekend in the summer and lots of weekend in the winter when it’s mild.

  • It has been many years since my last backyard camp out. I do remember how much fun we had…we should do it again soon.

  • It has been a lot of years, we used to take our girl guides camping and often times it was just backyard camps they were great

  • The last backyard camp out was 1yr. agoe. It was our daughter and 3 friends. we woke up to all of the screaming at 6am. There was earwigs in the tent.

  • We haven’t had a backyard campout for a few years though I’d love to do one again since my nieces are the right age

  • A couple weeks ago at my brothers we sat around a campfire and had marshmallows. He had been camping out all weekend in a tent with his boys in the backyard.

  • I haven’t had a backyard camp since I was little and that ended up with us creeping back into the house in the middle of the night!

  • I’m Energizing this summer by going out for more hikes and taking advantage of the beautiful (but hot and humid) weather we have been having!

  • we dont camp out back cause we have a pool, but we camp frequently in Kearney ON. we energize ourselves by kayaking on grass lake.. tip- always have enough drinkng water

  • for the backyard it was Canada day weekend, it was great, the boys really loved it, so we went up North and camp out for a week, they now just want to live in the tents in the backyard the whole summer since they love it so much

  • in this house we energize our summer by spending a lot of times on bikes, hiking, and generally keeping as active as possible

  • I’ve never had a full backyard camp out but we do love camping AND the outdoors so I would love to host one very soon. Gotta have good snacks, flashlights, cards and fun guests!

  • Oh gosh, I haven’t had a back yard campout since I was a child. I think my kids would love it, but we don’t have a place to set up a tent in our yard (its really really tiny). One day though, its always so much fun!

  • I haven’t done one in years. Wanted to set up the tent in my mom’s backyard when my kids and I were visiting but she had a visitor the night before (a black bear, eating the fruit from her fruit trees) so we decided to stay inside just in case he came back for more.

  • We did it last year for my daughter’s bday. Her party theme was campout. We had a couple of tends with her friends and the family joining in the fun. We did campfire with silly and scary stories to go with it and scavenger hunts and games.

  • #EnergizeYourSummer From experience, change the batteries in the flashlights to be sure they all work because from experience from my favorite camp out as a teenager we ran out of working flashlights. It was a girls night at my friends house, 5 of us ready for a night of music, food and fun! We had so much fun with the flashlights we ran out of light! lol Lots of giggles and scares!

  • My family and I enjoyed our very first backyard campout last week. We were setting up our tent to make sure it was good for our upcoming camping trip and before we knew it our son had it filled with his belongings. It was so cute that I didn’t have the heart to take it down. We enjoyed some s’mores and some music. It was a great night! Thanks for the incredible contest! Good luck all! And lets not forget to #EnergizeYourSummer!

  • It has been YEARS since I had my last backyard camp out. My brothers and were very young and we used to camp out all the time in our backyard. It was so much fun. We ended up waking in the middle of the night and going inside lol, but it was tons of fun staying up later

  • The backyard is a great place to set a tent up and pretend it is the wilderness with the comfort of being near home. It’s a good start to going real camping. Gather around the “campfire” and tell scary stories. Singing silly songs and playing games with the flashlights are fun activities during your camping trip.

  • I’ve never had a backyard camp out. I #EnergizeYourSummer by getting out in the sun as much as possible.

  • We had a campout last year around this time. We are hoping to make it an annual thing so we are planning another one in a few weeks!

  • I live in an apartment building so sadly it’s a bit tricky to have a backyard campout. We are going to Algonquin in a couple of weeks though 🙂

  • well its been about 30 years since I have backyard camped , which makes me think its time to do it again ! my girl loves camping but sometimes we just cant get away so this might just be the answer !!

  • The last time we enjoyed a backyard campout was about a month ago! It was a last minute idea for us but we still enjoyed it! Hopefully we can have another full backyard campout again soon.

  • Yesterday! My son and I went to visit my Dad and we stayed in a tent in the backyard. He had a blast! It is the best of both worlds. Fun in a tent. Bathroom close by 🙂

  • It has been awhile since we did the backyard camp out thing. Used to do it all the time. For my oldest about 7 years and about 10 years for me . Miss having a back yard .

  • I haven’t done backyard camping since I was 12. My dad set up a pup tent for my sister & I in the yard & he played games with us in there until bedtime. We got to sleep in there alone & I remember feeling how far away from our house we felt even though it was right there! Such a fun experience for kids.

  • I have not been camping in my backyard or anywhere else for that matter for years and years. But would love to.

  • Last time we went camping was more than 10 years ago, my daughter was still so small. It rained and we were all miserable. We have not been since.

  • My best camping tip is to keep a list of all the items you need for camping and then assemble a large bin full of these items. You can just grab the bin and go!

  • We do a backyard campout every fall with my daughter. She absolutely loves it and it gives us a great electronics out family bonding night. We have a small firepit so we roast hotdogs and marshmallows over it. We usually play games in the tent until lights out.

  • It has been years since we have had a backyard campout. We mostly visit provincial parks now
    Best tip I have is try to prepare for inclement weather you are probably going to get some

  • I haven’t had a backyard campout since I was a kid! I love them though, I definitely plan on doing one with my kids once we move into our new house next week. 🙂 I need to get a tent!

  • I do at least two backyard campouts every year. I have a large treed backyard so it feels like a real camping trip.
    My best tip for backyard camping is to invite your children’s friends with parents that like to go camping. That way you can have some help until late at night when the kids fall asleep.

  • I think the last time we #EnergizeYourSummer! was when my daughter graduated from HS, we had quite a big party out back , had a few screen tents out during the day and then tents at night for all the people from out of town would came by.

  • We have moved on from backyard campouts since we now have an RV. We are camping this weekend 🙂 Always make sure you have extra batteries for those flashlights!!

  • The last time I camped in a backyard was at my parents old house with a girlfriend around 19 years ago. My husband and I are planning on doing this with our girls as he has never been camping anywhere :O #EnergizeYourSummer

  • If the mosquitos get to be to bad , move it to the tent with a flash light and keep the fun going ! Nothing beats games and stories in the tent !

  • We havent had a backyard campout in years bur I try to #EnergizeYourSummer by spending as much time as possible at the beach!

  • Have never done a backyard camp out and now that we live in a condo we can’t actually do one but it sure looks like fun

  • we had a back yard campout a couple years ago … had a couple raccoons visit and daughter didnt want to camp in back yard since!

  • I can’t remember if I have ever camped out in the backyard but it sounds like something my boys would love to try.

  • Oh dear,I can’t even remember the last time we went camping (incl.the backyard).Probably over 15 years ago??

  • The last backyard campout i had was a looooooong time ago. I think we picked the coldest night of the summer. Had to have a pile of blankets on top of us, plus a sweater and a toque. But it was still fun.

  • I have never had a backyard camping experience but I’ve always wanted to do one with the kids once they are older

  • It’s been quit some time since I did a backyard campout, but it sounds like a lot of fun. I also recommend some good reading stories for the campout!

  • Back Yard Camping would be wonderful to do with my daughter. I wouldn’t have to worry about meeting a bear in the middle of the night when going to the potty.

  • I haven’t done a backyard camp out for years because of the dogs but I like to energize myself by going for bike rides.

  • The last time I enjoyed a backyard camp out was when I was young – maybe 10 at the latest. I used to sleep in the tent and my mom would leave the door unlocked because we always ran inside in the middle of the night because we were scared!! It was fun..

  • I’ve never had a backyard campout since I was a teen! I need to set up the tent and enjoy a night under the stars with my kids.

  • The last time I had a backyard Camp out was when my children were teenager. I want to do one with my granddaughter in the middle of August. She is going to love it!

  • It has been a really long time since I`ve had a backyard campout,when my son was really small, It was a lot of fun,should do it again,your never too old to have a backyard campout! 🙂

  • I don’t think I’ve ever participated in a backyard camp out. They do look like a lot of fun if you have the space for such a thing!

  • A few years ago we did it for the last time with our boys before they got to big and boy did we enjoy the smores and the hot dogs over the fire! We had a blast just sitting there with no phone or computers or video games! I enjoyed it so much!

  • I love camping ! I say always look for a smooth higher point to set up your tent , that way your not laying unconformable though the night and if it rains you won’t be in a puddle !

  • Every Friday night we have a family BBQ, we have a fire, smores and the kids like to set up the tent. It’s lots of fun in our own backyard..

  • We haven’t enjoyed a backyard camp out in a very long time since we lived in apartments for the most part. This is our first summer with a backyard and we are planning for a backyard camp out in the next few weeks.

  • i remember when my 3 kids were young teenagers. our house used to be the place to hang out and tents would be put up. we would go to bed with a few kids camping out and wake up to our backyard of tents and kids and good old fashion, fun time of camp fires, marshmallow, hotdog on a stick. and lots of flashlights and batteries.

  • The last time I “enjoyed” a backyard campout was years ago! Probably about 25 years ago. I remember the tent smelled so musty that it aggrevated my allergies the whole night.

  • I was a kid the last time I enjoyed a backyard camp out but my daughters have all done it and loved it; now its the grandkids time!

  • Make glow in the dark lanterns! Makes backyard camping (any camping for that matter) so much more fun, and making them together even so much more!

  • I’ve never done a backyard camp out, but I have been camping. Keep it simple, but try to be organized.

  • I don’t know that I’ve ever had a backyard camp out. I’ve been meaning to do it with my kids though, I think they’re just old enough now.

  • The last time I enjoyed a backyard camp out was when I was 7 my sisters & I camped out in our backyard was so fun. tip, enjoy and have fun.

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