Thursday, April 13, 2017

Planning a Backyard Campout: What You Need to Know

Planning a Backyard Campout: What You Need to Know

If you are planning a backyard campout, you are not alone. Each year, millions of campers head out to their local state parks or other public campgrounds. Unfortunately, not everyone is able to enjoy this type of camping.  Instead, many individuals and families make the decision to have a backyard campout.

One of the many benefits to backyard camping is being close to home.  Despite this closeness, you may want to avoid your home. This will help to make your backyard camping experience seem more lifelike.  To prevent your backyard campout from being interrupted, due to multiple trips inside the house, you are advised to devise a plan. That plan should not only include camping equipment, but toys, snacks, food, and drinks. The best way to develop this plan is to pretend that you aren’t camping in your own backyard. By imagining that you will not have access to your home, you can better develop a camping plan.

When it comes to camping, whether it be backyard camping or not, one of the first things that you need to consider is your sleeping materials.  Many campers use tents, while others use nothing, but a blanket. If you are planning on sleeping in a tent, you will want to make sure that your tent has all of the needed pieces and equipment. It may also be a good idea to setup your tent in advance. This may help to ensure that you can repair your tent or purchase a replacement, if needed.

If you are interested in sleeping under the stars, instead of using a tent, you will want to keep a close eye on the weather. Despite the fact that you will be camping in your own backyard, you will still want to make sure the weather is appropriate for sleeping without a tent.  Regardless of whether or not you are sleeping with a tent, you will need a sleeping bag or blanket.  Additional sleeping equipment may include pillows or an air mattress.  In the event that you do not have these supplies, you can purchase them from most sports stores or department stores.

After you have decided how and where you will sleep, you will then want to prepare for other aspects of your backyard campout. What many campers enjoy about camping is eating outdoors. If you wish, you may also want to incorporate a backyard barbeque into your camping adventure. Simply by moving your cooking grill near your other camping supplies, you should be able to create the illusion of a campground.  The type of food you cook should all depend on your preference and the preference of the other campers. If a backyard cookout is not possible, a pre-made picnic can be used as an alternative.

In addition to a full dinner meal, you may also want to think about having snacks on hand. There are a large number of snacks that are ideal for campers. These snacks may include, dry fruit, chips, pretzels, cookies, and other dry foods. If you are able to start a small fire, don’t forget the most important camping snack, smores.  Although it may be easier to keep your food, drinks, and snacks inside your home, you may want to store them in outside ice coolers. This will not only help to keep your food fresh, but it may also reduce the number of camping interruptions.

Finally, depending on the length of your backyard campout, you may want to consider brining along outdoor toys. These toys may include water guns, water balloons, a kickball, a Frisbee, baseball equipment, or other similar items.  Even if these items do not get used, they are still nice to have on hand.  At times, even in your own backyard, camping can be a little boring. Having a fairly large selection of outdoor activities to choose from will help to ensure that boredom is a thing of camping past.

Planning a Pool Party: What You Need to Prepare For

Each year, a large number of Americans search for the perfect party idea.  If you have a pool in your backyard, you may already have what is needed for the perfect party, a pool. Pool parties are nice because they not only allow you to socialize with those that you know, but they also give everyone a way to cool off. If you are thinking about hosting a pool party, you will need to start planning. Despite what you may think there is actually a lot of planning involved in hosting a pool party.  

Perhaps, the first step in planning a pool party is to let everyone know that you are having one.  Although pool parties may not be like birthday parties or Christmas parties, you may still want to send invitations to your guests. These invitations, if you choose to send them, do not have to be elaborate.  In fact, since your pool party will most likely be casual, your invitations should be as well.  If invitations are not your style, you will want to phone your friends or send them an email, inviting them to your pool party.

Once you have let your guests know that you are planning a pool party, you can then start preparing for the party. While it is not always important, you may want to consider confirming with guests whether or not they will be able to attend.  Having an accurate guest count may help you better prepare for your party. In fact, a guest count may enable you to determine how much food, drinks, or snacks you should have on hand.  

If you are planning on including a barbeque with your pool party, you will need to decide what type of food you would like to serve.  Like any other special occasion, you may want to have a wide variety of different foods. This will ensure that there will be at least one thing on the menu that each guest will enjoy. In addition to main courses, such as meat, you will also want to include side dishes. These side dishes commonly include fruits, vegetables, and salads.

After you have decided which foods you would like served at your barbeque, you will also need to think about making them. Even if your party isn’t for a few weeks, you may still want to develop a cooking schedule ahead of time. Although your main courses, such as barbequed meat, will be prepared the day of your pool party, you may want to prepare everything else earlier that day or the day before. This will help not only to ensure that you get all of the food prepared on time, but that you are also able to enjoy your own party.

As previously mentioned, you may want to include a barbeque with your pool party; however, it is not required.  If you are planning on having a pool party, without serving a large meal, you may still want to have snacks and drinks on hand.  Non-alcoholic drinks and most snack foods can be purchased for a reasonable price. Alcoholic drinks make for a great party, but some drinks can be expensive to purchase, especially in large quantities.

Aside from the food and entertainment, you may also want to make sure that you have a number of pool supplies and accessories on hand.  These items may include, but should not be limited to, beach balls, lifejackets, arm floaties, swim rings, floating chairs, and other popular swim toys.  If you do not already have a large collection of swim toys, you can easily purchase a few low-cost ones.  Many pool toys, such as swim rings, arm floaties, and beach balls, can be purchased for a reasonable price.  In fact, many of these items only cost around two or three dollars. It may also be a good idea to have extra towels on hand, just in case any of your guests forget to bring theirs.

Although pool parties are designed to be fun, you may want to establish some pool rules ahead of time.  These rules may help to keep your pool and your pool party guests safe, especially young children. Whether you plan a simple pool party or an elaborate one, it is likely that you will be happy with your decision to plan your party, ahead of time.

No comments:

Post a Comment