How To Build A Backyard Glamping Experience –

Many of us have been staying closer to home recently so we decided to inspire you to have a camping experience by turning your own space into your very own backyard glamping campsite. With a few special touches and some imagination, you can turn your outdoor space into something great for your family that doesn’t require hours of packing or sitting in the back of a car. You’ll also get a great night’s sleep and plenty of space to use for different experiences, like a meditation zone, reading area or a place to get some quiet time away from the kids, so building this new outdoor zone will give you much more fun than just a few nights sleep.

Build A Checklist

Before you start hunting for your hammers, nails, tents, sleeping bags and flashlights in the garage, make a list of everything you’ll need. It starts with shelter and a comfortable place to sleep, but you need to think of the small things too, like batteries and fairy lights. Check out our camping and glamping checklist to get a few ideas before you start.

Build Your Glamping Base

If you want to make your new glamping area something you can use year-round then you will want to build a wooden platform. Many people don’t realise that most of the cold and dampness experienced while camping comes up from the ground, not just from the sky.

Firstly you will need a canopy to protect you from the dew and cold air when you are sitting outside. You can build your base from all kinds of materials, including rugs and matting.

If you can build an insulated wooden base yourself then you can probably put it together in an afternoon. If not, then we recommend you find local joiners to help. It’s an investment but if it means you will be warmer at night then you’ll get a lot more use from it over time.

Build Your Campsite or Glampsite

Once you’ve figured out what to take on your backyard glamping adventure, it’s time to set up camp. If you have really young children joining you for your backyard adventure, make sure you get them fully involved too. The first time they put up a tent and sleep outside is something they’ll remember forever so don’t do it all for them.

Build A Fire

One of the most exciting parts of the camping experience is making fire. There’s nothing quite like building a campfire with children, teaching them fire safety and then cooking food. It all adds to the experience and they will never forget it.

If you can, make a game out of it by encouraging your family to search for firewood, kindling and tinder. They can collect dry pine needles, tree bark and tiny twigs while using larger twigs and dry sticks for kindling.

To add even more of a sense of achievement, you can practice traditional friction-based fire starting methods or use a flint and striker set. If you have an existing fire pit in your backyard, this part will require little preparation to set it up. For a more temporary solution, use a portable fire pit or chiminea. Just remember to put it in a safe place before you start.

Build A Campfire Menu

Even more exciting than fire building is eating camp food you’ve just cooked. There are some great campfire meals you can cook. S’mores and hot dogs are the easiest, but consider experimenting with foil and really wow your fellow glampers with some fire-grilled chicken breasts, vegetable skewers, and melted chocolate banana boats for dessert. Here we’ve pulled together some of our favourite campfire recipes and impressive chai drinks to get you started.

Build An Unforgettable Experience

The best bit about having your own glamping site in the backyard is the fact you don’t have to remember absolutely everything before your start. You can build it and make it better over time while you are using it. The same thing will apply to your memories, which you will also build along the way, so make sure you take the time to do some activities like stargazing.

Use these tips for a perfect backyard glamping experience for any time you need to stay closer to home.

Inspired Camping