Health & Safety Tips for Backyard Camping

If you want to go on a camping trip without the hassle, camping in your own backyard is a fun and easy alternative. It’s an excellent way to experience the outdoors and indulge in fun camping activities without needing to travel. You also can sleep in your own bed and cook meals in your own kitchen if you prefer. While backyard camping is safe in that it’s travel-free, there are ways to make it safer and more healthy for everybody involved.

Here are some tips for how to keep your backyard camping trip safe for everybody’s health:

Avoid Sharing Tents

Getting cozy with friends or family members in a tent is a classic camping experience. However, it also puts you at risk of sharing germs. The small, enclosed space and lack of airflow make safe social distancing virtually impossible even in an enormous family-sized tent. For a healthier option, opt for individual pop-up tents. If the weather permits, you can even sleep under the stars. One of the many benefits of backyard camping is that you can go sleep inside, which may be safer for the health of the group.

Pre-Portion Your S’mores

Sharing food around the campfire is not ideal for avoiding the spread of germs. The good news is that many campfire treats are easy to pre-portion, so each individual person can enjoy the experience—and the food—without risk. S’mores are a perfect example of a fun camping treat you can separate into “kits” for each person. Simply fill a plastic sealable bag with some graham crackers, chocolate and a few marshmallows for roasting. This way everybody can still make their own s’mores together without passing around a box of crackers or a pack of chocolate.

Sanitize Regularly

Good personal hygiene habits are essential to staying healthy. This includes lots of hand washing and use of antibacterial sanitizers. Make sure everybody on your camping “trip” has a pack of essentials, including a pocket-sized hand sanitizer. You can even make a craft project out of decorative holders or straps to keep them convenient. Encourage children to practice good habits while backyard camping by creating a game of it—you might find it helps the adults remember, too.

While gathering safely requires more careful planning, it’s more than worth the effort to keep yourself and others healthy. Try these tips for your next backyard camping trip to have fun without extra risk.