B reviews

Camping in the Backyard: brought to you by REI

September 7, 2011 /

The Tent

You may have noticed my tent in my last post about camping on Labor Day Weekend. That’s the tent I bought with my REI gift card back when I toured their store a month ago. Remember that post? Little did I know my tent would come in so handy! In the rain even!

Anyway, I took the photos below when we did a little test run in our own backyard about a month ago.

backpack supreme

I also bought that backpack with the whistle in the buckle. I figure if we go hiking I’d definitely want something loud to scare away the mountain lions. Plus Bug really liked that it had a bladder in it and I think being able to sip her own water might make it more fun for her to carry her own bag. We’ll see.

I don't know how to put up a tent! hmmmmm....

We decided to take our tent on a maiden voyage to our backyard. We do have an awesome backyard after all. We might as well enjoy it. It cools down really nice out here in the desert and I’ve been wanting to sleep outside for a while.

So we set up the tent.

Where does this go again?

That was fun. Actually, it was really easy. I love how the tent poles just snap onto the tent instead of having to thread them like the old ones. So much easier!

this should be easy

It was so easy even a five-year-old could do it. Sort of.

tah dah!

Tah dah! We were so proud of ourselves.

proud tent putter-upper

Please forgive my backyard camping hair. Actually, that seems to be my all-summer-long hair. It’s so stinkin’ hot out here I can’t stand a bit of my hair to touch my face.

Hi Mom!

we're camping in the backyard!

And then we went inside and enjoyed the peaceful evening by having a massive tickle fight.

by the moonlight

Goodnight!

I can’t wait to take it on a real camping trip!

What outdoor activity do you pledge to do with your family this summer and how would a $100 REI gift card help you get there? Take the REI Outdoor Pledge and submit your comment to be entered.

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This giveaway is open to US Residents age 18 or older and runs from 9/7 – 9/27 .
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183 Comments

  • Susan

    September 7, 2011 at 6:44 am

    We had a totally failed camping trip this past weekend (rain and cold, bad campground), but our REI tent kept us totally dry! I swear by that thing. We want one more camping adventure before it gets too cold, and that REI tent is a must.

    I love your summer hair!

  • Allison Muhlbauer

    September 7, 2011 at 7:51 am

    I would love to take my two kids camping!! And since it is starting to cool down here in Texas we could maybe even camp out in a tent!!

  • Christine

    September 7, 2011 at 8:17 am

    Our summer appears to be over, I say, as I look out at torrential rain and listen to the thunderclaps. But if it ever dries up, my kids want to go biking and I want to go with them.

  • Rachel

    September 7, 2011 at 8:31 am

    We just got into canoeing in the Adirondacks–would love to have a tent so we can make the daytrips into overnights! (And we need more dry bags…)

  • Rachel

    September 7, 2011 at 9:05 am

    We just took our last camping trip of the summer–our Annual Escoto Family Labor Day Camping Trip. We camp and backpack with friends all summer…this trip is only for the five of us. It is our chance to reconnect and have some good family time together before school, soccer, piano, guitar, youth group, cub scouts, swim lessons (and all the rest) keeps us RUNNING until next June. REI–we love you and can’t get enough of you! :-)

  • Andrea

    September 7, 2011 at 9:07 am

    My brother’s family is now coming over for a bike ride to the neighborhood store (and the nearby playground!)

  • Mami2jcn

    September 7, 2011 at 9:14 am

    I don’t know why my first comment disappeared. I’ll repost it.

    I pledge to take hikes with my family and at REI I could buy hiking shoes.

  • Yara

    September 7, 2011 at 9:17 am

    I want to take the kids hiking. B & I went in July, but left the kids home with my sister. We both said we need to bring them next time.

  • Kaitlin

    September 7, 2011 at 9:54 am

    I want to squeeze one more hike in before summer ends. Since it will be 100 degrees today it sounds like I have time!

  • flyingbird

    September 7, 2011 at 11:36 am

    REI tents rock, we have one that practically sets itself up.

    I’m hoping to do some more alpine hiking with my son. Some better snow gear would be helpful!

  • Melissa K. in Nebraska

    September 7, 2011 at 1:21 pm

    I love the caption on the first photo of Bug holding a tent pole. How fun – backyard camping – gotta try it.

  • Caroline

    September 7, 2011 at 5:25 pm

    My college friends and I LOVE to go camping. I used to have a rockin’ tent but then I let my little brother take on a scout trip and he busted the zippers! My boyfriends tent claims to be a 2 person but it is totally not.

  • kim @ mommyknows

    September 7, 2011 at 8:34 pm

    We love to camp, but this summer it hasn’t been possible. We did manage to get out hiking in the Canadian Rockies several times though and it was amazing. We plan to get in a couple more weekends this month, and maybe even several days of camping in early October.

    Great photos. Bug is adorable.

  • Kuky

    September 8, 2011 at 12:18 am

    We keep talking about camping. We really should try it out in the backyard first. Or that might be too close to my bed and I’ll be tempted to go inside. Well Isabelle can camp with daddy in the yard. Then when we go for real I’ll just have to suck it up. Yeah…that might work.

  • Debra

    September 8, 2011 at 3:50 am

    We have a tent and three sleeping bags but no stove upon which to cook our food ! So for now, we have been camping about 10 feet away from the house. So I would love a gift card to buy a little camp stove !

  • Ashley R.

    September 8, 2011 at 6:31 am

    My fiance and I need some supplies to be able to take our fur-child Humphrey with us on our next camping trip. REI would be great for that!

  • Amanda

    September 8, 2011 at 9:03 am

    I went camping for all the holiday weekends this year! Memorial Day we rented an RV in New Hampshire, July 4th we stayed in tents on a beautful pond in Vermont, and for Labor Day we whitewater rafted & tubed down the Deerfield River in the Berkshires of Massachusetts. I love to add new gadgets and tools to my slowly-growing camping pile-o-stuff and the folks at REI are always helpful in choosing the right item. I would really like one of those sleeping bags that you can stuff into a bag instead of having to roll it up! :)

    Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/phenchurch

    Blog: http://phenchurch.blogspot.com/2011/09/rei-promotion.html

  • elz

    September 8, 2011 at 7:03 pm

    We recently started teaching the girls how to fish. The girls loved catching fish this summer. REI would be a perfect place to get chairs, shoes, etc to help our fishergirls!

  • Teresa

    September 8, 2011 at 8:31 pm

    I want to try stand up paddleboarding in the worst way!! In a relentless quest to lose weight, I need more active hobbies…. paddleboarding it is. My hubby even agreed to take it up as a hobby with me too. YEAH! And… REI has some great paddleboards! The REI gift card would be a win for me, my hubby and my waist.

  • Lauren Elizabeth

    September 9, 2011 at 2:58 pm

    My fiance and I try to go camping every summer- but we don’t have our own equipment – we alway just borrow from his parents! Would love to begin buying our own stuff!

  • kim

    September 9, 2011 at 7:05 pm

    I would like to do more kayaking and bike riding. We need a new life jacket for the little one (they seem to outgrow those every summer).

  • Chez Us

    September 10, 2011 at 9:18 am

    OMG – that looks like such fun. We love camping and definitely do not get out there enough. We are planning a couple trips for the fall. Really excited to sleep under the stars. And have morning coffee made over the campfire.

  • Maija

    September 11, 2011 at 8:32 am

    look at her cute purple backpack- so adorable! I’m a pretty outdoorsy girl but am always looking for some new gear (right now a gps and sleeping bag) and would love the REI gift card! Such a great giveaway!

  • Deb

    September 11, 2011 at 11:35 am

    We love camping in the fall– summer’s a little too hot in Florida. We’re going to get new raingear this year so we’re not such wimps when a short shower blows by.

  • Jessica

    September 12, 2011 at 4:40 am

    I am the proud momma of 4 little kiddos – 4yr, 2yr, and 6month old twins! This family loves a good bike ride any day of the week – but after my husband takes our oldest on their first canoning trip we’re planning a family camping trip with all four kids! We could really use the REI gift card to get the gear we need!

  • Mary

    September 13, 2011 at 4:55 am

    Thanks REI for the opportunity to win a gift card! Have loved your store for a long time, purchased my first pair of x-c skis from you nearly twenty years ago.

  • Sarah

    September 13, 2011 at 9:44 am

    We’ve started camping a bit, and have a second hand tent. Turns out I’m actually a pretty decent campfire chef. What we really need are those air bladder things to put under your sleeping bag so that you’re not sleeping on rocks. That would make the whole trip so much better as I would no longer be grouchy pants from lack of sleep.