My husband and I are big campers. We have not camped since I was pregnant with our son. He is a few months over two. We REALLY want to go camping next month, when the weather is really awesome. The problem, is we don't have anyone to care for our dogs during that time. We'd rather not take them until my son is older, because that's a lot to worry about. We thought about pitching a tent in the backyard. Our dogs could join us, and we have all the camping stuff. We have an outdoor fireplace we could roast things in, and everything. We have two BIG dogs, who have big poops! (Gross, sorry.) Would you be grossed out to camp where your dogs poo? I mean, we clean it and would clean everything before we pitched the tent. They tend to poop in one ares, so we could avoid that area. The thought is just kind of grossing me out. Anyway, have any of you camped in your yard? Was it fun? Do you think it would be fun for my son, or would it be lost on him?
Haha, Denise! I never thought of that. We do play out there, I don't know why sleeping there grosses me out more. The tent does have a bottom, and we would be using a camping mattress. My husband has always done scouts, we are super prepared ;)
Oh, and my son is VERY active. It would be really exhausting to take him and the dogs for tent camping. They are NOT the tie to a tree type of dog. They get really freaked out being tied to things. They generally stay in the tent with us. (We have a massive two room tent.) That's not something we want to tackle this year. We planned on doing that next year.
We've camped out in the back yard.
It was great!
The camp fire, hot dogs and s'mores taste so good out side.
It's also nice knowing there's a real bathroom near by in case you need it.
We camp out in our yard all the time. Between me working weekends and getting it to coinside with the weekends we have my boys lately it seems impossible to get away. We all enjoy it, its nice because if you forget anything.. its right in the house, along with the bathroom :)
Stay away from the dog poop and enjoy!
I have camped out in my back yard with my cub scout pack and 11 year old boy scouts.
Your 2 year old would probably get as much out of sleeping outside as he would sleeping inside. What will make the difference is the fun he will have roasting hot dogs, marshmellows and s'mores. All my kids had a wonderful time doing that.
Good luck to you and yours.
My husband camped out in our yard this summer with the boys (7 and 3). It was an amazing night for all three of them ~ and the dog :) DO IT! It is fun and your son will have a blast!!!
You do know that other random animals poop where you camp in the "wild", right? :)
Doesn't the tent have a bottom?
I mean anyone with dogs theoretically "plays" in the same area where their dog poops.
It sounds like a great and fun idea. As a life long dog lover, where I go my dogs go (unless I'm staying with someone who isn't comfortable with animals...because that's just rude)....I cleaned up after my dogs and sounds like you do the same. The back yard camping trip will be a good start for your baby and the dogs. Have a great time.
Blessings.....
Yes, we love camping in our backyard. Our kids think it's the funnest thing ever!!! They get so jazzed! We make smores outside in this outdoor fireplace and it's a good time. Our son is 7 and our daughter is almost 2 and I have to say I think it's pretty easy to drive to a campsite with our 2 big dogs and camp. I bring the dogs their dog blankets to sleep on and tie them to a tree at our campsite. We go on a little hike on a trail and I'll let them off leash then. Sometimes we will just walk them around the campsite with the kids too. Our dogs have a couple specific areas of our backyard where they like to poo...even though I clean it up we don't tend to play in those areas. Anyway....your son will probably love it. You might have to be persistent though. Last time we camped our daughter was a bit distraught over the thought of sleeping somewhere that is not her bed and she put up a little bit of a fuss. But then she settled down and loved it the 2nd night. Your son might do that too...or he might not!
We used to do this when our daughter was young. She even had a sleepover and the girls all slept in the tent. They loved it.
My family does this once or twice a year. I don't, but hubby and the kids, and when we had a dog, the dog too. The dog was so funny, he had to go out in the night, so hubby just opened the side air vent he went out and came back to the vent instead of the door!
My 3y had a blast! We did the whole hot dogs and smores thing over a fire pit.
Here are some things that (sometimes) poop in my back yard: raccoons, rabbits, opossums, birds, coyotes, foxes, ducks, skunks, squirrels, my dogs, and the neighbor's dogs.
I'm not saying my yard is poop filled! I do clean up the poop from my dogs. But I know other things poop out there and that's just life. We camp in our tent in our back yard and have a fire pit and we just don't think about the poop. Go out there and camp and have fun!
Dog poop, wild animal poop, it's all the same, and you will find it anywhere you are outside (or you may not "find" it but it is there!). Set up the tent and have fun!
We took our 3 month old daughter camping last month, and she did great! I brought various items for her - one a sleeper thing with a netting over it - and her little seat to sit in (reclined). It worked out well. She and I slept together on the air mattress.
If the weather isn't too cold, and you have the gear - there isn't any reason you can't go somewhere to camp!
