Backyard camping with a Rooftop tent (5 ways we actually use it at home)
When you hear camping, you automatically think of changing locations, packing, and planning a trip. There are days when you can't get anywhere, the kids are sick, the weekend is too short, or you just don't feel like planning a trip. All of this is normal, especially when you have kids, but that's when you often need a change the most. In this article, I'll show you how you can have a mini adventure in your own backyard with a rooftop tent. Just slow down, change your routine, and spend some time outside. Once you try it, you'll realize that a rooftop tent in your backyard doesn't have to be just for sleeping.
“No Need to Go” Weekend
The main reason for our backyard tent experiment was to get some rest and change without having to travel anywhere. We didn’t want to stay home, but we didn’t want to plan anything either. So, we came up with the idea of camping in the backyard. Since the RTT is always ready in the car and sets up quickly, we didn’t need much preparation. We opened the tent, took out the sleeping bags, table, and stove. The kids played in the backyard, and when it was dinner time, we just grabbed the ingredients from the kitchen and made dinner in the backyard, in front of the tent as if we were on a trip somewhere. Suddenly, we all felt like we had really gone somewhere. The morning was slower and quieter, the screens weren’t on, and we were outside more. For kids, it’s often not the destination that matters, but the experience of the adventure, even if it’s in the backyard.
Quiet moments in the rooftop tent
When we don’t go camping for a while, we’ve started to introduce small, quiet, “tent moments” at home. Not for the whole weekend, maybe just for an afternoon before bed. We take out the lamps and blankets, a few picture books or board games and have family time. Sometimes we just take out the lamps and do a little shadow play on the canvas of the tent. Of course, sometimes we have movie nights too. It’s not completely quiet, but we’re happy when all five of us are laughing and fooling around, and the kids are asking for “just one more story.”
Rooftop tent as an improvised playroom
We discovered this quite by accident. The kids had friends over and wanted to show them the tent because they always tell them about their camping experiences. Suddenly the kids occupied the tent and it became their little house. That time they didn't even need toys, they just imagined and pretended that they were all camping together. There was no need to plan activities, the tent started the game on its own. Sometimes they would ask to take their LEGOs, toy cars or puzzles into the tent and they would play up there while we and their parents would talk peacefully outside.
Afternoon nap outside
This year we decided to renovate the backyard and therefore spent every free moment in the backyard. We didn't want to leave the youngest one alone in the house while he naps in the afternoon, and if he skips his afternoon nap the rest of the day is chaos. We decided to try putting them to sleep in a tent in the backyard – after they fall asleep, we close the entrances, the tent is airy, and we can hear them outside if any of them wake up. They know we are nearby and feel safer after waking up than if they woke up alone in the house. Because we are nearby all the time we can hear them as soon as they wake up. This turned out to be very useful for us because we managed to get a lot done during that time, and they also fell asleep faster and slept better in the fresh air.
Rooftop tent as a hideout for a bad day
You know when everyone is nervous, and nothing helps? Everyone is shouting at each other, the kids don't know where to go, and no one is in a good mood? At that moment, you would like to run away, but you know that's not the solution. Still, a change of space often works, but who has the will to go somewhere else in such a state? Especially if it's already evening or some other obligation. And that's where the rooftop tent comes in as a reset zone. Since it opens and closes quickly, it's no problem for us to open it in just half an hour, and it helps a lot. Sometimes we take books, sometimes colouring books, and sometimes we just lie down and calm down. At that moment, the kids often remember an event from camping. Suddenly, the stories and laughter start, and everyone's mood improves.
Backyard camping is not a replacement for traveling, it's an addition. A way to slow down when you need to and make a small change without much planning. A rooftop tent doesn't have to be useful only when you're miles away from home, because some of the most beautiful moments can be experienced in your own backyard.
