There are times when we crave the outdoors, want nothing more than to sleep under the stars, but alas, cannot. In order to help assuage your “camp lust” here are some ideas for turning your living room into the great outdoors.
Chill Camping with Kids (or anyone young at heart)
To create the full living room camping experience, start with a virtual “campfire” which can be found online here or here or here. Or if fire is not your thing, find a long clip of “nature sounds” to play quietly in the background. We’re partial to a babbling brook, or sometimes the relaxing sounds of a rainstorm without the worry of getting wet.
Then set up the tent! Use this a great teaching opportunity to enlighten the kiddos on how to properly set up a tent. Or, if you don’t have a tent, or if you want to be extra cozy, go for the most epic blanket fort you’ve ever made.
For an extra touch, take a strand or two of string lights and drape them over the top of the tent or around the room for a little starlight. Then dim the lights, sing campfire songs, tell ghost stories and munch on marshmallows. Don’t worry if your little one spills some hot cocoa on your new down sleeping bag- we’ve got you covered on how to wash it here. Just relax and enjoy your little slice of faux nature.
Extreme Living Room Basecamp
So you’re an alpinist, or maybe just a bit of a hardcase or dirtbag. We didn’t want to deny anyone their preferred camping experience, so here are some tips for turning your living room into your own slice of miserable sufferfest.
First, turn down (or off) your heat. This will not only give you the vibe of a frigid morning, but also save some electricity (win-win!). Same as above, use your television to add some visuals and sounds for maximum ambiance. Freezing mountain winds or something with even more of a howl to it are both great options.
Now, set up your basecamp, but do it wearing your least dexterous gloves for the real experience. Make sure to use your lightest weight, least spacious tent or bivy sack. You’ll want something you can close off to external visual stimuli to make things feel more realistic.
Bonus Points:
- Forego a sleeping pad for maximum discomfort.
- Scatter rocks or legos under a blanket and set your tent up on top of the resulting lumpy minefield.
- Pre-freeze your water bottle and only drink from it whenever a tiny bit melts.
- For a snack, dig that year-old smashed Clif bar out of your pack and eat it.
There you have it! Two ways to enjoy an “outdoorsy” evening from the comfort (or discomfort) of your very own living room.