Set up a camp within your compound

You can setup a camp in your compound. All you need are tents and sleeping gears . Photo by Michael Kakumirizi

What you need to know:

It’s during the festive season that we do things we never do often and one of these is camping. However, this time, you will do it at your home and below are some tips you can follow.

Every parent aims at giving their family a memorable festive season by doing unique things in their homes or away from home. However, it is important to note that celebration isn’t only good away from home.
You can make your own camping site at home and by so doing, you will spend less money. Here are some of the tips you can use to come up with a good camping site at home.

Requirements
Emmanuel Wanjala Fox, a camping director with Bravo Fanteified Investment Limited, says once you decide to set up a camp at home, forget about the house and concentrate on the outdoor, and because of this you have to set the necessary equipment to use during the camp.
“Camping means home away from home so set up another comfortable home outside your house, you can call neighbours or other relatives to make it more fun or use just your family members.

Shelter
Even though you are camping from home, you will need shelter outside the house to have the best fun. According to Willy Kayima, an exterior designer, the best shelter will be a tent but in case you have time, you can have huts made of grass.
He adds that it’s better to choose the best site that is free from insects or falling trees that can distract you when sleeping at night and to also look at the direction of the wind before placing the tent to avoid discomfort at night.
“It would be better to have a good shade in your compound where to settle during the day but if you have no natural tree, tents will still work for,” Kayima notes.

Food and cooking place
Wanjala adds that you will need food therefore you should pack enough to take you throughout the camping days. He says this will be time off your micro wave, gas or cookers and look at using outdoor cooking facilities such as firewood.

Others
Kayima says mattresses will be needed for a night so it’s better to throw one or two in the tent depending on how many you will be. Blankets, bed sheets, heavy jackets and sweaters will also be required for a warm night. Chairs and tables will also be needed for resting after the day’s fun.

Games and fun
Camping doesn’t just end at putting up tents and fire but will also need interesting activities such as games, music, dancing and stories.
“There are many good games to have in a camp, these include brainteaser such as fox and Jerical games, hide and seek, singing and dancing while rotating around the fire and much more,” he says.

Campfire
Campfire is one of the essential features when it comes to camping, it has a couple of duties in the camp which include providing light, roasting meat, chicken and other food stuffs and providing warmth from the cold night.
“The campfire should be lit at a reasonable distance from the camp though not far away because the sparks from the burning fire might burn the tent” adds Wanjala.

Lighting It would be so colourful to add light to you compound and tent to make the night brighter and more enjoyable since you will be in the dark. Wanjala however advises that you should not connect the tents with electricity or put candles in tents since the tents are sometimes nylon or mode of other materials that can easily catch fire. “The best light to use are solar bulbs or to just use the campfire alone to be safe.” he says