Backyard Safari Outfitters Backyard Camping Review

ABOUT:

Backyard Safari Outfitters is a line of gear that encourages kids to get out and start exploring!  Whether kids are planning a backyard camp out or taking a hike in the local park, Backyard Outfitters has equipment for any adventure.  Each Backyard Safari product comes with a Pop-Up Field Guide featuring a unique in-the-field mission in line with the toy.  Kids can be bug wranglers, bird watchers or anything else they can imagine!  Backyard Safari has now introduced the new Patch Program where young explorers can receive cool, collectible patches as a reward!

MY THOUGHTS:

I have two very active boys (3 and 4) and they especially love being outside.  Backyard Safari Outfitters has so many great products that my boys were on cloud nine when I received a few products to check out!

Base Camp Shelter (Ages 5 and up; retail price $39.99)

The EXPEDITION THREE kit features the Backyard Safari™ BASE CAMP FIELD SHELTER AND MINI LANTERN.

This rugged shelter is lightweight and easy to assemble. It also features storage spaces for all your Essential Field Gear. Over 40″ tall, it’s large enough for several Backyard Safari Kids to set up their own instant base camp in the field…all year round.

My boys loved having this tent in the backyard!  It was the perfect size for the two of them, with a little room to spare.  I liked that it didn’t close up, but rather had an open side so they could easily pop in and out.  It also comes with a lantern which hung perfectly inside!  My boys did snap a pole by rough-housing but my husband was able to tape it up though just fine.  Also, it doesn’t really close up so once it is put together, you have to take it apart to store it.

Camouflage Netting (Ages 5 and up; retail price $14.99)

Backyard Safari™ CAMOUFLAGE is Essential Field Gear with dozens of uses. With a huge size of 5 by 8 foot, it’s easy to blend in with the natural environment, make a sun shade, erect a shelter, or create a blind to stay hidden while you observe nature. The unique die-cut design is stretchable. It’s made of sturdy rip-stop nylon and stands up to wet weather.

This Camouflage Netting does have many uses, but it does go perfectly over the Base Camp Shelter tent.  It makes it blend in nicely and my boys were able to hang it over the opening to make a sort of door!  It is also very durable and while it is weather-proof we didn’t want to leave it outside.

Expedition Two (Ages 5 and up; retail price $14.99)

The EXPEDITION TWO kit features the unique Backyard Safari™ HIKING STICK. It’s that perfect piece of personal gear that’s indispensable on the trail. It has a unique hand-carved look on a sturdy natural looking walking stick that is a stout 48″ tall. Helps you keep a steady foot on the trail and is useful for poking and prodding those hard-to-reach places. Comes with a collectible EXPEDITION TWO iron-on patch and the EXPEDITION TWO Pop-Up Field Guide™ which features special missions to complete while you’re out on the trail.

The Expedition Two Walking Stick turned out to be my 4-year olds favorite Backyard Safari product!  He thinks it is so cool to walk around with it and poke at the dirt with it.  Even though the stick is bigger than him it is adorable to see him walking around with it and it definitely is durable!

Cargo Vest (Ages 5 and up; retail price $19.99)

It’s your most essential piece of field gear. It’s rugged, and tough enough for all your outdoor adventures. Plenty of cargo pockets means lots of space to load up. Six D-Rings and two shoulder epaulets let you clip and hang more essential gear. A large zipper pocket stores your trusty binocs and a clear-view chest pocket stores your Pop-Up Field Guides™. The back of the vest features a one-size-fits-all adjustable strap and two extra mesh pockets for storing extra gear. It’s the must-have for every BACKYARD SAFARI™ kid.

The Cargo Vest is perfect for any kid, boy or girl, who loves to explore.  It has tons of pockets, latches and is big enough to store all sorts of gear!  My boys love to wear their vests everyday no matter what they are doing and while their pockets usually have fruit snacks in them, they also hook on their lanterns, magnifier glass, and whatever else they find to hook onto it!  The vest is one size fits all and zips up the front.

Explorer Kit (Ages 5 and up; retail price $14.99)

The essential field MAGNIFIER is the right tool for up-close examination, and the built-in scales help you measure your field specimens—animal, vegetable or mineral.  The 10 x 30mm optics of the POCKET SPYGLASS lets you keep your distance yet still have that up close and personal view.  3 rugged, all-purpose, and high-strength CARABINERS let you attach plenty of extra gear to your Backyard Safari™ Field Cargo Vest.  Our POP-UP ESSENTIAL FIELD GUIDE fits in your pocket and pops up to provide handy information while on the trail.

The Explorer Kit comes with a plastic magnifier glass and a type of telescope that allows you to see things in the distance.  The pocket spyglass is small but opens up to be longer.  My boys think its cool to run around in their cargo vests and look through their spy glass, although they mainly look at all the birds in the trees around us.  The magnifier is actually their favorite though as it is perfectly sized for their hands and is actually quite durable!

While they are too young to understand the Pop-Up Field Guide or Patch Program, I think they are perfect complements to the products.  The Field Guide has so many interesting tips and ideas that I have been putting them aside for when my boys are a few years older.

Overall, Backyard Safari Outfitters products have definitely gotten my boys more interested in exploring and playing outside.  Before they would play sort of aimlessly and now they act like they are on a nature mission!  While all these products are geared towards ages 5 and up, my boys were able to play with them just fine but they probably would get more out of the products if they were a few years older.  All the products have so many uses and are high-quality so they can withstand exploring!  The Pop-Up Field Guides are great for added fun and they have great tips and pictures!

BUY IT: Backyard Safari Outfitters is available now at Toys R Us, Wal-Mart, Barnes and Noble, Amazon.com and Target.

You can also check out Backyard Safari on Facebook!

Mom and More Disclosure:  I was sent these products for a Child’s Play Communications review.  Please see my Disclosure Policy.