While stomping on spiders in the kitchen might be fun for some, chasing them around the backyard is a much better activity to keep those kids entertained. Backyard Safari Outfitters proves that true with their exciting gear that allows us to transform that boring backyard into an adventure waiting to be explored. Backyard Safari says their gear is rugged, fully functional and made for use in the field year round. When I received some of the Backyard Safari gear to test out I decided to put it to the test and got my 4-year-old daughter involved. She is quite the energetic kid and loves being outdoors, so I knew this was bound to be an adventure.
Base Camp Expedition
“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. This special edition kit comes with the collectible Expedition Three iron-on patch and the Expedition Three Pop-Up Field Guide that features instructions for completing special missions in the field.”
The base camp is a great idea that allows you to stage gear and prepare for your adventure, or take a break and get out of the sun for a minute. It is easy to setup, but younger kids will definitely need a parent or older child to help. Two or three kids could sit in here comfortably and it features four mesh storage pockets that help keep gear organized. The floor liner is great because it keeps the dirt and mud off the kids if they want to take a break. A rear mesh viewing window to the outside allows youngsters to keep an eye out for critters outside the shelter. The kids will really love the lantern that comes with it and it’s a great tool to light up the path at night. It takes three AAA batteries (not included). The shelter also includes a pop-op “field guide” which features five different “missions” for setting up a base camp. The Base Camp Expedition comes with an iron-on patch for children to “earn” and can proudly display. Even the bugs love this camp and when we came back from one of our adventures, we found a Praying Mantis getting out of the sun in our shelter. This piece of gear will definitely set the mood for the kids making it impossible for them not to have fun.
Camouflage
“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.”
The camouflage is definitely rugged and has many uses, but it was not the highlight for my daughter. She had a hard time trying to camouflage the shelter will it, but it worked great as a pillow! Older kids may have less difficulty using it to cover the tent, and it could be a fun way to enhance the adventure experience. I think that if you have the base camp then you will not find as many uses for the camouflage and other products might do better at adding to the adventure. Once you un-pack the camouflage, you will probably need to find something to put it into or strap it down with, otherwise you are going to be lugging around a big pile of material.
The Essential Cargo Vest
“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 Backyard Safari vest is a must! Nothing sets the adventure for success better than a vest that makes the kids’ look and feel the part. It is a durable khaki material and has plenty of pockets and storage for anything that you need to carry on you. There are two Velcro-closure pockets, one deep zipper pocket with a small mesh pocket exteriorly, and a see-through pocket great for carrying the field guides. It also features six plastic D-rings to carry other gear and a durable zipper that closes the front of the vest. The vest is only one size, but it isn’t too big that smaller children cannot wear it also. My daughter is four and it fit her just fine, but it also looks like it would fit the average six to eight year old. There is plenty of empty space to affix the Safari Expedition patches your child “earns”. Backyard Safari says there is an adjustable strap and two mesh pockets on the back, but the one we received did not feature that.
Expedition Two – Hiking Stick
“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 Backyard Safari hiking stick serves its purpose well. It adds to the overall theme of Backyard Safari and is useful in many ways. The stick can help a youngster conquer tough terrain, helps to poke-and-prod out those hidden insects, or just a restful lean-to when the child is tired of hiking. It is sturdy plastic, about 48” tall and has a cloth grip. The stick is made to look like it is made of wood, with a fun animal carving at the top of the staff. There is also a built in loop to affix your lantern to (comes with the Base Camp). Included with the stick there is a pop-up field guide with hiking “missions” and another patch to earn once the missions are completed.
Lazer Bug Vac
“There are THOUSANDS of crawling, flying, buzzing bugs in your backyard—catch them LIVE with your Backyard Safari Lazer Light Bug Vac! Look at bugs up-close with the built-in magnifying lens. The CAPTURE CORE attaches to the Backyard Safari™ Bug Habitat (sold separately) for easy transfer of your insects.”
This Backyard Safari Lazer Light Bug Vac was the end-all-be-all of outdoor toys for my daughter. It sparked a new interest in insects and creepy crawlies and she could not get enough of this toy! She wore out the battery within the first four days of use (The vacuum runs off four included AA batteries). The Bug Vac is a hand-held plastic vacuum which features a sturdy grip, 3 suction settings, 2 removable clear canisters for storing and viewing your catch (they each have a magnifying glass built right in), and a nose cone to direct the suction. There is a targeting Laser Light included to help hone in on the insect target and helps view the critter in dark places.
There is a very detailed pop-up field guide that profiles the most common insects a child might find, and an iron on patch for your child to wear proudly and prove they’ve mastered wrangling the bugs!
The vacuum functions well; we did not use the lower two suction settings often however, because it seems that the high powered setting was the most efficient. Depending on the bug, you may need to manually “help” the bug into the cone to be sucked into the chamber. The removable canisters are great because they are easy to close off and allow to view and transport the insect humanely (there is vented end for air), but we will definitely be purchasing the Bug and Frog Habitat for keeping the critters for a litter longer. Having two canisters is great though, because the child can keep a favorite bug and still be able to hunt another.
The removable red laser light has a constant-on and manual-on switch, however the attachment system to the vac is a bit flimsy and the light falls off rather easily. The light is very bright though and makes viewing bugs in low lighting very easy. It would be nice if there was a attachment feature on the vac to secure it to the Cargo vest or a belt when not in immediate use, but overall, this is an awesome product that our daughter (and all her friends!) really enjoys.
Definitely a great way for your children to learn about nature and its little creatures in a safe way and will keep them entertained for hours.
Backyard Safari gear is available online at Backyardsafari.com/get-gear or Amazon.com (with Free Prime Shipping)
Time to Play & Backyard Safari provided us the complimentary products for review in exchange for my honest opinions.
