Customizing Your Campsite- Sprucing up the Outdoors

Customizing your campsite can make it feel like home. When I go camping or as some call it glamping, I like to make my campsite as appealing, unique and festive as I can and for some of us our campsites are our home so, I find it fun to create a relaxing and entertaining atmosphere. In this article I would like to share with you ways to spruce up the outdoors with chairs, rugs and lights.

Chairs
Camping is for relaxing and choosing and buying the right chair is an important part of that relaxation. I like a solid chair that does not feel like I will fall to the ground when I sit in it. I do not like chairs that the bars cut into my legs. I like full bottom and back support. Many of us have aches and pains and several of us have back problems. So, for those of you who need the extra back support the zero-gravity chair is the way to go. When I ask fellow campers, what is your favorite camp chair a majority say the zero-gravity chair. To clean these chairs and most lawn chairs use a mild soap and sponge, air dry and store in a dry place. I use warm water and dawn dish soap. Be sure to let it completely dry before you put it away.

Let us switch gears for a second and look at a more rustic approach. There is nothing like using a good old log for a seat around the firepit. We created a bench from two logs and a board. These are a hit with teenagers. We hosted a party and they all gathered around on the bench and roasted hot dogs. I mentioned above about wanting to make the campsite fun and festive you can create glow in the dark log campfire stools. This is a great family DIY project that you can let your creativity flow.

One of the coolest chairs to hit the market is the pod chair. It offers indoor/outdoor use with nice airflow seating and a place for your drink and your cell phone because let us face it most of us have a cold beverage in one hand and our cell phone in the other. Having these modern conveniences comes in handy because you can place your drink in the cup holder and your cell phone in its holder while you use your hands to roast a marshmallow. It is extremely comfortable and will even rock in the grass, gravel or paved site.

Rugs
Rugs are a whole different story than chairs when it comes to care and cleaning. They are walked on, weather beaten and bulkier to store. When I bought my rug, I opted for a price savings but quickly discovered keeping it clean was difficult. We were camping in Michigan and it rained and rained. It soon felt like we were in the rain forest and our rug was covered in wet leaves. Short of taking a broom to it there was not much else to do. Due to all the rain we had to roll it up, angle it so the water could run off and then store it in the bed of our pick -up truck, wet, till we arrived at our next destination. My suggestion is to buy a weather resistant rug. This reversible mat is easy to clean and comes with a storage bag; use a broom to sweep it off or water to wash off the dirt. A reversible weather resistant mat is on my to buy list. Had we purchased this type of rug we would not have encountered such a mess.

Focusing on fun you can purchase a Home is Where We Park It Mat from Walmart. While they only come in beige or brown, they make a cute RV rug for your campsite.

Wanting something more festive you can purchase a rug with LED lights around the edge or place lights around the rug you already have.
Looking for something more sturdy purchase a rug with rubber backing.

So where do you store your rug? You can roll it up and place it in the storage area, in the back of your pick -up or in the bathtub in your RV. If you have a large trash can you can roll the rug up, place it in the can and put the can inside the door of your RV right before you leave. Another option is to buy a large PVC pipe with end closures and attach it to the rear of your RV.

Lights
Lights are either loved or hated; usually loved by the camper and hated by the neighbor but if we apply proper camper etiquette, they are loved by all. Nature Immerse has several do it yourself (DIY) ideas that will keep you and your neighbors happy. While most involve a campfire their number one solution involves paint and mason jars. Looking to add a DIY project to your bucket list? Then, bucket lights are it! Create a light changing bucket similar to one in the bucket light video and entertain your friends. I find these great for all Holidays because you can customize them. Create a Halloween one that has a ghost and says have a ghouling good time, a Patriotic bucket to honor our soldiers or go with a beach theme add a pair of flip flops or beach chairs that say life is better by the beach.

Check out the RV Bunch Campground Bucket kit!

DIY not your thing? Store bought is good too and offers unlimited choices. Solar lights are great when boondocking. Click here to watch a video on an outdoor solar light that is motion censored. Motion censored is an added security feature.

Looking for something more party-like you can purchase the beer mug and bottle lights from Amazon or novelty lights and party string lights from Party Lights. Party lights offers everything from chili peppers to sports. They even have patriotic USA flag lights. They offer a variety of fun, festive, entertaining conversation starter lights.

I personally like the LED rope lights that are dimmable. They offer a soft natural glow to your campsite. Plus, you won’t trip over your rug in the night.

Related Read: 4 Easy and Cool Campsite Lighting Hacks

Conclusion
When it comes to sprucing up the outdoors there are many options from DIY to buying products. RVing is meant to be fun, festive and entertaining so sit back and relax in your favorite camp chair, with a cold beverage in your hand with a Home is Where You Park it rug under your feet with pink flamingo canopy lights above your head.