Hey, Happy Campers: Prep Your Outdoor Space for the Great American Backyard Campout

The only plan you need to make this Saturday evening, June 28, is to get your yard or outdoor living space cleaned up for the campout you're going to enjoy with a friend, your children, their friends, relatives, neighbors, dogs and whoever else your space can accommodate. It's the 4th annual Great American Backyard Campout, sponsored by the National Wildlife Federation (NWF).

For those who have a postage-stamp-sized plot of land or a yard that is mostly hardscaped, you choices will be limited as to where you can set-up camp. Still, you can probably fit a couple of tents and a portable barbecue into smaller outdoor spaces. Most surfaces will work as a temporary campground: grass, decomposed granite, concrete, and on a patio, balcony, terrace, courtyard, veranda, porch, side yard, deck, rooftop garden, urban garden -- you name it. No room for a tent? Grab some sleeping bags and pillows and let the starry sky be your celestial ceiling.

In addition to this get-your-outdoor-space-ready checklist, be sure to look for other About.com guides' suggestions for everything from picking the right tent to cooking s'mores. Happing Camping!

Photo © Lisa Hallett Taylor