Yesterday Eva and I played with some Backyard Safari Outfitters toys. We received a bunch of them to test out and review and also do a giveaway. I went out earlier and set up the BASE CAMP SHELTER. This is a half dome tent that kids can set up as their base of operations in the backyard.

Here is the description of that product. “Whether you are hiking in the woods, camping in your backyard, or even setting up a fort indoors, every camping enthusiast needs a place to rest. The Base Camp Shelter comes with everything to set up camp. This rugged shelter is lightweight and easy to assemble. The kit includes a field shelter that will protect you from any troublesome weather. Standing over 40” tall, the Base Camp Shelter is large enough for several Backyard Safari Kids to set up their own instant base camp in the field… all year round! With plenty of storage spaces and pockets, you’ll have plenty of space to put all of your essential field gear like the bonus Mini Lantern with carabiner. This special edition kit comes with the collectible Base Camp Expedition iron-on patch and Pop-Up Field Guide™ that features instructions for completing special missions in the field.”

Setting up the Base Camp shelter was very easy. three tent poles and I was done. The one thing I would have liked to have seen included with this were from metal tent stays that you can push into the ground to secure the Base Camp Shelter. There are holes for them so I was able to use some that I had to accomplish this. It was a bit windy yesterday and with the tent stays in place the shelter was very secure.

Eva and Allison came out and Eva was wearing her CARGO VEST.

Here is the description of that product. A must-have for every Backyard Safari kid and it’s your most essential piece of field gear. The Cargo Vest is tough enough for all of your outdoor adventures. Plenty of cargo pockets means lots of space to load up all of your gear for the great outdoors. Six D-Rings and two shoulder epaulets let you clip and hang more essential gear. A large pocket stores your trusty binocs and a clear-view chest pocket is the perfect place for your Pop-Up Field Guides™.

She not only was wearing the Cargo vest but she had added her own touches to this with a field journal and pen on a necklace so that she could write down her observations.

I clipped on the 6-IN-1 FIELD TOOLS to her vest.

Here is the description of that product. The must-have tool set for any adventurer! Shovel, brush, grab, or probe. Whether gathering samples or excavating that dig site, up close or in hard to reach spaces, these sturdy tools will handle hundreds of field tasks. And, when you discover that interesting find, signal the rest of your field crew with the high audible field safety whistle. Just clip to your Cargo Vest and they will stay within reach to snap off – and back on – with single-handed ease. Tough, yet safe, the nylon plastic won’t wear out.

Eva liked playing with those tools. I used the tweezers to pick up leaves and we would talk about what she observed about the leaves. She used the shovel to dig little bits of dirt and observe that as well.

I was also sent a UTILITY BELT. I snapped that onto Eva under her vest, which was more like a dress on her because it was very large. It is made for a 5 year old so having it on Eva, even though she is on the taller side, it was still big for her.

Here is the description of that product. Do you ever wonder how Explorers carry all of their gear? Adventurers can now take everything they’ll need for their next mission with the Essential Field Gear Utility Belt. The unique modular design lets you customize the arrangement of all your gear, so everything you need is at your fingertips. Clip on the field compass on one of the two adjustable d-ring loops, then slide your Backyard Safari Bug Vacuum (sold separately) into the handy holster. The large canvas Velcro® pouch is the perfect place for storage. There’s even space on the belt for two collection bottles so you can gather specimens in the field to observe at home. All accessories can clip off and on the belt and be set to different positions.The last item that we had to try out was the BIRD WATCHER’S FIELD KIT

Here is the description of that product. Take a closer look at the fantastic birds soaring in the sky, or scope out what bird is chirping outside your door. The Bird Watcher’s Field Kit comes with everything you need for the ultimate bird watching experience. Peek through a pair of 5 x 30 power binoculars with 2.5” lens shades. Secure the binoculars to a lightweight tripod that can be placed on a tabletop or hand held. The kit also includes three different bird callers (Reed, Whistle & Chirp) for attracting just about every backyard bird. Wear your Bird Watcher patch proudly as you follow the in-field missions, from the Pop-Up Field Guide™, to becoming an official Bird Watcher.

We played with everything for about two hours on our front yard. We tried out all the bird calls, tools and equipment. I liked everything. There were a few things that I noticed like the warbler call got me soaked and I had to keep putting water in it to make it work right but it would get used up very quickly and run all over me. I’m not sure if I was doing it wrong or not. The duck call worked the best and there was a Whistle call that was just like a regular whistle but the instructions said to move your hand from side to side. I would have appreciated better instructions on how to use the bird calls but overall I think that I got decent info on how to use most everything else.

The Pop-Up Field Guides™ were very nice. They gave great info that I could read to Eva so that we could learn more about the equipment. She wanted to sleep in the base camp shelter overnight too. Eva had a ton of fun playing with all the equipment and she would have slept in her Cargo vest if we had let her. These toys are definitely fun for getting your kids outside and exploring. I just basically equipped Eva and let her explore, something kids do best.

I have a package of Backyard Safari Outfitters equipment to give away so that your little one can be a ready for your own Backyard Safari.

The Prize Package contains:

• 1 Cargo Vest
• 1 Pair of Field Binoculars
• 1 Mega View Periscope
• 1 Bug Vacuum
• 1 6 in 1 Field Tools set
• 1 Adventurer Kit

Ways to Enter
(Leave 1 SEPARATE Comment for EACH Entry).

• 1 Entry – Mandatory to Enter – To enter the contest visit the Backyard Safari Outfitters site and leave a comment on this post. Tell me your favorite outdoor adventure. Leave this as your FIRST comment.
  (If this is not done your entry will not count)
• 1 Entry – Follow BenSpark on Twitter
  (Leave a Comment with your Twitter name)
• 1 Entry – Follow @BYSOutfitters on Twitter
  (Leave a Comment with your Twitter name)
• 1 entry – Like Backyard Safari Outfitters on facebook. And let them know that I sent you there.
  Tag me in the post: type “@Andrew Bennett”. Friend me first so I can see your tag.
  (Comment here after you’ve done this.)
• 1 Entry – Subscribe to BenSpark’s Personal Branding BootCamp
  (Leave a comment letting me know you signed up)
• 1 Entry – Subscribe to BenSpark’s Giveaway Newsletter
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• 1 Entry – Tweet about this Backyard Safari Outfitter! giveaway… something like
  @BenSpark and @BYSOutfitters have a Backyard Safari prize pack for you. Enter and you could win. – http://bit.ly/eLbfAT
  (Leave a comment with a link to your tweet. Here is how to get that link to your tweet)

I will not respond to any comments so that I can run the Random.org numbers correctly. Any trackbacks are unapproved while I select the random winner and then re-approved after. Only legitimate entries are counted. You have until 8:00pm EST on April 15, 2001 to enter. Once 8:00pm EST rolls around (or as early the next morning as possible) I will close the comments. The winner will be notified via e-mail and will have 48 hours to reply with a U.S. Mailing address so that we can send the winner their prize. Contest is open to U.S. Only. Please do not use multiple names to enter. Make it fair for everyone and don’t stack the deck.