By Amy Wolf, Sunset travel editor

Bust out your tent because June 28 is officially Great American Backyard Camping Day.

Did you catch that? Backyard camping, as in, camping in your own backyard. How timely is that? These days that’s about all most of us can afford to do anyway, with gas prices being the way they are. Backyard camping is the ultimate form of staycation. Never heard of staycation? Then you haven’t been reading our blog!

But I digress. You have three days left to prepare to observe Great American Backyard Camping Day this Saturday along with me and everyone else I’m hoping to inspire by this blog and by my blabbering about this to anyone who will listen. Though the concept may sound hokey, trust me when I tell you this (I would never lie to you, really): it’s FUN!

Here’s why it’s fun: It breaks up the routine. My husband and two tots and I gave it a go last Friday and were amazed to discover that instead of being an exhausting ordeal, which is what most Friday-night activities end up being on Friday nights after a long week of working, commuting, and parenting, our campout was totally energizing.

On a whim at the very last minute we invited a few neighbors to join us, and having nothing better to do on a Friday night, they did. We hauled out the tents, cracked open some beers and wine (which we drank out of camp cups), fired up a simple but tasty dinner on the grill (which we ate standing up, using paper towels for plates), hosed down the kids using water bottles to simulate a dip in a river, got the neighbors to put the tents together (ha!), told ghost stories and read kids’ books by flashlight, and then slept NINE hours. That's how comfy we were out there.

Ready to try it yourself? Here’s a step by step guide.

Step 1: Find a friend, a spouse, an offspring, a neighbor—anyone to agree to join you for a campout in your backyard. It’s a goofy enough concept to be absurdly fun when you have a group to do it with. Alone, it’s absurd, minus the fun.

Step 2: Make sure that friend, spouse, offspring, or neighbor is the type who either knows how to pitch a tent or is willing to be taught how to pitch a tent, even when cold beers are calling. Because you don’t want to be the sucker doing all the work while your guests luxuriate on their camp chairs. Case in point: our neighbor Emily (above), who happens to be a botanist at the California Academy of Sciences, which you can read about in Sunset's October issue, when the spectacular new facility in Golden Gate Park will finally be open). Emily is an avid camper. She not only lent us an extra tent and a couple sleeping bags, but she willingly set up the tent for us, then volunteered to read the kids to sleep in the tent. We LOVE Emily. Everyone needs a neighbor like her.

Step 3: TURN OFF THE SPRINKLERS! There's nothing worse than being doused by freezing water at 5 a.m.

Step 4: Gather the essentials. Here’s where the rules get murky. You can technically camp out in your backyard without any gear. Simply haul out some blankets and pillows you don’t care about preserving in pristine condition, and call it a night. But I recommend using a tent, sleeping pads, and sleeping bags. I say this because the more props you use, the more it will feel like a real camping adventure. Also, you’d be surprised how dewy and wet your lawn gets at night. You never realize this stuff until you camp out. The tent comes in very handy. And the sleeping pad (I am a big fan of Therm-a-rest) is what allows people like me to sleep outside for nine hours. They’re like mattresses, but less cumbersome. Not to mention less toxic. Did you know how much bad stuff is in most commercial mattresses? Find out in our October issue. But I digress.

Step 5: Gather the non-essentials. Camp chairs, flashlights, headlamps (which, by the way, kids love). Like I said, the more props, the more fun.

Step 6: Have a drink. If you want to go the whole nine yards, go with boxed wine, hands down the best choice when portability matters. Food editor Sara Schneider swears boxed wine has come a long way, and I agree. Both of us are high on Target’s Pinot Grigio Wine Cube. Beer is also good. So is a flask of whiskey.

Step 7: Cook dinner on the grill. This seems a little cushy for a camping trip, I know. Yes, you could start a campfire in your yard, but you could also burn your house down—especially if you've already taken step 6, above. Sunset may do a story on how to build your own outdoor fireplace next summer. But in the meantime, stick with the grill. We grilled sausages,veggie skewers, and corn.

Had we felt a tad more ambitious, we might have made an updated version of Frito pie. The "updated version" part is essential, trust me, as you'll see if you check out the link to the Disgruntled Housewife site. Combine ground beef (or turkey_ with onions, tomatoes, and any other veggies you like, and wrap it all up in a foil pouch. Cook it on the grill. When cooked, crumble Fritos on top of it. (Or any kind of chips.) Food writer Elaine Johnson swears this is good. I haven’t tried it yet but I’ll take her word for it.

For dessert, smores or banana boats! Grill bananas with a slit down the middle and throw in chocolate pieces and/or marshmallows. My little guy DUG this. You could also do fruit skewers or the traditional s’mores.

Step 7: Bathe your kids (if you have kids) outside. We used a water bottle full of warm water. Our girl loved her outdoor squirt bath; our boy hated it.

Step 8: Pitch the tent. If you’re smart, unlike me, make this Step 5, before having a drink. On the other hand, pitching tents is always more fun after having a drink.

Step 9: Pile in the tent and tell ghost stories.

Step 10: Sleep tight.

Happy camping! Please tell us how it goes (post a comment below). We would love to hear from you.