For us camping is about disconnecting—from emails, from routine and from the comforts of home. It reminds us that we don’t need much to keep us entertained and happy. But sometimes, just sometimes, we bring a little screen magic with us because how cool is it to watch your favorite Disney or Star Wars movie under the literal stars?!
And lets be honest—after a long day of hiking, swimming, biking, or chasing kids through dusty trails, there’s something magical about snuggling up under the stars and watching a movie outside with everyone with snacks surrounded by trees. Seriously, the kid giggles from this combination have been some of the best heart warming therapy yet.
It doesn’t happen every camping trip, but when it does, it’s very special. It’s the same at our house and cabin. While it’s now super easy to set everything up for backyard or inside cozy cabin movie nights- we keep it at a once every three week occurrence as it keeps the magic of it all fresh for everyone. Below is my favorite gear and some tips for the occasion.
Our Camp Cinema in a Box
I first heard about the MoGo 4 from another adventure family that had the same values as us around screen time. Basically our rules are movies are awesome, but they are for special times, or for long travel days. Shows and movies are not for everyday viewing. We use them for when we are traveling, for sick days and for special times like sleep overs or monthly movie nights. After hearing about how awesome and easy the Mogo 4 was to operate and how versatile it is, I had to give it a try. It’s also compact enough (a tiny bit taller than a nalgene bottle) to toss in with your gear, but powerful enough to project crystal-clear images on a screen, tent wall, or even the side of a van. We have now tested just about every surface that we can feasibly watch a movie on. In our earlier set up (which granted is at least ten years old!), we had to have it plugged in and we also had to have a separate set of blue tooth speakers along with our computer. This device is an all in one piece. It has built in sound (which is really good!), can be used with out having to be plugged in and it can stream or hook up to a computer if you are out in the wild with out service.
Why we love it in a nutshell:
- Portable and rechargeable – No hunting for outlets in the wild. The built-in battery lasts long enough for a full movie and then some (2-3 hours). And if you need more power to go for longer, you can get the Mogo 4 Powerbase stand ($129) that keeps the movies rolling for 5 more hours, or music for up to 12 hours.
- Built-in Android TV – Stream directly from your favorite apps. On ours we have Disney +, Netflix and Apple, but there are so many more you can load up. For out in the wild movies, we pre-load the movie on to our phone or ipad at home just in case the connection is spotty.
- Beautiful and crisp picture: The picture shows in stunning 1080P with 450 ISO Lumens. While we do have to wait till it gets dark (it’s not a TV afterall!) for it to be clear, it is well worth the wait.
- Bluetooth + speaker – The sound is shockingly good, but it can also pair with a portable speaker for that full surround-s’mores experience. We have not tested this yet because we have felt the sound to be really good already, but it is doable and really easy to bluetooth to the Mogo.
- Ultimate VIBE enhancing Machine – As an extra bonus it comes with a magnetic click on filter that paints a beautiful colored sunset circle on the cieling/wall/etc and changes according the music that is played. We got the whole set and use what my boys call the “northern lights” filter a few times a week. We put in their room and listen to the calming music and the lights change for a few minutes before turning off the lights.
The Screen: Lightweight, Quick Setup, Big Impact
While we have used multiple surfaces outside to project on (ie. the side of a van or largish car with a sheet taped to the side of it, that same sheet strung between two trees, a really big piece of white paper and a garage door) – we have found that the XGIMI Portable Outdoor Screen ($99) is totally worth the investment. It’s easy to set up, is lightweight and fits into a backpack for those times when you want to backpack in to an even more remote place to watch a movie or even put on a pre race presentation at our adventure races we host (i’ve done alot of dreaming about what we can do with this set up)!
Again, while it is totally awesome and doable to do it with out the screen, the portable screen makes the “Wow” effect just a bit more elevated.
Tips for the Ultimate Campsite (or backyard) Movie Night
- Pick the right timing: Wait until dusk—just after dinner is ideal and a bit of outdoor play time is ideal. Depending on where you live, around 730-8pm is our primo time. If you live in AK (where I grew up!) maybe it’s more like… 10? 11? But for us, we like to do it when the kids are starting to wind down, when the bugs aren’t too bad yet, and when it’s dark enough for a good picture.
- Speaking of bugs– They are around for sure, and they do love to come out at dusk, so we use this, it’s a Thermacell device that keeps the bugs away. We also have candles and incense, but this seems to be the best and safest to use in the woods and with kids.
- Bring cozy layers: Blankets, sleeping bags, Crazy Creeks (these are the best outdoory lounging chairs!) , bouldering pads—comfort is paramount. Have the kids take time before hand to make their ultimate nest. And if your kids are anything like mine, tell them to test it out before hand so that they are not moving around and annoying eachother during the show.
- Pre-download your movies: Remote campsites don’t always have Wi-Fi. Stream when you can, but always have backups. Again, we download them on to our phone and ipad when we are going far off the grid.
- Snacks, obviously: Popcorn in the Jetboil, trail mix, rice crispy treats- maybe even some hot cocoa in insulated mugs if its cold, or kid cocktails if it’s warm. Make it special!
- Keep it short(ish): We aim for 60–90 min flicks—just enough to wind down without melting into overtired chaos. And I believe this goes with out saying, but watch something that is fun, light and not too scary. While our kids love scary movies, watching them outside in the woods is a different story. Its already a different environment and scary things just hit differently.
- Don’t Disturb the Neighbors.. or Invite them! If you are in a campsite, some people may not be kosher with a movie showing next door. We always want to respect people enjoying the outdoors and most want quiet, especially after a certain hours. While we have never done this in a designated campground, we would probably walk around and meet our neighbors and feel out the vibe. And then we would ask them about our plan and even invite them in if we felt comfortable doing so. If you don’t want to do this, we suggest finding some non built up campgrounds to camp on. Our go tos have been BLM land or wilderness areas so far!
Why It‘s Awesome
In a world where everything feels fast and digital, our family adventures are all about slowing down, reconnecting, and leaning into BEING present with one another. But presence doesn’t always mean the “perfect” and serene instagram photos you see (and seriously- 90% of them are staged) sometimes, presence looks like a bunch of muddy feet under a blanket, kids giggling at animated characters on a glowing screen, and parents sipping wine by lantern light.
It’s not about replacing the campfire (or maybe if you live on the west coast where fire season is very high – it is!) it’s about adding one more layer of magic to already memorable nights.
Where to Get It
You can find the MoGo 4 here and pick up their foldable outdoor screen here. Or get creative and DIY it with what you’ve got—because that’s also really fun.
Have you tried outdoor movie nights while camping? drop a comment—I’d love to hear about your setups. Because at the end of the day, adventure and wonder come in many forms… including Pixar under the pines.