Waking up in a tent with your kid half on your face and half in your sleeping bag is, in my opinion, one of the great feelings going. You might have a frozen hooter and a neck that feels like it’s been set in concrete overnight, but it’s still 100% worth it.

I’ve had many mornings like this since becoming a dad, and I plan to keep going until I’m either politely uninvited or physically too creaky to unzip a fly sheet.

Most dad-friends I speak to want this kind of 1:1 camping experience with their kid too: a night in the woods somewhere with a small fire crackling and stars winking overhead offering a proper hiatus from the constant glow of screens. Yet for too many well-intentioned parents, these experiences just never happen. Not enough time, not enough gear, not entirely sure what you’re doing…perceived barriers that plonk brilliant adventures into the “too much faff” basket or, worse still, the “maybe next year” pile.

In reality, though, it’s far, far simpler than it looks.

With a touch of forward planning, the right mindset, and just 12-15 hours, anyone can do this, and you’ll soon realise it’s essentially a slightly ambitious sleepover with worse pillows.