You’ve undoubtedly seen those Instagram photos with a beautiful landscape shot through the door of a tent and now you want to try camping. Well, don’t let those staged photos give you an unrealistic perspective of what a good campsite is. While a picturesque view should be near the top of the checklist, here is what to look for when choosing and setting up the perfect campsite for the perfect camping excursion.
Choose A Campsite That is Flat
The most important part of any campsite is level ground. Whether your sleeping accommodations are a tent, truck, or trailer, choosing a flat spot to place your temporary home ensures a good night sleep. If you can’t find a perfectly flat spot make sure you sleep with your head pointing uphill. If you sleep downhill you’re going to have a bad time. Sleeping downslope causes the blood to slowly rush to your head which will make your stomach queasy and your head throb in pain, something I like to call “Nature’s Hangover”.
Make Sure There No Branches Over The Tent
Looking upwards when setting up your tent is a commonly missed step. Nature can be unpredictable and the last thing you want is to be awoken in the middle of the night by a branch falling on your tent.
Pitch Tent Over A Bed of Pine Needles
Pine needles are natures mattress. If your camping among pine trees, try to choose a campsite with a bed of pine needles to set your tent on top of. Just remove any pine cones hiding below. Nobody likes a lumpy mattress.
Your Campsite Should be 70 Steps From a Source of Water
Ideally, you want your campsite to be 200 feet (About 70 steps if you don’t carry a tape measure) from a river, lake, or stream. The closer to the water you are the colder it gets at night. Camping too close to the water also produces condensation on your tent. Stay warm and dry by sleeping just a short walk from the h2O.
Make Your Door Face Away From Other Campsites
If you’re at a campground, your probably going to have a next-door-neighbor. For more privacy and to avoid awkward encounters, face your tent door flap away from others. Things get weird when you get up in the middle of the night to pee and you make eye contact with the neighbor.
The Smallest Cross-section of Your Tent Should Face the Wind
Wind can wreak havoc on a good nights sleep. To minimize the shake and shimmy of your tent blowing in the wind, place the smallest section of your tent or vehicle against the wind. The smaller the surface area, the less the wind catches. You want your tent as aerodynamic as possible.
Don’t Set Your Tent Downwind of Campfire
This should be obvious: Fire + Tent = Bad.
The Kitchen Must Be 70 Steps From Your Tent
While usually not an issue when at an established campground, if you’re making your own camping spot cook all your foot at least 70 steps for your tent. Cooking too close to your tent invites some unwanted animals to your doorstep. Even if you eat all the food, the smell will linger for a long time. Bears can smell up to 20 miles away. Let’s not invite them for dinner.
The same logic goes for brushing your teeth, washing your hands or going to the restroom. Anything that smells should be a reasonable distance from where you sleep.
Follow all these tips and your camping trip is sure to be a success!
Chad can be summed up by his idea of a perfect day: Waking up early to watch the sunrise over the mountains, warm cup of coffee in hand then grabbing his camera and fly rod, hitting the trail to explore some uncharted territory followed by cold beers and campfire steaks. Chad is often joined on his adventures by his wife, Tori, and their dog, Kona.
