Camping can be a back-to-nature romp in the woods or a torturous ordeal. How you set up your campsite is 1 of the biggest determining factors in how the trip will turn out. The time you invest to prepare a campsite with chores like clearing sticks and stones, or setting up a proper kitchen area, pays off quickly by creating a more pleasurable camping experience.
Steps
1
Select a place for your tent, keeping the following in mind:
Look for a spot that's large enough for your tent, plus any stakes or guy lines you need to keep the tent stable, plus enough room to enter and exit comfortably.
Select a flat, relatively level camping area if you're in the outback. If you're at an established campsite, there should be a flat "camping pad" for your tent.
Observe the nearby vegetation, terrain and wind to determine the prevailing direction of wind in your area.
Pitch your tent with the opening perpendicular to the usual wind direction.
2
Select a secondary area for cooking. If you're in the outback, this should be at least 100 yards (91 meters) from your sleeping area. If you're in an established campground, you'll probably have a fire ring or fire pit designated for cooking.
If you're in an established campsite, you'll want to store your food and any odorous toiletries in the car. If you're in the outback, "bear bag" your food, hanging it between 2 trees at least 12 feet off the ground so bears can't reach it.
3
Prepare your campsite by discarding any sticks or stones that might be uncomfortable to lie on. Sticks and stones can also pierce or abrade the floor of your tent.
4
Pitch your tent.
Put down a ground cloth (sometimes called a footprint) first, to help protect the floor of your tent. If you're camping in an area prone to heavy rainfall, make sure no part of the ground cloth pokes out from beneath your tent, where it can funnel water beneath the tent floor.
If you're winter camping, dig a flat shelf to pitch your tent on; the walls of the pit you dug will help shelter the tent from wind.
Avoid pitching your tent in a gully where water may collect or flow. If you're camping in a wet area, dig a shallow "moat" to help water flow around your tent and route the water downhill, away from your campsite.
Make sure the tent is pitched taut; this keeps it from fluttering in the wind, and also helps it shed water more easily. If necessary, stake the tent down and guy it out to nearby trees and rocks, or even your pack or ski poles, hiking poles or skis or snowshoes stuck in the snow.
5
Designate a "potty area" at least 200 feet (about 61 meters) away from any water sources, and well enough away from your cooking and camping areas for privacy; ideally, your cooking, camping and bathroom areas should form a triangle, each at least 100 yards (91 meters) apart from the others.
