You have decided to go camping, picked a location, packed, had the fun of a road trip and now you have arrived. One last thing to do; set up camp. You first must pick a campsite and this can make quite a big impact on your holiday. To help with this we have put together a few tips and ideas that we use when choosing an awesome site for your set up.
Look up
This can often be over looked but it is very important. Look at what will be above your tent! You should be looking out for things like dead or unattached tree branches (Never camp under a dead tree branch!) some other things to notice are steep rocky slopes, unattached rocks on a cliff etc. Be on the look out for anything that could move when it is windy or it rains as that is nowhere you want to be near.
Look down
Another thing to think about is the ground that your tent will be pitched on. If it rain’s will the rainwater run through your site? Does where you want your tent pool with water? No one wants to be swimming when they are meant to be sleeping. Ants and bugs are something else that you will want to avoid, so see if there are ant’s nests, spider holes or other creepy crawly homes that you want to avoid. When putting up your tent also move any rocks or sticks that are in the area, sleeping with a rock in your hip is never comfortable. You will also want your tent on a flat surface, but if you cant get that you want to place your head at the top of a slope and you will have a much more comfortable sleep.
Look out
The View! When you crawl out of your tent in the morning it is much nicer to look at an awesome view then a row of tents or a toilet block. A good View can create lasting camping memories so keep that in mind when you peg down your tent.
Shade
Most people enjoy camping the most in the summer. The beach, water fights and a cold beer is something special. But what is not special is the mid-day summer heat. Where will there be shade so your tent does not turn into a hot house, tents can be extremely hot when in the sun. This could also include putting up a tarp or awning to create your own shade!
Privacy
While making friends at the campsite is great, having space and privacy is better. If you can get a site that is not on top of your neighbors you have a bit more freedom in what you can do, as well as you won’t have to worry about noisy neighbors. You won’t have to worry about having to turn off music at night or laughing too loud, and if your super tired you don’t have to hear other people.
Leave no trace
A beautiful campsite is a wonderful thing, and we want to keep them that way. You don’t need to destroy somewhere to have a good time. If you can see a fire scar on the ground from a campfire build your one there, there is no need to make another scar on the ground. Are there some beautiful flowers? Leave them there for others to enjoy as well. If we don’t respect where we stay our campsite will not be beautiful for long, so leave it as you found it so all can enjoy!
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