How To Set Up Camp

Over the years I’ve observed many campers setting up their campsites and most do it backwards. Most campsites are relatively compact in size, whether you are in a campground or out in the backcountry. The trick is to make the most use of the area you have. Since you are only going to sleep in the tent, why set it up first?

The first thing one should do when setting up camp is to determine where the cooking and eating is to take place. If you are at a campground this is easy as they have provided you with a picnic table at most sites. Don’t be afraid to move the table around some, most of them have chains attached so you can only go so far. Once you determine this area, set up your dining fly. Your fly should cover the table and enough surrounding area to cook in if it begins to rain. After the fly is set up, gather the larger camp cooking items and arrange them in your cooking area. Stoves, coolers, tables, and chuck boxes should be set up.

Next, determine where your lounging or hang out area will be. You don’t want to crowd the cooking area. In a campground site they have provided a fire ring, which makes the selection of this area easier for you. Set your fly for this area as well. Don’t set the fly to close to the fire ring if you are planning on having a fire. Gather all your chairs and tables and set them under the fly.

We ALWAYS set up these two tarps when car camping. If it rains, we can still carry on with the planned menu. This is good because the food is already purchased and in camp. Often, if you try to change the menu at the last minute you are missing one or two items. If it rains, we have two places to get out of the rain. Those that are not cooking can get out of the way and still stay dry. If it is hot, we have two shady retreats.

Next we set up all the accessory items like lanterns, clotheslines, sun showers, and trash bags. Any other camp items should be set up at this time. For more information on the camping gear you may need on your next outing go to http://www.campsite190.com/.

This next step has saved many camping trips from becoming saturated nightmares. You set your tent up last. You can use the shelter of the two flys you have set up to keep gear out of the rain until you get the tent set up. First, you spread the ground cloth out. At this point I like to lay the tent out and stake the corners. Insert the poles and raise the tent. Attach the rain fly and finish staking the tent and guy lines out. Lay out your sleeping pad. If it is self-inflating, leave the valve open. If you pump it up, you have a fly to do it under. After your sleeping pad is in place, lay out your sleeping bag. Don’t leave it rolled up, spread it out so it will fluff up.

Using a freestanding tent, you can erect it under the fly then slide the whole works into place after installing the rain fly. Make sure to place the ground cloth correctly, with no edges sticking out. Then load the tent.

There, camp is set up.

When Boo Boo and I are backpacking, we carry a two-pole hoop tent that is not freestanding and is extremely light. We also carry a 12 x 12 nylon tarp. The tarp is set first when it is raining and the tent is erected under the tarp. After the tent is up, we move the tarp so it is positioned over the front door of the tent. If we have others in our party, we try to insist on one tarp per two persons, that way we have some flexibility in how we set up the camp. If we are on what I like to refer to as a “forced march” type of backpacking trip, where we will not be spending any time at camp other than to sleep and eat, we leave the tarps and most everything else at home.


Happy Camping