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Many first time campers fail in regards to selection of a good campsite. Many have stated that in a campground, you have to set up camp in the space that is provided. While that is true, you usually have a choice in which campsite you register for. We avoid the campgrounds that do not allow us to look at the campsite before we register.
As of this writing, there are many campgrounds that are converting to a telephone or online-based registration. With this system, you must register for a specific site number that you select from a map on the website. This system does not allow you to switch campsites after you make your reservation. We have made a list of sites that are acceptable for the campgrounds we frequent, but it is a very real problem for new areas. Most campgrounds still maintain an area that is for walk-ins and no reservation is required here. In these areas it is still possible to go in and select a site, then come back to the office to register.
The same problem exists in many state and federal park systems in regards to backpacking. You are allowed to backpack to a designated campsite, which must be selected and registered for prior to your journey. If you are not familiar with the sites, you could pick one that ruins your trip.
The best advice I can give in either case is to scout the area before you go. Determine which sites are suitable and make a note of them for registration.
The criteria for selecting a good campsite is similar whether you are in a campground or in a forest that allows camping anywhere you select.
Pick a site with high ground. Don’t camp at the bottom or on the side of a hill. If it rains, all the water will run through your campsite. Try to visualize what the water will do as you are viewing the area.
Look up. You are looking for dead trees and branches that might come through the tent if the wind gets up. Look for insect, bird or other nests in the trees.
Look down. Fire ants can be deadly to people with allergies. Any poisonous plants around? Other ants and insects can be troublesome. Is the area large enough and flat enough to set up the items you need to camp comfortably? How about the surface? Campgrounds usually have gravel pads. Properly elevated, these sites can remain relatively dry during rain showers. Try to avoid bare clay as it becomes very slick when wet.
Do not select the site at the campground that is nearest the bathhouse! Although this seems like a good place to be, especially in the summer when the showers are running, there will be traffic coming in and out of the area at all times of the night and day.
If you are near water, camp above the highest watermark. Remember, water attracts insects and animals. I like to be about 50 yards from water, but it depends on the weather. If it is hot and the forecast is for windy conditions, I will look for the highest campsite closest to the water. If it is not windy, the insects can have the waterfront sites. When it is cool, I try to find a site that is protected from the wind that comes across the water. When we are backpacking, I try to stay within 300 yards or so of the water source.
Don’t be in a hurry to set up, take your time to look around and determine if the site suits all your needs. Pick a site that is scenic. After all, the scenery is one of the main reasons we go camping. For more camping tips visit http://www.campsite190.com/ .
Hope that helps
See Ya!
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 ra
in 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
Greetings,
We are new to blogging and this is our first post. Our blog site is to be centered around camping with discussions on all things camping related such as:
camping equipment
camping checklists
cooking in camp
first aid
campsite selection
where to camp
what to do
backpacking
car camping
RV camping
camping tips
We have camped all our lives and now pretty much camp full time. We backpack, car camp, and RV camp. Other activities we enjoy and will likely be discussed on this blog include cycling, golf, disc golf, and canoeing.
We have four kids, two boys and two girls. They enjoy many of the same interests as we do and you will likely see them often on this site. They are grown and usually come out to play when we ask.
At this moment, we are on the shores of Jordan Lake in our teardrop camper. The wind is up and the sun is shining, it is going to be a great day. Our teardrop is one of the larger models being six feet wide. It has a deck on the front that we use to transport gear boxes, coolers, generators, bikes, and any number of things. We've done a lot of work on it since we purchased it and have many more things we paln to do. We will post more on this subject later.
So, goodbye for now, we are going to enjoy the day and spend the evening learning a little more about blogging. Hope you have a great weekend.
