A fun camping trip begins with a relaxing location. You will sleep well when you set up your tent in a safe, comfortable, and convenient place. When choosing a tent spot, there are several factors you’ll need to consider.
Flat, Firm Location
Don’t set up your tent on uneven ground. It is hard to sleep when you are trying not to roll downhill. Soft ground may seem comfortable at first, but it will become uneven when you sleep on it. Soft soils also hold water easily, so you will get wet if it rains. Sandy and gravelly soils are the best places to set up a tent because they drain well.
Get Higher
You should choose a spot that is higher than the surrounding terrain. Water runs downhill, so your tent won’t get swamped in a rainstorm. When camping on higher ground, you will also get cooling breezes that help to keep the bugs away.
Follow the Water
There should be a water source a short walk downhill from where you pitch your tent. You don’t want to take a long hike every time you need to fill your bottles, but don’t set up right next to a stream. Your tent site will flood in heavy rains if you make your water source too convenient!
Safety
Look around for potential hazards when choosing a tent spot, like loose tree limbs that could fall on you if a storm hits at night. You should be able to identify poison ivy and oak so you don’t set up next to or on top of a patch of it. Remember this simple rhyme: “Leaves of three, let it be.” Each of these poisonous plants sports three distinctive leaves. Poison ivy has fairly straight-edged leaves; the leaves of poison oak are more scalloped.
Conditions
If it is hot and sunny, a shady spot will keep your tent from overheating. In cool weather, your tent should be in a place where it will get some sun in the morning.
Choosing a tent spot is easy when you use some common sense. When you keep your surroundings in mind, you will set yourself up for an enjoyable camping experience.
Featured Image from Patrick Hendry/Unsplash
