Setting up an efficient campsite
Camping is a great outdoor activity for the entire family, however, if you have never been camping before, setting up an efficient campsite can be quite difficult. Survival on the campground may not be as easy as it looks on television, there are many things that you should know; making bad choices when setting up your campsite can end up costing you your life, and sometimes even your sanity. More seriously, you should know that not all decisions that you make while out there in the wild are detrimental to you, but there are some things that must be avoided at all costs. Let’s start at the beginning, finding a great location, this is just as important as finding a great place to live, it has to be comfortable and sensible. When camping you expect to be peaceful, to enjoy nature, therefore, what you don’t need are car horns and other unnatural noises impeding on your trip. Finding a location that is far away from other campers arriving and leaving the campground would eliminate any chance of this kind of disturbance. When setting up your campsite, you should always remember to look all around your intended site, make sure that the sky above you is branch free, especially if the branches are old. The last thing you want is to have a branch falling onto the tent while you are in there, this can easily occur if there are strong winds. You should also make sure that you are located close to the water, but not too close. Unwanted mud and other residues from the water can lead to messes that you can do without. To avoid this, you should always look for a place which is flat and high above the ground, this not only eliminates the possibility of having mud from the water source but also protects against rainfall and the resulting water that may gather under your tent, I’m sure you can imagine what an uncomfortable mess that would be. Now that you have found the perfect spot, you should take great care in how you orient your tent. Make sure that you face the smallest openings towards the wind, so as to control the wind flow. To ensure that there are no accidents, areas that you are going to use often should be absent of any tent ropes, stakes, and guy lines as tripping and falling can result if this is done. Now on to the kitchen, you finally have somewhere to sleep, now you need somewhere to cook as well. The kitchen should be positioned downwind from your sleeping area and at least 30ft away from your camping tent, you don’t need food scents etched into your tent fabric, making sleep impossible. It is also a good idea to use bark chips around the cooking area, this reduces any trampling on the ground, and it makes it easier to walk on. Camping can be seen as a daunting undertaking and sometimes many wonders if they are equipped with the survival skills that are necessary to become an avid camper. But with all things, practice and experience are the keys, so get out there and get camping!