When picking a campsite there is several factors you should take into consideration for a great camping experience.
- When selecting the general area of your campsite make sure it’s a spot you like visually. You are going to be spending some time at the campsite and the view might even be the goal for the trip so be picky. A large clearing in the middle of a forest, a spot close to the sea where you can see the sunset clearly, a hill or mountain where you have a great view are examples of what you might be looking for.
Also make sure that you are allowed to camp at the location or who you need to ask permission from. There is usually also local laws or regulations that affects what you are allowed to do. - Water is important to be able to handle daily necessities such as cooking, cleaning and filtering new water supplies. Pick a site close to running water but not right at the edge of it. Aim to stay around 50-100 meters away and out of sight from the water if possible. This leaves space for other camper and visitors but most importantly wild animals to easily access the water undisturbed.
Avoid camping close to stagnant water, these are birthplaces for bugs and insects which will for most people be quite unpleasant. Swarms of mosquitoes or other flying bugs make poor camping neighbours. - Stay above the waterline to remain dry. Flooding, mist and heavy morning dew are common close to water but it can mostly be avoided if you are at least five meters above the waterline. Another good thing about being higher up is that the air will easier blow at these locations and so keep flying insects away.
Pay extra mind to avoid camping at the bottom of a canyon, valley or similar natural sinks. Cold air and moisture will gather at these locations and avoiding getting cold and wet is part of the basic things when being outdoors. - A large and flat enough space for everyone in the group to make camp, a slight incline might seem like nothing during the day but can ruin a whole nights sleep. Usually having an air mattress or a sleeping pad with a sleeping bag on top on a incline or slope results in creating a sliding effect. Finding yourself at the edge of the tent or even outside while moving around in your sleeping bag is usually not that fun.
Also consider how hard the ground is, a bed of pines, grass or moss is quite good compared to densely packed dirt, gravel or stone. While not impossible to work around with an air mattress or sleeping pad it’s more things to carry and more work to setup.
Naturally campers who sleeping in an hammock will not have this problem but instead there is other facts to take into account. A Hammock requires you to have two strong enough trees that can handle your weight without taking damage or breaking. Always use tree huggers to avoid damaging and potentially killing the tree, nothing worse than returning to your favourite spot just to find that the trees have started to root.
In both cases, clean the ground from rocks, pine cones, tree branches etc with a makeshift broom or by hand. This ensures you have an as smooth surface as possible below you. For those sleeping on the ground it ensures you don’t wake up during the night or injure yourself. For those that sleep in a hammock its just as important should part of the equipment break, a attachment point get lose or an accident happen when going in or out of the hammock.
A flat, clean surface is also the best when making a campfire. If its an open fire or a camping stove don’t matter, both require a flat and clean surface to ensure safety and stability for the fireplace. - Pay attention to the nature around you and use it to your advantage but also pay mind to hazards.
Making camp in the natural shade of trees will keep the tents cool during the days, shelter from both rain and dew as well as protect against wind. Make sure there is no dead trees or damaged branches around the campsite though, you never know when they might fall. Also avoid camping under lone trees in open fields or on the top of hills to avoid being next to the natural target for lightning strikes.
In windy areas look for large boulders and walls that can provide cover from the wind. Using man made formations of rocks and boulders should be avoided as they can be unstable and the larger they are the more dangerous they become. Naturally formed formations have stood longer and are less risky but are still dangerous. If using them anyway keep a good distance.
Fallen trees and flat rocks can serve as places to sit and eat or foundations to build shelters from. Low hanging branches can serve as cloth lines while high hanging branches can be used to hang food supplies from out of reach from wild animals. Sandy areas are good for fireplaces as well as to make makeshift wind shelters.
For information on how to build the camp site click here.