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INDEX
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How To Make Your Campsite A Castle.
Part Three: Site selection.
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In Part Two, we played compass games and learned about maps. Now, let's look at our camp site.
Ideally, you select your campsite by daylight. It's much easier to spot things like ant hills, animal burrows, poisonous plants, and other impediments to a good night's sleep. If you aren't lucky enough to arrive before dark, have several good lanterns
or flashlights handy. I always carry a mini-mag flashlight on my person when I am on the trail.
Try to select a site that is as level as possible. Public campgrounds usually have level spots for tents. If you are on the trail, look for a site that has been occupied previously. Never make a new campsite if an established one is available. Also,
try to find a site that will accommodate the number in your party with comfort. Once you select a level site, have a good look around for anything that might keep you from sleeping through the night. Be careful to disturb your surroundings as little as
possible though. Your goal is to leave the campsite looking like no one has ever been there. No digging holes or other like activity please.
If you are tent camping, put the tent up as soon as possible. Erecting a tent after dark is no fun no matter how familiar you are with your equipment. Did you know that the temperature under a tree is as much as
ten degrees warmer at night than an open clearing? Will this have a bearing on where you pitch your tent or place your sleeping bag? Yes! If you are on the trail, avoid gullies, ravines, or other depressions. The moisture in the night air will condense
and settle in the lowest spot...you and your sleeping bag if you are so unlucky or unwise. Also, the temperature in that depression/gully can be ten degrees cooler than on the top. Cold air settles, too. Pick a spot that is not on a hill top and not in
a gully. Where are you? In the middle, of course. Your ideal campsite would also be facing the morning sun so that you could catch those first glorious rays coming over the horizon. Place your tent with the side to prevailing winds if necessary to
avoid a drafty tent. Use a ground cloth/tarp under your tent to prevent ground condensation from coming up into your tent when the dew point arrives. Make sure to tuck the ends of the ground cloth/tarp up under the tent because an!
ything that hangs out will collect moisture and funnel it right back under the tent, and into your bag. Have you ever had rain in your tent with it closed up tight? You will if you aren't careful about condensation. More on this topic in later
articles.
Where is your fire pit or cooking area? Be careful not to place tents too close to heat sources. If you are in a public campground, they probably have the fire pit and tent pad placed at a safe distance. On the trail, making a campfire is discouraged.
Sorry. The threat of fire and the misuse by others makes it an unwise practice. With modern campstoves you shouldn't need a fire on the trail. Save your campfire howling for another time.
Along with the cooking area, where are you eating? Try to not drop crumbs around your campsite. NEVER take food into your tent or sleeping bag. You can guarantee yourself an awful experience if you do. In the
really remote areas, you could be asking for a deadly encounter, so please have a care with the food supplies. Make sure that you have a place to store, lock up, or hang your edibles. By the way, scented deodorants and the like should be left at home
cause the critters like them as much as they like your frosted flakes. Both substances are not good for them either.
Are you near water? Don't EVER camp too close to running water. If it rises in the night, you have big problems. Also, if you camp too close to water, you run the risk of meeting critters who are coming out to
hunt/feed for the night. To the nocturnal critters, the stream is a necessity and you might consign them to a hungry night by scaring them off. Don't invite problems, they have a habit of accepting any and all invitations.
Finally, when you leave your campsite, brush the ground to scatter the leaves around. You want to leave it in pristine condition. Be kind to Mother Earth.
For future study try the following books:
- The 2 oz. Backpacker, by Robert S. Wood
- The Campcraft Book, by Catherine T. Hammett
- Basic Mountaineering, by The Sierra Club
- Outdoor Survival Skills, by Larry Dean Olsen
Bon Voyage!
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Copyright, 1997 by Jan Noble
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Jan Noble
The Steel Magnolia
Writer, traveler, rockhound and Mom are only a few of the descriptions that apply to Jan Noble. Jan is a genuine lover of geology and enjoys taking her family with her on field trips when ever time permits. She always has rocks in her pockets and time
to hear a good story. Besides filling her time with rock hunting, writing and work, she enjoys off-roading and camping whenever possible.
Jan is currently in the middle of relocating (with her husband, kids, 10 cats and 2 dogs) to Dallas and is looking forward to exploring Texas thoroughly.
You can email her at steel_magnolia@mindspring.com or visit her web site at http://inthewind.home.mindspring.com/.
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