If you have already planned to leave the comfort of your house and explore the nature and spend few days and nights outdoor then consider spending few minutes reading this article before heading out in the wilds. Take out some time to plan what you will need.
There are some general rules to follow when you choose to go camping. Make sure you leave as little impact on the ground as possible. Also, keep good fire safety when setting up the cooking area. Also, make sure that your food doesn’t attract critters nearby. Nevertheless, here are 5 things to consider before setting up camps:
Contents
Find the ideal campsite
When selecting your dream campsite, keep comfort as your priority but make sure you follow the rules. There are different rules for each national park or national forests but most of the agencies will ask you to set up your camps at least 200 feet from the nearest water source. This is done to protect plants near the shoreline and prevent people from polluting the water.
Make sure the place you choose is as flat as possible. Bumpy areas can be highly uncomfortable. Also, make sure there is good drainage out there. Sleeping in a tent where there is a steep slope is not at all a desirable idea. It is also better to camp on higher areas. In cases of rain, you don’t water to accumulate around you.
Setting up the tent
Once you have found the ideal location and cleared it of all the undesired debris, then it’s time to set up the tent. Make sure you lay a waterproof cloth down on the ground before fitting the poles together and stretching the canvas. This cloth is used to create a protection of your tent from any possible punctures. It also prevents condensation from getting in. The ground cloth can also be used as a rain shield in your cooking area.
After you have set up the tent using the appropriate material, put an additional protection on it to secure it from the rain. Set up the rainfly to keep the tent dry from dew. Also, stake the tent down in windy seasons to stop it from blowing away.
Fire and cooking area
Fire is probably the most useful discovery known to man and is of immense use if you are camping. Due to forest fires risk, most of the campsites and public lands do not allow open fires. It is always a good idea to keep in touch with the local authorities to find out what local fire rules are.
You can use gas stoves as there is a minimal risk of forest fire if operated properly. However, some campsites even feature designated cooking stations that are situated on elevated surfaces.
It is recommended to use existing fire ring rather than going for a new one. You can follow relevant regulations if no fire pit or rings exist. However, make sure that the fire is completely extinguished after lighting the fire.
Food storage
No one can live without food, can they? So once you have cleared the site and the tent has been set up, it is important to make sure that your food is protected from wildlife and spoilage. Leaving your food unattended will let the wildlife steal it easily and even help animals accustomed to it. Attracting a bear to your campsite is the last thing anyone wants.
In campsites where bears are dominant, food storage is a very important aspect to consider. Bears can smell your food from far away and are very good at availing the opportunities. Make sure your food is sealed in plastic coated bags to stop odor from reaching the nostrils of bears. Sometimes, it is recommendable to store all food and things that smell like perfumes and toothpaste in sealed lockers. If you are planning to catch fish then make sure that the fish is cleaned before you bring it near to your camp and all the fish waste is disposed of properly. Also, protect your food from microorganisms that will cause it to spoil.
Read Also: 15 Camp Kitchen Essentials for Easy Meals
Leave little impact
Good campsites are usually found rather than made. The most important thing hereby is to leave the campsite in better condition than you have found it. This means that packing out everything you brought, disposing the waste properly and try to minimize your impact on the natural environment as much as possible.
It is recommendable to choose an established campsite rather than setting up the tent on untouched land. This can cause natural vegetation to disturb. If there are no already-used sites available then go for durable surfaces like sand. One the purposes of camping are getting closer to nature. Destroying the plants undermines the whole purpose of setting up camps then.
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