Camping 101: Essential Tips Every Camper Should Know

Nowadays, more and more people are choosing to camp outdoors. It's a short-term outdoor activity. For those who frequently camp, it's essential to have some basic knowledge about outdoor sports. It can ensure you have a wonderful camping experience. So, what are some of the things you know about camping? Let's learn more today.

Before setting off to camp, it's wise to make some preparations and plans. Specific camping tips are below. Let's take a look.

1. Choosing a Campsite for Camping

The selection and construction of a campsite are crucial for everyone's well-being, so choosing a campsite is crucial. Here are some things to keep in mind.

Proximity to Water

Camping and resting require water, and proximity is paramount when choosing a campsite. Therefore, when choosing a campsite, choose one near a stream, lake, or river for easy access to water. However, avoid camping on a riverbank. Some rivers have power plants upstream, making the riverbank wide and the flow slow during flooding. Once the water is released, the riverbank will flood.

Some rivers are prone to flooding or waterlogging during heavy rains, so precautions should be taken, especially during the rainy season and in areas prone to flash floods.

Leewind

When camping outdoors, you must consider wind protection, especially in valleys and riverbanks. Choose a location sheltered from the wind. Also, make sure the tent door faces away from the wind. Sheltering from the wind also ensures fire safety and convenience.

Far from a Cliff

When camping, avoid camping under a cliff. This is dangerous. Strong winds from the mountain could blow rocks and other objects down, causing casualties.

Close to a Village

A campsite near a village allows for emergency assistance from villagers. This is especially important when you're running low on firewood, vegetables, or food. Being close to a village also means being close to roads, making it easier for your team to move and relocate.

Shade

If you're staying for more than two days, choose a shady location, such as under a large tree or on the north side of a mountain. This way, you won't feel stuffy in the tent during the daytime.

Lightning Protection

During the rainy season or in areas prone to lightning, campsites should never be set up on high ground, under tall trees, or on relatively isolated flat ground. This can easily attract lightning strikes.

II. How to Set Up a Campsite for Wilderness Camping

The four basic principles are a water supply, a level campsite, shelter from the wind and shade, and safe from danger. The four basic areas are tent camping, fire and dining areas, water and water supply areas, and sanitation areas.

Precautions for Setting Up a Campsite

Choosing a campsite requires ample time to consider and select a suitable location along your route. Therefore, you should begin looking for suitable campsites after noon each day. Never wait until dusk to start selecting a campsite; this is a big mistake! Generally, after a long day of hiking, it's difficult to have sufficient energy to choose a good campsite, and there aren't many options available.

Once a campsite is chosen, it's time to build it. This is especially important for larger campsites, where the entire campsite is constructed. The following steps are included.

Level the Site

Clean the selected tent area, removing rocks, shrubs, and any other uneven, thorny, or pointed objects. Fill any uneven areas with dirt or grass. Sloping ground, as long as the slope is no steeper than 10 degrees, is generally suitable for camping.

Site Division

A complete campsite should have areas for tents, a fire pit, a dining area, an entertainment area, water (toilets), and a sanitation area.

First, determine the campsite. The fire pit should be downwind, at least 10-15 meters from the tent area to prevent sparks from burning the tents. The dining area should be near the fire pit for cooking and dining. The activity and entertainment area should be downwind from the dining area to prevent dust from contaminating tableware and other items. It should also be 15-20 meters from the tent area to minimize disturbances to fellow diners.

The sanitation area should be downwind from the camping area, maintaining a certain distance from the dining and activity areas. Water use areas should be divided into two sections along streams and rivers: the upper section is for drinking water, and the lower section is for domestic use.

When constructing a tent camping area with multiple tents, consider the following when arranging the tents:

1. All tents should face the same direction, with doors opening in the same direction and arranged side by side.

2. Tents should be at least one meter apart. Avoid using wind ropes to prevent tripping hazards unless necessary.

3. Set up a cordon when necessary. Camping outdoors in the mountains may involve the possibility of encountering threatening animals or unauthorized individuals, though this possibility is minimal. You can create a perimeter around the tent area with an irritant such as lime or tar to prevent intrusion by snakes and other reptiles. Alternatively, you can use an electronic alarm system.

Tent Pitching Methods

1. Determining a Location

Choose a flat area after considering wind direction and terrain.

2. Inspecting Tent Gear

Put out the supplies from the bag and inspect each component individually. To facilitate packing up and to avoid leaving anything behind, make sure you keep track of it before packing up.

3. Lay out the ground mat

After laying out the ground mat, secure it at the four corners with nails. If you're in a humid area, lay out the mat first, then the mat on top.

4. Erect the pillars and pull the main ropes

Thread the lower ends of the pillars through the holes at each end of the ground mat. At the same time, thread the top tips of the pillars through the holes on the two tent pillars. Pull up the left and right main ropes to prevent them from tilting. This will create the main shape of the tent.

5. Adjust the main ropes and pull up the corner and waist ropes

Use the support ropes attached to the main ropes to adjust the shape of the tent. Stand the two pillars vertically on the ground. Next, use the support ropes to adjust the corner and waist ropes to create the tent's shape.

6. Secure the walls

Connect the tent base, ground mat, and lower wall.

The above is the sequence for setting up a wall-type tent. With four people working together, it should take about 10-15 minutes for a skilled operator.

Typically, a roof cover is added to mitigate the effects of wind, rain, sun, and cold. In step 4, when inserting the pillars into the holes at each end of the tent, first attach the roof cover, then pull up the main rope. After securing the main rope with nails, use the endpoints of the tent's roof as vertices to form two sides of an equilateral triangle, with the base length equal to the pillars. Viewed from directly above the tent, the corner ropes should be aligned with the diagonal extension, and the waist rope should be aligned with the corner ropes.

III. Essential Weather Knowledge for Camping

Before traveling outdoors, it's important to know some basic weather information. Once you're outdoors, you're at the mercy of nature; we can only understand it, not control it. Aside from thunderstorms, blizzards, and other situations where you should stop and rest, you can continue traveling. Camping outdoors requires careful consideration of weather conditions.

Rain Protection

Rain protection is a crucial weather consideration for camping. If you predict a potential rain event that night, you should provide necessary rain protection for your campsite and tent. Besides choosing a good site, dig a flood diversion ditch, reinforce the tent, and enhance its rainproofing. For example, you can cover the tent with rainproof plastic sheeting, a raincoat, and place various travel supplies inside.

Wind Protection

Wind direction is crucial for camping, affecting the orientation of the tent door and stove opening, as well as the overall layout of the campsite.

This requires some knowledge of the terrain and climate. Camping near a large lake often involves wind direction that reverses between morning and evening. During the day, the ground temperature rises faster, and the wind blows inland. At night, the ground temperature drops faster, and the wind blows toward the lake. Therefore, the tent door should be opened to the leeward side, and the stove opening should be opened to the windward side.

A similar situation occurs in hot, dry mountainous areas. During the day, because the temperature in the valley rises more slowly than on the slopes (mountaintops), an updraft occurs, meaning the wind blows upward from the valley. At night, a downdraft occurs, blowing toward the valley.

Therefore, it's important to consider this before camping in a valley. Studying wind direction and speed is crucial for outdoor activities. If possible, bring a wind direction and speed meter, or use the table below to check wind speed. Record the highest wind speed of the day in your diary.

IV. Camping Tips

1. Wear long, snug-fitting clothing to protect against mosquito bites and tree branches. If your clothing is loose, tuck in your pants and cuffs.

2. Wear well-fitting, non-slip shoes. If you feel pain in your feet, quickly apply a small piece of medical tape to the affected area to prevent blisters.

3. Prepare warm clothing, as outdoor temperatures can be much lower than indoors.

4. Keep the tent entrance and exit closed when setting up. Make it a habit to zip up the tent entrance when you fold it up and close it, and to zip it up immediately when you enter and exit the tent. This prevents mosquitoes and other small animals from swarming into the tent and disturbing your sleep.

Often, when setting up camp, some team members not only fail to securely close their tent doors, but instead leave them open to chat. This often leads to harassment from small animals in the middle of the night, which can disrupt their rest and sleep.

5. Ask for a guide. Forest parks are typically large, and there are often no clear landmarks. Therefore, when entering a forest, be sure to travel in groups and ask for a guide to guide you. Avoid venturing too deep into the jungle.

Conclusion: With improved living conditions, many people are choosing to spend their leisure time camping. Outdoor activities with friends foster relationships and can also lead to new friendships. The above camping tips will hopefully help you better prepare for your outdoor adventures.