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Campsite- Set it up

Find your campsite. The first thing to do is to locate the best spot for your tent. I look for a high place with a good view. Make sure you look for signs of puddling, or mud, etc. Avoid these spots if possible. Also, look for a spot that gives you a good view.

Next, prepare the campsite. Remove any large rocks from where the tent will go. Move the picnic table if possible, to where you want it. I prefer to pick up trash too. A game I play with my kids is to see who can pick up the most trash.

When you unpack, be sure to have the tarps handy in case of rain. Pull out your tent, tent pegs/stakes, and a mallet. Arrange your tent so that the door opens where you want it. Peg down the corners first, then put in the poles following the tent directions.

TIP: Make sure you set up your tent before you leave the safety of your home. This is the one time you want to "try it at home."

TRICK: This is the best trick we have discovered for camping. Here is how to stay dry inside your tent. Get a tarp that is larger than your tent floor. Put it INSIDE the tent on the floor to create a boat like effect. DO NOT put it under your tent. Even the tarp out so that the tarp goes up the sides of the tent walls. Then you put your sleeping pads, sleeping bags, stuff, etc. on top of the tarp. Since we learned this trick, we have never gotten wet from the floor up in our tent. If you put your tarp under your tent, it can actually cause you to get wet. As the rain falls, it lands on the tarp, and travels between the tarp and the tent. Many tent floors act like a wick and suck up the water, soaking everything on top of the tent. The key to this trick is that the tarp you put inside has no holes, and that it goes up about 6-8 inches around the sides.

Once the tent is up, put the sleeping pads, sleeping bags, clothes bags, etc. in your tent. Now you can arrange your kitchen and dining room. If the campground allows you to move the picnic table(s), go ahead and arrange them. If not, build around them. Put your table cloth on the table & put the clips on to attach it, or put heavy items near the corners to keep it from blowing off. If you brought a small table, put your water jug, camp stove, etc., on it. Otherwise, put them on one end of the picnic table. Put your food containers (hopefully you were able to bring them in plastic containers) either on the extra table, or one end of the picnic table. If you are out of room, then the ground works, but they tend to get dirtier on the outside, and they are less convenient to get into (my wife hates them on the ground- I make room...somewhere).

We bring two lanterns. I put one in the middle of our dining table, and the other I hang on our lantern tripod. Two sources of light at night is nice, especially if something goes wrong with one.

Tip: Bring extra mantles in case the ones in the lantern break or disintegrate. A mantle without holes burns brighter. The clip-on mantles are the easiest, as you don't have to tie the little string.

We like to put our chairs around the campfire pit if there is one. This is kind of like our living room. There is nothing better at the end of a day to build a campfire (especially if it is cool) and make smores, tell stories, sing songs, and just talk. Be sure not to put the chairs too close to the fire or popping embers might land on a chair and burn a hole through (we have a couple of chairs like that). If you brought wood for your campfire, store it somewhere dry, preferable near the fire pit.

Some campgrounds prohibit fires during dry seasons, and most limit fire to be in designated fire pits/rings. Always ask first before starting your campfire.

Hang up a trash bag for trash if you don't have a trash can nearby. Be sure to empty it daily. If you are in bear country, be sure to follow the campground rules for trash disposal.

We also string a clothes line between a couple of trees to hang wet clothes on. You can get a retracting clothes line from Wal-Mart, etc. They just wind up the line when your done.

Keep any valuables in the car (actually, at home would be better), or anything that is costly (like a guitar or camera). I've never had a problem of theft over all my years of camping. Keep things tidy and not out in the open, zip up your tent when you leave, and you should be fine.

Tearing down is easy. We find it much easier to clean as you pack your camping equipment. That way it is less work when you get home. We bring a little whisk broom to sweep out the tent and to brush off the other items. To pack your vehicle, shove it until it fits.

Learn how we go camp cooking next...