How To Choose The Best Campsite
When you’re itching to go camping and have all of the necessary equipment ready to go, all that’s left is choosing the best campsite. There are quite a few things to consider when looking for a campsite such as weather conditions, proximity to important locations, and potential hazards or risks around it.
Learning how to choose the best campsite that will only improve your camping trip is something that can take time, and it’s a skill that all campers have to perfect over the years. However, with a few of our tips and tricks, you’ll be primed to select the best campsite in your area so that you can truly enjoy everything that the outdoors has to offer.
Where Is The Best Place For A Campsite?
Before you can find the best campsite in the whole ground, you’ll first want to do your research and find where exactly is best in your local area to camp. Thankfully, nowadays there are quite a few sites available that can you show you places close by that might be ideal for setting up camp.
The National Parks Service has their own website with the ability to search for camping spots in your local area, and it can also show you what other services the parks might have to offer such as being dog-friendly. Once you’ve found the perfect ground for your camping, you’ll then need to scout around for the best campsite.
There are a few things to look for when choosing a campsite, such as the proximity to fresh water and amenities. Where possible, try to avoid camping on a hill and have a good understanding of the wind and sun exposure too.
Usually, the best place to camp is where you can see a previous campsite already set up, as there are many benefits to following this approach.
The Benefits Of Camping On Previous Campsites
If you’re lucky enough to find a campsite that’s already been used previously, this should be your number one pick for how to choose the best campsite. Here are just a few benefits that can be found when you make use of someone’s previous camping site:
Safety
It’s likely that if people have camped here before you then it’s a safe and popular place to be, so if you run into trouble you won’t be far from other campers to call for help.
Setup Campfire
If you’re a camper who prefers to use a little bit of fire, then it’s great to have an established campfire set up already. This means less work for you in organizing one and less strain on the environment, so look for an old fire ring if possible.
Flat Ground
When you find the ideal campsite you usually need to put in some work flattening the ground and checking it over to ensure that there’s nothing sharp or dangerous sticking out. Using an old campsite, this work is usually done for you so you can simply lay your tarp down and get started.
Close Amenities
Usually, if someone has been there before you it’s likely they chose it for its good location. This can be a sign that a campsite has closeby cooking areas or public restrooms, along with other important amenities.
Friendly To The Environment
By following important principles like the Leave No Trace policy, you can use somebody else’s campsite to reduce your footprint in the outdoors. This means less damage will be done to the environment and fragile ecosystems of the wilderness.
Some Things To Avoid Around Your Campsite
If you’re not lucky enough to find a suitable campsite that’s already been used recently, there are some things to look out for and avoid. Keeping an eye on these things means you’re more likely to have success with your newfound campsite.
Watch The Trees
While it’s best to find somewhere that has good shade, you really need to look at the type of tree you’re camping under. Avoid gums or those with large boughs as they are more likely to drop their branches unexpectedly and do a lot of damage to your tent and all family members.
Don’t Go Near A Hill
Although you might be tempted to get up high and watch the sun rise and set, it’s best to avoid hills or large slopes. There’s the potential for a few things to go wrong including running water that can go straight into your tent or your belongings rolling downhill and out of your possession.
Look At Your Neighbors
Obviously, you should take a look at the campsite of a potential neighbor before you start setting up. If they’re loud or rowdy and have made a mess of their campsite, there’s a good chance that they aren’t considerate enough to make a good camping neighbor.
A Major Decision In Camping With Major Results
Choosing the best campsite is one decision that will have a major influence on how much you enjoy your trip, so it’s not a decision to be taken lightly. Obviously, you can never truly know how good a camping spot is until you’ve stayed there, but with some smart judgment calls and a little bit of knowhow you’ll be in the best position to choose wisely.
With the right campsite for your next adventure, you’re giving yourself prime real estate to be next to fresh water, local amenities, and peace and quiet so that you can truly get away from it all.
Once you’ve set up your campsite and find that there’s an issue, many people feel that it’s too much camp work to pack up and start all over again, so this is something that needs to be decided well before you get your camping gear out.
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