Tent Camping Tips
February 24, 2008
There’s something about tent camping that seems to bring you closer to the out doors and nature that camping in an RV just doesn’t give you. That’s why it’s important that you’re set up properly to make sure that your tent camping experience is an enjoyable one.
Here are some tent camping tips that will help you have the best possible camping experience.
- Your Tent
Your tent is probably one of the most important pieces of camping gear you have, so take your time and make sure that you choose a tent that is right for you. A good quality tent will serve you for many years, but if you try to save a little money here, then you will probably not going to have an enjoyable camping trip.
One of the first things you need to be aware of when buying a tent is that if they say it’s a 4 person tent, then it’s only good for 2 people. You always want to have a tent that is rated for 2 persons more than will be using it. This way you will have room for your other gear and still be comfortable at the same time.
- Setting Up Your Tent
When setting up your tent you want to make sure that you choose the right spot. Just because there’s a spot cleared for a tent at a campground, doesn’t mean it’s the best place to put your tent. I have set up my tent in the spot designated by the campground just to wake up in the morning with 2 inches of water inside the tent.
Try and choose a spot where the ground gently slopes away from the back of your tent. This way if it should rain, the water will end up somewhere other then inside your tent.
- Using Tarps
You always want to place a tarp under your tent. This serves two purposes. One, it helps to keep ground moisture from seeping up through to bottom of your tent and two, it helps to protect the bottom of your tent from wearing thin after just a few years of use.
Most tents will come with a rain fly, but they are not very reliable in heavy or prolonged rain storms. This is why I always place a tarp over the top of my tent. Choose a tarp that is larger then your tent so it extends several feet out in front of the tent. This allows you to be able to place some chairs outside for putting on your shoos in the morning or just relaxing during an early morning rain shower.
I always bring extra tarps and place one over the picnic table and another one close to, but not over the fire pit just in case it starts to rain.
So now you’re ready to go out there and enjoy your next tent camping experience.
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6 Responses to “Tent Camping Tips”
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Thanks for the tips. The tarp underneath is something that I’ll be sure to do on my next camping trip this summer.
Eric
Yeah, the tarps really help preserve the life of your tents. Good high quality tents are not cheap, but if you take care of them they will give you countless nights of outdoor accommodations. Good info.
When picking a location for your tent, be sure to look for dead tree limbs hanging above the spot you picked out. If there are any dead tree limbs, pick another spot.
One night, several years ago while on a camping trip my buddies and I heard a loud “crash” late one night. The next morning we got up and found a large limb had fallen about 60 – 75 feet from our tent.
If the limb had fallen on our tent, it would have seriously injured or killed one of us. The limb was about 1 foot across at the base where it had separated from the tree.
The use of tarps is a great suggestion. I’ve found that using tarp clips to tie down and/or resize tarps can be a great way to get a customized size and suspension of the tarp depending on your tent size and camp site. Since the clips grab the folded edge that has no grommets, it offers loops to attach with cords or bungees.
I always make sure I use a ground cloth with my tent and never wear shoes inside. This keeps the bottom from getting holes.
Also if your camping in an area that is really rainy you might consider digging a small drainage cannal from the back side of your tent away for extra water run off. I was on a camping trip in the Swiss Alps and my friend placed their tent on a little to flat of ground; they ended up with about 5 inches of water in the bottom of the tent. Awake three hours before they really wanted to get up since they we’re all soaked.