Smart Tent Camping Tips
For Painless Camping

When you say "camping", most people probably think of sleeping in a tent. Sure, you could sleep in a car or RV, but tent camping gets you a little bit closer to nature, and isn't that why you're out there in the first place?

Sleeping in a tent has its advantages--it's much cheaper than investing in a gas-guzzling RV, it opens up a lot more options for campsites, on a clear night you can look at the stars from your sleeping bag.

However, there are drawbacks as well; thin walls, hard ground, and longer set-up time can be minor annoyances or even full-blown misery inducers.

You can reduce or avoid such misery with these tent camping tips:

• Do your research.
  
  Find out everything you can about your intended campsite before you go. Does the campground have firewood or do you need to bring your own? What are the fees? Does the campground enforce quiet hours? Is potable water available?
  
  
• Choose your campsite well.
  
  If you're staying in a campground, pay attention to your neighbors. Any large, boisterous groups of campers with gigantic coolers full of alcohol nearby? Unless you're planning to party along with them, you might want to keep your distance.
  
  Where are the bathrooms or outhouses? Camp as close as you can to them and remember which direction to go when you "gotta go."
  
  If you are camping in the backcountry, pitch your tent on a hard, flat surface to minimize the impact. Don't camp in a depression where water can pool under your tent.
  
  Pay attention to wind direction. Face your tent into the wind if bugs are a problem; the breeze will help keep them away. Pitch away from the wind for better high-low ventilation.
  
  
• Upon arrival in camp, set up the tent first.
  
  If you are going to have a campfire, be careful not to place the tent too close to it. Sparks from the fire can burn holes in it or worse. Also, you don't want smoke from the fire going into your tent--make sure the door is facing away from the fire.
  
  Here's how I pack my tent to make set-up easier: I lay the ground cloth down, lay the tent body on top of it, and place the rainfly on top of the body. Then I fold it all in thirds, place my tent poles (loose) and stakes (in a bag) on one end, and roll it up from that end. That way, it's all bundled together in the right order.
  
  Rolling the rainfly up with the tent also has the advantage of keeping the tent drier if you have to set up in the rain. Then you can simply roll it out, crawl under the rainfly, thread or clip your poles, and raise the tent with the rainfly on top.
  
  Make sure the tent is properly staked and guyed out. The rainfly should be pulled taut, away from the tent body; contact between them will hinder ventilation and wick moisture into your tent.
  
  A mallet comes in handy for driving stakes, especially in hard or rocky soil.
  
  Once your tent is properly set up, prepare it for sleeping. Inflate or roll out your sleeping pads, unfurl your sleeping bags so they have time to loft up, and put in everything else you'll need such as pillows, books, mp3 players, water bottles, etc.
  
  The idea is to have it all ready so when it's time to go to sleep, you can just climb in and crash.
  
  
• Get a good night's sleep.
  
  A good sleeping pad is essential to sleeping well while camping. Get the thickest one you can.
  
  Air mattresses are comfortable and pack down small. I recommend getting one with insulation; normal air mattresses will suck out your body heat when placed on cold ground.
  
  Consider bringing earplugs if you are a light sleeper. Avoid caffeine in the late afternoon and evening.
  
  Make sure your sleeping bag is rated 10 degrees colder than the expected night time temperature. In cooler weather, wear a hat to bed. I like to pull it down over my eyes so the morning sun doesn't wake me too early.
  
  
• Take care of your tent.
  
  A tent repair kit is a good thing to have on hand. Stock it with seam sealer, an extra pole section or two, cord for guylines, and a sewing kit.
  
  Take your shoes off before you enter. When you are packing up, shake or brush the dirt out of the tent before you disassemble it.
  
  Of all my tent camping tips, this may be the most important: NEVER cook inside your tent.
  
  The fumes from a stove contain carbon monoxide, which is toxic. Also, although most tents are treated to be flame-retardant, they are still flammable. Trying to get out of a burning tent sounds like a serious bummer to me.
  
  When you get home, unpack your tent and air it out before storing it. If it is very dirty, wipe it down with a mild soap solution first, then let it dry. Packing it away with moisture inside is a sure-fire recipe for mildew.

If you've had a bad experience with tent camping, take my advice and try it again. I hope these tent camping tips help you enjoy yourself a little more on your next excursion.

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