How To Pick A Tent Spot

It's said that we can learn from our experiences good or bad -- or at least have the opportunities to learn. My most embarrassing campsite-selection experiences certainly drove home a few lessons.

Years ago, I camped out on my way from the Mississippi to the West Coast looking for a job. My bad habit of driving until near dark led to a few questionable campsite choices.

One misty night, with no flashlight batteries , I set up my borrowed tent in the dark. I fell asleep thinking that climbing into the tent had been awkward.

The next morning, nearby campers watched and grinned as I exited the tent and learned why it had felt so odd. In the dark, I had pitched the tent on its side.

A couple of nights later, I pitched it -- correctly -- in the dark on a strip of land that allowed camping.

I woke in the middle of the night, ground shaking and the air split by a roar. I unzipped the tent, peered out and discovered that I was 70 feet from railroad tracks -- and a speeding train.

The third experience was I set up the tent in a dry stream in west Texas with a storm on the way. The storm came and the stream started running I had to take up camp in the middle of the night.

That's an exaggeration, but you get my point: Before you leave home, waterproof your tent if it's been in use for a few years.

Here are tips about choosing a campsite after a hike. Of course, take the ten essentials plus common sense.

Be realistic about how far you can hike. When you're exhausted, any site will do, even if there's a price to pay.

If you're not in a designated site, camp away from the trail and out of sight of hikers so your voices and other camp sounds don't carry to hikers.

Before you pitch your tent, look up. Dead trees and branches follow the laws of gravity, and widow-makers are named that for a reason.

Stay away from grassy meadows, which are easily damaged, especially at higher elevations. A soft grassy spot probably has mosquitoes, dampness and lumps.

Pick a flat site or you'll be dealing with gravity all night.

Weather should be a factor in site selection. If it's sunny and hot, pick a shady, cooler area for protection and to keep the tent cool.

Because cold air sinks into valleys, consider a hillside site if the weather is crisp. If mosquitoes are beyond annoying, pitch your tent in a breezier area.

And if there's wind and rain, large rocks and trees can help protect the appropriately located tent. Place the back of the tent toward the wind.

Minimize your impact. In many parks it's mandatory to camp 200 feet or more from a water source to avoid contamination from overuse, soapy water and toilet drainage. And still water is mosquito-breeding territory.

Do not dig a trench against rain runoff. It's up to you to find the appropriate site and not dig up the landscape.

For a natural alarm clock, orient the tent toward sunrise. This is the side that will be warmer. If the tent is out from under trees, the sun will evaporate some of the dew before you pack it.