How To Set Up Camp For Mountain Climbing

Going to a camp is one of the best ways to enjoy nature while spending quality time with each other. Before going out on a camping trip, ensure that you know the basic skills required, such as starting a fire and pitching a tent. Also, you have to check your map and plan your itinerary for the duration of the camp.

Probably the first challenge campers face during their trip is to decide where to set up their base camp. Getting a good camp location is essential. A base camp serves several purposes, one of which is to keep everyone safe.

In finding a good site for your base camp, the main thing you need to consider is safety. However, you shouldn't forget that it should have a good view. There's no point in camping out at a boring place when there are many wonderful camping spots. You should know beforehand that the place you're going to does have great views where you can setup your base camp.

Set up your camp near a stream or a river, but not low enough that you'll run the risk of flashfloods. Refrain from setting your base camp on a low ground, since when it rains, you'll have major problems. Also, don't set up your base camp near mountain tops or hill tops. These places couldn't offer you enough protection against lightning and raging winds.

A good camp area should have natural obstacles, such as trees and rocks. These act as natural barriers against windy and rainy situations. Trees are also great at providing shade during extremely warm conditions.

In setting up your base camp, you need to divide the camp into at least four areas. The major parts of a good base camp are the: tent area, cooking area, washing area, and of course, the toilet area.

The tent area should be the most elevated part in its direct surrounding. This ensures that you're your tents would be the place filled with water. A good tent area also needs to be on a smooth soil or on grassy grounds so you won't have a difficult time to pitch your tent. In pitching your tent, make sure that you have firmly secured the pegs so your tent can withstand any strong winds.

It is also good to pitch your tent evenly in a sheltered area. Weather conditions can change overnight. But before you set up your tent, check the wind direction first. You will want to align the door or the vents of the tent with the direction of the wind. This way, you get enough ventilation when inside your tent.

The cooking area is another important part of your base camp. As much as possible, you will want to cook outside, unless weather conditions are too rough. Your cooking area shouldn't be less than 20 feet away from your tent area. Of course, you will want to place your cooking area such that the ashes won't be blown towards your tents.

Make sure that you strictly follow all rules when it comes to responsibly handling fire outdoors. You wouldn't want to create any fire mishaps during your camping, right? And as an added tip, ensure that your foods are safely kept in containers to prevent attracting wild animals such as bears, to your base camp.

The obvious reason why you would want to set up your base camp close to a stream or a river as much as possible is that you will need a washing area. This will be the place where you take a bath and wash your dishes. Make sure that the soap you'll use are biodegradable, and don't wash too close to the water source.

After washing, make certain that you leave the area the way it was. Leaving anything, especially non-biodegradable materials, could cause a natural disaster.

And of course, your base camp should have a toilet area. Obviously you wouldn't want this near your tent area, or in any water source. As much as possible, find a good place such that other people won't see you when you do your thing. The soil should be soft enough so you can dig at least a foot deep. And as courtesy to future campers, cover your toilet area with some branches or stones so nobody digs in it.