One of the most important things to consider when going camping is where you're going to place your campsite. Since you'll be spending a good amount of time there - cooking, eating, sleeping, and relaxing, at the least - it's important to choose a good spot to set up camp. But what makes a good spot for a campsite? What sort of things should you look for?
A large area of reasonably clear, level ground is the most important thing to look for in your camping site. The size of your campsite will depend on several factors - how many people are camping with you, the thickness of the trees and growth in the area, the terrain you're camping in, etc - but you want to find clear spot that is at least 10 to 15 yards square. You're going to need room to fit your lightweight camping chairs around your campfire, so give yourself plenty of space.
Reasonably clear means as little growth, rocks and trees as possible. You'll probably never find a spot that is completely clear, but look around a bit until you find something good. You don't want your tentmate to be lying on top of you all night because you both keep sliding to the low end of the tent, so look for some level ground.
One way to find a good camp spot is to keep an eye out for existing fire rings. If someone has already built a fire ring, then chances are good that they were able to set up camp there and you should be able to as well. In addition, using existing fire rings and campsites reduces the amount of work you'll have to do in setting up, and minimizes the impact you'll have on the area. These campsites will also usually have a place to hang your gas camping lantern, to help provide light as you're setting up.
The weather forecast is an important thing to consider for the days that you'll be camping. If it is going to be windy or rain heavily, you'll want keep that in mind. If a good amount of rain is expected then high ground is recommended, and camping near a copse of trees or a hill can help shelter you from the wind. You don't want to camp on low ground and get flooded in the middle of the night. If you're camping in Vendee on a beach, then make sure that the ocean will be calm and there are no storms headed your way.
Looking for evidence of animals or insects is an important thing to do when selecting a campsite. You don't want to set your tent near a bear cave or on top of a wasps' nest. Give the area a thorough inspection before you set up camp, even though there's little chance of anything really dangerous occuring in most national parks.
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