Setting up camp

Now that you've got your equipment prepped, and your location picked out, you need to know how to set up camp when you arrive at your campsite. The three most important parts of setting up your camp are making sure that you aren't under any dead or dying trees, you aren't setting up on top of a wild animal's den, and you aren't too close to a body of water that might flood.

Many public campgrounds will have sites similar to the one shown here with a picnic table, a fire pit, and sometimes a post with outlets and water taps however, if you're going for a more wilderness-type campground, there may only be a firepit for you to look out for. When making camp you generally want to set your tent up about 200 feet away from major hazards, be them fire pits, or water sources, both for your safety and to decrease the risk of introducing pollutants to an ecosystem. another thing to be aware of is how you store your food, there are 2 main ways to store ingredients when camping, when available you want to store food in a locked car, otherwise, you want to use something called a bear bag and hang your food from a tree as to keep wild animals out of it. Under no circumstances do you want to store food, especially not open food, in your tent as that can attract wild animals, and can lead to you or your fellow campers being attacked by animals in your sleep. When setting up your tent you will want a waterproof tarp under it when possible to keep the bottom dry, you may also want to tie down your tent or its rainfly if there are high winds in the weather forecast to keep your supplies from blowing away. That's just about it for what to be aware of when setting up camp, for tent-specific questions you may need to check the manufacturer's website as no two brands of tent are exactly the same. Thanks for reading, and until next time, safe travels and happy trails.

The Basics: Location

 Along with equipment, choosing where you want to camp is another important part of prepping for a camping trip. When choosing a place to go camping you have to take into account what you may want to do while on your trip. For example, when I went camping back in October, My friends and I planned on going hiking at Dupont State Forest to see some of the waterfalls (pictured left), so we chose a campground within easy driving distance of the park. Another thing to consider is, if you plan on fishing, swimming, or boating, you need to find a campground with its own waterfront, or near a park that allows various waterfront activities. Along with planning around activities, you also need to plan around the climate of the area you plan on camping in, as well as the time of year you plan on camping. The Appalachian mountains may be gorgeous year-round however, camping there in the summer is far different than camping there in the winter. 

Both of these images show the Great Smoky Mountains at different times of the year, in the winter (left) you'll likely deal with snow, ice, and possibly sub-zero weather with the possibility of losing phone service to call for help, while in the summer (below) you are more likely to deal with harsh storms, searing heat, and wild animal encounters, so when choosing a site, you have to make sure your desired campground works well with the time of year you plan to go camping.

There are a couple other things to consider when choosing a location, such as accessibility, price, and restrictions set by the campground, so remember to always do your research before making camp. 

Thanks for reading and until next time, safe travels and happy trails.

The Basics: Equipment

If you've never been camping before it may seem daunting, but choosing what camping equipment is right for what you'll be doing is quite possibly the most important part of planning a camping trip, as without proper equipment you won't be able to fully enjoy yourself. For example, your sleeping bag needs to match the climate that you'll be in. Generally speaking, you will want a sleeping bag that's rated for 0-degree weather as, though it might get a bit toasty, you can use it year-round barring extreme weather. Personally, I would recommend using something like this Columbia sleeping bag as it is both rated for 10-degree weather and has a hood available for those extra cold nights. Along with a sleeping bag, you will also need some sort of shelter. The two main options for shelters that you will commonly see for camping are hammocks and tents. Hammocks are what I use, and though they tend to be easier to set up, they provide less protection from the elements, so for a beginner, I would recommend a simple 2 person tent with a rain fly. 

If you're unsure of a kind of tent to get, something like this Coleman tent as they make very high-quality products. You do need to be somewhat conscientious when planning what tents to bring as if your tent is too large for the planned campsite you may inconvenience your fellow campers, as most campgrounds are shared spaces.

While a sleeping bag and a tent are the 2 most important pieces of equipment to bring, you may also want to bring a lawn chair so you have somewhere to sit, as well as a camping stove and cooking supplies if you plan on camping for more than one day. A simple camp stove like this one by Coleman is really all you need in terms of heat for cooking, as it runs on propane so as long as you have enough propane, and some pots/pans and utensils you can cook just about anything.

That's about all for the basic equipment that you'll want to bring while camping, my next post will be about what to look for in a campsite when planning, until then, safe travels and happy trails.

Welcome

 Welcome to An Eagle's Guide, the home for all the knowledge I've gained as an Eagle Scout. I'm Christopher, an Eagle Scout and a member of the OA, so I've been on plenty of adventures. The knowledge I'll share here will range anywhere from my choice of supplies to use when camping, to what you can do for food, to even good camping locations in the US. This blog will hopefully help those of you who haven't camped before learn where to start, as well as help the more experienced campers pick up a new trick or two. This blog is also a space where you can also give me some more tips, as even though I'm an experienced camper, there's always more to learn. Thanks for visiting, and safe travels!