Where Do I Put This Tent?

Selecting a campsite is an art.  Choosing poorly can make for a bad night and it’s hard to have a good day the next day when you are not rested.  Weather is almost always the issue although mosquitoes, black flies and creepy crawlies can be nearly as bad.  Being aware and practiced at setting up a proper campsite requires a little understanding of nature and what you need to really rest after a hard day of hiking or traveling.  These ideas apply even when car camping as well as backpacking or training for survival.

First of all, you need to know that different types of shelter requires different types of terrain.  For a tent, you need an open, relatively level spot where water won’t pool under or around you if it rains and you may need to dig a small trench around your tent for drainage in case it does rain and you plan on being in that place for several days or more.  For a hammock, you need trees spaced sufficiently for a proper hang so that you can sleep diagonally and not like a banana.  The ground does not have to be level as the hammock hangs level and you don’t have to be as concerned for water drainage or ground bugs etc. although you may want to add a mosquito net and an overhead tarp in certain conditions.  For a survival shelter, you want to look for a broken tree, or an uprooted one upon which you can lay your support sticks and the shelter should be located near plenty of evergreen boughs or forest litter and debris so you don’t have to travel so far for materials.

Of course, all shelters need to be somewhat close to a water source as it is heavy and you don’t want to carry it a long way if you can help it.  Also, your privy (outdoor toilet area) needs to be at least 300 feet from any water to prevent contamination and it needs to be some distance from your campsite as wild animals are drawn to it and you don’t want them tramping through your camp.  Always bury solid waste if possible and if necessary, as in some desert areas, bring enough Ziploc baggies to pack it out with you.  Yes, this is necessary because things decay so slowly in the dry desert and you do not want to contaminate the area.  Of course, in a true survival situation, you are just going to have to try and bury it.

Your campsite should be roughly half way up a sloped area as cold air settles into the low areas at night and it is often very windy on ridges.  The exception to these would be when there are a lot of mosquitoes and you want the advantage of the wind up on a ridge or hill to drive them away as they cannot fly in a heavy breeze.  This will, of course, complicate your fire and blow smoke in undesirable directions, but sometimes compromises have to be made.  You might also want to camp in a low spot at night if it is summer time and you want the cooler temperatures to help you sleep.

Always, always, always be aware of loose branches and dead trees and limbs overhead when selecting your campsite.  These are called “widow-makers” for a reason.  Also be aware of what causes avalanches or rock slides and stay out of those areas.  The southern side of a slope in the northern hemisphere is warmer as it faces the sun all day than the northern exposure so camp on the best side for temperature control depending on the climate.  The reverse is true for the southern hemisphere.  Many native peoples would place their shelter with the opening facing the east to take advantage of the sun’s warming rays first thing in the morning.

Selecting a place to camp spiritually is also very important.  Don’t just attend a church because you like the music or there is a good youth group with potential dates for your children, or because you can slip in and out without being noticed.  A church should be primarily selected because of the preaching and teaching of the Word of God and you have confidence in the Pastoral Leadership and can actually follow their guidance.  So many people have a preacher and not a pastor and they feel free to disagree and do whatever they feel best whenever they please.  This is not scriptural as we are commanded to (Hebrews 13:17) obey those who (spiritually) rule over us and to submit ourselves to their leadership as this person has been given the job by God to watch over our souls and they are trying to steer us in the right direction so that we will live a holy life pleasing to God.  They are going to have to give an account to God as to whether or not they were faithful in their job as spiritual watchman.  So obey them that they may lead you with joy in their hearts and not with stress and grief over your disobedience as that is seriously unprofitable for you as a Christ-follower and will hinder you in your spiritual development and growth.  So select a spiritual campsite (church) carefully.  Don’t sit under someone you won’t follow and obey.  And if you are in ministry, lead carefully and prayerfully, people are commanded by God to obey you and follow you.  Serious words indeed!

James B.

PS. You can check out my website where you can set up training for many of these skills at www.waypointsurvival.com and look at and order my custom knives at www.benderknifeworks.com.