Useful Advice on Pitching Your Tent.

You have purchased the right tent, got all your camping equipment ready and chosen your first campsite its now time to go camping!

You don’t want to be wasting precious holiday time when you get to the campsite so it is worth having a trial run putting your tent up before you go.   Read the instructions and have a go if your garden allows.  If, like us you don’t have a grass garden and are not able to do this have a check of the equipment and familiarise yourself with the instructions.

When you get to the campsite you maybe allocated with a pitch.  Before you get your tent out have a look at the ground, hopefully the previous campers have left it clean and tidy, check for anything that could rip the tent  such as glass, stones and old pegs etc. Not only can they cause damage but would be uncomfortable to sleep or walk on!

I cant say I always get it right when pitching the tent, if you have to pitch on a slope, try to keep the door of your tent downhill to prevent rain coming in.  Rainwater runs downhill!

Have a think about your sleeping compartment too, its always good to lay out the tent first to make sure you have the right layout.  This saves having to move the tent when you have chosen the wrong way.

If you are able to choose your own pitch, I always try and find the flattest ground.   I can’t say I like to be too near the facilities, but this might suit  some people likewise I try and be as far away from play areas.

Look for a pitch that has plenty of space for your tent and enough room for your camping tables, chairs and cooking equipment.  If possible try not to set your camp too close to your fellow campers.

On a windy or exposed site hedges act as a good shelter.

Check the grass and avoid pitching your tent in marshy land, where the rain will drain to or in a hollow.

Camping under trees can be dangerous in a thunder storm and the grass does not tend to be good,  you could also have problems with rain water coming off the tree and birds nesting and pooping!

This isn’t an exhaustive list, but it might help to pick the right camping spot. Please feel free to contact us with your tips if we have missed any.

Now happy camping!