Pitch Camp Like a Pro in the Fall Season

When my wife, kids, and I drove across the country, I got obsessed with how quickly we could set up camp. Part of this is because we drove waaaaay too many miles each day. These long drives forced us to pitch camp at 9 PM and tear it down 8 hours later. It sucked, but the practice made us efficient.

The weather during our trip was mostly mild. These dry conditions helped a lot. In the fall and winter, you’re less assured of such luxuries. The weather can work against you and the days are shorter. As such, you’ll need to adapt your approach to setting up camp accordingly.

Start as early as you can

Load up as much of your gear as possible the day before your trip. Having your truck loaded allows you to get moving reasonably early on the day of. If it’s below freezing, avoid packing your bottled beverages in advance. (You don’t want them to freeze, explode, and make a mess in your vehicle.)

As days get shorter in the fall, you’ll want to arrive at the park as early as possible. Doing so gives you a little more time for driving. Take it easy on the roads, especially if there’s ice. Once you get to your campsite, you’ll want to set up almost immediately—to avoid having to do so in the dark.

Use your setting to your advantage

Before you start setting up camp, consider the weather and survey the park for a suitable campsite. Doing so can make a big difference to your experience.

If the forecast calls for wind, look for a campsite with natural shelter. A cluster of trees or bushes might help obstruct the wind. Nothing like that in the area? Perhaps use your car/truck to form a barrier from the wind.

If you’re tenting, seek higher ground. You want rainfall to move away from your tent, so water doesn’t pool there. Also, be careful to set up your tarps, so that water from them gets directed away from your tent, campfire area, and picnic table.

Sunny skies and no wind? Consider where the sun will fall throughout the day and where you want to be when it does. I like to feel the sun on my back on cold mornings, so I try to set camp up in a way that puts us in the path of those morning rays.

Anticipate the worst case

If there’s any possibility of rain, I set up my tarps and awning in advance. Setting up the tarps doesn’t take much effort, and doing so before rain falls is more pleasant than scrambling. A tarp over your cook space and picnic table is a good idea, too. Once you’ve set them up a few times, there’s nothing to it.

Have a headlamp and lanterns with you. You’ll probably need them anyway, and if you arrive late, they’ll come in super-handy. My tent has color-coded poles and pole strips. Being able to see these makes a heck of a difference.

Stake your tent. In the summer, you can be a little more laissez-faire on this point. (I’m not, but I know others are pretty casual about staking their tents.) You don’t want your tent to move around on you or become unnecessarily noisy. Stake the thing down, so you’re prepared if the wind gets nasty.

In intense winds, it’s advisable to check your tent’s rigging more frequently and tighten lines as necessary. You might also set up your tent so that the side with the least surface area faces into the wind.

Make the first night easiest

Setting up camp always involves more fiddling than I anticipate. So, I try to take some shortcuts. Making some simple foil packets in advance will save you some cooking and cleaning. Toss them on the fire while you set up camp. Once you’ve done your jobs, they’ll (hopefully) be ready to eat. Want to save a little more time? Pick up a pizza on your way out. It feels like cheating, but whatever.

Have a bag set aside with some matches and tinder. You might even keep some dry kindling and firewood at the ready. I know this seems a bit over-the-top, but it sure is nice to have a fire roaring while you pitch your tent. (It pisses me off to start a fire, go work on a few tasks, and then return to find that it didn’t take.) Also, store your ready firewood in a covered place, so it burns well.

Keep it nice and tidy

This last section might not fit with your approach. I’m a bit on the picky side, and I get that. Nevertheless, everything gets dirty when you’re out camping—and this is even worse in wet weather. Personally? I’ll do whatever I can to prevent unnecessary clean-up later.

Keep a hand broom and dustpan close at hand. You can use these to sweep out your tent and the back of your truck. The cleaner these spaces are, the nicer your gear stays.

Bang off your boots before you hop in your truck, and remove them before entering the tent. Shake excess rain from your hardshell, then hang it to dry while you sleep. Keep a washbasin and soap nearby for hand washing. You catch my drift.

A tidy and well-organized camp lets you focus on your camping experience instead of futzing around and dealing with a mess.

Adapt Your Cooking Setup for Off-Season Camping is the next installment in our Fall Camping Guide.

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That nice shot above is from Marek Piwnicki. Thanks Marek!

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