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Choosing a campsite

Part of the Camping honor.

To help remember the things that are important to camp site selection, remember the six W’s:

  • Wind- Find areas that are protected from the wind. This requires knowing or guessing at the normal wind direction (hint look at the direction trees are leaning and the current wind direction)
  • Water- Fresh water should be available for drinking, beware of drainage areas, flooding and other water related hazards. Marshy areas can have a high mosquito population that can make camping miserable.
  • Weather- Knowledge of the weather patterns of an area can help you decide the best location for the camp site.
  • Wild things- Beware of signs of large mammals such as bear, wolves, and mountain lions. Also watch out for the small wild things such as snakes, spiders, ticks, biting flies and mosquitoes.
  • Wood- Adequate wood should be available for a campfire, and no dead wood above sleeping area. Survey the trees to make sure that they will not fall on you in strong winds.
  • Willingness- Make sure the owner of the property is willing for you to camp on it. Make sure you have the proper permits for camping areas.

Adapted from AY Honors/Camping/Choosing a campsite on the Pathfinder Wiki, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0. See the original page's history for its authors.
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