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Camp Arrival & First Pitch Order of Operations
Reach camp, pitch your tent in the right order and be settled before the light fades.
Beginner
4 min
CAMP ARRIVAL & FIRST PITCH ORDER OF OPERATIONS
[ ] Ground Clearing
[ ] Rainfly Pegging
[ ] Sleeping Pad Inflate
- Ground Clearing: needs only your hands. A small hand broom helps keep the tent floor clean.
- Rainfly Pegging: stakes that suit your ground (soil, sand or rock), guylines and tensioners.
- Sleeping Pad Inflate: pump sack or built-in valve; carry a small patch kit.
- Scan before you settle. Look up for dead branches, down for ground hazards and around for signs of water rising or animals. Move if the spot feels wrong.
- Secure the shelter. Stake out the tent and fly fully, even on a calm evening. Wind can come up overnight.
- Store food and scented items correctly. Follow food storage rules for your area. Check current local rules with the managing agency (nps.gov, fs.usda.gov or your state park website).
Gear types only.
- Footprint or groundsheet sized to the tent
- Extra stakes and a mallet or rock-friendly stake
- Sleeping pad (inflatable or foam)
- Headlamp with a red light mode
- Warm layers for the evening
Dusk camp setup [anchor: dusk-camp-setup]
Arrive late? Do this in order:
- Headlamp out and on before it is dark
- Tent up first, then pad and bag
- Warm layer and hat on before you get cold
- Cook and clean up, then store food
- Final check: flashlight by your head, shoes inside the tent door
Why it matters: setting up in the dark is when stakes get stepped on and mistakes happen. Plan to arrive early, and if you cannot, shelter first.
Where you may camp, how far from water, and how to store food vary by park and state. Check current local rules before you go. For Leave No Trace camp guidance see lnt.org.
Camp is easier when the order is simple. Shelter first, then everything else. When the evening gets cool, a Wild Dirt clothing layer is there if you want one.
1. Arrive and look around
- Arrive with daylight to spare
- Walk the site before you drop your pack
- Look up for dead branches over your tent spot
- Check for ant nests, animal trails and low spots where rain pools
2. Pick the spot
- Choose a flat, durable surface such as an established site
- Camp well away from lakes and streams (Leave No Trace suggests about 200 feet; check lnt.org and current local rules for your area)
- Put the tent door away from the wind
3. Ground Clearing
- Ground Clearing: move rocks, sticks and pinecones by hand
- Put them back where you found them when you leave
- Lay a footprint or groundsheet that stays inside the tent edges
4. Pitch the tent
- Stake the tent body corners first
- Clip or slide the poles in and raise the tent
- Rainfly Pegging: put the fly over the tent, stake it out taut and use the guylines
5. Set up the inside
- Sleeping Pad Inflate: inflate or unroll your pad inside the tent
- Unpack your sleeping bag so it can fluff up
- Keep wet gear and food out of the sleeping area
6. Then the rest of camp
- Set up your kitchen area away from the tent
- Hang or store food as required in your area
- Put your headlamp where you can find it in the dark
1. Arrive and look around
- Arrive with daylight to spare
- Walk the site before you drop your pack
- Look up for dead branches over your tent spot
- Check for ant nests, animal trails and low spots where rain pools
2. Pick the spot
- Choose a flat, durable surface such as an established site
- Camp well away from lakes and streams (Leave No Trace suggests about 200 feet; check lnt.org and current local rules for your area)
- Put the tent door away from the wind
3. Ground Clearing
- Ground Clearing: move rocks, sticks and pinecones by hand
- Put them back where you found them when you leave
- Lay a footprint or groundsheet that stays inside the tent edges
4. Pitch the tent
- Stake the tent body corners first
- Clip or slide the poles in and raise the tent
- Rainfly Pegging: put the fly over the tent, stake it out taut and use the guylines
5. Set up the inside
- Sleeping Pad Inflate: inflate or unroll your pad inside the tent
- Unpack your sleeping bag so it can fluff up
- Keep wet gear and food out of the sleeping area
6. Then the rest of camp
- Set up your kitchen area away from the tent
- Hang or store food as required in your area
- Put your headlamp where you can find it in the dark
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