The best way to incrase your chances of finding a great tent campiing spot is to take a drive around the campground.
* Select a site not too close to the restrooms. The noise of the traffic to and from as well as the smell are things most people would rather not have to contend with.
* Find a site close to the lake, creek or river if you're by one. These sites are usually quieter and you'll be closer to a beach area or place you can fish from.
* Look for flat areas to set-up the camping tent that are not too close to the fire pit. If you set-up too close to the fire pit, the smoke will probably encourage you to move the tent later on.
* Avoid sites that are very close to the adjacent camp sites. Your privacy will be at risk if you're close to your neighbors.
* Think about how the sun and shade will affect your comfort. If you're not under some trees, the afternoon sun could make your site unbearable.
Once you select your camping hiking site, it's time to set-up your camping gear:
* Off-load your coolers and set them in a shaded area.
* Off-load your tarp and tent gear next - lay the tarp out so that the floor of the tent be completely covered and you'll have an extra 8 ft or so for a patio area in front of the door.
* Set-up the tent and make sure to trench around it if you expect any rain.
* Ventilate the tent and move in your mattresses, sleeping bags, etc.
* Set-up your kitchen area - I recommend a fold-up camping table to set your stove on. We bring a 2 burner non-propane stove and a single burner propane stove. The 2 burner non-propane stove works best for cooking, since it does not burn as hot. The single burner propane stove works great for heating water for hot drinks and washing.
* Set-up your camping chairs and you're ready to gather wood for your fire pit. If you site does not have a fire pit, you'll need to build one using large rocks to keep the burning wood contained.