If you have never gone tent camping, try to take someone with you who has at least some experience, it is not that difficult but there are some things you should be aware of before you go. For example, it is essential that you know how to build your tent, if you want your camping trip to be an enjoyable experience you should make yourself knowledgeable about all kind of camping techniques. In this article we will give you some tips to start tent camping.

Before you even leave your home, you should build your tent at least one time in your yard or a park in the neighbourhood. This way you can be sure that you have everything you need to set up your tent and you know how to do it.

Choose a safe location

As a novice, for your first camping trip choose a location close to home. So you can drive home if you are having some problems on your camping trip. Also choose a location that is safe to stay, you are away from the safety and comfort of your home and you should try to make your camping trip as safe and comfortable as possible, this way you can enjoy your camping trip to the full extent.

Building your tent on a slope is not a save place, but that is just common sense. Most novice campers would pick a nice spot in a valley near a little creek when they would have the opportunity to choose. However that is not always the safest place to build your tent. You should always try to build your tent on high land, especially when you are camping in the rainy season. The land where you built your tent, should also be even, and you should remove all rocks, sticks and other hard stuff, it should be comfortable to sleep on, you are going to need all the rest you can get.

Protect your tent

When you have cleared the ground from all hard matters and other stuff that could damage the tent, you should use a ground cloth. A ground cloth is an essential peace of camping gear you can't do without. During all kind of weather and especially in the rainy season this cloth will protect the ground floor of your tent from any kind of damage. little sticks and rocks can't penetrate the floor and because of that water can't come in. A ground cloth is a cheap way to protect your expensive tent. You can buy it in different sizes in any local camping store and most gas stations. When it is extremely rainy you can dig some ditches around your tent with a ditch leading down and away from your tent.

Hammer those stacks

Most tents come with stacks, some are wood, other aluminium or steel but they are the stuff that keeps your tent in place and you cant do without them, so check and double check if you have packed your stacks. The stacks fix your tent to the ground and you should use a hammer to secure them in the right way. By placing first the back stacks, then the front and after that the stacks in between you can tighten the tent in to shape, there will be no dents in the canvas and water will just run down the tent. The stacks also will keep your tent from being blown away in case of heavy wind.