by Marc Phillippe Babineau

Created on: February 20, 2009   Last Updated: March 03, 2009

Camping is our way of getting back to nature, either with as minimal creature comforts as possible, or with all the new high-tech camping gear that makes camping easier and more comfortable. Seasoned campers have their light strings, bug tents and three or four different means of cooking, television with DVDs and/or a satellite connection, bicycles, a boat and an ATV (all terrain vehicle). However, as every seasoned tent camper will tell you, selecting the best campsite possible for your specific requirements is one of the most important parts of having a comfortable nights sleep, as well as a great time being had by all.

A great campsite is one that allows the entire group to enjoy the peacefulness of nature, and allows a grand view of the lake/river/ocean or mountain vista that you are camping alongside. An even, soft area, preferably with grass and no large rocks or tree roots where the tents are meant to be set up is an ideal spot to pitch tents. Calling ahead is always beneficial, as some campsites offer hay for placing under the tents, and charge little to nothing for it, or they can assist you in selecting the best site for your needs, as they know what all the sites are like.

A perfect campsite selection, for many people, is also one that allows the campers privacy from other campers. The availability of trees for setting up hammocks and tarpaulins for rain and wind shelter, and for covering the firewood to keep it dry are all requisite of the perfect campsite. For many other people, the perfect campsite selection involves a communal like atmosphere, with neighbouring tents almost touching their own tent, and groups of neighbours sharing campfires, songs and stories.

There are some campgrounds that put the campsites so close together that your tent is only a few feet from your neighbouring campers, and there are other sites that have up to 50 or more yards of dense brush or trees between campsites, giving the campers the feeling of being alone with nature, at least at night with the campfire raging and the stars popping out of the midnight sky like popcorn through a microwave ovens' window.

Selecting a campsite at a campground that you have yet to visit can be a gamble for the first years' visit. With any luck, if you do not like the site that you reserved, there may be other campsites open up that you could switch to, or other sites may open in a day or two that you could transfer to. Park employees are very helpful in that manner with campers who follow

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