Check the terrain and fire hazards first
The biggest bane of your tent-pitching existence will be the terrain, especially if you don’t scope it out for inconsistencies. Mud, sunken ground, or uneven terrain will make driving the stakes of your tent into the ground a nightmare. If it’s raining, mud can shift, taking your tent with it. You always want to set up your tent on level ground. If you’ve found your spot of choice, a good idea is to brush away any large sticks, stones, branches, and other rubbish. You definitely don’t want to wake up in the middle of the night in pain because a large stone is digging into your butt.
Check to make sure you don’t keep your tent near a fire hazard, like a fire pit or propane cooker. Tents are usually made of nylon, and they can ignite or melt if exposed to high heat. So if you’re inside the tent when the zippers melt, you could horrifically be trapped inside a burning inferno. Never set up your tent near an open fire and never set up your cooking tools inside the tent.
If you’re camping on especially tough or frozen ground, make sure you bring a hammer with you to securely drive the stakes into the ground. Nothing could be worse that a stiff breeze carrying your beloved tent away into the treetops or a nearby lake. Try to drive the stakes at a 90-degree angle with the terrain as much as possible.
