How to Build an Outdoor Base

Locate a dependable water supply. This is your most important task, for without potable water, outdoor camping is very difficult. For larger groups, it may be necessary to check out possible sites beforehand. The best scenario is to locate a camping base near an active supply of potable water. A working pump connected to a clean well or an active spring with a good flow rate are ideal. In any case, a water testing kit and mechanical water purifiers should be on hand, just in case. The purifiers can even be employed to make clean, potable water from small mountain streams.

Choose your source of cooking fuel. Firewood can be a free option if the camp base is located in or near a hardwood forest. However, campsites with many visitors may not have any available firewood. Other possibilities include backpacker gas stoves, charcoal grills or propane cookers. The last two options definitely add more weight, but may be carried in by canoe, horseback, four-wheel drive vehicles or strong backpackers, if the trail is not too rugged.

Make a plan for waste disposal. Latrines can be built for smaller groups, if the local regulation allows. If you do build one, make sure it is large enough and never put a waste pit anywhere near water. Furthermore, if latrines are not an option, then larger groups may require special arrangements, including portable latrines, when road access is available. If you are planning an outdoor camping excursion, such as a reunion, you might consider locating a camping base on a private farm or lakeside property, where plumbing is available or waste disposal units can be brought in.

Plan ahead for tent sites. Several factors come into play in regards to setting up tents. Most important is water drainage, but also important are the direction of prevailing wind, location of tall trees, possibility of flash floods and exposure to summer thunderstorms. Many of these concerns are interrelated.

Keep an eye on wild animals and insects. To a certain degree, these problems are unavoidable, but certain precautions can be taken to minimize these dangers. The first concern is food storage. Properly caching your food at night in a tree with a sling attached by rope will keep away wild animals. However, insects can be even peskier. Insect repellent helps, but choice of campsite can reduce the need to use these aromatic sprays. Well-drained land with a natural breeze can keep the actual numbers of insects at a tolerable level, as can avoiding the late spring-early summer season, when insects are plentiful.