Camping skills

How do you pitch a tent well?

Pitch a tent well by practising at home first, choosing flat ground, pegging it out tight, and turning the narrow end into the wind. A tent that has been up once in the garden goes up in half the time on a hill, and the first time you find a missing peg is better at home than at dusk.

Pitching for the first time

Lay the tent out, find the doors and work out which poles go where before anything is pegged. Many backpacking tents pitch flysheet first, or both together, which keeps the inner dry in rain; the instructions will say which. Peg the corners at about 45 degrees, leaning away from the tent, then tension the guylines until the fabric is smooth. Loose fabric flaps, leaks where it touches the inner, and keeps you awake.

Pitching in wind

In wind, pitch with the narrow end or the back of the tent facing into it, and peg the windward side first so the tent can't fill like a sail. Keep something heavy on the fabric while you work, and use every guyline. If you can't tell where the wind is coming from, wet a finger. It works. Spare pegs and guylines are in tent accessories.

Pitching on a slope

On a slope, sleep with your head uphill. Even a slight sideways slope rolls you into the tent wall through the night, so lie down on the spot before you pitch and move if you slide.

How do you stay warm when camping?

You stay warm when camping by insulating yourself from the ground, going to bed warm and dry, and eating before you sleep. Cold nights are usually caused by a thin sleeping mat, damp clothes or going to bed already chilled.

• Mat first. The ground draws heat out of you through a thin mat. A sleeping mat with an R-value of at least 3 suits April to October in the UK; sleeping mat R-value explained has the detail, and you can compare sleeping mats in the shop.
• Dry layers. Keep one set of clothes, including socks, for the tent only. Change into them before you get cold.
• Food. A hot meal and something sweet before bed give your body fuel to burn overnight.
• Head and feet. Wear a warm hat and dry socks. Your sleeping bag's hood only works if you pull it tight.
• Before bed. Go to the toilet before you get in. You won't want to get out of a warm bag at 3am.

A sleeping bag's comfort rating should be at or below the coldest temperature you expect. If you're still cold, eat something, add a layer, and put your rucksack or spare clothes under your legs.

How do you stop condensation in a tent?

You reduce condensation in a tent by ventilating it, keeping wet things out of the inner, and pitching away from water and hollows. Condensation is the moisture from your breath and the damp air settling on the cold inside of the flysheet. Every tent gets some on a still, cold night, and it isn't a leak.

• Open the vents, and keep a door partly open if the weather allows.
• Pitch where air can move, away from sheltered hollows and the banks of streams.
• Keep the flysheet taut so it doesn't touch the inner.
• Leave wet waterproofs and boots in the porch.
• Don't cook inside the tent.

In the morning, wipe the inside of the flysheet with a small cloth before you pack, or dry the tent out when you get home.

How do you get safe drinking water when camping?

Get safe drinking water when camping by treating anything from a stream, burn or lake before you drink it: boil it, filter it, or use purification tablets. Water that looks clear can carry bacteria and parasites from livestock and from other campers upstream.

• Boiling kills everything. Bring the water to a rolling boil.
• Filters remove bacteria and parasites and work instantly, but most don't remove viruses or chemicals. Read what yours is rated for.
• Tablets are light and cheap, but need time to work, from several minutes to a few hours depending on the tablet and how cold the water is. Read the packet.

Collect from fast-flowing water above any paths, farms or pitches. Carry enough for the walk in and your evening, and top up near camp.

How do you cook safely outside the tent?

Cook outside the tent on a stable, flat surface, sheltered from the wind, with the tent door open if you're in the porch. Never cook inside the inner. Camping stoves use up oxygen and give off carbon monoxide, which you can't see or smell, and a flare-up can melt a flysheet in seconds.

Set the stove on bare ground or a flat stone, away from grass and peat. Shield it from the wind with your body or a rucksack, and keep it well clear of the tent. Turn the gas off at the stove before you unscrew the canister. Never light an open fire: use the stove for everything.

What navigation skills do you need?

You need to be able to find where you are on a paper map, follow a path in poor visibility, and give a grid reference if you need help. A phone app is useful, but batteries die in the cold, and signal on hills is patchy.

• The map. Ordnance Survey Explorer maps, at 1:25,000, show field boundaries, paths and contour lines in enough detail for walking and choosing a pitch.
• Contours. Lines close together mean steep ground; lines far apart mean flat ground. Flat ground near water is where pitches are.
• Grid references. A six-figure grid reference puts you within 100 metres. It's what mountain rescue will ask for.
• The compass. Learn to set the map to north and take a bearing to the next feature. Practise on a walk you already know.

How do you pack up and leave no trace?

Pack up and leave no trace by taking every scrap of rubbish home, removing every peg, putting back any stones you moved, and checking the ground on your hands and knees before you go. The test is whether the next person could tell you were there.

• Toilet. Pee at least 30 metres from lochs, rivers and burns. For anything more, go well away from water, paths and buildings, dig a small hole with a trowel and replace the turf, or bag it and carry it out. Take used toilet paper home.
• Rubbish. Carry out everything, including food scraps, tea bags and peel.
• The pitch. Fluff up flattened grass and move on after one night, or two at most.

Our page on Leave No Trace explains the principles we follow, and wild camping in the UK covers where you're allowed to pitch in the first place.

Questions people ask

How long does it take to pitch a tent?

How long a tent takes to pitch depends on the design and on practice, and the first pitch is always the slowest. Put yours up at home and time it, so you know how much daylight you need at camp.

Should you pitch a tent under a tree?

No. Pitching under a tree brings dripping water long after rain stops, and branches can fall in wind. Pitch in the open, with a wall or bank to break the wind.

Can you drink water from streams in the UK?

You can drink water from streams in the UK once it has been treated by boiling, filtering or purification tablets. Don't drink it untreated, however clear it looks.

What is the best way to dry a tent?

The best way to dry a tent is to pitch it or hang it loosely indoors or in a garden as soon as you get home, until every seam is dry. A tent packed away damp can grow mould, which stains and weakens the fabric.