Personal Campsite Tips

Here is a collection of wisdom that various Universe members have collected over the years.

Try to select a campsite with enough flat ground for you to sleep comfortably (unless you're sleeping in a hammock or suspended tent). On some event sites, there isn't much flat ground, so you'll have to pick a site that has an acceptable amount of slope. You'll probably want to set up so that your head is uphill when you are sleeping.

In general, some areas will be quieter and some louder; some brigher and some dimmer through the night. Check with veteran camp members about what certain parts of the campsite are like if you have specific needs. Keep in mind that at some events (like Firefly), pretty much all of the main campsite is subject to music throughout the night, so it's a good idea to bring earplugs if those are an effective solution for you. If you are especially sensitive to noise, you can also place your personal campsite far away from the main nexus of the event, so that you have a quiet place to retreat to when you want to sleep.

<Insert some links here or pictures about good tent placement, good groundcloth placement, stick/rock clearing, etc>

Sleeping off the ground is a good way to deal with sloping ground, and can be quite comfortable. If you plan to sleep in a hammock or suspended tent, please be aware of how your rigging and placement can affect the rest of the camp – try to select trees to rig from that won't result in your rigging blocking off key pathways inside the camp. If you are not sure how to tell if a tree is a good place to rig from, you can consult with a tent gnome or one of our other experienced riggers.

Even if your tent has a built-in rain fly, covering your personal campsite with a tarp is a good way to ensure that you and your gear will stay dry in the event of heavy rainfall (which usually happens at least once a year at Firefly!). A good tarp will be larger than the footprint of your tent, to provide some shelter from blowing rain and create a “porch” area where you can be dry outside your tent. Heavy-duty white tarps are slightly more expensive than the normal cheap blue tarps, but they make the lighting underneath a lot nicer, and will hold up to years of camping, so they are worth the investment.

Tarps should be rigged so that there is a clear direction for water to shed, and there are no “low spots” where water will form puddles on the tarp. The easiest way to achieve this is to make a traditional “roof” shape with your tarp, meaning one rope in the center of the tarp and high in the air, and additional ropes stretching the tarp over the center line and forming a peak.

The best way to fasten tarps is to use paracord tied with easily removable knots. You can create “pulleys” from paracord if desired, which allow you to easily adjust the tension of your tarp. If possible, your tarp's main line should be several feet taller than you are, to allow you to walk under the tarp without ducking.

At some events such as Burning Man, wind is a real concern, and any structures that might catch the wind (such as tarps) need to be carefully secured so that they don't blow away. At wooded events such as Firefly and NECTR, wind is not a concern, so you can be more casual with your rigging.

<insert photo of proper tarp rigging>

Info about paracord and webbing

Info about knots

Info about tensioning pulleys