What we look for in a campsite

A view is the last thing we check

We look at drainage first — a beautiful clearing that turns into a shallow lake after one night of rain isn't a campsite, it's a mistake waiting for weather. We walk the ground before anyone pitches a single tent, looking for the subtle dip that means water collects there, or the slightly darker soil that suggests it stays damp longer than the rest of the field.

Wind direction matters more than most people expect too. A site that's calm and pleasant at six in the evening can turn brutal by two in the morning once the temperature drops and air starts moving downhill off the ridge above. We've learned to check not just how a site feels when we arrive, but what the terrain around it suggests about how it'll feel eight hours later.

Distance from water is a trade-off, not a bonus

Too close to a stream and you're fighting damp ground, condensation inside every tent, and more insects than anyone signed up for. Too far and everyone's hauling water further than they'd like by day three, which sounds minor until you're the one doing it after a twelve-mile day.

We've learned the right distance through trial, not theory — it's usually closer than people assume when they picture an ideal campsite, but never right on the bank where the ground stays soft and the noise makes it hard for anyone to sleep.

Why we return to the same handful of sites

We could scout new campsites on every trip, and occasionally we do. But mostly we return to a short list of spots we already trust, because a site that's worked a dozen times in a dozen different weather conditions tells us more than a beautiful spot we've only seen once, in good weather, without knowing how it holds up under stress.