How to Set Up Camping Tents

Select a good campsite. In public and private campgrounds, this decision has been made for you, with a level tent-pitching area clearly designated, and a fire pit, and possibly a picnic table, provided. In the backcountry, you're on your own to find the best site. Look for a flat, level and preferably well-drained piece of ground, one with bare dirt or grass into which you can easily drive tent pegs and guy lines (ropes that help anchor your tent to the ground). Choose a spot that has sufficient room to allow for ventilation and placement of any guy lines that extend from the tent.
In windy locations, try to find a tent site that is downwind from bushes, low trees or other land features that offer a windbreak, but upwind from your campfire and its resulting smoke. If you're camping during rain, snow, or a spring or summer thaw, make sure your tent site is away from---or at least protected from---runoff.

Clear the tent site of debris such as rocks, branches, twigs or nettles---anything that makes the ground uneven or may poke a hole in your tarp or tent floor. As with any foray into nature, try to leave as little impact on your intended campsite as possible.

Unfold the waterproof tarp in the center of your site. The tarp should be at least a few inches larger than your tent floor. Plan to place your tent on the back of the tarp so that any additional tarp area is in front of the door; this limits the possibility of tracking debris into the tent and provides a dry area for storing items outside yet still within arm's reach.

Roll out your tent on top of the tarp. Assemble the tent poles and string them through or attach them to the tent's loops or clips. Erect the tent by placing the pole ends in the grommet eyes or loops at its corners. Once the tent is assembled, make sure it is properly placed over the tarp. If your tent site isn't flat, position your tent so that your head will be higher than your feet when you sleep.

Drive the tent pegs into the ground. Adjust the tarp to accommodate the pegs---in most cases, you can simply fold the corners of the tarp under itself. Add guy lines if necessary. If weather permits, open the tent's windows to air it out before use.

Install the tent's waterproof fly to protect yourself from storms, to keep out morning dew, or to keep the tent warmer if needed. Use guy lines as directed by your tent manufacturer, but they are generally required only in extreme wind conditions that threaten to buckle tent poles.