As a little kid my family and I were always planning camping trips to numerous places around Iowa, including our back yard. Every opportunity that we had we doing something in the outdoors. Setting up camp during our outings was always a struggle. Even the seasoned campers may never pack everything or will over pack every now and then. The weather can play a big role on what you bring and how you set up. Here are a few tips that we would follow to make our camping experiences a little bit better.

• Always plan for wind even on a breeze-free day. Stake your tent down on the side facing the wind first. Face the entrance of your tent away from the wind.
• When you are putting your rain guard on set that up first. In case of rain coming fast you will have it ready to go right when you are finished putting your tent up. You can also use it as a shield if it is already raining by placing it over top of your tent and setting your tent up that way.
• If you are putting your tent up on uneven ground, place the tent in the position where your head will be on the uphill ground.
• Make sure when plotting out an area for your tent that all the sticks, stones, and debris are moved so you do not have to deal with it when you are trying to sleep.
• To make a pillow, put some of your clothes in your sleeping bag sack.
• Fluffing your sleeping bag when you unroll it in your tent will help with insulation later when you go to sleep.

Setting up camp right will help make everything easier for your trip. My family and I spend quality time setting up the right way so we can have fun and not worry about it later. Keeping camp the way it looks from the beginning is another important concept but making sure it is as ready as it can be is crucial for having a good trip.