a double site for groups of up to 16 people, a triple site for groups of up to 24, or a group camping area for parties of more than 24.
• PLAY BY THE RULES. If you’re unhappy with the site you’ve selected, check with the campground host for other options. Don’t just grab a seemingly empty site that looks more appealing than yours—it could be reserved.
• PICK YOUR CAMPING BUDDIES WISELY. Make sure that everyone is on the same page regarding expectations of difficulty (amenities or the lack thereof, physical exertion, and so on), sleeping arrangements, and food requirements.
• DRESS FOR THE SEASON. Educate yourself on the temperature highs and lows of the specific part of the state you plan to visit. It may be warm at night in the summer in your backyard, but up in the mountains it will often be quite chilly.
• PITCH YOUR TENT ON A LEVEL SURFACE, either on a tent pad at the campsite or a surface covered with leaves, pine straw, or grass. Use a tarp or specially designed footprint to thwart ground moisture and to protect the tent floor. Before you pitch, do some site cleanup, such as picking up small rocks and sticks that can damage your tent floor and make sleep uncomfortable. If you have a separate rainfly but aren’t sure you’ll need it, keep it rolled up at the base of your tent in case it starts raining late at night.
• PACK A SLEEPING PAD IF LYING ON THE GROUND MAKES YOU UNCOMFORTABLE. Pads in a wide range of sizes and thicknesses are sold at outdoor stores. Inflatable pads are also available—don’t try to improvise with a home air mattress, which conducts heat away from the body and tends to deflate as you sleep.
• DON’T HANG OR TIE CLOTHESLINES, HAMMOCKS, AND EQUIPMENT ON OR TO TREES. Even if you see other campers doing this, be responsible and do your part to reduce damage to trees and shrubs.
• IF YOU TEND TO USE THE BATHROOM FREQUENTLY AT NIGHT, PLAN AHEAD. Leaving a comfy sleeping bag and stumbling around in the dark to find a place to heed nature’s call—be it a vault toilet, a full restroom, or just the woods—is no fun. Keep a flashlight and any other accoutrements you may need within easy reach, and know exactly where to head in the dark.
• LIKEWISE, KNOW HOW TO GO IN THE BACKCOUNTRY. If you’re camping at a primitive site, bringing large jugs of water and a portable toilet is the easiest and most environmentally friendly solution. A variety of portable toilets are available from outdoors suppliers; in a pinch, a 5-gallon bucket fitted with a toilet seat and lined with a heavy-duty plastic trash bag will work just as well. (Don’t forget to pack out the bag.) A second, less desirable method is to dig an 8-inch-deep cathole. It should be located at least 200 yards from campsites, trails, and water, in an inconspicuous location with as much undergrowth as possible. Cover the hole with a thin layer of soil after each use, and don’t burn or bury your toilet paper—pack it out in resealable plastic bags. If you plan to stay at the campsite for several days, dig a new hole each day, being careful to replace the topsoil over the hole from the day before. In addition to the plastic bags, your outdoor-toilet cache should include a garden trowel, toilet paper, and wet wipes. Select a trowel with a well-designed handle that can also double as a toilet paper dispenser.
• IF YOU’RE CAMPING AT A DEVELOPED SITE, DON’T SKIMP ON FOOD. Plan tasty meals, and bring everything you’ll need to prep, cook, eat, and clean up. That said, don’t duplicate equipment such as cooking pots among the members of your group.
• KEEP A CLEAN COOKING AREA, and pick up food scraps on the ground both during and after your visit. Maintain a group trash bag, and be sure to secure it in your vehicle at night. Many campgrounds have a pack-in/pack-out rule, and that means everything: no cheating by tossing orange peels, eggshells, or apple cores in the shrubs.
• DO YOUR PART TO PREVENT BEARS FROM BECOMING CONDITIONED TO SEEKING HUMAN FOOD. In the Southern Appalachians and Smokies, where bears abound, this is especially important. The constant search for food influences every aspect of a bear’s life, so when camping in bear country, store food in your vehicle or in bearproof containers. Keep food (including canned goods, soft drinks, and beer) and garbage secured, and don’t take food with you into your tent. You’ll also need to stow scented or flavored toiletries such as deodorant, toothpaste, and lip balm, as well as cooking grease and pet food. Common sense and adherence to the simple rules posted in the campgrounds will help keep you and the bears safe and healthy. (See for what to do if you encounter a bear.)
• USE ESTABLISHED FIRE RINGS, AND BE AWARE OF FIRE RESTRICTIONS. Make sure that your fire is totally extinguished whenever you leave the area. If you cook with a Dutch oven, use a fire pan and elevate it to avoid scorching or burning the ground. Don’t burn garbage in your campfire—trash fires smell awful and often don’t burn completely, plus fire rings fill with burned litter over time. Also check ahead to see if bringing your own firewood is allowed. If it’s not, buying firewood on-site (if available) may be preferable to gathering deadfall, which is frequently green and/or wet.
• DON’T WASH DISHES AND LAUNDRY OR BATHE IN STREAMS AND LAKES. Food scraps are unsightly and can be potentially harmful to fish, and even biodegradable soaps can be harmful to fragile aquatic environments.
• BE A GOOD NEIGHBOR. Observe quiet hours, keep noise to a minimum, and keep your pets leashed and under control.
• MOST IMPORTANT, LEAVE YOUR CAMP CLEANER THAN YOU FOUND IT. Pick up all trash and microlitter in your site, including in your fire ring. Disperse leftover brush used for firewood.
VENTURING AWAY FROM THE CAMPGROUND
If you decide to go for a hike, bike, or other excursion into the boondocks, here are some safety tips.
• LET SOMEONE AT HOME OR AT CAMP KNOW WHERE YOU’LL BE GOING AND HOW LONG YOU EXPECT TO BE GONE. Also let him or her know when you return.
• SIGN IN AND OUT OF ANY TRAIL REGISTERS PROVIDED. Leave notes on trail conditions if space allows—that’s your opportunity to alert others to any problems you encounter.
• DON’T ASSUME THAT YOUR PHONE WILL WORK ON THE TRAIL. Reception may be spotty or nonexistent, especially on a trail embraced by towering trees.
• ALWAYS CARRY FOOD AND WATER, EVEN FOR A SHORT HIKE. And bring more water than you think you’ll need. Boil, filter, or chemically treat water from a stream before drinking it.
• ASK QUESTIONS. Public-land employees are on hand to help.
• STAY ON DESIGNATED TRAILS. If you become disoriented, assess your current direction, and then retrace your steps to the point where you went astray. Using a map, compass, and/or GPS unit, and keeping in mind what you’ve passed thus far, reorient yourself and trust your judgment on which way to continue. If you become absolutely unsure of how to continue, return to your vehicle the way you came in. Should you become completely lost, staying put and waiting for help is most often the best option for adults and always the best option for children.
Paddling Fontana Lake (see Tsali Campground, campground 36)
• CARRY A WHISTLE. It could save your life if you get lost or hurt.
• BE ESPECIALLY CAREFUL WHEN CROSSING STREAMS. Whether you’re fording a stream or crossing on a log, make every step count. If you have any doubt about maintaining your balance on a log, ford the stream instead: use a trekking pole or stout stick for balance and face upstream as you cross. If a stream seems too deep to ford, turn back.
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