PITCH YOUR TENT ON A LEVEL SURFACE, preferably one 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.
• CONSIDER PACKING A SLEEPING PAD IF THE GROUND MAKES YOU UNCOMFORTABLE. A wide range of pads in varying sizes and thicknesses is sold at outdoors 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 MULTIPLE TIMES 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 by the tent door, and know exactly where to head in the dark.
• WHEN YOU CAMP AT A PRIMITIVE SITE, KNOW HOW TO GO. Bringing large jugs of water and a portable toilet is the easiest and most environmentally friendly solution. A variety of portable toilets, from plush-seated models to glorified plastic bags, are available from outdoors suppliers; in a pinch, a 5-gallon bucket fitted with a toilet seat and lined with a heavy-duty trash bag will work just as well. (Be sure to pack out the trash bag.)
A second, less desirable method is to dig a cathole 3–8 inches deep. 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 WON’T BE HIKING TO A PRIMITIVE CAMPSITE, 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 KITCHEN AREA, and avoid leaving 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 sites 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, RACCOONS, SKUNKS, AND OTHER WILDLIFE FROM BECOMING CONDITIONED TO SEEK HUMAN FOOD. Store food (including canned goods, soft drinks, and beer) in your vehicle or in animal-proof containers. Keep your 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.
On a related note, an unannounced approach, a sudden movement, or a loud noise will startle any wildlife that happens to wander through the campground. A surprised animal can be dangerous to you, to others, and to itself, so give animals plenty of space.
• USE ESTABLISHED FIRE RINGS, AND CHECK AHEAD TO FAMILIARIZE YOURSELF WITH ALL RELEVANT FIRE RESTRICTIONS/BANS. (In Arizona, open fires are usually permitted except during especially dry times and in especially fire-vulnerable areas.) Make sure that your campfire is totally extinguished before you turn in for the night or before you leave your site. Please don’t burn your garbage—trash fires smell awful and often don’t burn completely, and fire rings fill with unsightly burned litter over time.
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 can be 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 dish soap can be harmful to fragile aquatic environments.
• BE A GOOD NEIGHBOR. Be aware of quiet hours, especially when pulling into a campground after dark. Keep your pets leashed and under control. Avoid shining your headlights or flashlights into other campsites as you search for a spot. And please turn down your car stereo—that bass beat carries farther than you think.
In addition, walk on designated paths and roads, and respect the privacy of your neighbors by not strolling through their sites to get to the restrooms. You’ll also reduce damage to the foliage and keep the campground green by sticking to the main trail.
• MOST OF ALL, LEAVE YOUR CAMP CLEANER THAN YOU FOUND IT. In Girl Scouts, we were taught to scavenge around the campsite picking up every piece of trash we could find, even if it wasn’t ours. Make cleaning up into a game with your kids: whoever packs out the most twist ties, pop tops, and gum wrappers is the winner.
VENTURING AWAY FROM THE CAMPGROUND
If you decide to go for a hike, bike, or other excursion off-site, 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. This can be a lifesaver if something untoward happens, and it also keeps your loved ones from worrying. We’re in the habit of sending Kirstin’s sister a text message once we decide where we we’re going to camp and then checking in when we arrive home.
• 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. We recommend a minimum of 3 liters of water per person, per day. If you’re used to depending on water from lakes or streams, remember that most of Arizona’s few water sources are ephemeral and, when present, are frequently shared with livestock. Always treat so-called found water by boiling, filtering, or chemically treating it before drinking.
• 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, remaining in place and waiting for help is most often the best option for adults and always the best option for children.
• CARRY A WHISTLE. It could save your life if you get lost or injured.
• BE ESPECIALLY CAREFUL WHEN CROSSING STREAMS. Whether you’re fording a stream or crossing on a log, make every
