If you are camping at a paid campground, the campsites are probably nice and level. But, if you are wild camping or backpacking, you’ll quickly realize how difficult it can be to find level ground for pitching your tent.
Worst of all, a campsite can appear to be level. But, then you lay down to sleep only to realize the ground is actually sloped.
Camping on a uneven ground can be an absolute nightmare. Obviously it’s uncomfortable. And, because sleeping bags are slippery, you are almost guaranteed to slide off of your sleeping pad. Since your sleeping pad is important for warmth, you might wake up at 4am somehow in the corner of the tent and shivering your butt off (speaking from experience here :)).
After camping on a slanted surface multiple times, I’ve learned to use these tricks to make sure my campsite is actually flat and level. It only takes an extra minute or two but really improves your camping experience. And, if you really can’t find even ground, there are some tricks to make sleeping more comfortable.
How to Find a Level Campsite for Pitching Your Tent
1. Lay On the Ground and Spread Your Arms
Lay the tent on the ground where you are thinking of pitching it. Then lay on top of this (my tent has a ground sheet, so I just lay on top of that).
Spread your arms and legs out, almost like you are making a snow angel. This will give you a feel for whether the ground is actually level. It also helps you locate any annoying rocks/bumpy areas so you can level those out before pitching.
2. The Pole + Water Bottle Trick
This method for finding a level campsite is good if you don’t feel like laying on the ground (such as if it’s raining). You basically make a level tool out of your water bottle.
- Put a trekking pole on the ground.
- Put a water bottle right next to the trekking pole.
- Look where the air bubble in the water bottle is.
- If the bubble is in the middle of the water bottle, the ground is level.
What If You Can’t Find a Level Campsite?
A big mistake that a lot of campers make is sleeping with their head upwards. While this is certainly better than sleeping with your head down the slope, it is not comfortable. You’ll slowly slide down your sleeping pad the entire night.
Instead, sleep parallel to the slope. Use whatever you have (jacket, backpack, etc.) to prop up your sleeping pad so you end up with a flat sleeping surface.
If you really have to sleep with your head upwards, then use this trick:
- Roll up a shirt, jacket, etc.
- Put the roll underneath your sleeping pad beneath your hip.
- This creates a bump which prevents you from sliding down.
Unfortunately, this trick only works well if you have a foam pad or a self-inflating pad. It does not work well with thicker air pads and definitely doesn’t work with air mattresses.
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