Backcountry skills中文
How to Choose a Backcountry Campsite
Safety, comfort, and impact — in that order. Water distance, falling objects, drainage, wind, and why an existing site beats a new one.
In short
A good backcountry campsite balances safety, comfort, and impact. Stay at least 200 ft (60 m) from lakes and streams, away from cliff bases, dead trees, ridges, and hollows that collect rainwater. Pitch on flat ground with natural wind protection, orient the door away from the wind, and use an existing site rather than making a new one.
You will spend a third of the trip lying on this spot. Choose it deliberately.
Safety First
- Away from water: camp at least 200 ft (60 m) from streams and lakes — both to keep wildlife's drinking water clean and to avoid a nighttime rise in water level.
- Away from cliff bases: rockfall.
- Away from dead trees: they shed limbs and topple in wind.
- Away from ridges and isolated high points: lightning.
- Read the drainage: don't pitch in a hollow that will pool rainwater.
- Mind the wind: face the tent door away from the prevailing wind.
Comfort
- Level ground: lie on your side and check that you stay level.
- Orientation: an eastern exposure suits early risers; a western one bakes in the late afternoon.
- Vegetation: grass is more comfortable than bare ground, but don't crush rare plants.
- Shelter: natural windbreaks — bushes, tree lines — stabilize the tent.
Leave No Trace
- Camp on existing sites; don't carve out new ones.
- Hard surfaces (sand, gravel, rock) tolerate trampling better than meadow.
- Restore the site when you leave and pack out all trash.
High-Altitude Camps
- Above 9,800 ft (3,000 m): climb high, sleep low. Push your daytime elevation higher for acclimatization, then return to a lower spot to sleep — it helps prevent AMS.
- Glacier camps: avoid crevasses and pick flat, solid snow.