I. Several "Don'ts" to Strictly Remember for Camping
Do not camp near water,
to avoid flooding.
Do not camp under cliffs,
to avoid falling rocks.
Do not camp on high, exposed ground,
to avoid strong winds.
Do not camp under lone trees,
to avoid lightning strikes.
Do not camp in grass or thickets,
to avoid snakes and insects.
II. Methods and Techniques for Setting Up a Tent
First decide on the location for setting up the tent. Following the steps, four people can easily set it up together without taking much time. To make dismantling easier later, it’s helpful to record how you initially set it up.
Tents come in various types, and they also have different designs, assembly methods, and combinations. Small tents, A-frame tents, and wall tents are assembled using ropes in the order of their structure—these are considered "erected tents." Recently developed and improved bullet-shaped and cabin-style tents are classified as "assembled tents."
The following uses one of the basic types of tents, the wall tent—which has been widely used since ancient times—as an example to explain how to set up a tent.
① Choosing the Location
After considering wind direction and terrain, choose a flat area.
② Checking Tent Equipment
Take out all items stored in the bag and check each part one by one. To make dismantling easier and avoid missing anything, it’s best to record what you have.
③ Laying the Ground Mat
After laying down the ground mat, secure its four corners with nails. In damp areas, lay a straw mat first, then place the pad on top of it.
④ Erecting the Poles and Stretching the Main Ropes
Insert the lower ends of the poles through the holes at both ends of the ground mat. At the same time, insert the tips of the upper parts of the poles through the holes in the two vertical beams of the tent body. Pull up the left and right main ropes to prevent tilting. This forms the main structure of the tent.
⑤ Adjusting the Main Ropes and Pulling the Corner and Waist Ropes
Use the guy ropes attached to the main ropes to adjust the shape of the tent, keeping the two poles upright on the ground. Next, use the guy ropes to adjust the corner and waist ropes to shape the tent.
⑥ Securing the Walls
The above is the setup sequence for a wall-type tent. With four people working together, it can be completed in approximately 10–15 minutes when done skillfully.
Normally, to reduce the impact of wind, rain, sun exposure, and severe cold, a roof cover is added. In step ④, when inserting the poles into the holes at both ends of the ridge, first place the roof cover, then pull up the main ropes. After securing the main ropes with nails, use the endpoints of the ridge as the apex to form the two sides of an equilateral triangle, and adjust the length of the base so that it matches the length of the poles. When viewed directly from above the roof, the corner ropes should align along the extended diagonal lines, while the side ropes should run in a straight line alongside the corner ropes.
In the past, after setting up the tent, one would dig a trench around it. Nowadays, from an environmental protection perspective, ditches are no longer dug unless on marshy ground.
III. Camping Site Discipline:
1. When setting up the tent, ensure the entrance is kept closed. Develop a good habit of zipping up the tent flap when setting up or packing the tent. Always close the entrance promptly upon entering or exiting to prevent insects or small animals from crawling in and disturbing your sleep. Often, some team members not only fail to close the tent flap but even chat with the entrance open, frequently leading to midnight disturbances by small animals, which affects the rest of everyone.
2. When going to bed in the tent, place the toe of your hiking boots facing outward. Except for nighttime essentials like sleeping bags and pillows, all other items must be neatly packed and stored in your backpack, placed under the outer fly of the tent entrance. This way, if an emergency arises at night, you can quickly put on your hiking boots and grab your backpack to escape. On hundred-kilometer hikes, many hikers casually scatter their boots, backpacks, and clothes outside the tent. If it rains or there’s heavy dew at night, these items can get soaked—what will you use to continue your journey?
3. Before sleeping in the tent, develop the habit of keeping your headlamp within easy reach. **Place it under your pillow.** That way, if an unexpected situation occurs at night, you can grab your headlamp and **, and rush out of the tent to escape. If the tent won’t open, you can quickly cut your way out with the **. Many hikers don’t understand the value of a sharp 25 cm ** for camping in the wild, asking why they need it if they already have a knife? It’s just extra weight. But when venturing into unfamiliar environments, a sharp 25 cm ** is essential. For example, those who’ve seen crossings of the Xiate Ancient Trail know that team members were attacked by bears inside their tents on cold nights. The members had to fight the bears bare-handed. If they’d had a ** to fend off the attack, fewer would have been injured. During the 814 incident, if those trapped in their tents by flash floods had had a sharp **, they could have cut their way out and bought more time to escape.
4. Strictly follow the night watch and rest schedule assigned by the team leader. From the time rest begins until the next morning when the camp is packed up, loud talking or horseplay in the campsite is strictly prohibited to avoid disturbing others’ rest.
5. At night (including during night watch shift changes), never open a teammate’s tent without quietly waking them first, to avoid startling them into thinking someone or a wild animal is attacking, potentially causing them to lash out with a knife and leading to accidents.
6. All tents belonging to the trekking group are considered communal equipment. The team leader has the right to make appropriate assignments. When I assign tents, I try to group members who snore loudly together in shared tents, placing them toward the outer edges of the tent area to avoid disturbing others’ sleep with their snoring.
7. In principle, team members sharing a tent should take turns on night watch during the same time period, to avoid having to wake up the next person during shift change and disturbing others’ rest.
8. In principle, less experienced or “weaker” team members should be placed in central locations within the tent area. If camping conditions are poor or the site is relatively unsafe, stronger male team members and less experienced female members should share tents. This way, if something happens at night, they can look out for each other.