A common backpacking mistake, is arriving late to a shelter or campsite. Many things can delay your arrival, so build some additional time into your plans.
Recently, my partner and I accompanied a friend on hiking a 12 mile section of the Appalachian Trail. We thought that we’d camp out the night before making a great little escape.
We underestimated driving time to the trailhead. By the time we hiked in to the campsite, it was already dark.
Scouting around with our headlamps, we identified what we thought was a suitable spot for out tent. We could tell that the spot had been well used.
Come daylight, we discovered that there were several, more well defined tent sites with gravel pads around us. If we had chosen one of those pads, we may have minimized our impact within the campsite.
Other reasons for getting to your site early include seeing what you’re doing while assemling your tent. Mingling with other hikers and campers who share your site and having time to cook a good meal while there’s still light.
It’s also quite annoying when someone shows up late and noisily sets up on a bunk in the shelter or tries to put a tent together in a neighboring campsite. Especially when you’ve put in a physical day of hiking and need some deep recooperative sleep.
