Getting Camp Set Before the Light Goes

The photo says it. Drewsy’s 79 in a grassy clearing, rooftop tent up, golden light across the grass. That is the payoff for arriving early.

Once the light goes, everything takes longer. Pegs are harder to find, gear is harder to sort and small jobs turn into frustrating ones. Camp set in daylight is calmer camp.

Light is also the one thing you cannot add to your setup. You can buy lamps. You cannot buy more daylight.

Sleeping first, comfort second, kitchen third. If the weather or the light turns on you, at least you have a bed.

A simple order that works for most setups:

• Choose the spot while you can still see the ground, and look up for dead branches
• Park level, with the 4x4 facing the way you want camp to open up
• Open the rooftop tent or set the swag
• Put the awning out on the side that gives shade or shelter
• Set chairs, table and kitchen
• Switch the fridge on, get lights ready and keep a head torch where you can find it

Plenty. Cooking, washing up, planning tomorrow and sorting gear that can sit in a box. Keep the evening for the parts of camp you actually want to enjoy.

Fire rules and fire bans vary by place and by day. Check with the local authority before you plan a fire, and do not assume.

Do the same order every time. After a few trips you stop thinking about it, and camp turns into something your hands do on their own.

Work back from sunset. Add the drive, add the setup time, then add a buffer for the stop that always runs long. Sunset times are easy to look up for any place and date.

If the numbers do not work, leave earlier, drive less or pick a closer camp. A shorter day on the road often makes for a better night at camp.

Organised gear helps too. When the repeat-use gear already has a home, camp takes less time to set, and you are not hunting for the pegs as the light fades.