Sleeping under the stars: A beginner’s guide to responsible camping.
If you’re venturing out into the wild this season and embarking on your first camping experience, two things:
- WOOHOO! We’re so excited for you. Camping is the best!
- Responsibility first! Sounds like mom talking, we know. But trust us: The best campers are the responsible ones.
Good, strategic decisions during your first camping experience—whether you’re camping in a campground or the backcountry, in a tent, a van, or an RV—will set you up for success. Here are our top seven tips for creating a positive and responsible camping experience:
A beginner’s guide to responsible camping
- Set up on a clean, flat surface.
No one sleeps well on a slant with an acorn in their back. So look for flat, level ground and clear it from rocks, sticks, and other debris (ahem… acorns). Avoid areas where water may pool (like low-lying areas or ditches). - Use a groundsheet.
We all dream of glorious blue sky days when camping; the reality is that it will rain at some point. And when it does, you will be grateful for your groundsheet. Sure, it’s one more thing to roll out and to pack up. And, you’ll appreciate the extra protection when blue skies turn grey.
Most tents come with a groundsheet (some brands call it a “footprint”). It protects your tent floor from moisture and also from wearing down over time.
Put the groundsheet down first, then set your tent on top. Make sure the groundsheet is SMALLER than your tent floor to prevent water pooling.
- Stake your tent.
- Stake your tent and fly corners firmly to the ground. Stakes pushed in at a 45º angle provide maximum holding power. In a windstorm, you’re gonna appreciate your dedication to this angle.
- Attach and stake guy lines to your tent.
Guy lines aren’t lame pickup lines only—they’re also the name for the cords or ropes attached to your tent’s rainfly. Stake them in to make your tent more stable, more water resistant, and more breathable.
- Bring light and use it right.
While the moon and stars are bright when you’re in the middle of nowhere, you’re going to need a battery-powered light to navigate in the night. Trust us: leaving the tent at 3 AM for a pee when you can’t see anything at all leaves plenty of opportunity for twisted ankles, disorientation, and pee where you don’t want it.
Bring a headlamp with extra batteries. Make sure to use it wisely:
- Avoid shining it directly in other people’s faces. No one likes this. Ever. Most headlamps can be tilted up or down. If yours must be on at full force with people around, tilt it away from their eyes so they don’t rue the day they decided to go camping with you.
- If your headlamp has a red light option, use that. It’s designed to preserve night vision, is less harsh on the eyes, is more respectful of people around you, and—best part—does not attract bugs!
- Turn it off when you’re with other people. Enjoy the light of the moon and stars. Nothing is more perfect, in our opinion.
- Know the campground rules.
Every campground has rules to encourage responsible recreation and enjoyment of the campground by ALL campers. Most campgrounds post their rules online, at the site on a poster board, and in campground literature if they have it. Familiarize yourself with rules like:- Quiet hours. Know when to lower voices and music to respect others.
- Garbage and recycling. Know where to store waste and recycling to keep the site free of both garbage and critters searching for your leftovers in the night.
- Check in/check out times. Know when to arrive and when to pack up.
- Do your fire safety homework.
Before you light a campfire, you have incredibly important homework to do.
- Check fire bans, restrictions, and regulations. Good resources for this are BC Wildfire Service website, the BC Wildfire Service App, or your local government website. Also, most campground operators will post their campfire policy and information about bans and restrictions in the area.
- Get a permit (if required). If you’re camping on public land, you may need a permit to have a campfire or need to adhere to specific regulations—like using a designated fire pit, for instance.
- Check the emergency contact board.
Most campgrounds have a community bulletin board with emergency contact information on it at or near the entrance of the campground. This typically has information like:- Phone numbers and contact details in the event of an emergency at the campground
- Campground staff contact information
- Local emergency numbers—for police, fire, and ambulance.
Seek this out, read it, snap a pic, and store it in your phone (save it to your favourites) so it’s easy to find instantly should you ever need it.
If you need a reminder, download our checklist here and take it with you!
Take the pledge to follow the Camper’s Code. Note: Please check your email for verification email and to ensure your mailing address is correct, so we can send your sticker.
Published: June 24, 2025
Last Updated: July 22, 2025