The general advice is sound.
- Don’t camp on grass
- Don’t camp near lakes or the ocean
- Don’t camp near streams.
That’s fine, but sometimes you are on a trail with a lot of water
In this picture that is the sun setting over the ocean while a fog bank is getting ready to roll in.
On the Lost Coast Trail most camp sites are either mouse infested (the driftwood on the bluffs with the grass) or next to where streams cut some access away from the ocean.
This campsite had a stream off to the right.
We woke up completely dry.
That is because of the rule that often gets skipped and that is contrary to what the boyscouts taught when I was young.
Pitch your tent under a tree where the branches shelter you and ventilate your tent.
Now when we started hiking the grass and trail were drenched. So much water had condensed out. The dew was as heavy as any I’ve ever seen.
But our campsite was perfect.
I’ve done this sort of pitch in terrible conditions and come out dry over and over again.
