Tuesday Tip - The best position

Well it's late but I'm sneaking in a Tuesday tip! I apologise for the lack of posts - I've been under canvas and enjoying myself (so I'm not *that* sorry) at various festivals - posts about them to come!


But Today's Tuesday Tip is all about positioning. When pitching a tent there are obvious things to try for such as a flat level area (at a festival this is often not possible and at Camp Bestival we camped on the side of a hill - ensuring we slept with the foot of our beds down the hill), I also favour not camping in a gully if there is even a chance of rain (or the chance of a leaking portable toilet at a festival!) yet not on the very top of a hill either as that can be a windy spot and there is always the thought of storms and lightning...

On a hill

Trees are another thing to steer safe of, try to pitch in the lee of a hedge or trees but not so close they can be blown on top of you or a stray branch could fall and damage the tent or you! At Wilderness Festival the Health and Safety team moved us out from the edges of an Oak tree as they thought we were still in the 'danger zone'

Near a tree, not under a tree

But however careful you are to position your tent carefully there is always the chance of the unexpected, this last weekend at Wilderness Festival this unexpected thing was ... flying ants! A secret and otherwise silent ants nest (luckily only of harmless black ants) erupted on a hot afternoon with a million flying queen ants and their many minions INSIDE our tent! A hilarious (now, not at the time) half an hour of emptying the tent, pouring boiling water on the nest (sorry ants) and generally panicking and tidying resulted in a tent once again fit for habitation.

Safe inside again

So, today's tip - position your tent safely, but always expect the unexpected!

Happy camping.