how much of a concern is the camp view to you?

[cj miller]

whenever i'm looking for a camping spot i always try to find a place that would offer a great view sometimes walking miles out of the way. how much of a concern is this to you?

[BlackHatGuy]

Are we talking about a nudist camp? If so, then very.

[Ben Wortman]

As I go on more trips, this is more of a priority. It makes the evening so much better.

[David Thomas]

>"Are we talking about a nudist camp?"

Oh, the pictures I could post. Well, maybe not.

I'll tell the story: Wildcat Camp in 1993, (I believe you were just there, Doug), Cal Hiking And Outdoor Society (CHAOS) semi-annual Gourmet Trip. At which I met my wife. There were three groups in the group camp:

1) CHAOS
2) A Boy Scout troop
3) A Naturist Club

It was windy and misty such that you really couldn't be outright naked for long. Light pants and light shirt, right? Yeah, that's what everyone else did. Except for the naturists. They all walked around bottomless (cause that's what they do) while wearing big down jackets (so as not to succumb to hypothermia). I thought it was pretty damn funny.

And I had the distinct impression that they were a little miffed that CHAOS was (1) fully naked to play in the waves (and then got dressed to warm up) (2) fully naked in the 104F hot tub that we brought/constructed and (3) were college-age with good female representation versus mid-aged and mostly male hence were getting a lot more attention from the only audience around (said Boy Scout troop). And we had too much ice cream and gave a bunch to the Boy Scouts while the nudists ate their Mac & Cheese.

Or should I post this in the Scouting section?

[Ken Thompson]

A protected campsite with easy access to water trumps view for me. If I can get both, I scored.

[Billy Ray]

I will walk extra for a good camp view…
To me that's is a huge part of going out backpacking… to have a beautiful camp… and sometimes take a layover day there… I'm not into proving how many miles I can hike in a day… been there, done that…

But if it's stormy my priority is a sheltered location which typically does not have much of a view…

billy

[Jerry Adams]

if the weather's good I like view

if the weather's bad, then "hike high, camp low"

Still waiting for Doug's nudists. Not where I've ever been.

[BlackHatGuy]

David, that is a wonderful story!

[John Rowan]

I do most of my hiking in the mid-Atlantic area, so most of my camping, with occasional exceptions (including my secret off-trail Shenandoah spot whose location I'll take to the grave) winds up being in pretty dense woods. I get out west for a "big" trip once or twice a year, but a lot of those have been in places like the Wonderland Trail where there are designated campsites.

When I went out on the JMT this year, I decided, since I could do pretty much whatever I wanted hiking/camping-wise (within the confines of LNT and basic human decency), that what I really wanted to do was have at least one really spectacular campsite, one that looked like it should be in a tent ad. I got my wish a couple of miles south of Garnet lake, in a great grand spot with huge views of the snow-capped peaks above me and Shadow Lake below me. I felt great pride as I set down my backpack.

I then spent more than half an hour getting may Gatewood Cape into a shape resembling standing up, and another 40 (plus half a bottle of alcohol hand sanitizer and nearly a whole box of matches) getting my stupid Esbit to light in the wind that came with this great view. Thankfully, I got the Esbit lit just in time to watch all of my stakes work free and have my shelter collapse. Meanwhile everything I owned had managed to get itself completely covered in sand.

The next morning, after a slip of the hand with one of my stakes took about an inch of skin off of my finger, I took a look over at the "boring" soft pine grove sitting 100 yards to my right, which I had passed by the night before, with its nice flat spot for a tent and sheltered area for cooking, and cursed myself for making the choice.

Obviously, in retrospect, there was nothing stopping me from taking the better campsite and wandering off for the views during sunset, but that experience definitely made me prioritize a good campsite over one with "just" a good view. That said, a site that does both is pretty much the cat's pajamas.

Pictured: infuriating but pretty campsite

Me doing it right 70 miles later at Evolution Lake:

[Billy Ray]

John,
That's a bit of frustration I have with some of this UL gear… some of it requires more sheltered locations. A real tent holds up in the wind better… and a stove with a real windscreen does not blow out as easily… it goes on and on.

But I will tell you this about staking out your shelter in the High Sierra where there is little to no soil… Don't. Don't stake it out… use rocks as anchors instead…

Billy

[Jerry Adams]

You can stake tent in loose soil, then put big rock on top

[John Rowan]

Yeah, I learned the "rocks on stakes" thing right quick after this.

The entire situation described above could have been avoided by setting up camp in an obviously "better" campsite that lay within an easy walk of where I set up, and it was a lesson carried with me for all subsequent campsites. I wanted my little outside castle with a view, but the reality is that there was nothing at all stopping me from having my cake and eating it too if I'd exercised a bit of common sense.

[Billy Ray]

"You can stake tent in loose soil, then put big rock on top"

Or just leave the stakes at home and save the weight.
I haven't carried stakes in the High Sierra for decades as they seldom work up high… at least in the sites I tend to pick.

I just make my tie-out rope a little longer for going around the rocks.

Billy

[Valerie E]

Ha! David's story definitely confirmed my suspicion that most folks who like to parade around naked are seldom those you really *want* to see naked, lol. Ain't life funny…

We usually try for a view (barring thunderstorms!). But John's posting is so true — that view sometimes comes at the price of wind and cold.

An alternative is to put your shelter in a protected place with views nearby. For cocktails/dinner, you can walk over to the view spot and enjoy. When bedtime comes, wander back to your protected shelter.

[Chris S]

Sounds like Billy's technique is something like the wrap in the graphic below. The T-Bone is an alternative that I sometimes use and a stick can be used instead of the tent stake….

Credit: http://theultimatehang.com/2014/09/using-stakes-snow-anchors/

For me, having a view from camp is always a nice bonus, but I don't make it a priority. This got me thinking about some of my favorite campsites with a view, so I started this thread in the photo gallery forum to post some campsite photos.

[Katherine .]

I'll be doing solo trips for the first time come spring, so I've though about what camping situations I'd feel most at ease in.

So I do care about the view — but more for the psychological factor than for the aesthetic experience.

I'm going to try to aim for the border of sheltered forest/open area, in order to strike the balance between feeling protected, but not too enclosed.

[Larry De La Briandais]

I am usually so happy that I got to go that every campsite has a great view!

[D M]

None really, if I can be protected from the elements I'm very happy, but if I by chance get both its a bonus. Usually I try to hide as to not spoil the view for others.

[Dale Wambaugh]

If I'm going to be camping there for more than eat/sleep, then it matters. Nothing like a beautiful sunset/sunrise with a lake, etc. Weather protection, drainage, neighbors and bugs count. Would I hike MILES out of my way? Not much.

[Hiking Malto]

I probably have the worst average campsites by far, arriving at or after dark. But, I have unrivaled sunset and sunrise views while hiking in the evening and early morning,

[Jake D]

Flat and allowed in the Whites is usually whatever you get. Sometimes there is a view.. sometimes not

Sometimes a site can be really nice without a view.. this was a cleared spot off the trail

[Don Morris]

You are out in fairly unspoiledcountry. Is there such a thing as a bad view?

[Bob Moulder]

I did a bivvy in the Catskills a few years ago at a place called Buck Ridge. Slept on a rock and woke up to this scene.

.

[Matthew H]

Stunning! Love the color of the trees and the blanket of snow beneath them. I prioritize shelter first, especially with our lightweight gear, but I course would be happy to walk the extra bit for a site that had both good protection and views!

My best campsite views thus far have definitely been in the Enchantments. I'll see if I can find a picture and post it later.

[Bob Shaver]

Here is the best view from the tent that I recall. We were at White Rock Lake in the North Cascades, doing a route called the Ptarmigan Traverse. Across the glacier carved valley was Spire Pass, Spire point, and Spire Glacier, and our route for the next day.

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