Camping by water can be a good thing, and it can be a bad thing.
What you know and don’t know will determine how well the trip will turn out.
There are some “things” people do not know when they go outside and stay in mother nature, and sadly they experience a bad camping trip.
I want to help you avoid being that person.
I’m going to show you some things you need to know when you’re camping close to water.
So without further ado, let’s dive straight into it!
Torrential Rain Creates Rising Waters
Whether it’s a small stream or a river, it doesn’t matter when a thunderstorm strikes.
A small, flowing river turns into a raging river, and it happens so quickly you won’t even notice it happening.
Especially not at 2 in the morning when you’re fast asleep!
Be Aware Of The Tide
You see, water rises even without rain.
The tide can and will rise, wiping your entire campsite away. It’s just a matter of pitching your tent in the wrong place at the wrong time,
It’s easy to spot the maximum height of the tide however. Just look for tide lines in the water you’re staying near and pitch your tent at least 100 feet away from them.
A Breeding Ground
Bodies of water are a breading ground for bugs and mosquitoes.
And there’s nothing worse than having mosquitoes come visit you while you’re eating your lunch or trying to relax.
So keep this in mind when camping near water. Sometimes the extra view and relaxing white noise isn’t worth the hassle.
Pitching Your Tent
Plant life and vegetation are at risk of getting trampled on or pitched on by a tent.
Plants are simply stunning, and they help make the world go round.
I hate it when humans come and put their tent wherever they please, damaging flowers, plants and vegetation by not giving a damn!
Contamination
Fresh water sources can become contaminated VERY easily. It is your job as an outdoor enthusiast to ensure this doesn’t happen.
Here’s how to reduce contamination in fresh water sources:
- Camp no less than 200 feet away
- Wash your dishes, clothes and yourself away from the water source
- Use biodegradable soap when cleaning things
- Dispose of human waste 200 feet away
Basically, it is all about common sense. And sadly, common sense isn’t so common anymore 🙁
Conclusion
Pitching my tent by the water is my FAVORITE thing to do.
But with this becomes more responsibilities as you try to keep in line with the rules and regulations of established campsites.
And even if you’re not in a public site, you should stick to these rules anyway, especially because we don’t want to contaminate fresh water sources and make ourselves and other camp goers sick after we leave.
We have enough people destroying mother nature as it is.
We need to be saving her as much as possible. I’ve been doing it for years and want you to help me on my journey as well.
The outdoors is heaven on earth, and when you stop and look around instead of being in a rush all the time, you will soon notice it yourself.
I’m glad you read this article, and I hope you take these things into consideration when camping by water.
Let me know what you think about this article in the comments below!
Otherwise THANKS for reading and have a great day 😀