DE
Back to the article

A4 checklist with all illustrated steps. Tick the boxes on paper as you go.

FeatherSticks · Shelter

Setting Up a Base Camp: Layout, Structures and Routines for a Multi-Day Bushcraft Camp

One camp, many days: zones, a few good builds and a routine.

Quick facts

Time
Day 1: 3–4 h to set up; striking camp 1–2 h
Difficulty
Moderate – more planning than skill
Best for
Courses, groups, families, multi-day stays with permission
You need
Permission or a designated site, tarps, cord, saw, water kit

What you need

  • Tarps, cord and pegs for kitchen and shelters
  • Folding saw, knife, and an axe where allowed
  • Collapsible water containers, filter or pot for boiling
  • Shovel or trowel, waste bags, soap and a wash basin
  • Sealed food containers, rope for hanging bags
  • Headlamps, first-aid kit, whistle

Step by step

  1. Get permission first

    1 Get permission first

    Most wild-camping rules allow one night only. A base camp needs the landowner's consent or a designated site.

  2. Choose a site for days

    2 Choose a site for days

    Level, drained ground, no dead wood overhead, camp 60 m or more from water, and enough dead wood nearby.

  3. Lay out the zones

    3 Lay out the zones

    Sleep upwind, fire and kitchen downwind, work area, food store, wash stand and latrine kept apart.

  4. Build removable structures

    4 Build removable structures

    Tarp kitchen, pot tripod, table and drying line from lashed poles – all built to come apart.

  5. Run daily routines

    5 Run daily routines

    Fixed times for water, wood, meals and a short evening check keep a long stay safe and tidy.

  6. Strike camp, restore the ground

    6 Strike camp, restore the ground

    Fires cold, pits filled, structures taken down, litter spread: the site should look unused.

Common mistakes

  • Staying several nights without permission because "it was fine for one night".
  • Placing the fire, kitchen or latrine too close to water or to the beds.
  • Gathering all firewood from the ground around camp instead of a wide area.
  • Leaving tools out and letting everyone cut wherever they stand.
  • Mixing raw and treated water containers in a busy kitchen.
  • Storing food in the tents and so inviting animals night after night.
  • Building structures that cannot be taken down, or leaving them behind.
  • Skipping the restoration: holes open, litter not spread, a bare fire scar.