Index of Mossy Rocks

Index of Mossy Rocks

Share this post

Index of Mossy Rocks
Index of Mossy Rocks
Don't Be the Last to Relax

Don't Be the Last to Relax

Advice for quickly setting up and tearing down camp

Alice Weinert's avatar
Alice Weinert
Jun 04, 2025
∙ Paid
11

Share this post

Index of Mossy Rocks
Index of Mossy Rocks
Don't Be the Last to Relax
7
2
Share

Welcome back to Between A Mossy Rock And A Hard Place, the fortnightly advice column for all your outdoorsy conundrums!

Between A Mossy Rock & A Hard Place: An Outdoorsy Advice Column

Read the Full Series

At the end of every previous advice column, the same three sample questions have accompanied my request for reader conundrums. This week, thanks to Susanna, I’m finally tackling one of them!

I wrote:

Maybe you take twice as long to set up camp as your friends and want tips so you’re not the last one to sit down around the campfire?

And Susanna commented:

Tips for setting up and taking down [camp] quickly would be great!

Well, you don’t have to ask me twice—let’s talk camp chores! It’s frustrating to camp with a group and realize that you’re still fussing with your sleeping pad while everyone else is relaxing with a beer. Or to feel rushed in the morning no matter how much earlier you wake up than anyone else. How do some people seem to effortlessly get their gear set up and torn down in no time at all?

I have not, historically, been quick at camp chores. Left to my own devices, I have a tendency to meander from task to task, leaving unfinished ones in my wake. It took many wet nights1 (and mornings) of solo backpacking for me to finally put a system in place that lets me get my campsite organized in a somewhat timely fashion.

Let’s start with the most basic tip: bring less stuff.

Picnic tables are great for those days you need to dump everything out of your pack!

Keep reading with a 7-day free trial

Subscribe to Index of Mossy Rocks to keep reading this post and get 7 days of free access to the full post archives.

Already a paid subscriber? Sign in
© 2025 Alice Weinert
Privacy ∙ Terms ∙ Collection notice
Start writingGet the app
Substack is the home for great culture

Share