Choosing the Best Pitch

When going camping it can be quite hard deciding what kind of pitch you’d like. There are a variety of factors to consider in order to choose the best pitch for you, and we’re here to help you decide!

Location

The most important factor to consider is the location of your pitch. We recommend looking into a variety of campsites that will have the right facilities for you such as bathroom facilities, entertainment facilities such as swimming pools, kids’ play areas, restaurants etc.

We’d recommend looking up some campsite directories as well as review sites such as TrustPilot that can give you the most information on what to expect at your chosen campsites.

Type of Pitch

After you have gathered a variety of campsites that you like, you need to think of the kind of pitch that is best suited to you. A variety of campsites have different kinds of pitches that can vary in size, gradients and can also be impacted by different weather conditions.

What to look out for:

• Flat Ground – With most pitches, they should be flat so that you can pitch your tent or awning on flat ground and not be impacted by slanted ground which could lead to puddles or pooling near your tent or awning if it rains.
• Pitch Size – It’s very common for a lot of pitches to vary in size and depending on the size of your tent or awning, you’re going to want to choose a pitch that has enough room for you to pitch up and have some extra space for anything else you may need.
• Weather Conditions – Make sure that before you go away, you check the weather. Some pitches may not cope well in drastic weather conditions so make sure you book a pitch that is going to be appropriate for the time of year you go away, as well as weather conditions.
• Surrounding Factors – Before you go away, make sure to research into the surrounding area of your campsite. This is great mainly for those of you who may want more privacy, a quiet pitch or a pitch that is more protected from the elements with trees and bushes for example. This can also be a useful way to check what pitch you have and whether it is appropriate for the kinds of weather conditions you may encounter. If your pitch is on a slant, you may encounter flooding as the water runs off your tent or awning.

Pitching Your Tent or Awning

When you’re at the campsite, it’s important you pitch your tent or awning properly. We’d recommend having a practice run with pitching your tent or awning before you go away if you can. We recommend following the instructions provided as well as looking up YouTube videos to ensure you have pitched your product correctly. This can help you get familiar with your tent or awning and understand how to pitch it up on the campsite without any stress or troubles.

If you can’t pitch up before hand, ensure that when you are at the campsite, you get there with plenty of time for pitching up in the light – you don’t want to be rushing it up in the dark! Make sure to follow instructions that are provided with your product as well as looking up YouTube videos to show you how it is done correctly.

At OLPRO we have a series of YouTube videos that show you how to pitch up your tent or awning.

We also have product instructions available here.

If you’re inflating an air beam, please follow the: How to inflate an air beam video here.

If you’re inflating a storm beam, please follow the: How to inflate a storm beam video here.

How to Pitch your Tent/Awning

• Position your Tent or Awning Correctly – Position your tent on the flattest ground possible. You’ll want to ensure that you check the wind direction and pitch up where the wind doesn’t affect you, to keep you as sheltered and noise-free as possible. Never pitch your tent or awning with the door facing the wind, as it can cause your tent to balloon every time the door is opened.
• Clear the area –Ensure that your pitching area is clear from anything that could damage your groundsheet such as stones and branches.
• Prepare your Tent/Awning – We recommend preparing your tent/awning first before pegging it out. What we mean by this is inserting your poles into the tent first and inflating the beams. If you peg it out first, you could have a misshapen tent or awning that isn’t pitched correctly and has caused damage to the poles or air beams.
• Peg your Tent/Awning – After inflating your air beams or inserting your poles, it’s time to peg in your tent or awning. Ensure that the tent or awning is pegged out properly by using a mallet. When pegging in your tent or awning, you want to make sure you’re pegging in your product at a 30-45 degree at a diagonal angle facing away from your tent/awning. This makes for a more stable pitch. Make sure to follow your product instructions to ensure all points of your tent or awning are pegged.

Pitching in Different Weather Conditions

As we said earlier, it’s important to ensure you check the weather and your campsite pitch before you go away. This is mainly due to you having to prepare for different conditions such as having to purchase different pegs depending on the type of pitch.

Make sure you are prepared for rainy and windy weather, you never know when it can happen so always be prepared with extra pegs, pitching where you have natural shelter and ensuring your pitch is on as flat ground as possible.