Photo: Jane Huber

      SNAKES If you spend any time camping in the Southern Appalachians and Smoky Mountains, you may be surprised by the variety of snakes in the area. While most encounters will be with nonvenomous specimens, two venomous snakes do call the mountains home: the copperhead and the timber rattler. The former can be found near streams and on outcrops, whereas the latter will primarily be seen sunning on rocks. You might spend some time studying snakes before you head into the woods, but a good rule of thumb is to give any animal you encounter a wide berth and leave it alone.

      TICKS The bane of camping trips, ticks tend to lurk in the brush, leaves, and grass that grow alongside trails. Hot summer months seem to make their numbers explode, but you should be tick-aware all year round.

      Ticks, which are related to spiders, need a host to feast on in order to reproduce. The ones that alight onto you will be very small, sometimes so tiny that you won’t be able to spot them until you feel the itchiness of their bite. Primarily of two varieties, deer ticks (which can carry Lyme disease) and wood ticks, both need a few hours of actual attachment before they can transmit any illness they may harbor, so the quicker you remove them the better. Ticks may settle in shoes, socks, or hats and may take several hours to actually latch on.

      Wearing light-colored clothing makes ticks easier to spot; tucking the cuffs of your pants into your socks, while geeky-looking, helps keep them from latching on; and using an insect repellent with DEET helps keep them away. Visually check yourself for ticks throughout the day while you’re out in the woods, and do an even more thorough check of your entire body when you’re in your tent/cabin or taking a posthike shower.

      If a tick should bite you, use tweezers to remove it—grab as close to the skin as possible, and firmly pull the tick loose without crushing it, making sure to remove the entire head. Then wash the area well with warm, soapy water.

      Keep an eye on the bite for several days afterward to ensure that it doesn’t get infected and that a rash doesn’t develop. The telltale sign of Lyme infection is a bullseye-shaped rash that forms around the site of the bite; be aware, however, that you could be infected even if the rash doesn’t develop. If you start experiencing flulike symptoms within a couple of weeks of getting bitten, see a doctor right away.

      HAPPY CAMPING: PLANNING, ETIQUETTE, AND MORE

      Few things are more disappointing than a bad camping trip—the good news is, it’s really easy to have a great one. Here are a few things to consider as you prepare for your trip.

      • PLAN AHEAD. Know your equipment, your ability, and the area where you’ll be camping—and prepare accordingly. Be self-sufficient at all times; carry the necessary supplies for changes in weather or other conditions. In the same vein, reserve your site in advance when that’s an option, especially if it’s a weekend or holiday or if the campground is extremely popular. Also do a little research on what the campground or nearby area has to offer; campground/park staff can be extremely helpful in suggesting things to do and places to go. Finally, consider the accessibility of supplies before you go—it’s a pain to have to get in the car and make a long trek in search of hot dog buns or bug spray.

      • USE CARE WHEN TRAVELING. Stay on designated roadways. Be respectful of private property and travel restrictions. Familiarize yourself with the area you’ll be traveling in by picking up a map that shows land ownership.

      • WHEN SELECTING A CAMPGROUND OR CAMPSITE, CONSIDER YOUR SPACE REQUIREMENTS. In general, choose a single site if your group consists of 8 people or fewer, a double site for groups of up to 16 people, a triple site for groups of up to 24, or a group camping area for parties of more than 24.

      • PLAY BY THE RULES. If you’re unhappy with the site you’ve selected, check with the campground host for other options. Don’t just grab a seemingly empty site that looks more appealing than yours—it could be reserved.

      • PICK YOUR CAMPING BUDDIES WISELY. Make sure that everyone is on the same page regarding expectations of difficulty (amenities or the lack thereof, physical exertion, and so on), sleeping arrangements, and food requirements.

      • DRESS FOR THE SEASON. Educate yourself on the temperature highs and lows of the specific part of the state you plan to visit. It may be warm at night in the summer in your backyard, but up in the mountains it will often be quite chilly.

      • PITCH YOUR TENT ON A LEVEL SURFACE, either on a tent pad at the campsite or a surface covered with leaves, pine straw, or grass. Use a tarp or specially designed footprint to thwart ground moisture and to protect the tent floor. Before you pitch, do some site cleanup, such as picking up small rocks and sticks that can damage your tent floor and make sleep uncomfortable. If you have a separate rainfly but aren’t sure you’ll need it, keep it rolled up at the base of your tent in case it starts raining late at night.

      • PACK A SLEEPING PAD IF LYING ON THE GROUND MAKES YOU UNCOMFORTABLE. Pads in a wide range of sizes and thicknesses are sold at outdoor stores. Inflatable pads are also available—don’t try to improvise with a home air mattress, which conducts heat away from the body and tends to deflate as you sleep.

      • DON’T HANG OR TIE CLOTHESLINES, HAMMOCKS, AND EQUIPMENT ON OR TO TREES. Even if you see other campers doing this, be responsible and do your part to reduce damage to trees and shrubs.

      • IF YOU TEND TO USE THE BATHROOM FREQUENTLY AT NIGHT, PLAN AHEAD. Leaving a comfy sleeping bag and stumbling around in the dark to find a place to heed nature’s call—be it a vault toilet, a full restroom, or just the woods—is no fun. Keep a flashlight and any other accoutrements you may need within easy reach, and know exactly where to head in the dark.

      • LIKEWISE, KNOW HOW TO GO IN THE BACKCOUNTRY. If you’re camping at a primitive site, bringing large jugs of water and a portable toilet is the easiest and most environmentally friendly solution. A variety of portable toilets are available from outdoors suppliers; in a pinch, a 5-gallon bucket fitted with a toilet seat and lined with a heavy-duty plastic trash bag will work just as well. (Don’t forget to pack out the bag.) A second, less desirable method is to dig an 8-inch-deep cathole. It should be located at least 200 yards from campsites, trails, and water, in an inconspicuous location with as much undergrowth as possible. Cover the hole with a thin layer of soil after each use, and don’t burn or bury your toilet paper—pack it out in resealable plastic bags. If you plan to stay at the campsite for several days, dig a new hole each day, being careful to replace the topsoil over the hole from the day before. In addition to the plastic bags, your outdoor-toilet cache should include a garden trowel, toilet paper, and wet wipes. Select a trowel with a well-designed handle that can also double as a toilet paper dispenser.

• IF YOU’RE CAMPING AT A DEVELOPED SITE, DON’T SKIMP ON FOOD. Plan tasty meals, and bring everything you’ll need to prep, cook, eat, and clean up. That said, don’t duplicate equipment such as cooking pots among the members of your group.

      • KEEP A CLEAN COOKING AREA, and pick up food scraps on the ground both during and after your visit. Maintain a group trash bag, and be sure to secure it in your vehicle at night. Many campgrounds have a pack-in/pack-out rule, and that means everything: no cheating by tossing orange peels, eggshells, or apple cores in the shrubs.

      • DO YOUR PART TO PREVENT BEARS FROM BECOMING CONDITIONED TO SEEKING HUMAN FOOD. In the Southern Appalachians and Smokies, where bears abound, this is especially important. The constant search for food influences every aspect of a bear’s life, so when camping in bear country, store food in your vehicle or in bearproof containers. Keep