How to Keep Animals Away From Your Campsite

Camping can be a great experience, but you don't want to share it with the local wildlife. Learn how to keep animals out of your campsite here!

Camping can be an amazing adventure if you’re properly prepared. Of course you should study the area and stock up on gear, but you should also know how to keep animals away when you make camp for the night. It’s OK if you never learned that in class — we’ve got everything you need to know covered here.

Choosing a campsite

The best way to keep animals away from your campsite is to pick an ideal place to camp. This means knowing where specific animals like to make their home.

Knowing this, here are some tips for choosing the best campsite possible.

Keeping animals away from your campsite

Once you’ve picked a campsite, there are other measures you should take to ensure that animals aren’t interested in visiting.

How to keep mosquitoes away

To keep these pests away, bring items that repel them! Mosquitoes are deterred by the following:

How to keep rodents away

Rodents, which includes squirrels, chipmunks, moles, mice, and skunks, are repelled by the following:

How to keep raccoons away

These masked bandits are known for disliking:

How to keep snakes away

Snakes are repelled by these smells:

How to keep bears away

No one wants to wake up to the sound of a bear outside their tent. To deter these creatures, consider the following repellents:

Most animals dislike the smell of fabric softener sheets, the kind you use in your dryer. They can also cover the smell of food. Take a pack with you in your camping supplies and put them everywhere: in your cooler, tent, sleeping bag, and backpack.

How to store food

Of course, the number one thing animals will be drawn to is your food. Here’s how to cook, eat, and clean up after yourself properly:

How to protect yourself

There are a few other measures you can also take to avoid unwanted animal guests:

Now you know all the tricks to keeping animals away from your campsite. You know how to choose the right spot to make camp. You can make sure to pack things that ward off specific animals (hint: ammonia does the trick for most of them!). You’re aware of how to handle food while camping, and you know the extra steps to take to make sure you can sleep undisturbed by fauna. All that’s left to do is enjoy your trip!