Hearing a babbling brook or soothing waves sounds alluring, but avoid pitching a tent next to standing water as many mosquito species lay eggs on water surfaces.

Where To Set Up

While settling on a campsite, it's also a good idea to eyeball the area for any sign of anthills or wasp nests, and never pitch your tent next to the waste disposal bins.

Pitch your tent under a tree with a branch for hanging a mosquito net. Use a rope to adjust to a height to tuck the net's ends under the tent.

Mosquito Nets Or Entry Rooms

Another option is to create an entry room adjacent to your tent with a canopy, covering the walls with mosquito netting or other barriers like blankets or sheets.

While it seems like a no-brainer, leaving the door open for a few seconds can let spiders, centipedes, or even snakes inside your tent.

Keep The Tent Door Closed

Go in and out quickly, but before unzipping, ensure nothing is on the door that could sneak inside, and close the zipper at the top so nothing can crawl inside the gap.

As a broad-spectrum insecticide, permethrin effectively kills mosquitos, ticks, fleas, flies, and cockroaches and is considered safe when used appropriately.

Permethrin Treatments

Use a permethrin product rated for clothing and tents on materials that aren't waterproof, reapplying in sun-exposed areas. Soak or spray your clothing or shoes to ward off ticks.

Exposure to the elements your tent is protecting you from eventually wears on the fabric, and you may get a hole in your tent mid-camping trip.

Holes

Inspect your tent when packing it up after a trip to ensure there are no holes. If you have time before your trip, look over your tent to confirm everything is hole-free.

Every seasoned camper should know how to perform a proper tent repair, but duct tape can be applied in seconds and works fairly effectively until you can patch it more permanently.