You've found the campsite of your dreams. You're pretty confident that you've remembered everything, the sun is shining, the kids seem happy and a few days of outdoor bliss stretch before you. With all those things in place you have a good chance of a perfect camp holiday but if you select your camp pitch unwisely all that could be undone - sleepless nights quickly erode the fun factor in camping.

At the height of summer the busy campsites will allocate pitches so you may not even get a choice in the matter but at all other times it pays to consider the following before mindlessly threading poles and hammering in tent pegs.

Level ground

This is such an important consideration for most people that many campsites list 'level pitches' as a selling point. If you can't find a completely level pitch then consider what will suit you best. Most people choose to have either their feet or their head at the highest point rather than having both of these at a level. This last choice sees you rolling to the edges of your tent or having any tent companions jammed up against each other as they move in their sleep.

Avoid the lowest ground

This may look like the cosiest and most sheltered spot but if it should rain then your pitch is where all the water will drain to and camping could become a rather soggy affair.

Debris free

 It would be hoped that even the first time camper doesn't need to be told to clear the area of rocks and stones which will damage your groundsheet and compromise the tent's waterproofness. However, it's not just the large and obvious that needs to be moved. If you are the head-down-sleep-anywhere type then you can perhaps be a little less fussy but otherwise even the smallest of twigs can dig in painfully after a few hours of sleeping on them.

If you are pitching your tent in a deep grass area then be aware of clumps of grass or bumps in the ground which are not easily detectable until you try and get comfortable in your sleeping bag. Test for this by spreading your groundsheet and lying down.

Selecting completely flat sleeping surfaces without irregularities isn't always possible and this is when you will be glad of having chosen a sleep mat or pad with a bit of extra thickness.

Shade 

 if you are camping outside of the summer months then you may be glad of soaking up every little ray of sun which shows itself. Otherwise this needs to be a serious consideration. Even some of the more expensive, well-designed tents can become oven-like when exposed to several hours of sun. What's more, unless your tent is purposely UV protected, the sun will damage it which both shortens its life and weakens seams.

Shelter 

 Some sites offer shelter in their entirety by their position in a valley for example. If you are somewhere more exposed then try and find a pitch which offers some protection from prevailing winds. Again this makes for not only more comfortable camping but protects your tent from undue stress.

However, there is a flip side to the coin. Pitches that have some light breeze or air flow are less likely to be troubled by too many insects. This is particularly true of areas where the Scottish midge or other gnat-like insects torment campers.

Avoiding ants 

 Every seasoned camper will have a story to tell about an ant invasion and the truth of the matter is it isn't always easy to avoid in summer. Help yourself by looking for a few tell-tale signs which may give you a fighting chance of staying ant free. Check the ground for little mounds of dirt with a hole in the middle – a sure sign that an ant kingdom is going about its business directly underneath. Also, avoid pitching near trees and bushes which have obvious signs of ant activity – you will just become part of their highway by getting too close.

Among the trees 

 A little patch nestled in a wooded area always looks so appealing but be aware that things drop off trees especially when the wind blows; being bombarded by pine-cones in the middle of the night is not conducive to a restful night. Tree areas can become particularly annoying when it rains and hours after it has stopped you are still being dripped on. Only you can know how much these things may or may not bother you.

It hopefully goes without saying that you need to avoid camping under trees with 'widow makers'. A widow maker is any tree in which a branch has become loose but is at the moment caught up in the other branches or foliage.

Facilities

some people would far rather have a secluded and isolated pitch than have the convenience of facilities just a few yards away. We are all different so I can't tell you which to opt for but be aware that being a long walk from a tap could get tedious after a few days.

And finally........If you should rock up at a near deserted campsite then don't under any circumstances pitch your tent right next to the only other campers on the site. This is one of the biggest violations of etiquette known to the camping fraternity and your reception could be on the chilly side.