Camping

**Camping** is essential in Expeditions: Viking. It allows the hird time to recover from, fatigue, hunger, wounds, can provide them with bonuses while in combat, and provides access to each members' Utility skills. While less effective, a character with no camping skills can still provide help by guarding, hunting, and cleaning.

***Clearing out all camps in Danemark and Britain unlocks two achievements; 'Eviction' and 'Hostile Takeover'. See Campsites achievements guide for more information.***

## Camping Locations

Camps are made at designated locations on the world map. Camping time is divided into four shifts of four hours. Each character may be given a task during one of these shifts, and their effectiveness will be determined by the relevant camping skills.

Camp quality is determined by three factors: abundance of food, level of shelter, and security. The amount of food available to a camp site determines how much and how many times the hunting task can be used, and how effective it will be. A higher level of shelter will give a higher chance of obtaining the Well rested effect. Finally, the security level will determine the base security of the camp site. Food availability deteriorates upon each hunting trip performed and security may improve or become worse depending of whether the cleaning is performed.

While in camp, there is a chance that random events will happen to the hird. These events can boost morale, provide extra resources, or cause friction within the party. See Random Travel Events for more information.

## Camping Tasks

Injured characters can only perform the following tasks:

* guarding;
* preserving;
* healing (not on themselves):

### Resting

All your hirdmen need 2 shifts of sleep to reset their fatigue timer. However, if they have the **Heavy Sleeper** skill then they only require 1 shift's sleep.

### Guarding

Guards prevent thieves from stealing your supplies such as rations, medicine, salvage and hides. A higher guarding percentage means less likelihood of it happening. Guarding is capped at 95%. Even party members with no skill in this task can provide 5% or 10% safety.

### Hunting

Hunting wildlife provides the hird with meat. Meat can be used as food, or turned into rations for long term storage. The amount of meat gathered is dependent on the character's hunting skill. Raw meat will spoil over time, and wildlife will not return to camps, so be careful to not over hunt.

### Scouting

Searching the surrounding area is a good way to find resources and other points of interest near the camp. If any found they will be locations you can walk to on the campaign map to gain a variety of resources such as: wood, salvage, hides, and even some usable items such as barricades, torches and sometimes even equipment.

### Preserving

Preserving meat into rations keeps food stocks high and stops meat from spoiling. The amount of meat that can be preserved in a single shift is determined by the preserving skill. Rations may be used as a food source for the hird. Rations do not spoil, however there are Random Travel Events that cause the party to lose rations.

### Crafting

Allows the hird to craft weapons and armour, and the quality and rank of the product will depend on the crafting skill level of your character. In addition, by leveling the artisan skill, a random effect can be given to the crafted weapon or armour. Crafting during camping costs no valuables, therefore it may be more efficient than using the town blacksmiths.

### Healing

Healing takes the time to heal any wounds sustained from random events and incapacitations from prior battles. The higher the level of healing skill the more likely it is that the injury can be recovered per shift. A character with a wound may only use the guard, rest and healing task until their wounds are healed.

### Cooking

Cooking gives a chance of providing the hird with the well fed effect, which increases Endurance and Sense by for 6 hours. A higher cooking skill increases the chance of this effect being applied.

### Repairing

Repairs any weapon for the cost of one salvage per durability and armour for the cost of one hide per durability. Repairing during camping costs no valuables, therefore it may be more efficient than using the town blacksmith. You can repair multiple items during one shift.

### Witchcraft

Turns an amount of herbs into medicine. Herbs do not spoil, medicine is used for the Healing part of camping. Since medicine sells for twice the prices of herbs, this skill can be used to a generate quite a profit while camping.

### Tinkering

Produces usable utility items if you have the required materials. These items may then be given to members of the hird to use them during battles.

### Cleaning

Cleans the camp after you leave so that the security level increases. Cleaning must be done during the fourth shift, and can only be done by one character. There is a 5% chance of decrease the character's morale upon completion of the task. Therefore, the player character cannot be assigned this task, as their morale is locked to 10.

## Camping strategies

With a good strategy, you can make sure that you won't spend too much skill points of a character to specialise in utility skills which the character isn't going to use often.