How to unlock and use Pop-up Camps in Monster Hunter Wilds

Pop-up Camps are a new mechanic in Monster Hunter Wilds, offering hunters a little more flexibility over where they can put down roots as opposed to World's fixed locations. The spots are still pre-determined, but the game gives you a pretty wide spread of places to choose from, with varying safety levels and locations to help put you closer to monsters you'll find yourself fighting the most.

So, if you're already itching to get away from the base camp and into your home away from home, here's how to unlock and set up Pop-up Camps.

How to unlock Pop-up Camps

You'll unlock Pop-up Camps early on in Monster Hunter Wilds, during Chapter 1-3 after hunting the Congalala. You'll be handed the Camping Kit item and be prompted to put one down in Area 13, near the Oasis, after which you'll be able to head inside and access all the same things you can back at the base camp tent: Cooking, equipment, posting quests, all that good stuff.

Initially, you'll only be able to put two Pop-up Camps down in each area, but progressing through the story and increasing your hunter rank will eventually open up a much nicer five spots per area for your portable tents.

Now that you have your Camping Kit and your first pop-up tent, you're free to go ahead and place the other one in any spots you discover on your travels. It's usually pretty obvious when you've found one–the game'll prompt you to look at the spot, and a signpost will appear on the map letting you know where it is so you can come back to it later. You can also keep an eye on the map for congregations of Quatreflies, as they'll often point you towards potential camping spots.

How to place Pop-up Camps

First of all, there are three safety levels to consider when placing down a Pop-up Camp:

• Dangerous: The highest likelihood of being discovered and destroyed by a monster
• Insecure: Not quite the monster magnetic of dangerous, but still a little risky
• Safe: All but completely safe from big, scary monster tramplings

Honestly, I would recommend avoiding any dangerous pop-up camps entirely, as they're a verifiable magnet for monsters. If one discovers your Pop-up Camp—or your poor tent ends up in the crossfire of a turf war—they can come along and destroy it, putting the camp out of commission for 10 minutes or until you cough up the Guild Points to have it speedily repaired.

Instead, I'd recommend digging around in caves and other nooks and crannies for safer campsites. They won't let you get right back into the heart of the action as fast as dangerous spots, but you're also practically guaranteed to always have them away from the primal rage of a monster.

The easiest way to set up Pop-up Camps is via the Pop-up Camp Meowster in Windward Plains, or the Support Desk Felynes located in other base camps. They'll keep track of all your discovered campsites, letting you take a better overall glance at safety levels and where on your map's looking a little sparse.

Speak to them, select Manage Pop-up Camps and then select the area you want to set up in. Select a site from the list, and then hit "Set Up Camp." It'll cost between 25 and 75 points, depending on the location.

Alternatively, if you're out on the field and come across a site you want to set up in immediately, use your radial wheel to find the Camping Kit. Press Square to use it near the campsite and it'll ask if you want to set up the Pop-up Camp. Hit confirm and voila, you now have a brand spanking new tent that you can operate out of.

How to remove Pop-up Camps

If you want to remove a camp to set up elsewhere—for example, I highly recommend getting rid of the camp you're prompted to set up in Chapter 1-3, as it's a terrible location that is destroyed more often than it is in operation—thankfully it's an easy process.

Either speak to the Pop-up Camp Purrfesional posted next to each traveling tent, or again go to the Pop-up Camp Meowster or Support Desk Felyne. If you're at the Pop-up Camp you want to remove, simply hit "Remove Pop-up Camp" and confirm. If you're with the Meowster or Support Desk, you'll need to go to "Manage Pop-up Camps," click on the area with the tent you want to remove, find it on the map and then select it to bring up the "Remove Camp" option.

Once you've confirmed the camp removal, you'll now have a free spot should you wish to pitch your tent elsewhere. Note that if you try to remove and place the Pop-up Camp down in the same position straight away, it'll cost double the Guild Points to do so.

How to customize Pop-up Camps

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Now, Pop-up Camps aren't just functional: they're fashionable, too. Defeating the Alpha Doshugama in Chapter 1-4 unlocks the ability to sprinkle a smattering of furniture items outside your camp area. You can also change the colours and fabric patterns of the tent itself, as well as adding designs to make each pop-up camp totally unique to you.

Customising pop-up camps is all done through the same method as removing them: Either talk to the Meowster, Support Desk, or a Purrfesional stationed next to the Pop-up Camp and select the "Edit Pop-up Camps" option, where you can then customise the tent and camp gear options to your heart's content.

It doesn't seem like there's any way to unlock additional items right now, unfortunately, though I'm sure they'll be emerging as pesky DLC purchases in the near future.