base camp

noun

variants or less commonly basecamp

ˈbās-ˌkamp 

plural base camps also basecamps

: a place that serves as the starting point or staging area for an expedition or endeavor and that is usually equipped with shelter and supplies

… he set up a base camp, and went off to work in the mountains.

—John McPhee

I arrived at Denali's base camp, Kahiltna, on June 2. This is where I began my climb.

—Merrick Johnston

Making my base camp on a small island, I followed the pods … and collected dozens of tapes of their underwater vocal exchanges …

—John K. B. Ford

Southern California Edison is using the entire north parking lot as its basecamp to restore power to those in the affected areas.

—The Associated Press

Examples of base camp in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Suddenly what started as a tent-on-wheels for two people is a proper base camp for up to four people. — New Atlas, 29 Sep. 2026

The avalanche hit as people at a base camp prepared for foreign clients to arrive to climb the mountain during the autumn climbing season, which began this month. — CBS News, 28 Sep. 2026

Eight experienced mountain guides from the association took advantage of improving weather to dig through the snow that had covered tents at base camp. — ABC News, 27 Sep. 2026

After reading the script, watching the documentary, and meeting Peedom, Hiddleston signed up for the project, which led him to climb to Everest’s base camp alongside the director, Phuntsok, and a high-altitude medical specialist. — Rafa Sales Ross, Variety, 24 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1887, in the meaning defined above