Camping Etiquette- The Unspoken Rules of Campground Camping
Today, GearHeadJunkie.com has is discussing etiquette that you should practice on campground camping. There are some rules that you should practice when you go camping though no one will tell you about them. You can call them laws of the land, if you may. Knowing the said rules can help you and other get more out of your camping and outdoor experience. Remember to pass them down to your camping kids since they have been going down from generation to generation. This post will outline some camping etiquette- the unspoken rules of campground camping.
1. Quiet Time for Being Quiet
Be respectful to other people who are also camping, don’t let your partying disrupt the next person. Especially at night sound travels faster and you should probably retire to bed early. This rule has always appeared confusing to many. Have you ever gone camping and had to deal with a noisy neighbor blasting their radio? I believe that the camp ground should be quite at 10:00 PM.
2. Be Friendly to other Campers
They are some of the friendliest people you will ever meet. Try and be friendly to people that you come across. Try not to walk through your neighbor’s campsite. Respect their space.
3. Leave No Trace Behind
As a Boy Scout Master, I have always taught my boys the Leave No Trace principles – to always leave your campsite and hiking trail better than you found it. Make sure you don’t leave anything behind that will distract the camping experience of the person who will follow. Don’t destroy nature, clean up all your mess while at the campground.
4. Don’t Feed Animals at Campsite
When you feed animals while at the campsite, they will become more fond of you and will always come back for more. They may be hostile while demanding and this is neither safe for your family nor future Campers.
5. Don’t Leave Food Out at Night
Adopt proper measures of storing food at night. Hanging it on a tree may be best. This is for the safety of the animals and yours.
6. Don’t Bring Firewood with You
Did you know that bringing firewood from long distances may import diseases or insects that could be harmful to the forest? It is best if you can buy them somewhere near your campground. Remember also not to chop the firewood from your campground or reverse trailers on young trees.
7. Playing Music at Your Campsite is Fine
Other people will tend to come with music gadgets that have ear-piercing music hence causing a nuisance to other campers. Play music loud enough to be heard only on your camp site.
8. Honesty is The Best Policy
Some people tend to come very late at night and leave very early in the morning so as to avoid paying the camping fee. Renting a campsite is not that expensive and beside honesty is always the best policy
9. Fishing Spots
Don’t try to force yourself into someone else’s fishing spot just because they have caught a fish and you haven’t. That is rude.
10. Place Grey Water in Approved Dumping Stations or water drains
Grey water is the dirty water from bathing, laundry or washing dishes. There is a significant risk to people’s health from dumping such water anyhow. This is due to high amount of bacteria found in the water.
11. Campfire Safety
Every time you are through with fire, always make sure that it is completely extinguished. By doing this, it is the only way you can prevent forest fire just as Smokeys say.
Bottom Line
You should be able to respect nature, respect other Campers and respect the animals. On one time or another, we have come across some obnoxious or ignorant campers. You can have a full filling trip without brushing shoulders with other campers by following the above simple rules. These are just some of the camping rules we follow. Do you have any you would add?
I will meet you around the campfire
