- Slow down & relax! You do not need to be in a hurry to enjoy your holiday, even if your time is limited! You will not enjoy your time on the road if you are up tight, trying to cram in as much as possible each and every day. Find a nice camp and then stay in it for a while! Take the time to listen to the wind in the trees, and breathe in the air. Stop and listen, the wildlife is there all around you. When the world is not rushing by, then you will see and hear nature at its best.
- Do your research & talk to other free campers. Use your common sense. Scout the road before you turn down it! Don't just turn off blindly especially if it narrows two wheel track! Finding out 5 kilometres down the track that there's nowhere to camp and nowhere to turn your RV around resulting in you reversing all the way out. Ask a local first or stay in an accessible campground for a night or two while you scout the area in your tow vehicle or bike.
- Keep your camp site clean. In fact plan to leave it better than you arrived. Good "camp hygiene" goes a long way toward avoiding conflicts with the neighbours and councils before they start.
- Do not dump black water under any circumstances. Be prepared and then remove black water from site and dump in approved facilities – especially not down a bush/pit toilet. Don't dump your grey water on the ground either! Convert to bio friendly detergents, cleaners and sanitizers.
- Properly conserve and manage your water. Utilize wet wipes for quick cleanups and paper plates to reduce the need for dish washing. Regularly sanitize your fresh water tank to avoid illness from a contaminated tank. Study up on all the ways you can stretch your water supply!
- Be considerate and polite. Treat your camping neighbours with respect. Do not run your generator for hours at a time. Never run your generator before seven or eight in the morning or too late at night (7pm winter or 8 pm summer). The sound of a generator droning on endlessly is a severe agitation for many people trying to find some serenity out in far country. Invest in solar power and more batteries if at all possible, leaving the generator for continuous overcast days.
- Continuing the considerate theme, keep your noise level down. Not everyone enjoys the same music as you, even if it is terrific music! Even loud conversations especially at night can be impolite.
- Do not park too close to your neighbours especially without consultation depending upon site size. 4-5 metres would be the minimum if room allows. In some large areas, even 10 metres might be deemed too close! Always ask if in doubt!
- Join in & enjoy happy hour with your neighbours. It is a great way to build friendships. This is just as important when traveling in a group! Don’t be exclusive or cliquey: they might need your company!
- Remember tip number One!
I would love to hear your tips for better camp etiquette to make camping pleasant for everyone.
What sort of things annoy you?
I certainly wouldn't do anything to damage a generator, but I wold be tempted to turn it off esp as many of these offenders usually pitch their generators away from their site so they don't have to listen to it so much. We haven't bought a generator preferring to buy another battery and harnessing solar power! Though after a few overcast days it is tempting at times.
ReplyDeleteWe love boondocking, too (do you have a different name for it?). We generally try to avoid crowds, so we haven't joined many happy hours; our favorite places are far from other campers.
ReplyDeleteThanks Good Luck Duck. We just call it by the boring name of free camping. I certainly don't like crowds but love to get together with 3 or 4 others. It really depends on the size of the camp spot. One place might be crowded with 6 campers there, another could have maybe 20 and it be rather empty. We don't like being totally alone. I have a sense of security knowing there is someone else around!
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