Whether you are an experienced camper or planning your first camping trip, be sure to mind your manners at the campground. Here are a few suggestions from fellow outdoor enthusiasts on how to be a well-mannered camper.
Leave No Trace
With so many folks using and enjoying the outdoors, it is very important that each of us do our bit. to make sure we leave nothing behind that detracts from the experience of those who follow. To that end, I practice the "Leave No Trace" credo.
After I have packed my camp, but before I leave the site, I take a few minutes to reflect on the experience, think about what I might have done differently, what I may have forgotten or had that I didn't need. During my reflections, I also take a last look around to make sure the site is better than I found it.
Submitted By: Bruce Van Deuson
Leave Wood for the Next Campers
My family and I often arrive near or after dark at our campsite. One thing I always look forward to is the campfire but it's hard to find wood in the dark. I like to leave a few logs and some kindling for the next campers so that they can have a fire the night they arrive. It's a nice gesture.
Submitted By: Rosemary Maziarz
Make Long-Time Friends
We look forward to fishing on every camping trip. A great way to meet the new campsite neighbors is to offer them some fish. Sometimes we end up making long-time friends.
Submitted By: Al Figone
Keep the Campsite Clean
The last thing we do when packing up on the final day of our trip is clean the site. I pay my children one penny for each piece of trash they pick up including bottle caps, broken straws, etc. You would be amazed at how clean your campsite can be in a matter of minutes. Our motto is "Always leave the site cleaner than when you arrived." For $2 to $3, the campground is usually spotless.
Submitted By: Kimberly Clemens
Use a Timer for Your Lights
We have heard complaints about people who leave their awning lights on all night. This often bothers people who are sleeping close by. So we decided that if we use an outdoor timer (just as we would for Christmas lights) we can set it and forget it. No one is disturbed by our lights.
Submitted By: Brenda & Roger Hagan
Write a Note
This tip is easy. All you need is a pen and a piece of paper. When your trip is over and you are packed and ready to go, take a moment and pen a short note to the next camper. I have received a few of these, and left a few myself. You can tell the new camper about a few things of interest you discovered during your stay and you can wish them a great time all in just a few short lines.
Submitted By: Rena Walls
Pick Up More Than You Bring
We camped a lot when we were kids. As part of our tradition my family and I would clean up at the end of our stay. We not only cleaned up after ourselves, but each of us had to pick up at least 10 pieces of litter. This was a way of giving thanks for the chance to camp and to help make the site better for someone else too.
Submitted By: Steve Merring
Meet Your Neighbors
One way to break the ice with neighbors just arriving to the campsite is to offer assistance when they are backing into their sites. More often than not it's a traveling elderly couple. Some of these rigs are incredibly difficult to back up, and some sites are more difficult to back into than others. If it's not an elderly couple, it's usually someone my family's age and we strike up conversations about kids, baseball, boating, camping, etc. It's the best way to meet your new neighbors!
Submitted By: Brian Hammon
Rake Around
We always rake (in a circle) around the campfire area as the very last thing we do before departure. It leaves a nice manicured look. We have had several camp hosts compliment us on how good the site looks.
Submitted By: Bill Carl
Share Fire Starters
Great campfires start with wax and dryer lint and small bathroom paper cups. I melt wax and fill the cups with dryer lint and add the wax. Let each set until firm (sometimes I put in the freezer to speed up the process). These work every time, and we always have spares for our camping neighbors who have a hard time lighting their campfires.
Submitted By: Daphne Michel
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