Etiquette in Camping

Turtle n Peeps wrote:
Ok, I'll be odd man out...........sort of. ;)

Let me say this first. In 50 years of camping I don't think I've ever cut though anybody's camp site.

That being said, life is WaaaaaaaaaaaaaaY too short for "me" to worry about someone walking through my campsite. You see, my daughter died, my brother died, both of my parents are dead and several of my best friends are dead and a big old list of classmates are dead.

I only get 2 weeks vacation a year if I can afford to go at all, and I'll be damned if I'm going to let someone upset me for even a second for walking though my campsite. It's just not going to happen. I just refuse to get upset about someone walking through my campsite. Why get upset and give someone that much power?


I saw this just today on my feed and I think it fits perfectly for this thread:

You have $86,400 in you account and someone stole $10 from you, would you be upset and throw all of the $86,390 away in hopes of getting back at the person that took your $10? Or move on and live? Right; move on and live. See we have 86,400 seconds in every day so don't let someone's negative 10 seconds ruin the rest of the 86,390. Don't sweat the small stuff, life is bigger than that.

Life is short; don't let someone upset you and make it shorter. :)

Amen.

I never cut through campsites, but I am always surprised at how many people get upset about it, as I have generally found campers to be fairly laid-back folks.

Our favorite campsite is at the end of an old fire trail (not a marked trail on any trail map), and people often get lost and walk up into our campsite.

What should I do? Tell them they are being jerks by "not respecting the boundaries of my site?"

Of course not.

I chat them up, offer them a beer and a seat around the fire.

I'm even OK with those who knowingly cut through our site to get to the fire trail that eventually connects up with a marked trail.

I go camping to relax and have fun, not get worked up. Look, I'm not home, I'm not at work, and I'm out in nature. Why would would I get upset over something as minor as someone walking through my spot?

For those of you who will come with the "but you're not a full-timer" argument, I was a part-timer once. My wife was sent to training (military) and we took the trailer and our toddler with her. He and I stayed in the rig at a commercial campground while she was at work. Even then, when we were living at that campground, I didn't care if people walked through my site.

Life is way too short and this hobby is supposed to be fun.

Course what you could do is engage them in a conversation & go on & on & on. Better hope they were not taking a short cut to the bathroom. Watch em dance. Bet they won't cut through again.

Most are clueless people just getting to where they are going the shortest fastest way. Cutting through your campsite.

That's what some want you to think , while they are cutting through your campsite they are checking out for easy pickings later on !

Yeah I know NOT the right approach , BUT sometimes you have to show people first hand their ignorant nuisance.

We were camping at a very popular campground that has alot of people on quads, rzr's , motorcycles and alot of kids running around un-attended.

For whatever reason a group of kids decide to stop right in front of our site with their quads and rc cars and started doing donuts in the dirt as we were 15 ft away trying to eat our lunch.
I spoke up asking them to please take it down the road to the big open field they smarted off saying its a free country blah blah.
I followed them back to their group-camp and spoke with the parents, they pretty much said the samething and said "whats the big deal".

So I said ok , went back to our camp, dinner time I noticed they were all out by the bon fire sitting around eating , I went down with my rzr and spun a nice big donut dusting out the campsite.
I then stopped and shut it off when they started yelling.
I smiled with a big ol grin said "whats the big deal"

They stayed away from our group camping the rest of the weekend...

Was it the right thing to do NO , but sometimes you just gotta give them a taste of their own medicine...

Roy&Lynne wrote:
Every few months someone complains about someone walking thru their campsite and until I joined this forum, I didn't even know that was an issue Lord, folks, we have real problems to worry about in life and that ain't one of them. Chill and enjoy the fresh air.

I could CHILL and ENJOY the fresh air alot more IF idiots would stop cutting thru my CG site and then blow it off as 'no big deal'



But I have a real solution that causes those idiots to consider how much of a big deal it is.......MY DOG

Now she was not mean, vicious or aggressive.....she was big (78#) with thick long fur making her look even bigger and almost all black.
She LOVED to encounter folks and did it quickly.
She was a Border Collie/Mix that thought folks cutting thur were needing 'herded' and she would herd them right on out of the CG site

We had a strap thru wheel right by entry door. Attached to that strap was a leash that would allow her free roam to edge of site.
Leash went inside when we did.

Folks cutting thru...clip her to leash and open door.
Zip.....she was on them in 2 shakes of her tail.

Folks never cut thru twice.

rhagfo wrote:

Roy&Lynne wrote:
Every few months someone complains about someone walking thru their campsite and until I joined this forum, I didn't even know that was an issue Lord, folks, we have real problems to worry about in life and that ain't one of them. Chill and enjoy the fresh air.

So you think it is perfectly ok to just walk through someone's campsite like it is the rest of the park?
That part of the park is rented to those people, it is considered private property.

Just common decency says you don't walk through others yard.

Exactly !
It would be the same as some stranger walking through your front yard, down the side of your house, then through your backyard to get to the alley.

Roy&Lynne wrote:
Every few months someone complains about someone walking thru their campsite and until I joined this forum, I didn't even know that was an issue Lord, folks, we have real problems to worry about in life and that ain't one of them. Chill and enjoy the fresh air.

So you think it is perfectly ok to just walk through someone's campsite like it is the rest of the park?
That part of the park is rented to those people, it is considered private property.

Just common decency says you don't walk through others yard.

Roy&Lynne wrote:
Every few months someone complains about someone walking thru their campsite and until I joined this forum, I didn't even know that was an issue Lord, folks, we have real problems to worry about in life and that ain't one of them. Chill and enjoy the fresh air.

Sorry, but this is NOT a petty complaint. If I rent an apartment it is my space and I am entitled to privacy.

Same goes for campsites. When I set up camp, I set up my personal property such as chairs, rug, table, etc. With the site rent I pay I should expect that the neighboring site does not USE, move, or abuse them.

Unfortunately, with no "boundaries" possessions sometimes wander away.:M

This past August I had reserved (9 months prior)a site right on the St.Lawrence River. I booked 9 months in advance because it was a lovely site.

I came back from a walk one day to find a new neighbor had arrived in the site next to me and decided that my site was nicer than his so decided to set up their tent on MY SITE! When I said something his reply was 'Why, do you have a problem with this?'.

YES, YES I do.

He had a terrible site next to mine. BUT, that was NOT MY PROBLEM.

I am a VERY generous person and would have offered some space on my site, GLADLY. However he decided to steal that option from me as well as my site space.

I refuse to believe that they don't mind trespassers on their sites or their homes. Their stuff is different. Your stuff - not so much.

I will tell you what, if you grab a chair and follow them to their site, I bet they would not be happy with you there.

- gets off of soapbox...

Ok, I'll be odd man out...........sort of. ;)

Let me say this first. In 50 years of camping I don't think I've ever cut though anybody's camp site.

That being said, life is WaaaaaaaaaaaaaaY too short for "me" to worry about someone walking through my campsite. You see, my daughter died, my brother died, both of my parents are dead and several of my best friends are dead and a big old list of classmates are dead.

I only get 2 weeks vacation a year if I can afford to go at all, and I'll be damned if I'm going to let someone upset me for even a second for walking though my campsite. It's just not going to happen. I just refuse to get upset about someone walking through my campsite. Why get upset and give someone that much power?


I saw this just today on my feed and I think it fits perfectly for this thread:

You have $86,400 in you account and someone stole $10 from you, would you be upset and throw all of the $86,390 away in hopes of getting back at the person that took your $10? Or move on and live? Right; move on and live. See we have 86,400 seconds in every day so don't let someone's negative 10 seconds ruin the rest of the 86,390. Don't sweat the small stuff, life is bigger than that.

Life is short; don't let someone upset you and make it shorter. :)

Roy&Lynne wrote:
Every few months someone complains about someone walking thru their campsite and until I joined this forum, I didn't even know that was an issue Lord, folks, we have real problems to worry about in life and that ain't one of them. Chill and enjoy the fresh air.

+1 right here.

As long as they take only pictures and leave only footprints I am not concerned.