Forum Discussion
A few things I have learned while using Forest Service campgrounds and State Parks here in Montana:
1. Fill the fresh water tank while at home.
2. Be sure the waste tanks are empty.
4. Fill the propane, if needed. It might get cold in the mountains, even in June and July!
5. There is no electricity available, and generator use is limited. Some State Parks have recently been electrified. Most Forest service campgrounds are not.
6. There is probably no shower house. There are vault or pit toilets, though.
7. There will be water available, one spigot for each 5 or so campsites. There probably will not be a threaded outlet to hook up a hose, and some are designed so a "water thief" will not fit.
8. Many campgrounds (most) are "Pack it in, Pack it out!". There is no garbage pickup, and no dump station. Be cautious about using a dumpster in the first town you come to. It might be considered "Theft of Service" and you could get a ticket. Be sure it is for public use.
9. "grey water" may not be dumped on the ground anywhere in the state!
10. It is against the rules to dump waste water into the vault or pit toilets.
11. "Water conservation" is a learned skill. The methods vary. If you want to spend a week in a "Primitive Campground", you need to learn how.
12. DO NOT, EVER, flush "Flushable Wipes" down the toilet! No matter what the advertising says, they are NOT "flushable"! Not in the RV, not in the vault toilets, not at home. They go in the garbage, not the sewer system.
13. Leave your campsite cleaner than it was when you got there! Make sure there are no hot ashes (or trash) in the fire pit.
1. Fill the fresh water tank while at home.
2. Be sure the waste tanks are empty.
4. Fill the propane, if needed. It might get cold in the mountains, even in June and July!
5. There is no electricity available, and generator use is limited. Some State Parks have recently been electrified. Most Forest service campgrounds are not.
6. There is probably no shower house. There are vault or pit toilets, though.
7. There will be water available, one spigot for each 5 or so campsites. There probably will not be a threaded outlet to hook up a hose, and some are designed so a "water thief" will not fit.
8. Many campgrounds (most) are "Pack it in, Pack it out!". There is no garbage pickup, and no dump station. Be cautious about using a dumpster in the first town you come to. It might be considered "Theft of Service" and you could get a ticket. Be sure it is for public use.
9. "grey water" may not be dumped on the ground anywhere in the state!
10. It is against the rules to dump waste water into the vault or pit toilets.
11. "Water conservation" is a learned skill. The methods vary. If you want to spend a week in a "Primitive Campground", you need to learn how.
12. DO NOT, EVER, flush "Flushable Wipes" down the toilet! No matter what the advertising says, they are NOT "flushable"! Not in the RV, not in the vault toilets, not at home. They go in the garbage, not the sewer system.
13. Leave your campsite cleaner than it was when you got there! Make sure there are no hot ashes (or trash) in the fire pit.
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