Outside camping lights

[polar76]

Campers, Please turn off your outside lights when you go to bed as a courtesy to other campers who would like to sleep with the windows open.

[troubledwaters]

paddywanpeep wrote:

The tent campers in our state parks who have the bucket lights strung up in the trees, along with the 1,000 lumen lanterns blasting all night, are just as bad.

Who really cares, though?

If I'm camping in state parks on weekends, in the summer, I expect that. Any experienced camper should expect that as well. Along with kids on bikes, cornhole bags hitting the boards, and shirtless guys flying drones.

If I get too tired of it, I'll stop camping around other people in popular campgrounds at the height of camping season. Honestly, I view it the same as I view going to Paris or London in July. You're going to see a bunch of tourists acting like fools

Well that changes everything then. I wasnt aware that we can all act like Aholes for weekend camping. They should really tell us that when we check in.

Hanging lights from your awning, riding bikes, playing cornhole, and flying drones is acting like aholes? You might want to stay home and make sure no kids are walking on your lawn.

[paddywanpeep]

The tent campers in our state parks who have the bucket lights strung up in the trees, along with the 1,000 lumen lanterns blasting all night, are just as bad.

Who really cares, though?

If I'm camping in state parks on weekends, in the summer, I expect that. Any experienced camper should expect that as well. Along with kids on bikes, cornhole bags hitting the boards, and shirtless guys flying drones.

If I get too tired of it, I'll stop camping around other people in popular campgrounds at the height of camping season. Honestly, I view it the same as I view going to Paris or London in July. You're going to see a bunch of tourists acting like fools

Well that changes everything then. I wasnt aware that we can all act like Aholes for weekend camping. They should really tell us that when we check in.

[IndyCamp]

The tent campers in our state parks who have the bucket lights strung up in the trees, along with the 1,000 lumen lanterns blasting all night, are just as bad.

Who really cares, though?

If I'm camping in state parks on weekends, in the summer, I expect that. Any experienced camper should expect that as well. Along with kids on bikes, cornhole bags hitting the boards, and shirtless guys flying drones.

If I get too tired of it, I'll stop camping around other people in popular campgrounds at the height of camping season. Honestly, I view it the same as I view going to Paris or London in July. You're going to see a bunch of tourists acting like fools.

[ppine]

thanks polar

[cowolter]

I have solar dragon fly and butterfly lights across the front of the awning. Look lovely at night time and they are not too bright

[sandstravels]

I agree. Bright lights need to go out at 10pm quiet time. Sound and light are nearly the same, just different wave lengths. 😉

[paddywanpeep]

Campers, Please turn off your outside lights when you go to bed as a courtesy to other campers who would like to sleep with the windows open.

It should say to turn them off when you go in for the night period. There is no reason to keep them on except to piss off your neighbors.

[Sultan1966]

polar76 wrote:
Campers, Please turn off your outside lights when you go to bed as a courtesy to other campers who would like to sleep with the windows open.

Agreed

[spoon059]

So last year we were at the lake over the 4th of July and there was a guy down the way that left his huge round security lights on, all day and all night. We just adapted and sat with our backs to the lights or went to another friends camper that blocked the light and did ok for the most part.

On Monday the 3rd they had fireworks and we found the lights exceptionally distracting. We went and knocked on the door... nobody inside. We got come construction paper that we brought for the kids and some tape... taped dark paper over the lights. We were cheered by many around us.

Don't know when the owner got back, but I guess he figured out that someone had taped over his lights and realized that there were other people in the world besides him. Tuesday night the lights were off and he left Wednesday morning.

I installed 3 very small blue LED light heads on the underside of my camper pointed straight at the ground. When we are out late at night, we turn those lights on. They are just bright enough to give a faint illumination along the ground in front of our camper so we can safely walk back at night. They aren't bright at all, you can lay underneath the trailer and stare straight at them without blinding yourself. Its called being considerate to your neighbors.

We just got back from a nice state park this weekend. While it was pretty full, nobody had their bright lights on at night and it was gorgeous. Beautiful skyscape at night without the light pollution!

[richclover]

Mr.Beebo wrote:
Leaving porch/scare lights on all night isn't a deterrent to crime any more than posting a "no guns allowed" in a business keeps out the armed robbers.
If it makes you feel better, good for you, but lighting up your camp site is an advertisement. If they can't see at midnight what they saw at noon you will likely hear them bumping around and be alerted. Just sayin...

Your signature photo is exactly why I want adequate outdoor lighting. NOT for use in campgrounds but out “boondocking” in the wilds, our usual routine. Before I let the dogs out for the pre-dawn pee I like to know if I need the pepper spray or 12-gage pump 😉

Wife and I have camped in campgrounds maybe 10 nights in the past 15 years. Some good and some bad. This thread has been educational! Since we plan more road trips.

[lakeside013104]

Allworth wrote:
Use your camper any way you wish but, if you are going to leave the outside lights on all night then do it somewhere that is not next to me!

OR next to me!

Nickthehunter, You may leave your inconsiderate lights on in another park, preferably across state lines.

Lakeside

[lakeside013104]

SidecarFlip wrote:

DutchmenSport wrote:
We were at Quakertown State Recreation Area (Indiana), near Liberty, Indiana. We arrived on a Thursday evening and we were practically, the only camper there. It was so dark at night, you couldn't even see your hand in front of your face. It was marvelous! Friday night the week-enders started coming in and then this happened (photos below). We were parked clear on the other side of the campground and had no neighbors. These lights were so bright, I could easily read a newspaper by this light at my camper.

Next day I made an attempt to look at the camper with the blue lights. Looked like they put aftermarket blue lights across the nose cap of their camper. Yea, from where they sit under the awning, they'd never see the light. But good-grief for the rest of the campground. It was absolute awful. And they left the dang things on all night.

Eventually that white (gosh-dang awful horrible unbelievable, brightest thing I'd ever seen in ANY campground) light was finally turned off. But that blue one.... bright as a search light on the top of a light house, never went off.

Yea, I was horribly disappointed, especially after the marvelous dark the night before:





If you are the owner of the camper that has these blue lights, your blue lights do not impress me. Instead, they irritate me and wish you would turn them off when you go inside!

I am OK having lights on from my neighbors when everyone is still outside after dark, kids are playing, and things going on. But gosh dang-it, when you go inside, turn the things off!

Being the 'take the bull by the horns' person I am, I would have waited until about 3 am and went over and turned them off myself, on a permanent basis. Why I always camp disbursed or in a pull off / turn out. I basically don't like inconsiderate idiots.

I like your style Mr. Sidecar!

Dutchmen Sport, your complaint is well founded. People infringing on my space is also upsetting. I will never bother you, I expect the same in return. Turn off your idiot lights. I would like to look at the evening skies. Much more rewarding then being bombarded with your horrible light display.

Lakeside

[4x4van]

Mr.Beebo wrote:
Leaving porch/scare lights on all night isn't a deterrent to crime any more than posting a "no guns allowed" in a business keeps out the armed robbers.
If it makes you feel better, good for you, but lighting up your camp site is an advertisement. If they can't see at midnight what they saw at noon you will likely hear them bumping around and be alerted. Just sayin...

It's not a matter of the thieves being able to see the stuff; they've already scoped it out in the daylight, and a small flashlight will prevent them from "bumping around". The porchlight simply means that they will be in plain view to anyone in the area when they are trying to steal stuff rather than being hidden under the cover of darkness. Scarelights, on the other hand, are just way over the top, IMHO. How much of an effect the porchlight will have is debatable, granted, but it WILL deter crime. Just as streetlights deter crime; thieves/criminals don't like being lit up.

[hawkeye-08]

We camped with Dad a few years ago, we had only been out a few times in our new to us trailer. I was up using the head at 3am using head and noticed light on in Dad's trailer next to us. Figured he was having trouble sleeping and decided to read at table or something. Up at 4 again and realized it was a reflection in his window from OUR outside being left on. We never (never say never I guess) leave our light on unless we are outside and need it.. I always double check now to make sure the outside light didn't get left on..

When I apologized at breakfast, Dad had noticed it, but the curtains were closed and it didn't both him..

[Camper_G]

Agree with these posts. We were at knoebels campground this past weekend and and had a guy keep his street side bright light on half the evening so we couldn't enjoy the campfire.


On the other side we had a penn state band Wagoner that played their 80s hair band music extremely loud till 1030 at night and had their site lit up like a stadium. Extremely inconsiderate and rude.

Other folks brought dogs with them who barked a lot and they sat there and did nothing to try to stop it.

Common sense and curtosey are things of the past unfortunately. We just tried to ignore that stuff, focus on us and enjoy our family Vaction.