Every year, millions of people going camping. Research shows that in 2011, 42.5 million people went camping. Many of the times, these outdoorsy folk bring their friends and family along, too. In fact, campers include their friends on their trips 70% of the time, and in 2011, 534.9 million days were spent on family camping trips.
Whether you’re an experienced camper taking your loved ones out on a trip or you’re about to go on your first camping trip, there are certain etiquette rules that you should follow. Many campgrounds often post their rules and regulations, making it clear to all what can and cannot be done, but there are also some unspoken rules, too.
Here are a few suggestions on important camping etiquette to take with you on your next trip.
Leave No Trace.
One of the most well-known (yet unspoken) rules of camping is to leave no trace. Whatever you take to a campgrounds should leave with you, including your trash. It’s rude to leave anything that might detract from the outdoors experience of those who come to the campgrounds after you. Once you’re all packed up and ready to leave, take 10 minutes to police your campsite, and go through your checklist to make sure you have everything with you.
Clean Up the Campsite.
Leaving a campsite as you found it is generally expected, but it’s also nice to try to leave it even better than how you found it. It’s not the most necessary thing, but it’s always nice when people police the grounds and try to find old pieces of trash and other debris so that they can throw it all away. If you have kids, pay them a penny or a nickel a piece for each piece of trash they find. For just a couple bucks, the campgrounds will be spotless.
Be Careful of Your Firewood.
Firewood can be a touchy subject with some campers. Firstly, don’t bring your own firewood. You may have some that have been seasoning for a while, but it’s best to leave it at home, because you may inadvertently bring insects and other diseases with you that could harm the ecosystem. Secondly, leave some firewood for the next campers. Finding firewood is hard to do in the dark, so when the next campers arrive and are all set up, it’s nice to have firewood already there.
Remember, these rules are largely unspoken. Breaking them won’t get you kicked out of a park, but it will likely upset others. So if you just remember to be kind and take care of the campgrounds, you’ll be fine.
