Camping Grinch?

firewood!?! Thats home decor for city folk.
Clean cuts and a little sunflower oil, and let 'em haggle you down to $40 each.

 

I go to see the stars. Especially when it’s a new moon and it’s dark enough to see the Milky Way. It takes a good 5-10 mins of sitting in the dark for your eyes to adjust to the darkness. That sometimes means sitting in the freezing cold away from the campfire. I try to see atleast one shooting star. Giant floodlights would make that pretty much impossible. I don’t even like it when someone in the group keeps their stupid LED light pole lit on their truck. (Damn Alex)

@BuckWallace try dispersed camping away from campsites. No floodlights, no loud music, no kids screaming and crying, no drunk idiots (except the ones in your group, lol) and especially no damn generators.

 

I've camped in tents and trailers (but not a motorhome - yet). We have a tent, and have considered a trailer. But we don't have a place to store it. So when you look at the cost of the camper, another truck to pull it (unless a teeny-tiny one the Tundra can "legally" pull), fuel, increasing campsite costs, maintenance, etc... you can stay a helluva lot of nights in decent - and occasionally a really nice - b&b/hotel. AND you never have to make the bed or deal with a stinky slinky. You just drive there and go to bed, shower, and explore the area. All while having a smaller, more efficient vehicle to run about in. Or, you can even fly /take a train to a destination, and hoof it - no car needed. We've done that too and had a blast. It was so nice not having to deal with traffic.

On the other hand... with hotels/b&b's you never know whose DNA you might be sleeping in.

I have been on and enjoyed both (all 3?) sides. Tent, camper, b&b. They all have +/-, and all can be fun.

 

Where do I light a campfire in my hotel room?

 

In the parking lot. Gotta be quick with the s'mores to get them done before the cops show up!

 

Your pics are one of the few things I miss about Ontario. The lakes there are unreal.

 

https://imgur.com/a/SZKgyO1#mBRLZFe

 

Camping for the sake of camping used to be fun, but i live where i want, so ive gotta see sights, and even if you show up on a weekday, a tourist bus shows up. Private owned Museums mostly didnt make it through the pandemic, and i've got loads of great roads within 100 miles, my camping has taken a hit. Sometime in october or november i plan on going to big bend and camping rough, and pretending my truck broke down if a park ranger shows up.

 

It’s all good. Your posting reminded me when I was young and my father would take me out rough-neck damping for a week at a time out in the Louisiana/Mississippi swamp lands. Way out in the marshes where no population or roads existed. Had to get there by boat and navigate through a spider web of bayous. In others words, very remote and very peaceful. Well one morning at dawn, we were woken by the literal sound of ww3. Swarms of fast attack gun boats and helicopters zipping everywhere with machine gun fire non stop. Obviously alarmed and making ourself seem, one of the gun boats quickly stopped to let us know the National Guard was playing war games that day. A very interesting morning.

 

Completely get it.

I am not a camper - but enjoy the outdoors. It’s a little unrealistic for anyone to expect to go to a campground and expect to be alone in nature (I do not feel OP has this expectation - but willing to bet at least 15-25% of the “new” campers actually do). At the same time - your renting a damn 100x100 sq ft space (or whatever the dimensions of a camping site are) - recognize your entitled to “your space” - but your space ENDS THERE.

The campground is not your personal playground - you have neighbors. Light and noise carry easily and not everyone enjoys your taste. I have no idea why people feel the need for so much light in a campsite - most of the appeal is being outdoors and light is pollution. Want a freaking light snow - go to Las Vegas.

I experienced similar boating a few years ago - lake empty throughout the week - but weekends it’s a freaking madhouse. Was renting out the pontoon daily - but weekends became such a shit show I just couldn’t keep up with the newbies. If it wasn’t having to explain things for the 6th time to the supposed “experienced” operators - it was dealing off with someone pissed at one of the newbies around us on the water as if I had any control over their actions.

Guess camping never appealed to me as if I want solitude in the woods - I’ve got it. Boating was different as didn’t grow up on the water - but didn’t take long to realize the amount of people hitting lakes on weekends made it impossible to enjoy. I’m not anti social / but 1500 people blaring music and zipping in and around each other on jet skis in a tiny body of water is just not my idea of fun - toss in the guys dragging boats that belong on Lake Erie down to these little lakes down and it just took the enjoyment out of things. People wonder why some lakes have low HP limits - spend a day here on the water and you see why.

 

My biggest bitch about fellow campers is when they have to blast their music so everyone in the entire campground can hear it. I go camping to get away from people and noise and commune with nature and many people just don't get that and are missing the point of being out camping. People are really inconsiderate to other campers and their surroundings.

 

So reading this a little, the problem with camping at established campgrounds, it's basically like hanging out in your backyard if you live in a tract home, or a neighborhood where houses are divided by a single fence. On any given weekend, if you and your neighbor are outside at the same time, you're smelling each other's bbq, hearing each other's music/conversation and otherwise, in close proximity. If you camp in an established campground, they put campsites so that your firepits and tents are probably within 15-20 yards apart. If you're lucky, you're a little further away, but you're essentially right next to one another. Just like your backyard, I honestly feel you sort of assume some amount of intrusion, either with lights or noise. Obviously, if someone's light is pointed right at you, or they're blasting music (certainly past 10 p.m.), that's not cool

The only way to truly camp and have privacy is to go off grid. I've pretty much done off grid camping for the last 7-8 years. I think I've stayed in an actual campground 2-3 times over the last 8 years. Off grid also forces you to consider gear more closely, and in some instances, end up with very good gear that's great for camping, power outages, or God forbid, SHTF. Just my two cents.

 

We go to Ft. Morgan AL for the winter. There's probably half of the 34 sites occupied by snow birds. We all get along quite well but it takes putting consideration first. It's the short timers that seem to go for the instant gratification camping. We had one neighbor with four young boys and a few dogs in a large 5th wheel. The kids ran back and forth with the dogs in hot pursuit barking. At least they stopped and went to bed at a decent hour. I just figured they will be gone in a week and they are having fun so what the heck. At least they weren't glued to a video game like their dad.
This particular RV Park was 60 sites before Sally hit. After the hurricane they decided to make it 34 larger sites. Being all irregular in shape with mature Live Oaks makes it more of a campground than an RV Park in my eyes.

 

I totally agree with most mentioning the OP needs to get off the grid and do some remote/dispersed camping if he wants that feeling of solitude and communing with nature.

Having said that, I don't think the OP is being a "Camping Grinch" either. When you go camping there is a certain expectation, wether in the boonies or an established campground, that your neighbors are going to be respectful of "their" neighbors. It's unfortunate that it doesn't seem to work that way anymore.

In my opinion, the root of the problem is connected to our current "ME" culture. Everything is about "ME" and what's in it for "ME". I'm going to do what I want, because it is all about "MY" happiness after all. Everybody else be damned.

Am I going to get my Instagram/BookFace/Tik Tok shot of I don't have all these lights on? It's a little warm so I guess I'll run the generator and A/C all night since "I" need to be comfortable. Etc, etc, etc...

Let's face it, we've become a very selfish society for the most part, and I really don't see that changing for the better anytime soon.

Rant over.

 

Just circling back here, I'll reiterate that I know I can go do "real" camping to get away from the crowds. I could also go one step further and say that bringing a tent and supplies isn't real camping and you should just go out in nature with a knife and make your own shelter and find your own food . They're two different experiences, and just because one offers an almost-definite solution shouldn't mean the other is a free-for-all.

Anyway, I'm just referring to etiquette within RV campgrounds. I get I'm not boondocking, but I'm just wondering if there is any expectation of common courtesy, or is it just "deal with the loud music and blinding lights" if you're in a campground? Seems like most people agree that there should be some level of courtesy in a campground.

 

Agree with last two posts. The “me” culture is out of hand

and basic camping etiquette is a thing of the past

 

To add to the gripe, ppl's kids are annoying AF and I'm a damn teacher lol. One night we couldn't even get to sleep at a decent hour (9 or 10) because the kids from two spots down were loud AF while their parents decided to just get white girl wasted (sorry, no offense white girls). They even started throwing stuff on top of the metal awning that was over one of our picnic tables. It was supposed to be a better campground due to it being private but needless to say we never plan on going back.

 

I just spent 4 nights at a State Park and our full hookup campsite was at least 20 yards from the nearest camper and no camper was visible from our site. Boondocking isn't absolutely necessary to get some space. Maybe it's a regional thing.

IMO OP has completely reasonable expectations for common camping courtesy. Unfortunately there are a lot of inconsiderate and clueless people we share this world with. Sometimes I am one of them, no doubt.

 

I agree, lights are for cooking area, otherwise a headlamp or flashlights are best. Of course a good fire is OK!

 

Yes, there "should be" common courtesy in campgrounds... unfortunately this usually isn't the case.

Just one of the many reasons most of my camping is very rarely done in campgrounds.

 

So was recently on a dual sport, adventure ride, on/off road mc trip, whatever you want to call it. Spent the first night in an established campground in the National Forest. Place had no electricity, the sites were fairly close, and the place was packed. Had about a 5 person crew behind us. Quiet time at 10 pm like they all are. These people sounded like a tent full of hyenas for hours and I mean loud. I don't know what they were smoking or doing but at around 1145 PM I let out a rather firm, "SHUTUP!", I had had enough. It worked. Was finally able to get some sleep.

 

It’s not you. As a campground host for many years I have witnessed the change. The state park manager where I currently host was telling me how it’s getting really hard to get good camp hosts lately. The veterans he knows and used to be able to count on are saying it’s gotten “weird” and they’d rather not continue.

There are places I won’t volunteer anymore that used to be great.

 

Stayed at Bullards Beach State Park campground Monday til yesterday morning. Only issues I had were someone smoking weed and one of the hosts parked their second vehicle partly in the drive making it hard for me to leave my spot with my trailer. Stayed pretty quiet and it was pitch black at night. People were outside with flashlights, but left their trailer exterior lights off.

 

weed in Oregon? How dare they
Provincial parks in Canada allow cannabis but only on your camp site.

 

If you shouldn't have to hear my loud music, I shouldn't have to smell the shit you smoke.

 

Free BLM land freecamsites.net typically has much more considerate people. You’re not wrong. No one is considerate with light or noise anymore. Not worth going to populated campsites unless you have no choice on a trip. Cheers

 

Although I ran into a crew in Utah a few years back who were all GoFastCampers employees testing out their sweet campers and they were the ones on free BLM land being loud and got pretty upset when I asked if they’d not let all of their giant dogs run into everyone’s campsite around. I’m a dog owner, I get you want to let them run, but I’d never let my dogs just disappear into other people’s camps ha.

 

Im ok with everything in moderation.

 

Like meth…

 

The problem is, give moderation and they say "screw it, we are taking it all". Just like certain groups are trying to get something on paper that will make it illegal to fish/hunt/raise animals for food in OR. Camping probably also since it "adversely effects mice".