In this day and age, camping grounds can be quite packed and you often find yourself in close quarters with other people. To ensure you have a happy and safe camping trip, here are some of my thoughts to help you maintain good camping etiquette. Hopefully others around you follow the same practice too!
Remember the days when camping meant chucking the tent and sleeping bags in the back of the vehicle, loading up some food and drink, and facing the vehicle in the general direction desired?
No bookings, no permits, no fees, no people – just wide open spaces with beautiful spots along rivers, creeks and beaches. I can hear the voices now – is this guy dreaming, which planet is he on, etc. All this means is that you are probably a lot younger than me.
Luckily, there still are some places where you can get away from it all but a trip to many of the well-known destinations is certainly not one of them. In this day and age camping often means being in close proximity to others, so some basic courtesies can help make the experience a positive one.
This is never more so than in the often crowded campgrounds of the Kimberley in the dry and those highly sought after spots along the coast in summer.
So, after 40 years of camping experience and a recent 3 month trip up the centre and through the Kimberley, here are some of my thoughts to help ensure a happy and safe camping trip.
Nowadays, you’ll likely be sharing with others at popular camping sites.
I like Eric Clapton, do you? Ah, no you prefer the 4th aria in the 5th movement of Handel’s second symphony. I know this because I could hear it until 11:30 pm last night.
No matter how brilliant your music collection is, the rest of the campground does not need to hear it. If you must bring the iPod, it came with earphones for a reason. Remember that in the calm of the night, if your group can hear it then so can many around you.
Handel sounds great when you are travelling along in the vehicle but, like other things, it is best done in the privacy of your own home.
Music disturbs other campers and the local wildlife.
Use Generators during the day
Happy hour generally starts at around 4 – 5 pm, depending on just how happy you want to be. Just as the top flips, the cork pops and that beautiful “glug” sounds forth, a steady hum invades the brain.
Hang on, I haven’t started drinking yet, what’s that invasive noise? Before long a symphony of internal combustion dis-harmony rings through the air…
Generators are fast becoming part of the kit for many campers. But, despite how ‘you – beaut’ the technology, the sound carries, especially at night. Many campgrounds now have a generator area away from other campers – it’s there for a reason.
If not, at least ensure it is turned off by early evening. If batteries require charging do it during the day when the sound is better disguised by other noises and people are more likely to be out and about. Better still, embrace the solar revolution and charge for free!
Solar power is a more considerate way to get power off the grid.
Dispose of waste properly and safely
Now it is time to be a little indelicate, the discussion needs to turn to wee and poo. Have you ever noticed how discussion of this topic is often part of happy hour with the various techniques for performing these tasks being discussed with some pride?
As camping areas become more and more crowded, getting rid of the results of breakfast, lunch and dinner are becoming increasingly difficult. Luckily, many National Park and commercial campgrounds now have reasonable toilet facilities. However, many don’t and nor do many of the free camps that are becoming more and more popular. Many campgrounds are now so popular that even digging a hole is not possible.
There’s nothing worse than discovering used toilet paper in the bush.
If digging a hole is possible, ensure paper is burned [keeping in mind fire restrictions] before back-filling. Animals are attracted to smells and will often dig up toilet holes resulting in toilet paper floating around the area.
Ensure children are well supervised in this process. Under no circumstances just go behind a bush and leave used toilet paper behind. This is nothing short of revolting for those that follow. Zip-lock bags are a cheap, effective and simple way of taking used toilet paper to be disposed of properly.
Snowys have a variety of solutions from seats with bags to portable chemical toilets. These are now cheap, clean and easy to use and the number of dump points is increasing all the time, with a deep hole always an option. However, never empty these into septic systems as the chemicals destroy the system.
And ladies, tampons and pads are sure to block any flushing toilet system.
Use an existing fireplace for your fire
As happy hour rolls on and darkness closes in, another basic human urge takes hold – the need for fire. Is there anything more mesmerising and calming than the flickering of the flame and the glow of coals?
After the raucous discussions of toilet techniques, it’s time to eat and settle down for some calmer chat around the fire, with the assistance of a cuppa, a warming port or other beverage of choice. But, how to achieve this most basic of needs. As camp spots become more popular, firewood is at a premium. Collecting any near popular spots is near impossible.
To enjoy the ambience of a fire, bring your own wood or use heat beads in a small brazier. It is amazing how little wood is needed to keep a few people warm and enjoying that beverage of choice. Also, use existing fireplaces. It never ceases to amaze me on arriving at a nice spot, only to find a number of fireplaces dotted around even a fairly small area, significantly reducing the places to pitch a tent or set up a table and chairs.
These days, I choose to cook using the gas stove and leave my firewood for the ambience of the evening.
Don’t char more of the land then what you need, use an established fire pit.
I was lucky enough to go camping as a kid and I took my own kids camping from an early age. I remember being able to run free around the bush because our group was the only one around and I wasn’t impinging on anyone.
This is now a rare privilege now, with most people having to share their camping experience with others around them. Kids should be going camping, but it should be done safely and with respect for other campers. This means no screaming and shouting and running through others campsites, especially in the evening. And that refers to both adults and children.
Supervise the kids properly when out camping.
Rubbish, rubbish everywhere, but not a bin in sight. Like other human waste, general rubbish is a fact of life. Even though we don’t get to drive the big truck with the massive compactor, we all need to take on the role of refuse-engineer when camping.
Some campsites do have bins, but often these are emptied irregularly, especially in more remote areas. It does not take a degree in physics and meteorology to know that wind will blow rubbish out of an overflowing bin and gravity will ensure it litters the area around it.
If there is no bin or it is full, take it with you and dispose of it properly. Waste paper and cardboard can be kept separately and used to light the fire if having one.
If the bin is full, take your rubbish out with you.
Camping is one of life’s greatest pleasures that can remain that way even in a more crowded world. All it needs is a little planning, a thoughtful approach to the environment, and consideration to those around us.
Do this and we will all be happy campers and do our bit to ensure that the beautiful areas of our country remain open to us.
What do you do to be a considerate camper? Let us know in the comments.
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