Rules for your campsite?

[NWCamper]

So what rules do folks here have in place for camping?

I’ll start: A few years back, after a few bad experiences with dirty dishes and trash left in the campsite, we (myself and a few camping buddies) agreed on some ground rules for group/communal camping. Things have gone smoothly for the most part and it has been especially helpful for first-timers and inexperienced campers because, let’s face it, some people just don’t know what it takes to be good campers, and they won’t know unless you *tell* them.

Rules:
1) NO DRAMA!
2) Clean up after yourself. Leave No Trace rules apply
3) Pack it Out – Everyone leaves with a bag of trash or recycle, no exceptions!
4) Dishes – You help at least once.
5) Ask before bringing someone, it’s a matter of space.
6) Supervise your mutts! Nuisance dogs will be fed chili con carne and secured in their owner’s tents.
7) Same with kids.

Rules can be adjusted depending on who’s in charge. For instance, one friend has instilled a rule to keep numbers down: Friends of friends cannot bring friends. Also, I am organizing an upcoming camping trip and I have made it clear that pups are welcome as long as they’re leashed: 5) Dogs – Leashed at ALL times. Out of the kitchen. Out of the trash. Out of my face when I’m trying to eat.

Anyone want to share?

[terasec]

Re: Rules for your campsite?

food? when multiple people we tend to all share,
should at least offer some food if your going to eat others food,
i also like to remind people of rules and laws,
some people think they can just go fishing because they are near water, no get a license! ill gladly let you use my gear, teach you how to fish, tell you whether you can legally keep a fish, methods to minimize harm to the fish, but first get a license!!!
campground rules and regs, lands rules/regs if leaving campgrounds etc...

not a rule but a preferance and recomendation, if your with young kids, save the drinking until kids are in bed for the night
i dont want to watch or answer to your kids because dad is too drunk

[NYCgrrl]

Re: Rules for your campsite?

So what rules do folks here have in place for camping?

I’ll start: A few years back, after a few bad experiences with dirty dishes and trash left in the campsite, we (myself and a few camping buddies) agreed on some ground rules for group/communal camping. Things have gone smoothly for the most part and it has been especially helpful for first-timers and inexperienced campers because, let’s face it, some people just don’t know what it takes to be good campers, and they won’t know unless you *tell* them.

Rules:
1) NO DRAMA! This is why I no longer invite my DIL.......
2) Clean up after yourself. Leave No Trace rules apply. Check down to the cigarette butts and bottle caps.
3) Pack it Out – Everyone leaves with a bag of trash or recycle, no exceptions! Check and see directly above.
4) Dishes – You help at least once. No I don't and don't get crazy. I buy it, cook, and pack it. More than content for U to wash.
5) Ask before bringing someone, it’s a matter of space. My goodness you have manners! I'm in wuv.
6) Supervise your mutts! Nuisance dogs will be fed chili con carne and secured in their owner’s tents. If the bird can't come neither can the dawgs. Or cats. Species neutral...
7) Same with kids. I don't know what their species is.........

Rules can be adjusted depending on who’s in charge. For instance, one friend has instilled a rule to keep numbers down: Friends of friends cannot bring friends. Also, I am organizing an upcoming camping trip and I have made it clear that pups are welcome as long as they’re leashed: 5) Dogs – Leashed at ALL times. Out of the kitchen. Out of the trash. Out of my face when I’m trying to eat.

Anyone want to share?

No shoes or food in the sleeping tent- how hard is that and whyyyyyyyy are you now banned from camping with me for life, DIL?:go:

[NWCamper]

Re: Rules for your campsite?

Terasec:

In the past, communal meals were always planned out ahead of time, so nearly everyone brought something or pitched in with cooking. And if you didn’t cook, you cleaned.

However, this coming trip I want to be lazy and I have decreed that everyone’s in charge of feeding themselves: “Meals and dishes: I don't want to deal with planning large meals. If you want to share what you have, great. But plan to feed yourself and plan to do your own dishes. If someone is nice enough to share their meal with you, then you help them with dishes.”

I’ve gotten nothing but positive feedback on this. Planning every meal out can get stressful and sometimes it’s nice to only have to worry about yourself. Getting everyone to do their own dishes may be another story. I’ll bring buss tubs and people will be welcome to use them, so we’ll see how that pans out.

We’ve been lucky as far as kids. Only one couple we camp with has had kids (so far) and both kids and parents are marvelous to hang out with. If I’m in charge, I do try to discourage people from bringing their children: “Children: Infants are fine. But with the exception of [names redacted], I really don’t want children there. BUT I still want you to come camping. If you decide to bring your child, please be aware that they may be witness to adults behaving very badly. If you don’t want your child to see or hear something, then you are responsible for removing them from the situation.”

I’m totally guilty of playing favorites as far as children and dogs go. Hey, my camping trip = my rules! :p

[terasec]

Re: Rules for your campsite?

past few years i have been taking my nieces camping ,
their friends have an annual father daughter camping trip every year(i am their uncle, their fathers an ahole)
about 6-7 dads 10-15 teen girls (oh what fun)
one of the rules dad that organizes it is everyone plans/cooks their own meals for themselves and their kids,
everyones more than welcome to eat anywhere (we take up 6-7 campsites) but as long as you were prepared to feed your kid your welcomed
a meal here and there no big deal, or if kids want to eat with friends thats all fine,
but dont go grubbing breakfast lunch dinner every day,
also as the kids get older they take on more responsibility in cleaning up after the meals, not a formal rule, just good well trained kids and they do it without a problem

[NWCamper]

Re: Rules for your campsite?

NYCgrrl:

I have no problem blacklisting or uninviting people from camping trips if it means avoiding future headaches. So far, only one person has not been invited back. But I'm selective as far as invites go. If I know someone has a tendency to be an asshole and cause conflict, or if they can't hold their alcohol and need to be babysat, they can't come, period.

Regarding dishes: Fair enough.

Totally hear you on the bottle caps and cigarette butts. I will walk around with a plastic bag and get every little last scrap I can.

[James.]

Re: Rules for your campsite?

Wow. I have never considered that rules would be necessary but then I usually camp alone or with just my family (there are 3 of us) and the one time I camped with my brother and sister we were bumping into each other trying to outwork each other.

[terasec]

Re: Rules for your campsite?

Wow. I have never considered that rules would be necessaryr.

You never camped with my crazy ass brother
1 day with him you will put together a list of rules real quick

[wecamp04]

Re: Rules for your campsite?

I'm with James don't really have rules kids are in their 20s and know to leave a camp site better than you found it .

[actad]

Re: Rules for your campsite?

No rules here, either. (I do like the one about being responsible for your own food and cleanup.)

[NWCamper]

Re: Rules for your campsite?

Yeah, I wish I could say the same. But when someone's new to camping with our group--or just new to camping in general--there's a good chance they won't know this stuff right off the bat. Someone needs to tell them what it takes to be good and considerate campers.

[toedtoes]

Re: Rules for your campsite?

As long as folks have their own sleeping quarters, I am pretty easy going. This is when I'm going, what I'm eating and what I'll be doing - if you want to join me, you are welcome to; if you don't like my food or my "doings", then please bring your own and do your own. I let them make their own reservations, I let them figure things out for themselves. I go about my thing and if they show up, I say "hey, great you could make it". I absolutely do not sit around waiting for them to appear - if they show up while I'm out doing something, they can go do their own thing or hang out until I return. It works well because the folks who end up joining me are independent - we hang out, we go off on our own, we meet up. No pressure, no demands, no stress.

If they will be sleeping in my clipper, then things get MUCH more particular:

1. I'm telling you the meals in advance so you can choose to veto something you don't like. If you accept my meal choices, then do NOT bring tons of other foods along "just in case we want something different". These are the meals, you agreed, shut up and eat. I have provided space for your personal snacks and drinks - do NOT bring enough to feed an army for a 3-year siege when we're only gone for 3 days. There is limited space in the clipper and I refuse to have to rotate bags of stuff from my bed to the dinette to the couch to bed to the counter the entire time.

2. I'm telling you how much stuff you can bring because space is limited in the clipper. If you bring more than I've indicated, then it has to be stored on the table and seating - which means every time you want to sit, it has to be moved. This is difficult with just one person, it is pretty much impossible with more than one person. After my group trip last year, I now have a cardboard box - if they can fit it in the box it can come. Anything that doesn't fit, gets left on the side of the road - no exceptions (well, except for #4 below).

3. If I give you a time (for departure, for moving to a different location, etc.), it is because there are REASONS for that time. I have considered traffic, campground check in/out, and so on. I have provided these times to you in advance. Do NOT just go off and disregard these times, coming back 2 hours later saying "well, it's not like we're on a schedule" - YES WE ARE!!!!!!!!!!! That's why I gave you the friggin' time that we would be leaving!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (there aren't enough exclamation points in the world for this one.) If I give you a general "we'll leave sometime this afternoon", then it's not a schedule. If I give you "we'll leave at 11:00 a.m.", it's a schedule.

4. Do NOT spend hours and hours napping in the RV. I did not go camping to watch you nap for 3 hours twice a day. If you need to nap that much, please bring a lounge chair or a tent (I'll exempt it from the box limits). If you can't bring one of those, then re-think coming on the trip. Space is limited - you can't hog the couch all day napping and expect me to be happy. This also falls in with "go take a walk by yourself once in a while" - I'm giving you some "alone" time in the clipper to rest, read, whatever; how about returning that favor and letting me have some "alone" time in my clipper.

5. Yes, my dogs and my bird are coming. If you don't want to share space with them, then bring a tent to sleep in. If you choose to accept the comfort of my clipper, then you must accept my animals. Don't insult my animals, don't suggest I board them or leave them home. Don't feed them without asking me, don't interfere if I am correcting a bad behavior (for god's sake, when I call my dog do NOT start calling him over to you).


Generally, I don't have a problem with cooking or clean up - I actually enjoy it when I'm camping and I have learned how to do it effectively and efficiently in my clipper. I'm always happy for the help, but don't expect it. Oh, if you do help and I ask you to use the kitchen towel rather than my face towel, don't give me a look like I'm some control freak...

[NWCamper]

Re: Rules for your campsite?

Hey, your clipper = your rules! Sounds fair to me.

And who would want their face towel used for cleanup? Yuck!

[terasec]

Re: Rules for your campsite?

.

If they will be sleeping in my clipper, then things get MUCH more particular:

1. I'm telling you the meals in advance so you can choose to veto something you don't like. If you accept my meal choices, then do NOT bring tons of other foods along "just in case we want something different". These are the meals, you agreed, shut up and eat. I have provided space for your personal snacks and drinks - do NOT bring enough to feed an army for a 3-year siege when we're only gone for 3 days. There is limited space in the clipper and I refuse to have to rotate bags of stuff from my bed to the dinette to the couch to bed to the counter the entire time.

dont camp with many italians do you?
any excuse for a feast

[NYCgrrl]

Re: Rules for your campsite?

NYCgrrl:

I have no problem blacklisting or uninviting people from camping trips if it means avoiding future headaches. So far, only one person has not been invited back. But I'm selective as far as invites go. If I know someone has a tendency to be an asshole and cause conflict, or if they can't hold their alcohol and need to be babysat, they can't come, period.

Regarding dishes: Fair enough.

Totally hear you on the bottle caps and cigarette butts. I will walk around with a plastic bag and get every little last scrap I can.

When it comes to being a host in any location I try to be accomodating. I'm perfectly fine if politics are being discussed and you disagree with me (although the chances of ME starting a political or religious discussion during a gathering are pretty rare; too old fashioned); you can get as drunk as you want as long as you aren't loud (I prefer whimperers) or start playing and singing Poland's entries to Eurovision. You can bring your pocketbook doggies as long as you ask in advance, clean up any oops moments and do not use my Nana's gravy boat as a water dish.

At least one of those faux pas will get me to laughing until when we get back together in a nostalgia mode. Two incidents will make me question our relationship and 3 will cause me to ban ya until I've almost forgot what you did in the first place. I accept that Elton John had me in mind in 1974.