Be a better campsite neighbour
Most campsite visitors are friendly, well-behaved and considerate to their fellow campers, but it only takes a little thoughtless or inconsiderate behaviour to change the dynamics.
However, establishing what is acceptable behaviour on a site is not quite as clear-cut as you might think – one person’s pleasant evening with friends could be another’s disturbed night’s sleep.
And while you might not enjoy the sound of children playing outdoors, no campsite can be expected to have library levels of noise. Nobody likes dogs barking, smelly food or banging doors… but a lot of us aren’t that crazy about the imposition of too many rules, either.
Two words that are worth keeping in mind are ‘tolerance’ and ‘consideration’. We should all be able to tolerate fellow campers being a little noisier than usual on a Saturday night and hopefully, we can put up with a bit of barbecue smoke or even the occasional barking dog.
By the same token, show consideration for your neighbours and remember that campers are by nature early to bed and early to rise. Amplified music, raucous laughter and traipsing over other pitches can be disturbing and rude and should be avoided, especially late at night!
In addition, remember to keep your driving speed within park limits at all times and to dim lights and torches at night, when others are trying to sleep.
But first things first – begin by picking a campsite that best suits you. Don’t like being around children? Then choose an adults-only park; there are plenty of these available. Not crazy about dogs? Look for parks that are dog-free or have dog-free areas. The same goes for space – look online or phone the site to find out how big the pitches are and if there are any limitations on party sizes or the use of additional gazebos.
Many sites prefer not to accept larger groups – if that’s you, find a site that caters for bigger parties. The same goes for fires and barbecues – some parks encourage the fun, communal element, while others recognise that other residents might actually find them disturbing.
You’d be forgiven for thinking you should never camp with children or animals, given some people’s reactions, but if you do, plenty of sites welcome them. Look for parks with children’s activities, football fields, playgrounds and so on. If you’re touring with a pooch, a campsite with a dog-shower and a dog-walk is ideal.
Dogs should be tethered, where site rules require, and of course, you should clean up any mess immediately. But if you find campsite rules too limiting, perhaps think about going off-grid instead (p25)?