Washing

Why would "leave no trace" mean no washing hanging up?? unless you forget to take it down lol. Seriously, I can't see a problem. If your worried about the rope tied to the tree, put something on the tree to protect it. We just hung ours up around camp. Dryers in town/caravan parks are a rip off. You can buy fold away clothes airers(spelling?) but they are just more junk to carry. Just a word of warning. If you hang your undies up, I bet someone will call in to say "Hi".

Josh

Hi Livin on the road

While washing strung out amongst the trees at overnight free camps makes the place look like a squatters camp and is against the LNT guidelines, it can be done in a discreet manner. Most of the time you will be out of sight of the road, so hanging out the washing is not an issue. For areas where it is, we use our fold up clothes airer and put on the off road side the car or caravan (trying to follow the sun and breeze at the same time). Although your full family wash would fill several airers, a combination of the above tactics should suffice. When we were at a caravan park in Kununurra, our next door neighbours were semi permanents with the husband working in the area. They had two school age children and a one year old. They had a normal household automatic washing machine, and never used the CP laundry or clothes lines. The lady just folded everything onto the clothes airer placed neatly outside their fully enclosed annex and in the climate it all dried. Since purchasing an airer when in Tasmania, i haven't had to climb trees and tie on ropes as clothes lines, or have ants in droves coming down the line and all over the washing. A big advantage of the airer is that when in inland places the night air is very moist, washing left out is wetter in the morning than it was when hung out I bring the airer in overnight and put it back out again as soon as the morning sun dries the air. That was the washing is mostly dry by the time we are ready to leave camp.

Motherhen

i'm pretty sure everyone uses a rope and a tree from time to time.

four kids must equal a lot of washing - glad its not me!!
can you get them to run around in wet clothing to air dry it? LOL

Michelle

Anyone who gets upset over a clothes line at a camping site should stay at home.
What will they say when you get out your portable shelter for the pota potti and shower?

Next thing people will be moaning when you set up the chairs and table to eat lunch under tree.

Hi Livin On The Road,
We use a fold up clothes hoist, About 50 odd bucks. Use large tent pegs to hold it down so the wind doesn't blow it over, it's mobile so we can follow the sun with it.

I suits the 5 of us well and we have the room for it in the camper, were as those that don't have the room, a rope is fine.
We use a 20lt bucket that has a sealing lid to wash in, either seal the lid with hot water in it while traveling or when camped for a few days in one spot we use a 6" toilet plunger with a few holes drilled in it to agitate the clothes with a small amount of washing powder, then wring them out and fill with fresh water and repeat.
And in wet weather like we had in the new years at brooms Head, the line is able to be sat under the annex when raining. As long as there is a breeze they do work well.

Might be something to look at if you have the room to store it.
Cheers.

I just had a look at the LNT principles here. I couldn't see any reference to clotheslines.

Cheers,

Val

LNT is all about a few fanatics trying to impose themselves on everyone else.

It seems that minority groups rule these days.

The people that need shooting are those whe grab the shelters and proceed to string lines all around and under them to the exclusion of anyone, camper or local who may want to use the seats or BBQ. We saw a lot of this in FNQ last year. I guess most of you know who are the main offenders.

Image Could Not Be Found

This was taken at a designated campground.

Thanks for all the replies. The leave no trace that I'd seen was at CMCA not the the lnt website.

I might have a look around next time we are in a larger city for a clothes horse that can fold up.

Four kids does mean a lot of washing! I'm obviously going to do what's practical, but at the same time I don't want to be upsetting people and ruining it for everyone.

hi
livin on the road
i think thats a load of rubbish not been able to dry one clothes
the same people would complain if you walked around naked and more than likely the ones that complain about washing lines probably run a noisy generator a night or have loud music
just ignor them they are the control freeks of this nation and one strikes these dictator types in all walks of life they have to much time on their hands and get really picky about what others should /and /not do

when using a tree for an anchor just put a cloth or simular around the tree so the rope wont cut into the bark

if you'd like to hang your washing without using pegs
i can highly recommend ; the eyzyline ;
i have been using them for 5-6yrs now at home and travelling you can change the lenght of the line anytime by adding or deleting links
have a look at the website
www.ezyline.com.au
once you have tryed it you will be hung up on the concept
i have no connections with the company just like the product
cheers barry

Leave No Trace as Livin on the road has been reading, is a scheme set up by the CMCA. I understand that similar exists in New Zealand and that bush camping when not a member of the scheme and without built in grey water tanks is illegal.

In Australia there are at this stage only a few designated "LNT registered only" camp grounds.
CMCA Leave No Trace

Etiquette Etiquette for overnight parking specifies the difference between setting up camp (eg awning out, washing lines -looking like a long term stay) and stopping overnight in a rest area. As the latter is coming under pressure with rest areas where cars may stop and rest, those 'carrying their bed' may stop and rest during the day - but once night falls it becomes a no-no. We want to retain the right to rest in a rest area and not be discriminated against because we have a caravan.

Bush camping guidelinesCMCA bush camping guidelines refers to possible breaking of limbs by washing lines - not to be done within a National Park.

Common sense says that if in a free camp within a town which is providing this for our benefit, don't make it look like a squatters camp by draping washing everywhere.

Motherhen

I don't do public washing machines and don't do dryers. Sun drying is the healthy germ killing free way. I have a fold out vertical aluminium drying rack that we use all the time. When there is sheets string out a rope between trees, across the awning on the caravan whatever is needed.
Having been trialling for the past 4 weeks the new Biozet Ecosmart liquid
The power was great and the new liquid is even better. Soaking results are amazing and importantly still only needs to be rinsed once and leaves the clothes smelling and feeling good. Importantly this is the most environmentally friendly detergent that seriously cleans.