Unwritten "rules" for travellers and campers

I would add
Keep noise levels down particularly music, TV, & slamming car doors(early in the morning when breaking camp)

Rules of camping-traveling off the beaten track......

R1.. There are no hard and fast rules !

R2..Anyone who deems to 'make' rules for camping-traveling off the highways and byways needs to follow rule no1 !!!

Respect traditional aboriginal land
Respect historic sites
Respect the land and wildlife

Leave a place better than you found it by picking up rubbish, clearing away stray rusty pegs, etc

If a toilet doesn't have bog roll and you have one to spare leave it so the next visitors aren't caught out

Dispose of organic waste like fish heads in the appropriate manner and downwind of campers

Don't feed wildlife because our food is not good for their health, it tames them and dulls their natural instincts to be wary of humans, they can get aggressive or become masterful theives if they have become dependent on human food when not everyone gives them what they want.

Avoid walking/stumbling through someone else's camp in the middle of the night on the way to or from the toilet

If you have used wood and kindling for your fire that was already collected by the previous camper then replace it for the next camper before you move on

Use the fire places, pits or rings provided or that have been used by other campers. Don't make a new one.

Always let someone know where you are going, how you will get there and how long you intend to take and remember to let them know when you get back

It should be as simple as treating others the way we like to be treated, and repect the environment etc as we would if camping in our own backyard.

Of course people may want to socialise, while others keep fairly much to themselves . . . and some people don't treat their backyard all that well, but thankfully these people don't go camping often, or at all.

If everyone simply followed the 'did unto others' principle then you would significantly reduce the yobbo experience . . . luckily we haven't had the negative experience of bad camping neighbours as yet.
_

Hi J and V,

My only unwritten rule is dont wee into the wind. Its also a good rule to turn up your doof doof music to maximum and turn your generator on when you see another camper about to pull up nearby,

They'll think your an imbo, move on and youll have it all to yourself ; )

Cheers Wilko

The thing that I find both amusing and annoying is the number of contributors that don't know the difference between an observation and a complaint. Is the forum suffering from creeping political correctness, I wonder?
I do wonder what such people talk about during those often mentioned social camp fire gatherings if their personal code of ethics will not allow them to criticise even people who annoy them.
I wonder; do they realise that their responses on this thread are critical of other posters. So they are violating their own code, aren't they?
Cheers,
Kevin

I am always very tolerant except when I'm not. Same as you lot.

Wow, that went well didn’t it? Just kidding – I have seldom seen a thread wander so far OT.

A few of you jumped on my use of the single word “rules”. Well, I was anticipating misinterpretation, but not well enough it seems. So I did put that word in inverted commas, qualified by the word “unwritten” and also described what I was looking for as “the unwritten “good manners and good ideas” guide for travellers and campers”. But English is a slippery beast and nuances are hard to deal with – so “rules” got jumped on.

However you define them, there does exist a set of generally agreed actions and behaviours that guide our participation in all human activity – including camping and travelling. Arsenal Phill described them as “common sense, courteousy, consideration and compromise”. I wholeheartedly agree with that. The “do unto others” dictum/advice/injunction/rule is likewise a good principle. I was just trying to flesh it out a bit in a travelling and camping context, so thank you to those who were kind enough to do that.

This thread has reminded me of a campfire shared by a big group of people. What sometimes happens is that those with the biggest (and sometimes better lubricated) voices dominate the conversation with glib self-assured, self righteous one-liners, often punctuated by innuendo and intolerance. They forget that there are others around the fire, who don’t make their voices heard – the quietly spoken, the thinkers and often the women. These soon get fed up and withdraw, even if it just means sitting in cringing silence.

A bit like a campfire, this forum has a large number of silent participants; there are usually over 1000 people logged in, and this thread alone has over 1500 hits so far.
Of these people some must be newcomers and novices looking for information. Sadly, in the past few days these people have seen little to encourage them to share our campfire.

Anyway rant over. Thanks again to those who made a positive contribution.

Cheers,

Val.

Hi John & Val (and forumites)

I have been 'off air' for some months mostly because of travelling and catching up with commitments in between.

Within the few threads I've read this afternoon I've often come across the word 'respect', respect for other travellers, for residents of towns we pass through, for our environment, for the law, and I would like to add, respect for contributors to this forum.

I think respect is what this post is all about and I think that you have prompted us to rethink some aspects of it by inviting us to add to your list in the light of our combined experience. So, in the 'good idea' category I would like to add: seek out and talk to rangers in national parks, especially remote parks. It is so worthwhile as they often have very lonely and thankless lives so talking to them gives them encouragement and they always have interesting, sometimes vital, information to impart and their stories are wonderful to hear.

Thanks J&V, and as I continue to read the threads I hope they become more respectful and less petty. It's good to have some fun and I'm all for a bit of leg-pulling but it's not good to read some of the nasty things that are said on this forum.

Min

I am going to jump right into possibly dangerous waters here based on some of these comments!!


John & Val have raised valid "rules" that allow all of us who camp to camp harmoniously and with respect. It's not about being grouchy or unreasonable. Its about sharing your camping space with other campers responsibly and making sure that everyone can enjoy themselves.....which we all want to do isn't it?


Camping etiquette is one of our most popular articles. So much so, that we did a Part 2 due to volume of opinions on it!!


Top 10 Camping Etiquette Tips

Camping Etiquette - Part 2



Some of you may disagree with some of these suggestions/guidelines, but overall, this is what the majority of campers hope for when they go camping. And with camping increasing in popularity here in Australia, then having some manners and respect in more crowded camping locations, is going to ensure we all get along.


Happy Camping!