Camp Site Etiquette

Unless you have inadvertently booked onto  a campsite run by a Ghenghis Khan reincarnation then camping and caravanning are as about as relaxed as it gets when it comes to holiday choices. However, there is such a thing known as camping etiquette – a set of an unwritten rules which in essence are really just about respecting those sharing the campsite with you. It would be nice to think that everyone naturally follows such courtesies but reality is often something else. Most etiquette offenders don’t set out to cause annoyance to others and most transgressions come about accidentally. If you can read down this list and can tick each box then you are a fully fledged member of the ‘Polite Caravanner and Motor-homer Club’ and you can wear your badge with pride.

The ‘My Pitch, Your Pitch’ Divide

Psychologists would probably have a field day with this one – if you don’t think of yourself as territorial just wait until some-one strolls through your pitch to take a short cut to the toilet block. Just as it would be unacceptable for some-one to wander uninvited through your garden back home, the same is true of a camp pitch. The boundaries may be less clearly defined but the mentality is the same. Encroaching in any form on another’s pitch is a campsite no-no so observe it closely to stay on happy terms with your neighbours.

Equally, confine your belongings, including your children (unless specifically invited otherwise), to your own pitch – don’t allow cars, toys and camping furniture to creep over someone else’s boundary.

Grey Waste Issues

It is becoming increasingly common, although still far from the norm, for hard standing pitches to come with individual drains for grey waste disposal (the term for whatever is emptied down your sinks). If this is the case then you will have no problems but otherwise you will need to take responsibility for dealing with this. Most modern motor-homes have large enough grey waste tanks to last the holiday and you can empty them on returning home. No matter what the individual campsite’s rules on grey waste disposal, it is never acceptable to just let it drain onto your pitch where the detritus from waste water accumulates, attracting vermin, unpleasant smells and loudly announcing your lack of manners. If in doubt what to do then ask the camp owners or fellow campers.

Site Specific Rules

These range considerably from site to site – from the aforementioned Ghenghis Khan type which have enough rules to fill a book to the more casual site which may have just one or two simple rules. Most campsite rules are designed simply to allow all guests to enjoy their camping to the optimum and typically include such things as ‘quiet times’ (usually before about 7.30 am and after 11 pm). Rules may be given to you on arrival, on display in reception and/or posted up around the site. Make yourself familiar with them on arrival and observe them throughout your stay.

Noise Limitation

Tucked away as we usually are behind bricks and mortar we can make whatever noise we like at any time of the day or night. However, this all changes on a campsite where neighbours are often in closer proximity and may have just the thickness of their tent as their sole barrier.  Campsites bring many different types of people together – early birds, night owls, those looking to party and socialise, those looking for retreat and recharge.

If you were to ask most campsite users for their top gripes against fellow campers it would be car and caravan doors slamming late at night, noisy revellers returning to the site from the local pub, barking dogs and audio terrorists (this being the term for anyone who insists you listen to their choice of music for hours on end ).

Close adherence to the quiet times as previously mentioned and a little consideration will usually mean you can avoid upsetting your neighbours.

Light Limitation

As a caravanner or motor-homer you may be unaware of how much disruption bright torches, lanterns and car headlights can cause to tent campers. Some campsites randomly mix the canvas brigade with everyone else and if this is the case you will have to take this into account after dark.

Camping With Your Pooch

You will very quickly find yourself campsite enemy number one if your dog is constantly barking, running around off a lead or leaving his doggy business for others to stumble across anywhere around the site. It may sound like common sense but the lack of thought of some dog owners is the reason why proportionately there are so few dog-friendly campsites.

Be a Tidy Campsite User

Only the grumpiest person will object if you leave a few bits and bobs scattered about your pitch but don’t let it get out of control. It is never acceptable to leave rubbish bags or food scraps lying about, even for a short while until you take them to the disposal area, not least of all because you will attract a host of ants, wasps and rats which is not the way to charm your neighbours.

It’s also courteous to help keep toilet blocks tidy and clean. No-one is expecting you to get out your  Marigolds and start scrubbing but if there is a mop in the showers then at least wipe down the floors after you have been there and tidy up after yourself as a courtesy to those who will use the facilities after you. Speaking as some-one who has cleaned  camp ablution blocks it never ceases to amaze me the state in which campsite users are happy to leave things.

The Very English Rule

This one is a strange one but nevertheless is high on the etiquette list. Should you arrive at an almost empty campsite don’t choose the pitch right next to the only other caravan/motor-home/tent on site. Of course if your pitch is allocated by the campsite owners you have no choice but otherwise leave some space. Quite why this rule exists is not known and there are no doubt some who would not mind you cosying up but generally speaking it’s the fast lane to the cold shoulder.

Low Impact Campsite Use

As the general trend moves more towards eco-awareness and green issues, so too does this mentality need to be carried with you on your holiday. Many British campsites are in stunning, natural environments and as such may have sensitive ecological environments. Whether you are camping in a caravan, motorhome or tent, aim to leave the campsite just as you found it – unspoiled and as if you had never been there. Within this category falls such considerations as not using trees and bushes as firewood or to hang washing lines from and not disturbing any native flora or fauna.