Boondocking Etiquette

[owl]

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; I have been listening to friends and aquaintences recently about some of their experiences boondocking. One of the major issues seems to be folks pulling up close to an existing camp and dropping anchor. Many people boondock because they want their space. Leave a good distance <BR>between yourself and other camps. Remember, music, loud noise, and the dreaded generator<BR>racket&nbsp;really carries in the outdoors. If you have to use a generator, for whatever reason, keep <BR>your camp far enough away so you aren't disturbing others. Keep your camp clean and neat.&nbsp;<BR>This&nbsp;is good stewardship of the site and keeps away&nbsp;unwanted attention of the authorities.<BR>Just some thoughts, what&nbsp;do you think?&nbsp;

 

[rvwandering]

Good reminder! Another noise source that I had never considered until a tent camper mention it is the water heaters in RVs. They can be very noisy especially during the night when everything else is quiet. I try to remember to make sure that ours is off when camping with tenters.

 

[mockturtle]

And it's not necessary to keep the water heater on all the time.&nbsp; I turn mine on twice a day:&nbsp; Half an hour or so in the morning and again in the evening.&nbsp; The water stays hot for hours.&nbsp;

 

[gadgetMe]

I have a wind charger and try to stay away some distance from others.<br><br>If they dis-like hearing the whoshing of the blades when the wind is blowing then they need to move further away<br>I figure I was there first.<br><br>I try to make my spot quite large discouraging closeness.<br><br>When it comes to the water heater I only turn it on when I need to use it usually in the morning.<br><br>Since I am a solar power snob, I take offense to listing to contractor generators running all day &amp; night.<br><br>Putz

 

[StarEcho]

I had a neighbor (who was tent camping) tell me he heard my furnace going on and off all night and was jealous cause he was freezing in his tent. &nbsp;Since I had parked and set up camp first I didn't feel too bad and he wasn't really complaining. &nbsp;My thought is that is part of camping. &nbsp;There's always something that is going to bother someone else and vice versa. &nbsp;I just try my best to be considerate. &nbsp;But as for being cold at night....not sure I think I need to do that&nbsp;so that someone in a tent doesn't hear my furnace and be bothered by it....(I did offer him my little propane heater for the following night but he declined)<br><br><br><br>

 

[owl]

&nbsp;&nbsp; Star, you are absolutely right. What I was refering to is boondocking and the folks who pull in close to an existing camp and proceed to display all sort of negative behavior. It's a big desert/national forest etc. out there folks. Be considerate.

 

[bk2valve]

Thanks Owl, I totally agree with you and one of the things I do have to realize is that while I was raised with a no trace, wilderness ethic since boyhood, many folks have not a clue about anything to do with camping or being in the wild. Hard to forgive them that and I have moved my camp many times because of thoughtless people.<br><br>I just did that the last time I was in Quartzsite a few weeks ago....my friend and I who were parked next to each other woke one morning with two enormous toy haulers parked right next to us on BLM land and the people hollering at each other and unloading their gas powered toys....<br><br>This is why I am only in Quartzsite for things like the RTR and other meetups. It is way crowded....and the contractor gensets are abundant....<br>Bri

 

[hitekhomeless]

99.9% of the time, I find it rude for people to park on top of me. Like ManyWheelsBri, I really only come to Q to see my RTR friends. Otherwise, there's no draw. I like seclusion when camping. But at a gathering like RTR, I expect to be jammed in with everyone and enjoy it. RTR is way too spread out this year.

 

[StarEcho]

&nbsp;&nbsp; Star, you are absolutely right. What I was refering to is boondocking and the folks who pull in close to an existing camp and proceed to display all sort of negative behavior. It's a big desert/national forest etc. out there folks. Be considerate.

<br><br>Hi owl, I totally agree! &nbsp;Be considerate and don't park right on top of anyone else when you're out in the boonies!<br><br>I'm not sure why you felt the need to clarify that you're referring to boondocking (in a thread titled boondocking etiquette!<img src="/images/boards/smilies/rofl.gif" class="emoticon bbc_img">&nbsp<img src="/images/boards/smilies/wink.gif" border="0" align="absmiddle">, but I guess it will help someone. &nbsp;If you're implying that my post had nothing to do with boondocking, I can only say that the majority of my camping experiences have been boondocking. &nbsp;Out in the boonies... no water, electricity, etc... My story about the furnace noise at night happened on a weekend trip in the mountains (boondocking!) with my astronomy club. &nbsp;I was trying to point out that even if you try to be considerate there might be things that annoy others that you might not be able to or want to change. &nbsp;Obviously I didn't communicate well.<br><br>I apologize if my story wasn't appropriate for this thread. &nbsp;I probably should have quoted the post about the hot water heater since that is what prompted my story. &nbsp;But I think I got the message now. &nbsp;Shutting up.<br><br><br>

 

[akrvbob]

I also find it very irritating! After it happened one time I tried to imagine what was going on in their minds and I realized that most RVers have a totally different mindset than we do. To them they are going visiting friends with the bonus of being in nature. So when they gather they pack themselves together in tight little groups ( I also think that has something to do with fear). So they are safe and close to their buddies. When I go out, I want to be in nature, and being with friends is a bonus. <br><br>Those are totally different mindsets! The problem is that neither of us can understand the other. They can't understand why I am so irritated and I can't understand why they are so rude. <br><br>Understanding that helps me deal with my anger but it doesn't help me hate the noise and crowding any less!!<br><br>My solution is to generally be where they can't or don't go. Problem solved! If they can get to me, I have no choice but pack up and move. As has been said, RTR is different, we are in pretty close but I am here to be with people, not nature.<br>Bob

 

[SirJoey]

<br><span style="font-family: 'comic sans ms', sans-serif;"><strong>I'm not anti-social, but I AM of that same "<em><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Don't Park So Close To Me</span>!&nbsp;</em>" mindset in other situations, too.&nbsp;</strong></span><br><br><span style="font-family: 'comic sans ms', sans-serif;"><strong>For example, when I'm seated at a nearly empty restaurant, why is it that someone will come in, <br>&amp; even though the place is practically EMPTY, they'll sit down right next to me?!!! <br>WHAT'S UP WITH THAT?!!!&nbsp;<img src="/images/boards/smilies/confused.gif" class="emoticon bbc_img"></strong></span><br><br><span style="font-family: 'comic sans ms', sans-serif;"><strong>Same thing happened one time at a cinema. My girlfriend (at the time) &amp; I went in, &amp; were delighted to see we had nearly the entire theater to ourselves! We proceeded to pick a prime spot, &amp; wouldn't U know it? No sooner were we seated, than this couple comes in, &amp; with the entire theater full of empty seats to choose from, they proceeded to <br>flop their butts down right in front of us!! We were both BEWILDERED, to say the least.&nbsp;<img src="/images/boards/smilies/confused.gif" class="emoticon bbc_img"></strong></span><br><br><span style="font-family: 'comic sans ms', sans-serif;"><strong>We also promptly got up &amp; moved farther away.&nbsp;<br><br></strong></span>

 

[VanLifeCrisis]

Stop having such magnetic personas people <img src="/images/boards/smilies/tongue.gif" border="0" align="absmiddle">

 

[Sheryl]

We sometimes spread our stuff out around us to give us more space. We have a large screen tent that we can set up with table and chairs. We put a little distance between that tent and our camper to force others to park further away when there is lots of room. If we can leave our BBQ and chairs outside, we will space them out to give us more room. We can also park between two spots and move items around so both spots are unavailable to others.&nbsp;If there is a picnic table nearby, we will move it to the nearby empty space.<br><br><span style="font-size: 13px;">You could drag big logs and natural stuff into any space another camper might want to occupy close to you. Make a large brush pile in empty areas. It's not worth it for one night but if you are planning on staying there for a week or so at least, I would do that.&nbsp;</span><br>&nbsp;<br>We only do this when there are lots of empty room further away or we are boondocking on free land.&nbsp;<br><br>Also,&nbsp;I usually wake up around 5:30 am every morning and&nbsp;I am usually careful about the noise I make when others are asleep but if I am unhappy with a neighbor that is too close, I could easily serenade the sunrise with loud song or start doing the yoga sun salutation to loud music as soon as I get up. Even just keeping it "normal noise" will do it - banging the lawn chairs around and pots and pans outside getting ready for the day, moving things around, yelling back and forth to each other, calling an imaginary dog or the real cat, nothing they can really complain about but enough to keep them awake every morning at 530 am.&nbsp;&nbsp;<img style="cursor: se-resize !important;" src="/images/boards/smilies/biggrin.gif" class="emoticon bbc_img">&nbsp;<br><br>

 

[akrvbob]

Sheryl wrote:<br>

<span id="post_message_1276558243">Also,&nbsp;I usually wake up around 5:30 am every morning and&nbsp;I am usually careful about the noise I make when others are asleep but if I am unhappy with a neighbor that is too close, I could easily serenade the sunrise with loud song or start doing the yoga sun salutation to loud music as soon as I get up. Even just keeping it "normal noise" will do it - banging the lawn chairs around and pots and pans outside getting ready for the day, moving things around, yelling back and forth to each other, calling an imaginary dog or the real cat, nothing they can really complain about but enough to keep them awake every morning at 530 am.</span>

<br><br>I couldn't agree more! If they choose to not act like decent people toward me, I feel like I don't have any obligations to them either.<br><br>Besides, if they weren't so close, that noise wouldn't both them so I make as much noise as I can at the very worst possible time. And I don't care if they can complain because they gave up that right when they parked so close.&nbsp; <br>Bob

 

[Lifemagician]

<span style="font-family: 'comic sans ms', sans-serif;"><strong>For example, when I'm seated at a nearly empty restaurant, why is it that someone will come in, &amp; even though the place is practically EMPTY, they'll sit down right next to me?!!! </strong></span>

<br><br>As a solo traveller, I always seek out another lone soul / traveller in a restaurant or cafe or wherever.&nbsp; That way I have met the most wonderful and interesting people, some of whom have become ongoing friends.&nbsp; However, I always ask if they mind.&nbsp; If the answer is in the negative, I will find another spot.<br><br>"Hello! My name is........" with an outstretched hand ready to shake, goes such a long way.<br><br>Lifey

 

[yesican]

Lifey has a point.&nbsp; Not everyone requires total solitude at every event in life such as restaurant visits.&nbsp; If you're in public, expect the public to be near enough to interact; however, if you're camping remotely, it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out you're wanting solitude!<br><br>Rae

 

[SirJoey]

<span style="font-size: 13px;">As a solo traveller, I always seek out another lone soul / traveller in a restaurant or cafe or wherever.&nbsp; That way I have met the most wonderful and interesting people, some of whom have become ongoing friends.&nbsp; However, I always ask if they mind.&nbsp; If the answer is in the negative, I will find another spot.</span><br><span style="font-size: 13px;">"Hello! My name is........" with an outstretched hand ready to shake, goes such a long way.</span><br><span style="font-size: 13px;">Lifey

<br></span><strong style="font-family: 'comic sans ms', sans-serif;">Yeah, now that would change the situation completely. In that case, I wouldn't mind, but when they just <br>wanna sit next to me, a total stranger, for no apparent reason.... heck, I'd rather just have my space.&nbsp;<img src="/images/boards/smilies/smile.gif" class="emoticon bbc_img"><br><br></strong>

 

[Unchained]

Also,&nbsp;I usually wake up around 5:30 am every morning and&nbsp;I am usually careful about the noise I make when others are asleep but if I am unhappy with a neighbor that is too close, I could easily serenade the sunrise with loud song or start doing the yoga sun salutation to loud music as soon as I get up

<br>You are far more patient than I <img src="/images/boards/smilies/rofl.gif" class="emoticon bbc_img">. <br><br>I once had the opposite problem while working an 8 weekend Ren Faire. There was one guy who, unlike the rest of us who were boondocking in tents, pickup trucks, or horse trailers either for the full run or Fri-Sun every weekend, drove in daily. That wasn't the problem. The problem was that he chose to do so at 'WTF time is it??' every morning, revving his truck engine and blaring some truly gawdawful music... loud enough for the vibrations to register on the Richter scale. <br><br>After 4 days of polite requests from my neighbors being ignored, I took my 9mm to a local range, put two 7 shot groupings into a standard target (1 in the head, the other where the cajones would be), wrote 'DO NOT DISTURB BEFORE 9AM!' on it, and taped it to the back window of my truck's shell. Not subtle, but it worked like a charm <img src="/images/boards/smilies/biggrin.gif" class="emoticon bbc_img"><br><br>Perhaps more to the topic- the rest of us (about 20 in all), although jammed into a pretty small space with a wide variety of tents/rigs for over 2 months, got along just fine by simple manners and common courtesy. Too bad that common courtesy is, sadly, less common sometimes.<br id="tinymce" class="mceContentBody "><br style="font-size: x-small;"><br>

 

[wrcsixeight]

I always camp far away enough from others to respect their privacy and have my own. &nbsp;One place I was at in West Australia was filled when I arrived and I got a less than desirable spot far away, but when everybody cleared out I stayed distant, just because it was so nice to not hear or see another person without binoculars. &nbsp;I still have bad memories of being crammed into expensive campgrounds in Oregon where the neighbors are so close you can hear them snore.<br><br>One time Me and a lady friend were in Baja and went out of our way to be as far away from others as possible. &nbsp;The weekends would fill up but we were still far enough away to be happy. &nbsp;Then one day midweek a 4x4 pulling a travel trailer pulled up 15 feet away from our camp and began setting up. &nbsp;It was filled with Brazilians. <br>I asked them to not set up camp so closely to me nicely, then not so nicely, and finally My Mexican friends came by and MADE them move further away, practically at gunpoint.<br><br>Then we got along just fine and actually hung out at each other's campfires.<br><br>Some people just do not understand.&nbsp;

 

[accrete]

the hanging around at each others campfires prompted my thoughts...<br>My wife and i live in Oregon and do agree with the cramped quarters at most places (usually state campgrounds). We skirt around the typical campgrounds and go to the BLM sites that are set up with camp rings every 100 feet or so along a ~8 mile stretch of a river. Never gets to crazy and peeps are regulated to camp only at fire rings. Yet, because the river/area is known for gold prospecting it draws like minded peeps and so we can swap stories and be friends at the end of the day.<br><br>On the movie theater thingy. I know. Really? <br>But we will not give up our sweet spot in the theater...rather we will just start talking loudly before the movie...sometimes about topics just to get a rise out of them especially if they are a family...they will usually move after a WTHeck look over their shoulders at us. LOL