Camping is a great way to experience the Great Outdoors. All of nature, blissful wildlife sounds, and a little bit of unplugging from the chaotic world as we know it, and you can even use a few simple hacks to upgrade the experience. All is simple while living the campground life, just your family or closest pals, campfire, and starry nights.
Until the guy in the tent next door thinks he's a celebrity on a camping trip and starts playing his ukelele.
And then the girl three tents behind starts a fight with her boyfriend.
And finally, the icing on the cake, another campsite unleashes their dog, who begins running frantically to every open tent.
Please don't be this person, and at all costs, avoid doing these other (super annoying, totally rookie) things.
Music Is Fine, As Long As A Camper Is Playing Their Guitar Miles Away
It doesn't need to be miles away, but there should be a respectable amount of distance between the said guitar player and the nearest tent or RV. Not everyone goes camping to enjoy campfire duets and rather than give someone a bad summer camp flashback, it's best just to respect those who don't enjoy live music. If there's anything a camper should intentionally forget to bring with them on a camping trip, it should probably be an instrument.
Don't Be That Person With No Concept Of Personal Space
When it comes to pitching a tent, there's a polite way to do it and a rude way to do it, and the rude way includes disrespecting boundaries. Just because most campsites can get pretty packed, especially during the summer months, doesn't mean it's an excuse to line your tethers up with another tent. Rather than deal with the awkward confrontation of, "hey, uh, could you move your tent back about ten feet?" just know when to back off and not be up other camper's butts.
Clean Up After Dogs And Don't Leave Them Alone!
This is a big one. Most campsites, especially those in national parks, will have strict rules about dogs, leashing, and whether or not they're permitted at all. For the most part, a park will likely be more pet-friendly than not.
However, that doesn't mean campers won't need to clean up after their dogs or follow leash laws. Furthermore, when camping in an RV, it's probably not best practice to leave them alone all day to bark in the camper.
Not Having A Flashlight At Night Is A Rookie Move
This is just a recipe for disaster. Not only will a camper have no idea where they're going, but it could lead to injury for both them and whoever the walk into or stumble over. Camping is a disconnect from nature for a reason - and that reason is not to test our night vision skills. Since most of the general popular are not nocturnal, chances are that a camper could wake someone or spook them with their light-less creeping.
Telling Ghost Stories Sounds Fun In Theory But Only Leads To Immature Paranoia
It doesn't matter how many pants a person has scared off with their most treasured ghost story, it's still probably not the smartest thing to commit to around the campfire. With an immature crowd, or even a particularly new crowd, telling ghost stories will only lead to jump-scares and unnecessary drama later on.
Once the story of Old Man Fred starts spreading around, there's no telling who will wake the entire campsite up simply because they heard a branch break a half-mile away.
Tent Etiquette: Make Sure You Have The Right Tent Before Just Barging In
Surprise! No one wants an uninvited guest in their tent (hence why they're given zippers). Whether it's in the dark or after knocking back a few, the last thing anyone wants to see is a stranger crawling into their sleeping quarters by accident. Every camper should make sure they not only know what their tent looks like but should be sure not to set up next to another, similar-looking one as well.