While it is difficult to ruin a peaceful, relaxing weekend camping – there are surely those occasions where lack of etiquette from fellow campers can test our patience. To be sure, annoying people are everywhere, so I guess we shouldn’t presume a campground would be any different. Yet, when you are out in the open, more exposed than in the comfort of your home, and looking for the rest and relaxation that the outdoors offers, having a camping experience ruined by others is especially frustrating. Whether it is a lack of awareness or lack of concern altogether, some people just don’t get it. There are several sure-fire ways you can be annoying to the campers next to you. We would consider avoiding the following:

10. Night Owls – Those campers that roll in to set up past midnight, hammering in stakes, opening and shutting their car doors, shining their flashlights in all directions. While sometimes it is unavoidable to arrive late – please for the love of all humanity, try to set up quietly. We have been asleep for a while now.

9. Morning Glory: The birds may be chirping and the fish may be biting in the early dawn hours – but we are cranky after being awakened by the night owls that arrived at 1:00am last night and we really don’t want to smell your coffee brewing and smell your bacon cooking just yet. Can you wait until let’s say 7:00?

8. Party Animals:  I am sure your taste of music is fabulous, but this is not a rock concert and we have our own music we would like to hear, or maybe even conversations we would like to be having.  Do us a favor and turn down the decibel a notch or two.  While you are at it – those beers you are knocking back are making you talk louder and louder as the night goes on.  As interesting as your stories may be – we don’t really want to hear them.  And we sure would hate to see you stumble into your fire pit in a drunken stupor.

7. Pig Pens: We really don’t want to have to pick up all the trash you left behind before we can set up and we certainly don’t want to step in the dog dirt that you “forgot” to clean up.  YUCK.

6.  The Anti-Socials:  Camping is a community experience.  By nature we enjoy being around others and we would like to say “Hello” and chit-chat a bit.  We share the love for outdoors, who knows what else we might find we have in common. Don’t worry we won’t invite ourselves over for dinner, we are just trying to be friendly. 🙂

5. Absentee Parents:  Where are you exactly while your children and pets are running wild through the campground?  We can babysit but we don’t think you will find our rate very reasonable.  Afterall, we have better things to do.

4.   Not-So-Pampered Chefs:  We have spent our share of camping weekends in a tent, and we understand how difficult it is to wash dishes without running water.  But few things are more annoying than brushing your teeth in the bathroom sink and seeing remnants of someone’s meal left behind.  Most campgrounds have water stations you can use – or how about using paper plates and wash the pans at home.

3. Shower Hogs:  It is so nice to enjoy a hot shower after a day full of hiking.  But we can’t enjoy a hot shower if you use it all up taking your 20 minute showers while a line forms out the door.  Be respectful, take a nice quick hot shower and be thankful that there are those few campgrounds left that haven’t installed timers or push-buttons to regulate water usage.

2. Peep-Show:  Hey tent campers – news flash- when you are in your tent with the lights on at night, WE CAN SEE YOU.

1. Smoky Bandits:  Is being a cheap skate really worth destroying the forest?  Taking or cutting wood from the forest disturbs the ecosystem of the forest floor and leaves the forest more sparse for wildlife.  Worse yet, bringing in your own wood can spread the Ash borer and ruin the forest for generations to come.  Pay the $5 bucks and purchase wood at the campstore or from local vendors.