By William Coleman
As a keen camper who likes to get outdoors and use tents, motorhomes, campers and caravans I’ve found that there is a list of rules that non negotiable to ensure everyone gets along on site. Despite how I feel it seems as though there are a select few who march to the beat of their own drum and are not too concerned with others. So here are my list of unbreakable rules for the campsite.
So before I air some of the golden rules I adhere to I will admit that some of these have been created through a few learning curves where, at times, I have not been the best of neighbours in my younger days.
Through my years I have learned some different things that I can do to ensure that my fellow tourers have an enjoyable stay whilst not impacting my own leisure time. After all we are all in this together.
Cleanliness Is Next To Godliness
Do not be the one who lets the side down when it comes to keeping things neat and tidy. I have been to a few sites where some pitches are just a total mess, and I am by no means a “site snob”.
A lot of people on site like to keep their set up looking nice and clean for both themselves and their neighbours. I take it as a matter of pride to no impact of neighboring pitches by leaving things looking a bit tatty. Always do your best to “keep up appearances” as it were.
At the end of the day I do try to do a little bit of a clean up around the pitch and put away what I can to keep it tidy. It is a practice I have no made part of my daily ritual before I settle down for the evening.
I will never forget staying on a site, in the Lake District, where a family were asked to leave due to the total mess they would keep their pitch in. They would leave empty food and drink packages on the floor and their van was pretty much caked in inch thick mud. Not to mention the amount of noise they produced while emptying their drink containers.
The real issue was the rubbish they would just drop on the floor, the weather was not too bad but a few gusts of wind saw empty packaging litter the site.
Love Thy Neighbour
A lot of people go away for some much deserved P&Q and just to escape the day to routine that is adult life. So the last thing anyone wants as you settle down for the evening is to hear loud music and overly excited adults.
Yes there is always a time and place for enjoying the evening time, but not at the expense of those who are trying to relax around you.
There are a few things you can do should you be planning a little bit of a late night. The main one is popping over to your neighbours and just letting them know that you might be having a little fun later and you will try to keep it down. Or invite them over too so they can get involved.
Always remember though, it is your holiday too so you should be able to let your hair down and enjoy yourself. You will at times comes across some people who get their noses put out of place at the smallest of slights, especially when it comes to noise, children or pets. You cannot keep all the people happy all the time but there is a happy medium.
Be Mindful Of The Little Ones
As the “adult only” site, no not that kind of site, is becoming a lot more popular the more family friendly parks are getting a lot custom from those with children.
Some holiday makers are instantly bothered at the arrival of a family with a few small kids and teenagers. I do find this a tad unfair as you should never judge a book by its cover and 99% of the time children on site are perfectly well behaved.
There is a flip side to that coin though. If you are taking the kids on a caravan holiday be mindful that some people are away for some much needed rest and recuperation. By all means let the little ones have their fun but do make sure that they are not disrupting others.
There have been occasions where kids, doing what kids do, have been charging around making lots of noise or darting around the site on push bikes and disrupting others. Just keep an eye and set some clear parameters for the little ones and all should be well.
Clean Up After Yourself
It is always good practice to leave things as you found them. There is nothing worse than seeing someone ride off into the sunset having left behind a load of rubbish and mess. It is more common than you’d think unfortunately.
I have seen people leave bags of rubbish, broken chairs and even the contents of a coal BBQ on the floor next to where they were pitched. This by anyone’s standards is totally unacceptable and it is usually left up to the wardens to clean up.
Cleaning up after yourself does not take a lot of effort, and I am sure none of our readers leave such a mess, but it does happen.
