Adding decorations such as these flamingos is another fun way to get the attention of fellow campers.
Folks who enjoy camping often find time with nature appealing. They like watching wildlife, relaxing by a fire and escaping the noise of city-life. Public campgrounds are full of these unique people and offer wonderful opportunities to express your inner jerk.
Take your talents out of town and into the wildness using some of these proven techniques for making enemies at a public campground:
- Play loud music…even inside of your RV – If you can’t stand the sound of wind through the trees or birds chirping and you sport some antisocial tendencies, this technique might be for you. It has a slightly passive aggressive zest that some find appealing. Several years ago on a mommy/son trip, the RV camper next to us cranked Mozart to Warp 9 inside of his rig. Not only could we hear the muffled tunes through the walls, but every time Mozart Man, as we called him, opened and closed his door he blasted us. His performance was so legendary that we still speak of it in awe to this day.
- Set up/break down camp loudly at 4:30 am – This method is effective because many campers play hard all day but have a tough time falling asleep in a tent. Just as they finally reach their deepest and most restful sleep in the cool hours before dawn, it’s time to make your move. Start by shining your lights in their tents as you pull stakes or crank up your trusty diesel RV. Better yet, recruit help from your large extended family and move in at that hour, pounding stakes and discussing all of your exciting plans for the coming day. Torment and frustration will show on fellow campers’ faces as they emerge from their tents giving you immediate gratification that you succeeded on your mission.
- Wander through your neighbor’s campsite – Violating personal space is powerful method of ticking off fellow campers. Just make sure to ignore the campers as you walk through, or you risk playing on their kindness and understanding, which would defeat the point of the exercise. Simply act aloof, cutting close to their camp chairs. You get bonus points if you can elicit a snide comment from the campers as you pass. Now if for some reason you want to MAKE friends in camp, show up offering to share French press coffee in the morning or offer to share a bottle of micro-brew at sunset.
- Move in on a campsite that’s reserved – That little tag hanging on the post, it’s there for a reason. Throwing it in the garbage doesn’t make it go away; it just makes you a jerk, an assertive tactic for making enemies at camp. In fact, this ploy is so brave; you should get extra points for being THAT camper. Set up your camp and chairs, open a beer, turn up your portable radio and act cool. Likely, the first people to notice will be your neighboring campers, but the real payoff comes when the rightful site owner shows up and finds you relaxing in their site. Granted, this method usually results in the extra work of having to relocate to an open site, but you will feel solid in your place as THAT camper.
- Stay up late being loud – This one is so obvious that I left it until last. If you choose to use this method, at least be creative with your noise. Instead of just partying, try adding in some arguments, noisy sex, bongos…whatever your noise of choice is, turn it up overnight.
Become the stuff of legends using these time-tested methods and know that your valiant efforts will be spoken of for years to come.
This post is meant to be humor, please take it as such. The photo at the top is actually of a camp that was decorated at the TAG Fall Cave-In for a contest and they did an awesome job. It just happened to fit the editorial concept I was going for in this fun post.
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Comments 28
Love this Erika! Very good laugh on a Monday morning.
I’m glad you liked it!! Unfortunately, I’ve seen most of these techniques used first hand… 🙂
Hey Erika! Well, I can’t disagree with any of those. However, I have two more…dogs barking and kids screaming!
Ah yes, a couple more good ways to upset fellow campers!
Haha, great post! Can definitely relate to the first one about music blasting… So VERY annoying, and all too common among some disrespectful climbers…
Thanks Ryan! Granted, I was surprised when the blasting music was classical….
Ahh can definitely relate to the ones who leave at 5am just as its gotten cool enough to sleep and you’ve finally dozed off. Headlights in the face? Stuff of legends!
This post was great!
Thanks Mica! Can’t you tell it had some experience behind it? I didn’t want to sound whiny so I went for humor instead…. :-/
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The last campground I stayed in gave me neighbors who argued loudly all night long. It was real classy. This is one reason I mostly avoid campgrounds and hike my tent and bag into the wild. Free camps are almost always better than paid ones, and the harder they are to get to, the less jerkish are the other people you’re likely to meet. Like every rule, that one has its exceptions.
I bet your Mozart neighbor thought he was being polite. I mean, it could have been Def Leopard. But come on, Mozart is the Freddie Mercury of classical music.
You forgot a biggie… Not minding your children. Letting them scream and cry at all hours, oblivious to the fact that your neighbor is plotting your death. 🙂
Loved this!! I know one of my life goals is to be “that camper”. Right after “that neighbour” and “that girl in full makeup at the gym”! I also recommend that if taking over a reserved spot doesn’t work there is also the slow invasion tactic. Start with a clothesline strung just inside your neighbours campsite, then take it from there!
Good tips 🙂 Thanks for sharing!
Thanks for your tips. My kids need to know some tips to help them make some noise 😀
Oh dear….:/
Last summer we had a little party with our friends in Camping trails and at 2 am some neghbours was very angry that we are so laud that his small kid cannot sleep vell and if we be so loud still he will phone for police. We were very surpirsed becaus normal we are living in house that be louding will not couse ap roblems. But on some camping areas it can be a problem. Cheers:]
Bahahaha! What an amusing post. I loved loved loved it. I actually laughed out loud. Thanks for that and for sharing this post! Cheers!
I’m so glad it gave you a chuckle! Although I wasn’t chuckling when most of those events occurred…I sure do now! Erika
My recent camping trip was full of annoying drunkards that lacked the right social skills. o select your camping site carefully, for some are not worth your time.
Hi Erika,
If I may another…using a noisy portable generator too close to everyone.
Funny, but sadly true! I went camping with my family one time and had people drinking and yelling right beside us until the wee hours of the morning. Really people? Let’s just say that public camping has lost it’s appeal!
Thanks for sharing:)
Melissa
Wow! That’s bad!
I remember a camping trip where a guy left out food instead of putting it in a bear container or hanging it in a bear bag far away.
We had a big furry brown visitor that night, and the guy who left out the food had a few new enemies the next morning!
Oh dear! That’s such a clueless move. Thanks for stopping by!
Haha Erika, wonder through your neighbors campsite?? I would totally be ticked off if someone did this to me! Thank God I now know it’s just an annoyance mechanism! This was hilarious read though! Great post.
Oh yes! That’s a good one too. E
I think my biggest pet peeve on this list is people wandering through the campsite. Don’t get me wrong, i likea friendly neighbor, but sometimes there are those campers that feel entitled to any space they want and just come wandering through as if no one was even there. It’s kind of annoying.
loud music at a campsite is always the worst
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