Whether you are intending to camp at a large scale holiday park setting or somewhere more basic and away from the crowds you have certain responsibilities as a camper. These include considerations to others around you and care concerning the natural environment to ensure your impact is minimal. Responsibilities with regards to your camping neighbours ensure everyone can enjoy their holiday to the full while reducing your environmental impact at any level is something that should be the concern of everyone in the present age.

Most camp sites will have a set of rules for you to follow and, unless you have been unfortunate enough to choose a site with dictatorial owners, most of them are in place to ensure you and those around you have a good holiday. Some of the rules may at first glance appear a little harsh or pointless but normally make sense on closer examination.

The following are the main things you need to observe to ensure you fall under the responsible camper title instead of that of the camping oaf.

Rubbish Disposal

Unless you are wilderness camping you will always be provided with somewhere to deposit your rubbish. It may sound obvious to say don't litter but you would be surprised at the state some people consider it acceptable to leave a camp site in when they vacate. Some people assume that as they are outdoors discarding certain things straight onto the ground is acceptable or the other mentality is 'I've paid good money for this' and can presumably do what they like.

Bagged rubbish should be disposed of regularly to avoid attracting vermin and pests to your camp and those of your camping neighbours. For the same reason don't litter your camp with food scraps.

Ring pulls off cans and bottle tops are two of the most common examples of discarded items which can have a negative impact long after you have gone. ALL glass, plastic and metal, no matter how small, can be a serious hazard to birds and other wildlife with one of the biggest culprits being the plastic retainer circles which hold the tops of cans together.

Recycle, Reduce, Reuse

Most people are now familiar with this concept which needs to be extended to your holiday too. Many camp sites have recycling facilities and countryside sites will often have food scrap systems too which are used by themselves or neighbouring farms.

Surrounding Trees, Bushes and Flora

Something you will quite often see is people using trees and bushes to secure clothes drying lines or tying guy ropes to them. True, it may do little harm just that once but if every person who uses a certain pitch throughout a season does the same thing eventually the tree or plant will suffer. This is an example of one of those rules that camp site owners have which many of their customers feel is either pointless or doesn't apply to them. 

Don't snap twigs and branches off trees and bushes to use as a stop-gap tent peg/ stirrer/ firewood/ for an impromptu 'sword' fight etc and as tempting as it may be don't pick 'those lovely wild flowers' growing nearby; it is illegal and you may be inadvertently contributing to the destruction of an endangered species or habitat. Enjoy them as nature intended.

Rivers, Lakes and Oceans

If you are camped near a watercourse you will need to take special care. Never introduce soaps, washing-up liquids, washing powder or other cleaning products straight into them and dispose of any waste water containing such things well away from the waters edge. The recommended distance is 200 feet. If sinks are provided at your camp site always use them. Even so called eco-friendly products may have a harmful effect on sensitive eco-environments and any aquatic creatures which live in the water or otherwise use it.

Local Wildlife

If you are lucky enough to be camped in an area shared by foxes, badgers, otters, deer, weasels or any other wildlife then be satisfied to watch from a distance and without any interference. Under no circumstances encourage wildlife to enter your camp. Such behaviour may seem harmless and delight the children but it rarely has anything other than a detrimental end result for the animal and quite often for the campers who come after you. Sometimes the animal becomes a pest and is then persecuted and destroyed as a result.

If you have bought your dog camping with you then you will need to take special care with regard to wildlife.

Camp Fires

Unfortunately camp sites which still allow open fires are rare but they do still exist. Building, maintaining, containing and extinguishing a camp fire is an art so if you are intending to have a fire make sure you know how to do it properly. Never put plastics on your fire which will give off potentially toxic fumes or glass which will shatter and become a hazard for wildlife and other campers after you have gone.

Camp fires will need to be attended the whole time they are alight and should always be extinguished before going to bed and not left to burn out by themselves.

Be a Good Camp Neighbour

Most camp etiquette is common sense respect and regard for others around you. Make yourself familiar with any camp site rules with regard to this such as quiet times, usually after 10 or 11 at night and before 7 in the morning. Kids running riot through other people's camps is often cited as the number one cause for disharmony among camp neighbours so make sure your children know the boundaries.

Being a responsible camper is normally about having a little thought and consideration for those around you and the natural surroundings. Remember, that many people after you will want to enjoy camping in this area including yourself if you return; by keeping your immediate and long term impact to a minimum you can rest assured that you have done your bit and earned your responsible campers badge.