noise leval when camping

[PKCSPT]

So far I have found our Minnesota state parks to be quiet at quiet time and typical family noise children having fun during the day. Me and my grandchildren stay quiet, a little dvd movie before bed not to be heard outside the tent. As for Lance, he is not allowed to bark unless he feels threatened.

But the best is when I have the campground to myself,,, now that is Peace and quiet.

[S. Heisley]

I don't usually mind "kid" or "dog" noise, as long as it isn't excessive.
A little noise from kids and dogs is to be expected. My own dog barks sometimes.
Adult media noise from TVs, radios, etc drives me crazy. If they want that, why don't they stay home?
Unless I am attending a Tearjerker gathering, I usually go camping for the peace.

Kindness and patience, when dealing with kids, can go a long way.
Sometimes the kids just don't know any better than to run through other people's campgrounds.
Gently explaining that this is taboo usually helps. It really does take a community to raise a child.
I once found an 8 year old boy, playing with a baby rattler. He was using sticks to poke at it and keep it from curling.
It wasn't until I started talking to the child that the father even paid any attention.
Then, the dad didn't believe me until he saw the snake for himself.
He killed the snake; put it in the trash; and, walked away without saying a word.
(...You're welcome.)

By the way...It bothers me when people let their dogs run loose in campgrounds where they are supposed to be leashed.
After all, their dog may be okay; but, maybe someone or someone else's dog will not be okay with it.

[working on it]

I would also suggest that anyone who feels a need to do "payback" by creating a louder noise, etc, needs to re read the quote above, and consider which category they really want to be in.
If there is a problem, deal with the problem, don't create yet another problem.

...I have been known to escalate in retaliation. At least I used to....

You would have had a different viewpoint, if you had been there, at the dragstrip "payback" incident. We were there to race, and everyone had one or more generators, compressors, air tools in use at one time or another. All serious folk, there for a serious purpose (racing is expensive, and time consuming, and when you're actively pursuing a goal - to win-,it's a serious matter). The instigators of the noise pollution were indifferent to the racing action (street car yahoos at best), and only there to be seen, and drink too much (we made sure that the one serious guy in their crowd, intent on racing like my team, did not partake alcohol, at least to our knowledge). We had too much equipment, and personnel, to be able to move away, nor the desire to either. So, rather than a face to face confrontation -several of us had already asked them to "get with the program", to no avail- I moved my already in operation equipment to create a wall of sound between us. Not really payback, but in following years, that group never bothered us again. I'm older now, but still can get aggravated by other people putting their interests above all others, but, I try to accept that to a certain extent. But, I'm out there camping now, not racing to win, and can be more laid-back. At Dinosaur Valley SP last year, there were dozens of kids running amok (a church group camping next to me) until after 10pm. I understood their youthful exuberance; I withdrew into my trailer, put in my earbuds, turned on the MP3 and A/C, and all was OK. Different time, place, reaction to a problem. Never judge a man until you've walked a mile in his shoes.

[starleen2]

All this talk of noise pollution and rude campers is fine as long as we are SOLO camping, but I have seen some of the worst offenders at teardrop gatherings! Imagine the poor soul that stumbles into a park when a gathering is going one. We may think we are a good social group – but our levels get just as loud as the “church” groups. How dare aka “Barney Fife” come by and shush our midnight campfire conversations for being too loud – “We are going to speak to the ranger about this!”, –“ This is unacceptable”, we grumble somehow thinking that such a large group is exempt from the quite hours.

[48Rob]

Working on it,

I did not write my post to "judge" you, or any of the other posters.

I simply suggested that "If there is a problem, deal with the problem, don't create yet another problem." is a better solution than creating more/adding more of what caused the issue in the first place.

Rob

[48Rob]

Adult media noise from TVs, radios, etc drives me crazy. If they want that, why don't they stay home?
Unless I am attending a Tearjerker gathering, I usually go camping for the peace.

Sharon,

I agree with you, but have to debate...

If you go to a teardrop gathering, you are okay with the noise, but if you go to a campground that isn't hosting a gathering; you expect/want it to be quiet.
As Starleen pointed out, what of the other, non teardrop campers who we share the campground with during a gathering?

We all grumble about one thing or another that bothers us while camping.
The above thought about, we are supposed to be camping, why don't "they" leave the radio/TV/dog/kids/whatever, at home comes up often.
But who decided what "camping" is?
We all have different opinions about what one should or shouldn't do for the experience to be "real" camping...

In the end, unless we are lucky enough to find BLM land with no one for miles, we have to learn to "camp" with other people and deal with the urban life issues that urban campers bring with them.

Educating our children is the first big step, after that, as a society we have to rely on committees and boards to create rules that allow those who refuse to be considerate to be removed so the rest of us can enjoy a reasonably peaceful existence.

Rob

[Verna]

I agree with Rob that we all have our own definition of camping and who are we to tell someone their way isn't correct?

I've always felt that my noise shouldn't be heard by the next campsite, but I do need to pound tent pegs on for the screen room and canopy. I try to be polite, and that's all I can ask in return.

[bobhenry]

All this talk of noise pollution and rude campers is fine as long as we are SOLO camping, but I have seen some of the worst offenders at teardrop gatherings! Imagine the poor soul that stumbles into a park when a gathering is going one. We may think we are a good social group – but our levels get just as loud as the “church” groups. How dare aka “Barney Fife” come by and shush our midnight campfire conversations for being too loud – “We are going to speak to the ranger about this!”, –“ This is unacceptable”, we grumble somehow thinking that such a large group is exempt from the quite hours.

Back the truck up ! Lets get all the facts..... The 7 campsites that were accosted by the overzealous ranger were all adjoining and all were present we were centered in the midst of the 7 sites in order to have a buffer zone and were conversing in a normal manner. There was some laughter and perhaps a few raucous moments. However there was no way it would have carried the 90 yards to a unrepresented site. Yes we felt put upon having driven across the state to visit. Yes I wrote to the park manager to complain about the over zealous ranger. AND YES I would do it again.

We as a group respect the quiet times but I don't feel we need to have a bed check by the state at 11:01.

[len19070]

Theres a difference between Noise and people having fun.

I had a group across the road from me, all in there mid 20's playing Charades at about 4 in the afternoon. Yes they were a bit loud but not unruly.

A Ranger drove up, stopped and looked at the group, they continued playing and the Ranger asked if they were bothering me. I replied No, there having fun, not making noise. I was actually enjoying listening to them.

But what was bothering me was the guy behind me in the Big Motor home running his Generator so he could play his Gypsy, Death Metal, Big Band Polka Music on his Stereo and sit 100 feet away from it and listen.

When ever I listen to a Stereo I place it in front of me on a Table and turn it up enough so I can hear it. If I get up and walk 10 feet away, I can't hear it.

Also when at a TJ gathering in a park with a large group of us the park, which by the way is usually empty in other areas Plants a family with little kids right in the middle of us and complains about us a DINNER making to much noise. In some cases to avoid problems we have offered to move a family explaining the situation. Sometimes they take advantage of this, Sometimes there Cool with it and sometimes they just start quoting the Constitution!

Another thing I don't like is when in a Park after quiet hour and 3-4 of us are talking around the fire having a Ranger come up and complain.

At 63 years old I think I'm a little past being told to go to bed.

Its all about Respect and common sense.

Happy Trails

Len

Happy Trails

Len

[bobhenry]

[bc toys]

when at a TG or DOG when they put or a family just parks right in the middle of us when we start cooking I'll ask the kids if they want to learn how to cook in a DO and I'll show them how to DO cook with coals and usually it keeps them interested of course I make sure its ok with their parents 1st its cool to show them how to do a pizza or cobbler and share it with them or waffles for breakfast or Omlets in a ziplock bag some even change the way they cook while camping after camping near us

[bobhenry]

I have done similar with our pot luck dinners. I wander among the civilians and invite them to join us at our pot luck dinner. We have several who have joined us for dinner and soon after became tearjerker members. It's a great way to make friends and gain new members.

[Woodbutcher]

This last trip, we had 2 families with kids set up right across from us. One had 5 kids ranging from about 6-14. They had the biggest tent I have ever seen. When I got up around 7:30AM they had left for the day. I never heard them leave. They arrived back at camp well after dark. I saw them but heard very little. They next morning when I got up the whole camp was broke down. Those kids were the most respectful well behaved kids, I have seen in a long time.
The contrast to them was in campsite #2. They had a giant trailer with 2 kids and a small dog. The kids were always screeching and yelling. The dog was always barking and the parents spent time yelling at them all. I have to believe that there was a very different style of raising kids going on here. If your children behave badly at home you must expect they will in public, so yelling at them to stop, or be quiet is not going to work.

As for gatherings, I have never been to one with any issues created by our group. We work hard to keep all our members together in one area. We will then chose a site that is the easiest to congregate at without disturbing others, for our meals and camp fires. We also have invited people to join us. But we don't have any big drinkers and music never seems to be an issue either.

CRA, is a different animal. When the whole CG is occupied by the same group the rules can get a little blurred. Barney chose who he wanted to chastise and who he would ignore. Forty kids with headlights and flashlights running through the CG after 10 create a lot of noise. Much more then a few people talking around a camp fire.

[len19070]

CRA, is a different animal. When the whole CG is occupied by the same group the rules can get a little blurred. Barney chose who he wanted to chastise and who he would ignore. Forty kids with headlights and flashlights running through the CG after 10 create a lot of noise. Much more then a few people talking around a camp fire.

Man did you hit the nail on the Head!

Adults talking is a No,No. But forty kids running through a campsite with lights and a Coach yelling "Great Job, Way to go" to each of them at 1AM was OK.

See the difference was TJ's are not "Complainers". But we're usually the victims of Complainers.

Theres an old saying "Its a lot easier to smack somebody else's A$$ than it is your own".

Happy Trails

Len

[Law Dawg (Ret)]

I once found an 8 year old boy, playing with a baby rattler. He was using sticks to poke at it and keep it from curling.
It wasn't until I started talking to the child that the father even paid any attention.

We have a buddy who, en route to camp, will normally grab any road kill snake he can find. If the camp is too rowdy he will sneak the snake into the outhouse with him, come out while displaying the reptile, and announce loudly "Dang it! That's the 3rd rattler I've killed at these outhouses." Tends to make more peace in the camp pretty quick.