Help me understand!!

[gbaglo]

Originally Posted by Ruthe

I suspect you’re being sarcastic, but I don’t understand the thrill of lighting a campfire with wet wood that smokes up a good part of a campground.

You are partially correct. I noted the smell of fresh air, though, when BC Parks stopped providing free firewood. Used to be that you couldn't see a hundred feet because of all the smouldering fires.
And why anybody needs to build a roaring fire in the hundred degree heat of the afternoon is beyond me. I managed to grab a few sticks to heat a can of beans before they emptied the wood box.

[Ruthe]

Originally Posted by Kingbiscuit

Give me light over pounding hip hop or rap any time.

I agree, but our experience in recent years has been that there’s not as much late night pounding music. In a post on a similar thread. I once described how the tenters next to our tent turned on their car radio and let it blast. Things like that didn’t (and don’t) happen a lot, but I guess we remember them when they do happen. Overall it’s probably amazing that so many people can be packed in so tightly and most of us really are considerate and understanding about our neighbors’ habits.

Once when we were in Damarascotta Maine our two year old had a temper tantrum in the middle of the night. It was loud and awful. The next day the ranger came by and asked my husband if we’d been disturbed during the night and my husband apologized about our daughter’s shrieks. The ranger said, “Oh no, we got complaints about a bunch of drunks playing music.”

Terry was pretty surprised and told the ranger,”If no one’s complaining about us then we are not complaining about anyone else.”

Happy Camping.

[Iowa Dave]

Hi Ruthe
I believe the trend to camp hosts who make their presence known, and in many campgrounds a regular patrol in a govamint pickup truck have made a difference.
I had 16 Boy Scouts in a campground at Indian Lake State Park in the U.P. once.
A lady who was just arriving in the campground spotted one of the boys walking back from the restroom. “Where are you fellows camped she asked?” My Scout asked her why she wanted to know. She said “I get pretty wild when I drink and I didn’t want to bother you when you’re trying to sleep so I want a site well away from you”. Smart Lady. Ruthe that wasn’t you was it?
Iowa Dave

[Great Eggstrications]

Originally Posted by gbaglo

And, then there are campfires. Light and air pollution.

We may be guilty on the light pollution count, but not on air pollution. We use our under-the-trailer lights when we're either in a camp spot where there are lots of lights already shining or we're way out in the boonies and have no neighbors within sight. The 4 LED lights are aimed up toward the underside of the trailer and reflect downwards and emit a soft glow - no blinding eye-searing direct LED light. This is good for checking for biting/stinging desert critters at night, but is mainly our electronic camp fire cuz we're generally too lazy to mess around with firewood and keeping a fire going. And we really hate all the smoke. Works for us...


Also have a dedicated step light on a separate switch - only turned on when we're actually using the steps.

[Mucram]

After spending 10 nights with lots of nice, noisy folks in Madison & quiet mammoth cgs in ynp I am in my happy place. Only camper on mud lake wma terreton idaho. Life is good with only bird song & no generators. Ynp was great viewing for wildlife.

[bjp447]

We just don't camp between memorial Day and labor Day. and being retired we come in on Sunday and are gone by Fri. Surprising most sites are reserved but no one is there.

[Iowa Dave]

Wildlife management areas that allow camping, state forests, many National Forests that allow “dispersed camping” and BLM lands offer a “get away from it all” experience in many cases. I recently described camping at Buffalo Gap National Grassland in South Dakota to someone. I told them there were 16 campers that I could see. They did not think this was remote camping as I had described. I had to add that the campers were visible iand you could see them all from our vantage point but they were pretty evenly spread out for 2 1/2 miles to the north and the south. Well over a quarter mile between each camper and by the time it got “real dark” I think I was the only person still up. Somebody said “Stars from horizon to horizon “ was their idea of dark sky camping and I’d have to agree. That’s not air pollution son, that’s the Milky Way.
Iowa Dave

[Wetravel]

There are campgrounds that are "dark". We stayed at one in Texas and one in New Mexico, it was great! The campgrounds do not have outdoor lighting and tell you when you check in that no outside lights on your camper/RV are permitted after dark. They even asked us to shut the blinds to prevent inside light from filtering out. We certainly wish there were more of these campgrounds!

[escape artist]

Originally Posted by Wetravel

There are campgrounds that are "dark". We stayed at one in Texas and one in New Mexico, it was great! The campgrounds do not have outdoor lighting and tell you when you check in that no outside lights on your camper/RV are permitted after dark. They even asked us to shut the blinds to prevent inside light from filtering out. We certainly wish there were more of these campgrounds!

Hi: Wetravel... I'm in the "Dark" wherever I am. Alf
escape artist N.S. of Lake Erie

[Iowa Dave]

When I was in Junior High school the Diagonal shortcut that cut About 750 feet off of the route we walked to school was through the Cemetery. At night there was plenty of whistling in the dark by the 7th graders but by 9th grade the tune had strangely changed to a wolf whistle. And I ain’t whistlin’ Dixie.
Iowa Dave

[War Eagle]

Originally Posted by Wetravel

There are campgrounds that are "dark". We stayed at one in Texas and one in New Mexico, it was great! The campgrounds do not have outdoor lighting and tell you when you check in that no outside lights on your camper/RV are permitted after dark. They even asked us to shut the blinds to prevent inside light from filtering out. We certainly wish there were more of these campgrounds!

If you listen closely in those dark, peaceful desert settings, you can almost hear the prairie rodents chewing on your camper's wiring.

[John in Santa Cruz]

I do wish the interior lights on our Escape weren't so darn bright. eventually I'll get around to installing some dimmable r/g/b LED mood lighting, installed so its hidden and lighting the walls or ceiling rather than directly visible.

[Rossue]

Hi John, trust you will post that mod when completed. Love indirect lighting. We sometimes open an upper cabinet we put LED's in, however they arent dimmable.

[gbaglo]

If you turn on a light at the other end of the trailer from where you are sitting, you have a dim light.

A tip: Don't look at the fixture.

[tractors1]

Originally Posted by John in Santa Cruz

I do wish the interior lights on our Escape weren't so darn bright. eventually I'll get around to installing some dimmable r/g/b LED mood lighting, installed so its hidden and lighting the walls or ceiling rather than directly visible.

Cut a few pieces of parchment paper to fit inside the lens. We used 2 layers to tone down the brights.

[escape artist]

Originally Posted by tractors1

Cut a few pieces of parchment paper to fit inside the lens. We used 2 layers to tone down the brights.

Hi: tractors 1... it's good for bakin' cookies too!!! Alf
escape artist N.S. of Lake Erie

[tractors1]

Originally Posted by escape artist

Hi: tractors 1... it's good for bakin' cookies too!!! Alf
escape artist N.S. of Lake Erie

Also very cheap..........

[John in Santa Cruz]

Originally Posted by tractors1

Cut a few pieces of parchment paper to fit inside the lens. We used 2 layers to tone down the brights.

the one thats switched by the door frame switch, one half of it now has a piece of rubylith (a very deep red film used in lithography) so if I just turn on that half I get an astronomer friendly deep red interior lighting...

I can't go TOO overboard, as my wife hates red light

[bjp447]

Just as an added note we are in GA and only (usually) only camp in state or Fed campgrounds because they patrol them well and restrict the noise and alcohol. I have tried Boondocking in GA and it isn't safe. There are so many people that some of the crowd that wants to get away by themselves are usually for illegal purposes. It would be nice if all we had to worry about is an occasional bear.
My understanding is the Stephan Foster State park is now a Dark Night park. We have been there and would highly recommend it, nice sites, good staff and I have seen them escort the troublemakers out. Just don't bring a dog - they are allowed but so are the alligators and there are more of them.

[rbryan4]

Originally Posted by bjp447

I have tried Boondocking in GA and it isn't safe. There are so many people that some of the crowd that wants to get away by themselves are usually for illegal purposes. It would be nice if all we had to worry about is an occasional bear.

Have you tried the National Forests or National WMA's? Any problem with nefarious activity can be reported, and the federal guys handle it. I for one am not willing to forego camping in a beautiful spot because the criminals think it's theirs.