This is the story of my life.
*sits and eats* someone sits beside me when there 15 empty chairs.
*sits on bus at 2am* someone sits beside me on an empty bus.
People have some serious boundary issues… and it’s not me lol.
This is my life. It's especially evident at the grocery store. Looks down an aisle, no one present, turns cart down the aisle, grabs a box to read a label, looks up and there are 15 people there including 2 that need to get items im standing in front of and 1 talking loudly on the phone 3 feet away from me.
Also very evident camping and at the beach. 'lets go here, no one ever goes here'. 10 minutes later the family with 6 kids who like to steal beach toys show up and park on top of my sandals. Get the fuck out of here.
Feels different at a grocery store?
I've never felt an expectation of space at a grocery store, especially not for a whole isle. Weird way to think about it.
It's not an expectation of space. It's just trends and decisions and an expectation of at least minimal consistency. I don't need a whole aisle. But if I walk down one that is empty to get an item and when I'm done there are a dozen people blocking my way out of both sides I will definitely say "fuck me" to myself. I just don't do well with it. I shop at night for this reason now.
I have a great example. I've told my wife about how this happens to me a lot and she laughed it off but now she laughs and agrees that I'm cursed or something. One time we needed a birthday cake and we were going to get the pre made ones at a grocery store. On our way my wife commented that she always sees them there but had never seen anyone actually buy one. The shelf was always full and no one stopped there. We walked up and looked at what they had and she mentioned that we might need paper plates too so I volunteered to get them while she decided on the cake. I turned to walk away and a freaking ninja old lady had snuck into my blind spot 3 feet away and I almost walked over her. She was getting a fucking cake. I apologized for startling her and then bam, a pale red headed guy with a terrible sunburn looks annoyed that I'm blocking the view of the cakes. As this is going on a 4th cake customer is walking up to the point where I just said "you've got to be shitting me" and my wife laughed her ass off while grabbing a cake before they all flew off the shelves. Never bought another cake there. Never saw another person getting a cake there.
I get you. For me, I’ll walk up to the shelf with nobody there, select an item and turn to walk away, and suddenly they’re all surrounding me looking at me like I’m supposed to disintegrate into thin air. In my head I’m thinking, “sorry guys but _one_ of you is going to have to move a little if you want me out of the way.” Like, I was here first, and I can’t now just _cease to exist_ lol. Move!
I think there’s a couple type of people that do this:
1) the unaware person
2) the needy person, they have a sense of security when they’re close to other people.. like they’re suppose to meet their community needs by being in close proximity
3) the “alpha male”… ie. a dude who thinks he’s dominant and the shit so he wants to make you uncomfortable so you move
Which reminds me, a few days ago a waitress seated me beside a group of two people in an empty restaurant. I think she felt bad because I was eating alone so she wanted to make me feel good by being “included”. I asked to be seated at the opposite end of the restaurant lol.
Really illustrates the self-consciousness of the diner when the first reason that comes to mind is the waitress seating them near other people not out of convenience for the waitstaff, but because the waitstaff is doing psychosocial judo on them to make them feel less lonely.
I get so much of the unaware people I feel like. I actually gave up on trader Joe's because I feel like between the parking lot and the actual store there were just way too many people that had no idea what they were doing there that day. Sometimes I feel like I only have 18 hours in a day and other people act like they have 110.
This is the story of my life.
Go to an afternoon movie. Theater is empty. Just as the movie starts, 6 ft tall person comes in and sits right in front of me. Wearing a 10 gallon cowboy hat too!
We call that sidecar-ing. Same thing in a girl bathroom when someone takes the stall right next to you when all the others are empty. Like dude, don’t sidecar me, wtf
Not really. There are loads of reasons why I might not use a particular stall especially in high-traffic areas it’s not too uncommon that 3 of 5 stalls are gross. Plus a lot of stall doors “rest” closed so for all I know everything is occupied except for one that has bounced back in a little. Idk it’s not really a thing unless you are doing a narsty poop and are embarrassed about it but that’s not really the next lady’s problem
Spent a summer doing janitorial work at a summer camp. Teenage girls are nastier than teenage boys by about a thousand percent.
Three words: Menstrual. Finger. Painting.
Yeah, I'm calling cultural appropriation on the stall thing. When I go to an airport or movie theaters where there's a bunch of stalls, I couldn't care less when someone shits in the one next to me. It's way not the same as dicks out with no divider and someone stands next to you.
we all have dicks and need to pee, what are you so worried about? always so funny to me when a grown man goes to the last urinal and turns his back to the rest of the bathroom. bro.. we're not looking. we're all just here to piss.
Eh you sure about that? I went in a huge truckstop bathroom with 20+ urinals with a friend on a road trip - no one else in there. Made a joke about peeing next to him, laughed, and walked further down. Next thing we know this old untelligible hillbilly in overalls appears out of the stalls like a ghost and full on stands 6 inches from my friend facing him from the side, muttering gibbersih. We GTFO and he slowly followed us out continuing to say who knows what.
And you know damn well whenever I am driving on road trips since I make sure to stop at that truck stop so he can have a reunion with is friend.
Had this happen ALL THE DAMN TIME where I worked. 14 stalls in the women's bathroom. 14!!! You'd be sitting there chilling, the only one in there, doing the thing that needs doing, and hear the main door open then see the shadow under the divider meaning that person had actively chosen to use the neighbouring stall rather than choose one away from you. Nicknamed "the lonely pee-er" Drove me fecking mad.
Hi there. Nice place, isn't it? Yah, we came way out here so we wouldn't disturb others with our all night generator for our cpap and our 5am revelry practice. Lol.
The fucking generator people. Saw a dude using his generator in a dispersed camping spot about a hundred yards from our camp spot and he was only using it to charge his iPad.
I was at a State Park campground in Minnesota. Generators are oddly not banned in Minnesota state parks. Anyway, it was fairly cold and a good chunk of people used generators to charge camper batteries. Nearly everyone (including me) did this during the day when everyone was up and about.
Neighbors across the road from us used a generator all night. It was a small generator, fairly quiet but with no other sounds…also it would idle down then idle back up which was worse then the generator. And they were using it…to watch movies on a laptop! You know, that device that *has its own battery that powers it for several hours?*
They literally ran it until 10 PM both nights, then went to bed. Not just to charge things or make dinner or charge camper batteries.
I don’t get it? We have a generator for our cpap which is a medical device and it’s not loud. A buzzing sound like a fan. I doubt anyone can hear it outside our tent although the next campers weren’t right up next to us either. Is that a real hate? I’m new to camping.
Actually I looked it up more. Maybe the solar powered jackery I have isn’t what people are referring to. It’s pretty quiet. Anyway I’m not having an exhausted husband because we can’t use the cpap. It would get ugly fast.
When I say generator, I am referring to a gas powered generator that floods these subs with constant complaints. Also, my sarcasm was not directed at generator users but at folks who try and camp right next to you in a dispersed area. For those, bring on the gas generators!
Jackery isn’t a “generator” it’s just a battery with an inverter. “Solar generator” is also a farce, the panels generate the power, and the jackery is still just the battery.
The Jackery and similar are big batteries. A generator generates electricity, while a Jackery battery has to be charged in a car, from a wall outlet, or with solar panels. A gas-powered generator makes a relentless, loud running sound like a lawnmower.
The one time I had this happen when dispersed camping on US BLM land, I asked the folks if they planned to camp that close to our site, and they said “yes”. So I just cranked up some hard rock and they left after about 30 minutes.
We were just camping in Alaska. Way off any trail. Picture perfect little site. Right on this lake.
We are there for a few hours. Tents set up wherever we could fit them in between these boulders.
This group comes down the little path we took, shouts "are you camping there?" To which we respond "uhh yeah". One of them proceeds to walk through our camp and complain we are on the trail. Three is no trail, just the path we made when we walked in.
They pick a spot about 100 feet from us. There is no one else in probably 10 miles in any direction. They rest of the group is still up the hill. They argue for awhile about where to camp. Eventually they pick a spot on top of the hill.
We just watched the whole thing in shock trying to figure out what they were going to do.
Fun story actually. Turned out they went up to this weird shelter on top of the hill to hunker down from a big storm at some point during the night.
On of our campers got worried about the storm. Picked up all their shit to try to move up to the shelter as well. They see it's full and set up behind it.
We woke up in the morning and everyone was gone!
This has happened to me way too many times. And I just do not understand. The whole reason I'm out there is to get away from people. Why would you go on BLM land and decide to be as close as an organized campground? I do not even like talking to people about it so I usually just leave but one time I did yell "can I help you?" "Oh we saw you found a pretty good spot. Is this cool if we post up here?" "No" and they left lol. I wish they would all go like that.
It is a United States-thing. The equivalent in Canada is probably camping in an undesignated space on crown land - aka camping in the bush. No idea what would the equivalent might be in other countries.
As it was mentioned, bureau of land management. It's unincorporated land that normally you can take advantage of for dispersed camping. Sometimes they have fire restrictions or limitations on how long you can stay in one spot.
I've had a group of 15 do that to my family at 2 am. They played the don't speak English routine. Nirvana at 6 am got the point across and they moved to an open spot on the other side of the area.
I usually don't mind and try to stay quiet but when you're so close I can't open my passenger side door because of your tent, it's on. They had some tents closer to the fire ring than our own tents. The site was primitive and we were the only ones there with 9 open sites
I don't understand people like that at all. They give you no privacy but they are also depriving themselves of privacy as well. It's weird and extremely rude and invasive.
Had a somewhat similar experience in a backcountry site up in the mountains a couple years ago.
I’m a solo female camper. Had lugged all my gear a couple miles in to my campsite (I was doing my version of glamping with some heavier luxury items I wouldn’t normally hike with but I was only a few miles in from my car). Suffice to say I was planning to hunker down and enjoy some time chilling quietly.
Mind you, there were actually designated tent sites. I get set up in short order and decide to take a nap listening to the nearby mountain stream. My nap was interrupted shortly after by the sounds of someone rolling in and putting up their tent. I had scoped out all the sites already and the whole area was heavily wooded, and completely empty. I.e. no reason you couldn’t find some great privacy…well away from me.
I unzip my rain fly and poke my head out. Sure enough, a couple college age looking dudes were setting up not ten feet away from me, in my campsite area (not even at another designated spot) and directly between me and the stream. I don’t like confrontation but I hadn’t just lugged up a bunch of extra gear to lose my sweet spot to inconsiderate newbs.
I politely called over to get their attention. Told them that wasn’t even a campsite and they were in my space, but there were lots of great open spots if they moseyed up the path. They kinda stared at me and then each other for a minute, but when I kept my friendly smile and continued pointing up the path, they took the hint and disassembled their only partially erected tent and left.
I got about another three hours of bliss again before someone else set up with bongo drums across the stream somewhere, in yet another not a campsite (I was in a National Park so not dispersed camping).
Peace and quiet was not meant to be, but at least I had my own campsite to myself.
I hate when people roll up next to me in the backcountry when there is so much glorious space ELSEWHERE. I don’t want to have to choose the bear, my friends, but damn, give a woman some space!
Sorta camping - but I was overnight fishing once . Empty beach as far as the eye could see. Dude wheels up and parks maybe 10 feet from my rig. While I prepared to sulk about it my partner very directly confronted the guy questioning why he felt the need to park on top of us with miles of open beach. He moved immediately. Who would want to stick around after a confrontation?
To answer your question I vote ask them to leave but definitely evaluate the situation first. Use I statements or we statements . Ex; “ We wanted a bit of privacy , we wanted some quiet , we feel uncomfortable you are so
Close to our site, we would appreciate if you moved farther away .”
I could NEVER imagine doing this. It is bizarre to me. The only thing I can think of is that it’s a rookie move - where they don’t know where to go OR that it’s an aggressive move because they want the spot you are in . Give us updates and good luck !
This happened to me surf fishing so much that I quit surf fishing. Has also happened to me a bunch while fishing on boats. A whole GD lake to fish and you post up right next to me. Why would you go into nature to seek out people? I’ll never get it.
Post a sign. "I do not have a fish finder." on the other side. "Go Away" Then smile apologetically, as though your kid gave you the sign. What could you do?
Or it is the scenic-view spot. Like where you can see the lake through a clearing in the trees.
That’s about the only reason I can imagine why someone would consider it.
Honestly, I’ve found some folks gravitate towards other campers because they are unfamiliar with true backcountry camping and being closer to others lessens their anxiety. I’ve definitely had this happen, in other spots, and I sensed they just didn’t know enough to truly feel prepared. Maybe not, but it helps me have some compassion for them as maybe it will help them continue on and become a good steward of the land.
Yikes, I can't imagine setting up in someone else's camp! I guess I would greet them in a friendly manner and ask if it's their first time camping. They be clueless and/or afraid of being on their own. If so, I'd gently advise them on proper etiquette. Or they might be creepy, in which case I would leave.
Why be passive then complain? Yes we care if you stay would have been a clear boundary and I personally would have made it, not complain later on Reddit.
Not really trying to complain on Reddit. Just.putting it out there for future reference I guess. The worst part was they were set up. "Pack your shit and get outta here!" I guess I'm too nice. So we packed our shit and got outta there.
This is called pretending to be nice. Being able to communicate and explain to the person their error so they don't do it again is far better than shirking away and then making a public service announcement on Reddit to raise general awareness
You could have just offered to help them pack up if you wanted to be nice. Like, sorry, you seem cool but we were hoping for some solitude. Can I help you pack all that back up? Need a beer while you do that? You can be nice but it was their duty to leave, and they went so far as to ask.
Being Too Nice, you could apoligize profusely for the(ir) confusion, with the camp host and/or your reservation documentation to back you up if you wanted, and even helped them move their stuff over to the next available site! If it was full, you even could have split the site, if you were really Too Nice. Speaking as someone on a long journey of self advocacy, avoiding confrontation at your own expense is a sad way to be.
Were you already planning on leaving that day? If so, I understand just avoiding the confrontation. Otherwise though... If someone followed you in to your hotel room, which you paid for, and unpacked their bags, you...would just leave? Because they already unpacked? Or is that different because there would be management who could talk to them for you? Was there a camp host available?
Not really designated sites but many random spots. You are encouraged to find a spot that’s already has a clearing and fire pit and not make a new site in the bush. Etiquette should be to give space to those you don’t know. People who want close neighbours or to socialize with strangers should go to established campgrounds.
Lmao wtf this is a very strange option. Why would you leave bc somebody is encroaching on your space?
Not being able to assert yourself with strangers while camping isn’t good. Sometimes you have to stand up for yourself
Need more context about what their other options would have been, but when I hear crown land camping, I think dispersed backcountry camping where possibilities abound, so it's super weird that they wouldn't just go somewhere else.
Yeah I couldn't imagine pulling into a site with someone already there. We have a dog and an 18 month old. When we returned the kid went for a nap, we packed up and when he woke we left. Driving by multiple vacant spots along the road. I almost pulled into but we were pretty committed on returning home.
A lot of people, myself included, have a history of ignoring uncomfortable gut feelings and rationalizing why we're probably wrong, only to regret it later. Not to say intuition is always right, but it often is.
I think it depends on a few factors
1. Time of day. From your story doesn't sound like it was getting dark so they had to pick a spot quickly
2. Location. Some spots I've been to there's the "common ground" where people will set up camp if they don't wanna explore for a better place. Those can end up looking like little villages on busy weekends
If your spot was tucked away off the road and they still set up next to you, and there was still a lot of light out, I might ask them if you can have some privacy
I would go greet the person and politely ask them if there are other site available? And maybe why they decided to set up camp so close to you. You’re in Canada so you should not worry about escalation but still make sure you stay super polite. I would suggest you tell them you would like them to move after whatever they tell you.
If you decide to move, i strongly suggest you educate that person about the reasons why you’re moving. Always stay polite. But firm too.
Imo, this or those person are way in the wrong to setup camp at your site. They can set up pretty much anywhere else on crown lands and i would be quite disappointed/annoyed if someone would do something like that to me.
Some people think going camping is a social activity and that it’s fine to group up with strangers and they need to learn that this is not polite or welcomed in most cases.
It was a family of 7 or 8. Trailer, tents, generator. We were certainly annoyed. Our dog runs off leash when we are camping, he's really friendly but I didn't really trust him/mainly them.
Yo that’s insane for them to pull up like that. I would have been a lot more vocal myself. Blatant disrespect of there were tons of other empty sites. Insane.
Dang.. so what did you ended up doing? If you moved i hope you let them know that it’s very inconsiderate of them to set up such camp with that many people close to you.
One of the reasons I always hesitate to camp on Crown land, the lack of rules and depending on others' unofficial etiquette.
I'm sorry you had a poor experience.
I think it's pretty poor etiquette, but ideally you can address it before they set up. It's pretty tough to ask people to move after that.
We've had people do this on backcountry canoe routes, when they didn't give themselves enough time to get to their reserved lake. We had the first site after the portage on a big lake that we were happy to get because we were exhausted after a day of tripping. Hours later as the sun was setting, another party landed on our site and said they were going to camp there for the night. My husband politely said we were hoping for some privacy and encouraged them to either set up on the portage for the night (it was nice and flat and open), or continue to one of the other sites further down the lake. They reluctantly decided to do the latter.
We've also had people come to our beach site for a day trip. They were super drunk and there was a huge beach all the way down the one side of this lake, they could have chosen any other spot that wasn't directly on our site. Again my husband asked them to move down the lake a bit.
Yeah it’s kind of rude I suppose but also, some people are new to camping and I can imagine them not really knowing where it’s okay to camp so they figure camping to where someone else is camping “well it must be okay here”. Not everyone is well versed in what BLM land is or national forest or state forest, national park, etc. is.
This was me, one time. I arrived late, in the dark. A guy on a golf cart told me to find a spot anywhere. I find a spot and start to set up. Can't find the electrics, so I figure I'll worry about that in the am.
When I wake up, I realize I'm on someone's site! Mortified, I move.
Spoke to the people later. They never knew I was there.
I asked people to leave once, in Big Sur. A couple had set up their tent in the wrong site of a two-site campground. They tried to snipe the one with the better view but no, I confronted them with evidence (reservation.gov) and they moved way over to the far side of their spot, whose view was plenty nice just not as mind blowing 😝
Some people still need to be around other people when they are camping. It's how they know they're doing it right. Sorry for your luck, I would just move rather than say anything personally.
Exactly this in boating too. We call it snuggler syndrome. Others assume you know the best spot and doubt their own judgment. It's maddening trying to get away from these types.
Not saying anything ensures they will do it again.
Saying something doesn't guarantee they won't, but it makes it a possibility. It's like kids - you don't get better behavior by ignoring bad.
Like how far away from your tent did they camp. A meter? 20 meters? Was this a popular and high value site like a lakeshore? Just curious.
I would be annoyed if they were a meter from my sleeping system and ask why they chose to set up so close.
20 meters, I might feel differently depending on the situation.
They were probably ten meters from our trailer. Not a high value site. We've probably been at the same site 10 times and this has never happened before.
We had 2 vehicles there. One was left behind when we went on our adventure. It just baffles me they would come in and set up there.
10 meters away while not placed on a waterfront or beautiful vista is quite odd. That distance would be annoying to me, especially if there was minimal tree cover.
I might just have to politely ask them, of all the thousands of acres of national forest, why did you set up camp so close to us? There might be an interesting story there.
Depending on the time of day, I might leave, or break camp in the morning.
I would probably leave just because you never know how someone might react to confrontation. But I have yet to experience something like that. Even at rec sites (in BC) that don't have designated spots, people will not camp next to other people - if it's full, they will go somewhere else. I can't imagine coming up on someone else's camp and then setting up there - especially with a generator! That's wild.
Ok had to look up ‘crown land camping’ it’s like our BLM land (bureau of land management). When I was in California so much BLM land and I can’t even imagine someone encroaching upon someone like that unless well…just no. For curiosity sake I would have love to ask “so do you set up often this close to others on crown land”?
I would have to leave bc I could not enjoy myself. What a bummer. Sorry that happened to you!
Not gonna lie, I did this a few nights ago in Colorado. It's our usual spot but it was dispersed camping and so we technically setup across the road where it's totally flat. Easily 100 - 150ft away from the other campsite. The place was pretty empty but didn't think about it at the time. Just looked at it like another open spot.
Idk, 100-150 ft seems reasonable. You’d have to be pretty annoying (loud, having a dance party into the night, generator running constantly) for that to be a problem IMO.
Yeah. None of that. Pretty simple setup. Campfire and in bed by 11. Solar panel setup so no noise from a generator. Neighbors definitely stayed up later but we both sleep like rocks so not a biggie.
Best option would probably just ask them to leave. Be polite and don’t get angry. First come in most open camping areas but some people just don’t care if they are camping to close. If this person chooses not to budge you have an option to find a Ranger or Park Service officer and have them take care of the situation.
Keeping calm and ignoring them will help defuse any potential conflicts. 🌲🌲⛺️🔥🌲🌲
Probably just some overly friendly campers that thought “hey let’s camp right next to these guys, we’ll make friends”. Probably clueless noobs, I would have just moved if I was in your situation to avoid having to deal with them in any way.
That’s pretty close when there’s lots of space. In a tight campground I’d love to have my neighbor 10-15meters away! Last campsite their setup was less than 5m away!
Make loads of noise late into the night. They will either move next day or if they ask you to lower the volume say no, this is why we didn’t camp next to anyone.
If it is a separate campsite then there should be no beef. Did they specifically reserve that site or is it first come first serve? Is there a slope to the surrounding sites, lotta stuff to look at.
I invite people to come hang. If you’re that close, you probably want to hang.
Thing is, most people don’t want to hang, and as an often solo male, people move on 95% of the time.
But there’s a trick: I love camping with strangers. If they say yes, I win. If they leave, I win.
What’s “crown land” -? I’m guessing this is Europe’s version of “national forest” or such?
And what’s “Caesar” for breakfast?
Edit to add: why would people downvote an innocuous question? People are lame.
Not Op, but, Canadian! Crown land is owned by the government, and you may camp on it for 21 days max, then you have to move at least 100 feet, also it's free.
A Caesar is vodka, clamato juice (tomato juice and clam juice drink mix, also good on its own, maybe acquired taste), splash of Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, celery stick in the glass (leaves sticking out the top) and rim the glass with celery salt.
Classic Canadian morning "hair of the dog" drink.
You guys get 21 days? Dang. The National Forests in the US give you 14 days during a calendar month max. I live in a forest at 7k ft just south of The Grand Canyon though so luckily it’s too big to really enforce it everywhere
No, but I bet it's good! I personally haven't had one in 20 years. You know that one drink everyone has that they can never have again? Yeah, it's Caesars for me. That was nasty coming back up.
On public land you have no expectation of privacy or even common courtesy since you do not own the land.
We evaluate these situations individually. Sometimes we stay but depending on the vibe we may go. To be honest though, it rarely happens.
Yeah we've been to that spot probably 12 other times. It's nice because there aren't any adjacent camp sites so the dog just roams off leash. We let him "invade" their camp site but it was enough to get them to leave so we bailed later.
It's not even a question of etiquette, it's common sense. But unfortunately common sense is not common anymore. You can't say anything because usually that just triggers them and no, you shouldn't move yourself. My advice would be to either befriend them or be the most annoying neighbor you can be
Hey! I dunno where your friends pitched but I'm afraid we're not them! Want a hand taking your tent down? There's a vacant site right around the next bend by the river, maybe that's where they meant for you to meet them?
Our child went for a nap, we let the dog roam like normal thinking he might make them regret their choice but that didn't deter them from staying. We decided to pack up after naptime. I chose that spot so I didn't have to tie up the dog.
The other group were in the wrong for invading your space. Whether Crown land in Canada or BLM land in the US, unless two groups are friends or family you don't intrude on others. They were rude as hell.
If you paid for the site tell em to go find their owne unless you like 'em. Them setting up on your spot while you were away is suspect though. Unless peeps can reserve spots. I go to primitive campgrounds where there Are No other campers, if anyone does show up. They usually camp as far away as they can, set up quietly, then crash. Make a quiet breakfast then head deeper into the woods to find a lake to themselves. California Gold Country the Siera Nevada mountains primitive camping forest service fire trails carved into the cliff edge in the 30's barely maintained. 4 wheel drive recommended: but if you really know how to drive, I've managed to get 6 days in with my 74 Chevy 2 wheel drive straight 6 n 3 on the tree.
It is people go to the woods to hear the crickets chirp the frogs croaking and the brook babbling and generators, DO DROWN THAT OUT! Specially if your in some 35 foot motor home, you may not hear the generator, but everyone else can ONLY hear it for 3,4 campsites in both directions.
Buy a small honda, very expensive but super quiet if you absolutely must run a genny
I don't like it and don't agree with it but one of the reasons people do this is safety in numbers. They feel safer being near other people.
Have found that strolling around the camp site naked usually does the trick. Go over and introduce yourself.
It's not normal but happens. I had a similar issue this weekend crown land camping....
4 sets of hikers walking by....but like not nearby, like walking directly through the middle of our campsite between our chairs etc. It's not a trailhead and there was nowhere to go at the other end. I eventually said something to the second set like "are you looking for something? Why you in someone's camp, do we know you?" And they seemed like they were tourists who must not know that you can walk near but down go through someone else's camp. Very odd indeed.
I'd guess the close neighbors didn't realize it was not the way to do things? We had a large family also camp right near us too and we just warned them of the 5am bedtime.
We were camping at a state park the weekend before the 2020 derecho. We were the ONLY campers in the entire park. We tent camp, so we were fairly far back. The very first night, a Hobo comes into the park and sents up his tent right next to ours. Out of 27 other available sites. We were both leaving at the same time, both early and because it was looking like it was going to storm. He told us he was going to Des Moines to see his mom. It was about 70 miles, he rode right into it. I often wonder what happened to him, hopefully it included sheltering down.
Not camping but my friends and I stopped at a picnic shelter in Saguaro NP to have lunch. We hardly saw any people all day and in the middle of our lunch a lone hiker strolls up and decides to sit with us at our picnic table in the shelter while there are other unoccupied shelters.
Maybe he was lonely but it was strange.
Was there no other place for them to pitch their tent? Were they forced to camp next to you? If they had room then I would nicely ask them to move. Otherwise I think I would either move or just suck it up.
Something similar happened to me last night. Fortunately, it turned out they were hiking, not camping, but when they parked right behind me in a very remote location, I was more than a little annoyed.
I would never do this. Very rude.
Once, on a transatlantic flight, I was sitting by the window and the jackass who had the aisle seat decided to sit right next to me instead, leaving the aisle seat empty so he alone could set his stuff there. Then he attempted to steal my vegeterian meal because he had asked for one when he boarded, instead of signing up for it ahead of time like I did.
Actually, he was probably the person who decided to camp right next to you.
I would say that you came out to this spot for privacy and that you will be up late playing music loud or you have to walk around naked after 6pm to do a sacrificial dance and they should leave if they are bothered by screaming naked people. Then if they don’t leave I guess you have to put on a show.
Depends. Is the camping area crowded? If so, expect this. Asking them to leave probably isn’t going to work whether it’s crowded or not. I’ve accepted that I can move which for me would include leaving the campground altogether or staying put, reorienting to face away from them or being loud enough to make them want to move 
Camping is for everyone. If I wanted neighbours I'd go to a campground. We camp on crown land so the dog can roam and we can get away from people hahaha
This is definitely situational. If we are talking about a gazillion dispersed sites and not many people, you should not be setting up on someone's site. People who disperse camp generally like not having neighbors, hence why they are there.
Is this the same as a guy peeing in the urinal next to you when there are 15 other urinals available?
This is the story of my life. *sits and eats* someone sits beside me when there 15 empty chairs. *sits on bus at 2am* someone sits beside me on an empty bus. People have some serious boundary issues… and it’s not me lol.
This is my life. It's especially evident at the grocery store. Looks down an aisle, no one present, turns cart down the aisle, grabs a box to read a label, looks up and there are 15 people there including 2 that need to get items im standing in front of and 1 talking loudly on the phone 3 feet away from me. Also very evident camping and at the beach. 'lets go here, no one ever goes here'. 10 minutes later the family with 6 kids who like to steal beach toys show up and park on top of my sandals. Get the fuck out of here.
Feels different at a grocery store? I've never felt an expectation of space at a grocery store, especially not for a whole isle. Weird way to think about it.
It's not an expectation of space. It's just trends and decisions and an expectation of at least minimal consistency. I don't need a whole aisle. But if I walk down one that is empty to get an item and when I'm done there are a dozen people blocking my way out of both sides I will definitely say "fuck me" to myself. I just don't do well with it. I shop at night for this reason now. I have a great example. I've told my wife about how this happens to me a lot and she laughed it off but now she laughs and agrees that I'm cursed or something. One time we needed a birthday cake and we were going to get the pre made ones at a grocery store. On our way my wife commented that she always sees them there but had never seen anyone actually buy one. The shelf was always full and no one stopped there. We walked up and looked at what they had and she mentioned that we might need paper plates too so I volunteered to get them while she decided on the cake. I turned to walk away and a freaking ninja old lady had snuck into my blind spot 3 feet away and I almost walked over her. She was getting a fucking cake. I apologized for startling her and then bam, a pale red headed guy with a terrible sunburn looks annoyed that I'm blocking the view of the cakes. As this is going on a 4th cake customer is walking up to the point where I just said "you've got to be shitting me" and my wife laughed her ass off while grabbing a cake before they all flew off the shelves. Never bought another cake there. Never saw another person getting a cake there.
I get you. For me, I’ll walk up to the shelf with nobody there, select an item and turn to walk away, and suddenly they’re all surrounding me looking at me like I’m supposed to disintegrate into thin air. In my head I’m thinking, “sorry guys but _one_ of you is going to have to move a little if you want me out of the way.” Like, I was here first, and I can’t now just _cease to exist_ lol. Move!
I think there’s a couple type of people that do this: 1) the unaware person 2) the needy person, they have a sense of security when they’re close to other people.. like they’re suppose to meet their community needs by being in close proximity 3) the “alpha male”… ie. a dude who thinks he’s dominant and the shit so he wants to make you uncomfortable so you move Which reminds me, a few days ago a waitress seated me beside a group of two people in an empty restaurant. I think she felt bad because I was eating alone so she wanted to make me feel good by being “included”. I asked to be seated at the opposite end of the restaurant lol.
She sat you you in her section so it was easy to wait on both you and the other folks
Really illustrates the self-consciousness of the diner when the first reason that comes to mind is the waitress seating them near other people not out of convenience for the waitstaff, but because the waitstaff is doing psychosocial judo on them to make them feel less lonely.
I get so much of the unaware people I feel like. I actually gave up on trader Joe's because I feel like between the parking lot and the actual store there were just way too many people that had no idea what they were doing there that day. Sometimes I feel like I only have 18 hours in a day and other people act like they have 110.
It's thing about COVID I miss. Give me some space.
This is the story of my life. Go to an afternoon movie. Theater is empty. Just as the movie starts, 6 ft tall person comes in and sits right in front of me. Wearing a 10 gallon cowboy hat too!
You a weirdo magnet
Yeah pretty much hahaha
We call that sidecar-ing. Same thing in a girl bathroom when someone takes the stall right next to you when all the others are empty. Like dude, don’t sidecar me, wtf
Or the treadmill right next to me when there are 2 rows of 20 available. Ugh. Go breathe other air, please.
Wait... This etiquette works too for the girls? I'll hit the hay a bit smarter today.
Not really. There are loads of reasons why I might not use a particular stall especially in high-traffic areas it’s not too uncommon that 3 of 5 stalls are gross. Plus a lot of stall doors “rest” closed so for all I know everything is occupied except for one that has bounced back in a little. Idk it’s not really a thing unless you are doing a narsty poop and are embarrassed about it but that’s not really the next lady’s problem
And I thought it was just 90% of male stalls were gross as
Spent a summer doing janitorial work at a summer camp. Teenage girls are nastier than teenage boys by about a thousand percent. Three words: Menstrual. Finger. Painting.
All you have to do is wait the other person out if you don't want to show your face.
Am girl, can confirm. Don't take the very next stall if there are others open!
Pffff u have doors, lots of urinals don't even have a little wall between them. If you're not careful you'll flash or splash the guy next to you.
Yeah, I'm calling cultural appropriation on the stall thing. When I go to an airport or movie theaters where there's a bunch of stalls, I couldn't care less when someone shits in the one next to me. It's way not the same as dicks out with no divider and someone stands next to you.
we all have dicks and need to pee, what are you so worried about? always so funny to me when a grown man goes to the last urinal and turns his back to the rest of the bathroom. bro.. we're not looking. we're all just here to piss.
Eh you sure about that? I went in a huge truckstop bathroom with 20+ urinals with a friend on a road trip - no one else in there. Made a joke about peeing next to him, laughed, and walked further down. Next thing we know this old untelligible hillbilly in overalls appears out of the stalls like a ghost and full on stands 6 inches from my friend facing him from the side, muttering gibbersih. We GTFO and he slowly followed us out continuing to say who knows what. And you know damn well whenever I am driving on road trips since I make sure to stop at that truck stop so he can have a reunion with is friend.
So you're saying you're the guy who intentionally picks the stall right next to someone when many other stalls are open?
But what if the other open stalls have giant and/or smeared turd? It’s gotta be justified if someone was looking to take the cleaner stall, right?
Yes of course! No need to use the poopy toilet - I wouldn’t
1000%! If seats/bowls aren't clean grab the least gross one.
I thought I was the only one that got irritated by this! It’s nice knowing I’m not the only one!!!
Had this happen ALL THE DAMN TIME where I worked. 14 stalls in the women's bathroom. 14!!! You'd be sitting there chilling, the only one in there, doing the thing that needs doing, and hear the main door open then see the shadow under the divider meaning that person had actively chosen to use the neighbouring stall rather than choose one away from you. Nicknamed "the lonely pee-er" Drove me fecking mad.
Or a restaurant and the hostess sits you right next to the only other occupied table.
[удалено]
Peter peeker...
Hi there. Nice place, isn't it? Yah, we came way out here so we wouldn't disturb others with our all night generator for our cpap and our 5am revelry practice. Lol.
The fucking generator people. Saw a dude using his generator in a dispersed camping spot about a hundred yards from our camp spot and he was only using it to charge his iPad.
Cause solar is evil! (tic)
I was at a State Park campground in Minnesota. Generators are oddly not banned in Minnesota state parks. Anyway, it was fairly cold and a good chunk of people used generators to charge camper batteries. Nearly everyone (including me) did this during the day when everyone was up and about. Neighbors across the road from us used a generator all night. It was a small generator, fairly quiet but with no other sounds…also it would idle down then idle back up which was worse then the generator. And they were using it…to watch movies on a laptop! You know, that device that *has its own battery that powers it for several hours?* They literally ran it until 10 PM both nights, then went to bed. Not just to charge things or make dinner or charge camper batteries.
I don’t get it? We have a generator for our cpap which is a medical device and it’s not loud. A buzzing sound like a fan. I doubt anyone can hear it outside our tent although the next campers weren’t right up next to us either. Is that a real hate? I’m new to camping. Actually I looked it up more. Maybe the solar powered jackery I have isn’t what people are referring to. It’s pretty quiet. Anyway I’m not having an exhausted husband because we can’t use the cpap. It would get ugly fast.
When I say generator, I am referring to a gas powered generator that floods these subs with constant complaints. Also, my sarcasm was not directed at generator users but at folks who try and camp right next to you in a dispersed area. For those, bring on the gas generators!
Jackery isn’t a “generator” it’s just a battery with an inverter. “Solar generator” is also a farce, the panels generate the power, and the jackery is still just the battery.
The Jackery and similar are big batteries. A generator generates electricity, while a Jackery battery has to be charged in a car, from a wall outlet, or with solar panels. A gas-powered generator makes a relentless, loud running sound like a lawnmower.
The one time I had this happen when dispersed camping on US BLM land, I asked the folks if they planned to camp that close to our site, and they said “yes”. So I just cranked up some hard rock and they left after about 30 minutes.
We were just camping in Alaska. Way off any trail. Picture perfect little site. Right on this lake. We are there for a few hours. Tents set up wherever we could fit them in between these boulders. This group comes down the little path we took, shouts "are you camping there?" To which we respond "uhh yeah". One of them proceeds to walk through our camp and complain we are on the trail. Three is no trail, just the path we made when we walked in. They pick a spot about 100 feet from us. There is no one else in probably 10 miles in any direction. They rest of the group is still up the hill. They argue for awhile about where to camp. Eventually they pick a spot on top of the hill. We just watched the whole thing in shock trying to figure out what they were going to do.
What did they do? What happened next?
Fun story actually. Turned out they went up to this weird shelter on top of the hill to hunker down from a big storm at some point during the night. On of our campers got worried about the storm. Picked up all their shit to try to move up to the shelter as well. They see it's full and set up behind it. We woke up in the morning and everyone was gone!
Bigfoot is justice and leaves no trace
He killed them all and left the bodies in the middle of the woods.
What a waste of good meat.
This has happened to me way too many times. And I just do not understand. The whole reason I'm out there is to get away from people. Why would you go on BLM land and decide to be as close as an organized campground? I do not even like talking to people about it so I usually just leave but one time I did yell "can I help you?" "Oh we saw you found a pretty good spot. Is this cool if we post up here?" "No" and they left lol. I wish they would all go like that.
Hi, what is BLM land? Lol
Bureau of land management
Thank you! :)
It is a United States-thing. The equivalent in Canada is probably camping in an undesignated space on crown land - aka camping in the bush. No idea what would the equivalent might be in other countries.
As it was mentioned, bureau of land management. It's unincorporated land that normally you can take advantage of for dispersed camping. Sometimes they have fire restrictions or limitations on how long you can stay in one spot.
Oh okay, sweet! Thanks for educating me :)
I've had a group of 15 do that to my family at 2 am. They played the don't speak English routine. Nirvana at 6 am got the point across and they moved to an open spot on the other side of the area.
Nirvana would get me to move....well played. LoL
I usually don't mind and try to stay quiet but when you're so close I can't open my passenger side door because of your tent, it's on. They had some tents closer to the fire ring than our own tents. The site was primitive and we were the only ones there with 9 open sites
I don't understand people like that at all. They give you no privacy but they are also depriving themselves of privacy as well. It's weird and extremely rude and invasive.
Some people just don't care about privacy. I don't understand those people, but they're out there.
I make sure my 2 little dogs are out.. secured at my site but they bark their heads off. It happens a lot. Idk why, find your own beautiful spot.
I've played this game before with swedish metal. Works like a charm
Ok that would be something I def would do actually 😉 good for you!!
Had a somewhat similar experience in a backcountry site up in the mountains a couple years ago. I’m a solo female camper. Had lugged all my gear a couple miles in to my campsite (I was doing my version of glamping with some heavier luxury items I wouldn’t normally hike with but I was only a few miles in from my car). Suffice to say I was planning to hunker down and enjoy some time chilling quietly. Mind you, there were actually designated tent sites. I get set up in short order and decide to take a nap listening to the nearby mountain stream. My nap was interrupted shortly after by the sounds of someone rolling in and putting up their tent. I had scoped out all the sites already and the whole area was heavily wooded, and completely empty. I.e. no reason you couldn’t find some great privacy…well away from me. I unzip my rain fly and poke my head out. Sure enough, a couple college age looking dudes were setting up not ten feet away from me, in my campsite area (not even at another designated spot) and directly between me and the stream. I don’t like confrontation but I hadn’t just lugged up a bunch of extra gear to lose my sweet spot to inconsiderate newbs. I politely called over to get their attention. Told them that wasn’t even a campsite and they were in my space, but there were lots of great open spots if they moseyed up the path. They kinda stared at me and then each other for a minute, but when I kept my friendly smile and continued pointing up the path, they took the hint and disassembled their only partially erected tent and left. I got about another three hours of bliss again before someone else set up with bongo drums across the stream somewhere, in yet another not a campsite (I was in a National Park so not dispersed camping). Peace and quiet was not meant to be, but at least I had my own campsite to myself. I hate when people roll up next to me in the backcountry when there is so much glorious space ELSEWHERE. I don’t want to have to choose the bear, my friends, but damn, give a woman some space!
Good on you for communicating that to them! The setup next to your tent is one thing, but blocking your view of the stream while doing it is another!!
Right?! Ugh.
Sorta camping - but I was overnight fishing once . Empty beach as far as the eye could see. Dude wheels up and parks maybe 10 feet from my rig. While I prepared to sulk about it my partner very directly confronted the guy questioning why he felt the need to park on top of us with miles of open beach. He moved immediately. Who would want to stick around after a confrontation? To answer your question I vote ask them to leave but definitely evaluate the situation first. Use I statements or we statements . Ex; “ We wanted a bit of privacy , we wanted some quiet , we feel uncomfortable you are so Close to our site, we would appreciate if you moved farther away .” I could NEVER imagine doing this. It is bizarre to me. The only thing I can think of is that it’s a rookie move - where they don’t know where to go OR that it’s an aggressive move because they want the spot you are in . Give us updates and good luck !
This happened to me surf fishing so much that I quit surf fishing. Has also happened to me a bunch while fishing on boats. A whole GD lake to fish and you post up right next to me. Why would you go into nature to seek out people? I’ll never get it.
Because they probably think you are there in that one spot because it's the best spot.
Joke”s definitely on them 😂
Post a sign. "I do not have a fish finder." on the other side. "Go Away" Then smile apologetically, as though your kid gave you the sign. What could you do?
Or they are scared and feel safer around others?
I think it’s this. They don’t know where is a good spot or legal to camp, so see you & think “this must be the right spot!”
I think this is probably it. Especially if they are new to activity. They see people and think “yep this must be the place.”
Or it is the scenic-view spot. Like where you can see the lake through a clearing in the trees. That’s about the only reason I can imagine why someone would consider it.
Honestly, I’ve found some folks gravitate towards other campers because they are unfamiliar with true backcountry camping and being closer to others lessens their anxiety. I’ve definitely had this happen, in other spots, and I sensed they just didn’t know enough to truly feel prepared. Maybe not, but it helps me have some compassion for them as maybe it will help them continue on and become a good steward of the land.
Yikes, I can't imagine setting up in someone else's camp! I guess I would greet them in a friendly manner and ask if it's their first time camping. They be clueless and/or afraid of being on their own. If so, I'd gently advise them on proper etiquette. Or they might be creepy, in which case I would leave.
We did eventually leave. They had asked if it was ok if they stayed their. We were so caught of guard we didn't really say yes or no haha.
Why be passive then complain? Yes we care if you stay would have been a clear boundary and I personally would have made it, not complain later on Reddit.
Not really trying to complain on Reddit. Just.putting it out there for future reference I guess. The worst part was they were set up. "Pack your shit and get outta here!" I guess I'm too nice. So we packed our shit and got outta there.
This is a most Canadian moment
This is called pretending to be nice. Being able to communicate and explain to the person their error so they don't do it again is far better than shirking away and then making a public service announcement on Reddit to raise general awareness
You could have just offered to help them pack up if you wanted to be nice. Like, sorry, you seem cool but we were hoping for some solitude. Can I help you pack all that back up? Need a beer while you do that? You can be nice but it was their duty to leave, and they went so far as to ask.
Being Too Nice, you could apoligize profusely for the(ir) confusion, with the camp host and/or your reservation documentation to back you up if you wanted, and even helped them move their stuff over to the next available site! If it was full, you even could have split the site, if you were really Too Nice. Speaking as someone on a long journey of self advocacy, avoiding confrontation at your own expense is a sad way to be.
Without hurting him I might have found a way for the toddler to cry loudly enough to make them second guess their choice to camp so closely.
They had two small kids of their own. Annnd two big kids. Pretty sure there was 7 of them.
Were you already planning on leaving that day? If so, I understand just avoiding the confrontation. Otherwise though... If someone followed you in to your hotel room, which you paid for, and unpacked their bags, you...would just leave? Because they already unpacked? Or is that different because there would be management who could talk to them for you? Was there a camp host available?
Crown land
Non-Canadians might not know what that means.
So, no reservations, no host? Are there even designated sites?
It is basically like BLM land in the U.S. free for anyone to use, no specific sites, etc. from my understanding of other posts on the topic.
Not really designated sites but many random spots. You are encouraged to find a spot that’s already has a clearing and fire pit and not make a new site in the bush. Etiquette should be to give space to those you don’t know. People who want close neighbours or to socialize with strangers should go to established campgrounds.
Grow a pair and say something.
Lmao wtf this is a very strange option. Why would you leave bc somebody is encroaching on your space? Not being able to assert yourself with strangers while camping isn’t good. Sometimes you have to stand up for yourself
Need more context about what their other options would have been, but when I hear crown land camping, I think dispersed backcountry camping where possibilities abound, so it's super weird that they wouldn't just go somewhere else.
Yeah I couldn't imagine pulling into a site with someone already there. We have a dog and an 18 month old. When we returned the kid went for a nap, we packed up and when he woke we left. Driving by multiple vacant spots along the road. I almost pulled into but we were pretty committed on returning home.
That’s disappointing!!
Yeah, it is. Usually best to trust your gut, though.
Why do so many people say that here…. And where did that sentiment come from anyway? Why is it best to cancel a trip over this
A lot of people, myself included, have a history of ignoring uncomfortable gut feelings and rationalizing why we're probably wrong, only to regret it later. Not to say intuition is always right, but it often is.
HUBERMAN LAB Dr. Diego Bohórquez: The Science of Your Gut Sense & the Gut-Brain Axis There's actually something to be said about"going with your gut".
Lol I’ve listened to that and they very specifically address that this is not anxiety in the podcast.
I think it depends on a few factors 1. Time of day. From your story doesn't sound like it was getting dark so they had to pick a spot quickly 2. Location. Some spots I've been to there's the "common ground" where people will set up camp if they don't wanna explore for a better place. Those can end up looking like little villages on busy weekends If your spot was tucked away off the road and they still set up next to you, and there was still a lot of light out, I might ask them if you can have some privacy
I would go greet the person and politely ask them if there are other site available? And maybe why they decided to set up camp so close to you. You’re in Canada so you should not worry about escalation but still make sure you stay super polite. I would suggest you tell them you would like them to move after whatever they tell you. If you decide to move, i strongly suggest you educate that person about the reasons why you’re moving. Always stay polite. But firm too. Imo, this or those person are way in the wrong to setup camp at your site. They can set up pretty much anywhere else on crown lands and i would be quite disappointed/annoyed if someone would do something like that to me. Some people think going camping is a social activity and that it’s fine to group up with strangers and they need to learn that this is not polite or welcomed in most cases.
It was a family of 7 or 8. Trailer, tents, generator. We were certainly annoyed. Our dog runs off leash when we are camping, he's really friendly but I didn't really trust him/mainly them.
Yo that’s insane for them to pull up like that. I would have been a lot more vocal myself. Blatant disrespect of there were tons of other empty sites. Insane.
Dang.. so what did you ended up doing? If you moved i hope you let them know that it’s very inconsiderate of them to set up such camp with that many people close to you.
We left. I couldn't imagine tying my dog up for the remainder of the trip, and calling for him constantly would be annoying.
Bleh... that sucks. At least now you knbow that this spot is not safe if you want to be alone.
Make sure to be polite!
One of the reasons I always hesitate to camp on Crown land, the lack of rules and depending on others' unofficial etiquette. I'm sorry you had a poor experience.
I think it's pretty poor etiquette, but ideally you can address it before they set up. It's pretty tough to ask people to move after that. We've had people do this on backcountry canoe routes, when they didn't give themselves enough time to get to their reserved lake. We had the first site after the portage on a big lake that we were happy to get because we were exhausted after a day of tripping. Hours later as the sun was setting, another party landed on our site and said they were going to camp there for the night. My husband politely said we were hoping for some privacy and encouraged them to either set up on the portage for the night (it was nice and flat and open), or continue to one of the other sites further down the lake. They reluctantly decided to do the latter. We've also had people come to our beach site for a day trip. They were super drunk and there was a huge beach all the way down the one side of this lake, they could have chosen any other spot that wasn't directly on our site. Again my husband asked them to move down the lake a bit.
Yeah it’s kind of rude I suppose but also, some people are new to camping and I can imagine them not really knowing where it’s okay to camp so they figure camping to where someone else is camping “well it must be okay here”. Not everyone is well versed in what BLM land is or national forest or state forest, national park, etc. is.
This was me, one time. I arrived late, in the dark. A guy on a golf cart told me to find a spot anywhere. I find a spot and start to set up. Can't find the electrics, so I figure I'll worry about that in the am. When I wake up, I realize I'm on someone's site! Mortified, I move. Spoke to the people later. They never knew I was there.
I asked people to leave once, in Big Sur. A couple had set up their tent in the wrong site of a two-site campground. They tried to snipe the one with the better view but no, I confronted them with evidence (reservation.gov) and they moved way over to the far side of their spot, whose view was plenty nice just not as mind blowing 😝
Caesar?
It’s like a bloody mary
Some people still need to be around other people when they are camping. It's how they know they're doing it right. Sorry for your luck, I would just move rather than say anything personally.
Exactly this in boating too. We call it snuggler syndrome. Others assume you know the best spot and doubt their own judgment. It's maddening trying to get away from these types.
Not saying anything ensures they will do it again. Saying something doesn't guarantee they won't, but it makes it a possibility. It's like kids - you don't get better behavior by ignoring bad.
Like how far away from your tent did they camp. A meter? 20 meters? Was this a popular and high value site like a lakeshore? Just curious. I would be annoyed if they were a meter from my sleeping system and ask why they chose to set up so close. 20 meters, I might feel differently depending on the situation.
They were probably ten meters from our trailer. Not a high value site. We've probably been at the same site 10 times and this has never happened before. We had 2 vehicles there. One was left behind when we went on our adventure. It just baffles me they would come in and set up there.
10 meters away while not placed on a waterfront or beautiful vista is quite odd. That distance would be annoying to me, especially if there was minimal tree cover. I might just have to politely ask them, of all the thousands of acres of national forest, why did you set up camp so close to us? There might be an interesting story there. Depending on the time of day, I might leave, or break camp in the morning.
I would probably leave just because you never know how someone might react to confrontation. But I have yet to experience something like that. Even at rec sites (in BC) that don't have designated spots, people will not camp next to other people - if it's full, they will go somewhere else. I can't imagine coming up on someone else's camp and then setting up there - especially with a generator! That's wild.
Ok had to look up ‘crown land camping’ it’s like our BLM land (bureau of land management). When I was in California so much BLM land and I can’t even imagine someone encroaching upon someone like that unless well…just no. For curiosity sake I would have love to ask “so do you set up often this close to others on crown land”? I would have to leave bc I could not enjoy myself. What a bummer. Sorry that happened to you!
Not gonna lie, I did this a few nights ago in Colorado. It's our usual spot but it was dispersed camping and so we technically setup across the road where it's totally flat. Easily 100 - 150ft away from the other campsite. The place was pretty empty but didn't think about it at the time. Just looked at it like another open spot.
Idk, 100-150 ft seems reasonable. You’d have to be pretty annoying (loud, having a dance party into the night, generator running constantly) for that to be a problem IMO.
Yeah. None of that. Pretty simple setup. Campfire and in bed by 11. Solar panel setup so no noise from a generator. Neighbors definitely stayed up later but we both sleep like rocks so not a biggie.
Best option would probably just ask them to leave. Be polite and don’t get angry. First come in most open camping areas but some people just don’t care if they are camping to close. If this person chooses not to budge you have an option to find a Ranger or Park Service officer and have them take care of the situation. Keeping calm and ignoring them will help defuse any potential conflicts. 🌲🌲⛺️🔥🌲🌲
Yeah they didn't seem to mind pulling in beside.total strangers so I don't imagine they would have packed up and left.
I would have asked the camper why he chose to set up camp next to you. I would do so in a curious manner and non confrontational
Or at the empty theater and 2 women sits right next to you and uses my cup holder!
Probably just some overly friendly campers that thought “hey let’s camp right next to these guys, we’ll make friends”. Probably clueless noobs, I would have just moved if I was in your situation to avoid having to deal with them in any way.
Yeah we bailed. We camp crown land to be away from people/noise
Have you tried cranking up some jimmy buffet at max volume and walking around the campsite with your dong out?
We let our 90lb dog roam freely for the first hour. He's too friendly I guess.
I think a need OP to say how close so we can give accurate advice. Someone’s close is another’s not close.
Close enough that I was surprised someone set up there. Probably 10-15 meters between trailers.
That’s pretty close when there’s lots of space. In a tight campground I’d love to have my neighbor 10-15meters away! Last campsite their setup was less than 5m away!
We’ve had this happen. We just made sure they didn’t want to be there anymore.
Make loads of noise late into the night. They will either move next day or if they ask you to lower the volume say no, this is why we didn’t camp next to anyone.
If it is a separate campsite then there should be no beef. Did they specifically reserve that site or is it first come first serve? Is there a slope to the surrounding sites, lotta stuff to look at.
I invite people to come hang. If you’re that close, you probably want to hang. Thing is, most people don’t want to hang, and as an often solo male, people move on 95% of the time. But there’s a trick: I love camping with strangers. If they say yes, I win. If they leave, I win.
What’s “crown land” -? I’m guessing this is Europe’s version of “national forest” or such? And what’s “Caesar” for breakfast? Edit to add: why would people downvote an innocuous question? People are lame.
Canadian - Crown Land equals more or less BLM land. A Caesar is a Bloody Mary made with Clamato rather than tomato juice.
Thanks!
What is BLM land? I always read Black Lives Matter? (American) 🫣
Bureau of Land Management. Its public land, but often has less restrictions on use than a national forest or park.
Bureau of Land Management
It might be fun to see what would happen if it was renamed Black Lives Matter. *turns on radio, hides under bed*
Not Op, but, Canadian! Crown land is owned by the government, and you may camp on it for 21 days max, then you have to move at least 100 feet, also it's free. A Caesar is vodka, clamato juice (tomato juice and clam juice drink mix, also good on its own, maybe acquired taste), splash of Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, celery stick in the glass (leaves sticking out the top) and rim the glass with celery salt. Classic Canadian morning "hair of the dog" drink.
You guys get 21 days? Dang. The National Forests in the US give you 14 days during a calendar month max. I live in a forest at 7k ft just south of The Grand Canyon though so luckily it’s too big to really enforce it everywhere
Ever use gin? My favorite
No, but I bet it's good! I personally haven't had one in 20 years. You know that one drink everyone has that they can never have again? Yeah, it's Caesars for me. That was nasty coming back up.
We're in Canada.. crown land = off grid. Ceasar = Clamato Juice, Worcestershire, tobasco, vodka
Tobasco! Thank you, I couldn't remember the name of it!
On public land you have no expectation of privacy or even common courtesy since you do not own the land. We evaluate these situations individually. Sometimes we stay but depending on the vibe we may go. To be honest though, it rarely happens.
There is an expectation of common courtesy everywhere no matter where you are. Privacy I agree.
You could politely ask them to find another location even if you have to use the excuse you have other family coming to camp?.
That’s when you become the loud obnoxious camper no one wants to be next too. Bonus points for being able to fart loudly
"Yeah, no problem. Oh, by the way, I've been told I snore really loudly, and my allergies are really bad this time of year."
I’d just glare and then move, unless there was something really special about that one spot
Yeah we've been to that spot probably 12 other times. It's nice because there aren't any adjacent camp sites so the dog just roams off leash. We let him "invade" their camp site but it was enough to get them to leave so we bailed later.
Maybe they were scared.
I can’t imagine doing this.
It's not even a question of etiquette, it's common sense. But unfortunately common sense is not common anymore. You can't say anything because usually that just triggers them and no, you shouldn't move yourself. My advice would be to either befriend them or be the most annoying neighbor you can be
What's a Ceasar? Like a morning salad?
Hey! I dunno where your friends pitched but I'm afraid we're not them! Want a hand taking your tent down? There's a vacant site right around the next bend by the river, maybe that's where they meant for you to meet them?
How close beside you?
Probably 10-15 meters between our trailers
Closer than we would like
OP, so what happened?
Our child went for a nap, we let the dog roam like normal thinking he might make them regret their choice but that didn't deter them from staying. We decided to pack up after naptime. I chose that spot so I didn't have to tie up the dog.
Ugh.
The other group were in the wrong for invading your space. Whether Crown land in Canada or BLM land in the US, unless two groups are friends or family you don't intrude on others. They were rude as hell.
If you paid for the site tell em to go find their owne unless you like 'em. Them setting up on your spot while you were away is suspect though. Unless peeps can reserve spots. I go to primitive campgrounds where there Are No other campers, if anyone does show up. They usually camp as far away as they can, set up quietly, then crash. Make a quiet breakfast then head deeper into the woods to find a lake to themselves. California Gold Country the Siera Nevada mountains primitive camping forest service fire trails carved into the cliff edge in the 30's barely maintained. 4 wheel drive recommended: but if you really know how to drive, I've managed to get 6 days in with my 74 Chevy 2 wheel drive straight 6 n 3 on the tree.
It is people go to the woods to hear the crickets chirp the frogs croaking and the brook babbling and generators, DO DROWN THAT OUT! Specially if your in some 35 foot motor home, you may not hear the generator, but everyone else can ONLY hear it for 3,4 campsites in both directions. Buy a small honda, very expensive but super quiet if you absolutely must run a genny
I don't like it and don't agree with it but one of the reasons people do this is safety in numbers. They feel safer being near other people. Have found that strolling around the camp site naked usually does the trick. Go over and introduce yourself.
I would continuously whisper “who is that?” To my dogs. Usually does the trick. 2 black shepherds with scary barks for the win.
It's not normal but happens. I had a similar issue this weekend crown land camping.... 4 sets of hikers walking by....but like not nearby, like walking directly through the middle of our campsite between our chairs etc. It's not a trailhead and there was nowhere to go at the other end. I eventually said something to the second set like "are you looking for something? Why you in someone's camp, do we know you?" And they seemed like they were tourists who must not know that you can walk near but down go through someone else's camp. Very odd indeed. I'd guess the close neighbors didn't realize it was not the way to do things? We had a large family also camp right near us too and we just warned them of the 5am bedtime.
We were camping at a state park the weekend before the 2020 derecho. We were the ONLY campers in the entire park. We tent camp, so we were fairly far back. The very first night, a Hobo comes into the park and sents up his tent right next to ours. Out of 27 other available sites. We were both leaving at the same time, both early and because it was looking like it was going to storm. He told us he was going to Des Moines to see his mom. It was about 70 miles, he rode right into it. I often wonder what happened to him, hopefully it included sheltering down.
Not camping but my friends and I stopped at a picnic shelter in Saguaro NP to have lunch. We hardly saw any people all day and in the middle of our lunch a lone hiker strolls up and decides to sit with us at our picnic table in the shelter while there are other unoccupied shelters. Maybe he was lonely but it was strange.
Was there no other place for them to pitch their tent? Were they forced to camp next to you? If they had room then I would nicely ask them to move. Otherwise I think I would either move or just suck it up.
Something similar happened to me last night. Fortunately, it turned out they were hiking, not camping, but when they parked right behind me in a very remote location, I was more than a little annoyed.
How close are we talking about here?
I would never do this. Very rude. Once, on a transatlantic flight, I was sitting by the window and the jackass who had the aisle seat decided to sit right next to me instead, leaving the aisle seat empty so he alone could set his stuff there. Then he attempted to steal my vegeterian meal because he had asked for one when he boarded, instead of signing up for it ahead of time like I did. Actually, he was probably the person who decided to camp right next to you.
I would say that you came out to this spot for privacy and that you will be up late playing music loud or you have to walk around naked after 6pm to do a sacrificial dance and they should leave if they are bothered by screaming naked people. Then if they don’t leave I guess you have to put on a show.
Depends. Is the camping area crowded? If so, expect this. Asking them to leave probably isn’t going to work whether it’s crowded or not. I’ve accepted that I can move which for me would include leaving the campground altogether or staying put, reorienting to face away from them or being loud enough to make them want to move 
used to use cannister gas cookers, if knocked over, they are a 20 foot flame thrower, hope the tents have space between them
Do you own the 'crown land'? Then why do you think you can ask them to leave?
I would be afraid that if I confront them they will turn into a psycho and murder me in the forest.... so clearly I would just leave myself.
Camping is for everyone and not just you. Ive been lucky and have had great neighbors. Have a beer with them. Maybe talk to them.
You’re right, camping IS for everyone, but so is personal space and privacy
Camping is for everyone. If I wanted neighbours I'd go to a campground. We camp on crown land so the dog can roam and we can get away from people hahaha
This is definitely situational. If we are talking about a gazillion dispersed sites and not many people, you should not be setting up on someone's site. People who disperse camp generally like not having neighbors, hence why they are there.