National Park Rangers Are Tired of Seeing Campers Make These Mistakes
National Park Rangers Are Tired of Seeing Campers Make These Mistakes
anatoliy_gleb/iStock
https://www.fodors.com/news/photos/national-park-rangers-are-tired-of-seeing-campers-make-these-mistakes
Here's how to avoid being *that* camper.
Ah, camping and the great outdoors. The sense of accomplishment that comes with putting up a tent, the gooey sweetness of a roasted marshmallow on your tongue (and in your hair and possibly up your nostrils), and the stillness that settles in when you realize you’ve planned a trip that feels like a true escape.
But like anything else, there’s a right way and a wrong way to camp. I’m not talking about the eternal debate over whether it “counts” if you’re sleeping in a cabin, an RV, or a bougie treehouse instead of on the cold, hard ground. I’m talking about avoidable mistakes that can turn a promising getaway into the trip that must never be mentioned again: campsite feuds or discovering too late that no one packed the flashlight.
PHOTO: Drazen Zigic/iStock
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If You’re a Camping Newbie, Park Rangers Can Probably Tell
Brandon Lopes-Baca, superintendent of the Guadalupe River State Park/Honey Creek State Natural Area Complex, says new campers usually identify themselves quickly. “They’ll ask questions and be honest and transparent about, ‘I’ve never done this before.’ Folks are very honest, and that’s a good thing.”
He also sees first-timers arrive with gear that doesn’t match their reservation. “Sometimes we’ll see newer campers show up with a 40-foot-long trailer where it’s clear they haven’t done their research, especially when they’ve rented a space that won’t fit that trailer.”
Jenny Blackmon, LCRA Parks Manager, recommends that first-time campers start small and simply. “Start with a short trip and only pack the essentials.” She also recommends that newbie campers skip intricate meals, choose a less remote campsite, and not wait too late in the day to set up camp.
PHOTO: NicoleTaklaPhotography/Shutterstock
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If Not Friend, Why Friend Shaped? Don’t Pet Wildlife
If you think trying to pet a wild animal is a good idea, maybe cool it with the Disney cartoons. Even if an animal doesn’t seem wild or brings cuddly vibes, resist the urge to pet, feed, or go in for the selfie. Amelia Gallina, park ranger at Grandfather Mountain State Park in Boone, North Carolina, reminds us to keep at least 75 feet away from wildlife, and even further for predators or larger animals like bears and bison.
“We also ask that you don’t feed the wildlife,” says Gallina, warning that wild animals shouldn’t become too comfortable with humans or rely on them as a food source. “Human food also isn’t part of their normal diet and can ultimately harm the health of the animals.”
Don’t lose situational awareness when snapping pictures of wildlife. Todd Walton with Yellowstone National Park Lodges says mishaps caused by people laser-focused on getting the perfect picture are more common than you think. “I’ve seen people blindly walk into the road and nearly get hit by a car, or try to walk on a thermal feature to get a photo.”
PHOTO: BT IMAGES/SHUTTERSTOCK
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Poor Campground Etiquette
Unless you’re backcountry camping, what happens at your campground is seen and heard by neighboring campsites.
Lopes-Baca says being considerate is a big part of campground etiquette. “The quiet hours are important, but be considerate outside of designated quiet hours, too. Just because it’s two in the afternoon doesn’t mean you should blast your music.”
Other examples of bad campground etiquette include taking a shortcut through someone else’s campsite, using floodlights so bright your neighbors might assume an alien abduction is underway three sites over, or not properly supervising kids and pets. If you can’t solve disputes on your own, that’s what park rangers and hosts are there for.
PHOTO: AMELIA MARTIN/SHUTTERSTOCK
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Bear Boxes and Why Food Storage Matters
A bear box is a sturdy, animal-resistant metal storage locker at campsites where campers keep food, toiletries, and other scented items so bears and other wildlife can’t get to them.
“Make sure you keep food secure!” Walton tells Fodor’s. “If bear boxes are at your site, use them.” He also warns campers to keep cooking equipment secure. It doesn’t do much good to lock up your food if your bacon grease-coated pan is hanging out at the campsite, saying, “Hey critters, here I am!”
Gallina cautions against using your car as a food storage spot in campgrounds where bears are present. “Bears can smell food in cars,” she explains. “And they’ve been known to get into the cars to get food out of them.”
In areas without bears, unsecured food can still attract smaller wildlife like raccoons, rodents, and birds. Lopes-Baca recommends coolers with an exterior lock.
PHOTO: BELLA BENDER/SHUTTERSTOCK
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Weather and Terrain Are Humbling. Don’t Be Underprepared
Although you can camp in all types of weather, spending extended time outdoors during severe weather warrants extra preparation and planning, such as knowing what to do if there’s a flash flood or a storm that requires evacuation.
If you plan to hike in areas with significant elevation changes, be mindful of how temperatures can shift. Gallina says this is one of the most common and serious mistakes she sees at Grandfather Mountain. “Many people don’t realize that the top of the mountain can be 10-20 degrees colder than where they came from.”
She also notes that improper clothing can quickly become dangerous. “Dressing properly and wearing the proper footwear can be the difference between you hiking out and you getting carried out.”
PHOTO: ANATOLIY_GLEB/ISTOCK
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Unrealistic Expectations About Campground Amenities
Whether it’s your first or 101st camping trip, expectation management matters. Do your homework. Established campgrounds and parks have websites with detailed information about campsites and other facilities. If access to indoor plumbing and cell service is nonnegotiable, make sure you’re not assuming they’re available.
Gallina points out that many campgrounds are understaffed, which often leads to closures of amenities. She also says people go camping to get outside and be one with nature. “Indoor plumbing isn’t included in most nature experiences.”
Cabin camping or glamping might be a better fit for someone who wants more creature comforts while still enjoying the outdoors. That said, parks aren’t boutique hotels. You’ll have a better time if you’re not surprised by your rustic bathroom or a bring-your-own-bedding situation in campground lodging.
PHOTO: BONDART/ISTOCK
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Overpacking or Packing the Wrong Gear
Sometimes camping mistakes look like bringing plenty of gear, just not the gear you’ll actually need. While there are certain things you absolutely don’t want to forget, like flashlight batteries and fire starters, resist the urge to pack without a plan.
Blackmon says overpacking is one of the most common mistakes she sees. “The more organized you can be with your plans, such as meals and activities, the better prepared you will be to only bring the essentials.”
She recommends focusing on practical gear instead of random “just in case” items. “Some people bring one flashlight for the trip, but that’s often not enough. I recommend also having a lantern to set on surfaces and a headlamp for cooking or other tasks that require both hands.”
PHOTO: VERA_PETRUNINA/ISTOCK
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Not Checking Weather Reports and Burn Bans
Checking weather reports before your trip helps you prepare for changing conditions that can affect safety and comfort. Blackmon says failing to check conditions in advance can impact all aspects of planning, especially cooking.
“Fire safety is always a top concern here in Texas. Visitors should always check the burn ban status at the park where they are camping,” she tells Fodor’s.
And never assume. A burn ban usually means no campfires, but may also include restrictions on propane stoves, grills, or smoking.
PHOTO: WILLARD/ISTOCK
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What Experienced Campers Already Know
The common thread across all of these conversations is preparation and consideration. Most campground rules aren’t there to ruin anyone’s fun. They’re there to protect wildlife, prevent accidents, and help everyone share the space a little more peacefully.
The good news is that most common camping mistakes are avoidable. Check the rules before you go, pack with intention, and be mindful of the people and environment around you so your trip is one you actually want to repeat. You want to come home with memories and funny stories, not something that goes down in history as the “most awful idea that ever was.”
PHOTO: NAILOTL/SHUTTERSTOCK
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Rookie Camper Mistakes Rangers See All the Time
Dalton Crane, park manager of Lake Cascade State Park in Idaho, says many new camper mistakes happen before the trip starts. He says one frequent issue with RV and trailer campers is assuming the power hookup is broken when the solution is often simple: Check the breakers. “The previous campers will turn the power completely off when they leave, and that can cause confusion for the next person. The good news is that it’s an easy fix.”
Crane also sees plenty of first-timers arrive with enough gear to outfit a small village, joking that some campers seem to have “packed up their whole house to bring camping.” Another painful rookie move: buying a bargain tent for one trip, snapping the poles during setup, then tossing the whole thing in the dumpster. A broken tent pole doesn’t always warrant scrapping the whole tent. Replacement parts are usually easy to find, although the problem can be avoided by buying better gear in the first place.
Isolated Island With Just 35 Residents on Edge as Traveler Spurs Hantavirus Scare
Christopher Pegman
https://www.fodors.com/news/news/isolated-island-with-just-37-residents-on-edge-as-traveler-spurs-hantavirus-scare
An American traveler’s stopover has triggered hantavirus fears and strict precautions on one of the world’s most isolated islands, home to an estimated 35 to 47 residents.
Two Pacific island groups are on high alert after receiving information that a hantavirus contact case had transited recently.
Officials in French Polynesia were informed that an American citizen known to be a hantavirus contact case briefly stopped at Tahiti’s international airport on May 7. After a stopover at the Faa’a International Airport, the woman continued to Mangareva, in French Polynesia’s remote Gambier Island group, then continued her journey to Pitcairn Island.
A contact case denotes a patient who may have recently been in contact with a confirmed outbreak, but has not necessarily contracted the virus. The woman arrived in Tahiti on a flight from San Francisco, and other travelers on that flight were not considered close contact by health officials in Tahiti. The risk of transmission for other passengers on the flight is considered very low, and the World Health Organization (WHO) does not recommend testing for such individuals.
Out of caution, border officials in French Polynesia have decided not to allow the woman—who is currently isolating and monitoring for symptoms on Pitcairn—back into the country. It was not immediately clear whether the woman’s contact with hantavirus was related to the hantavirus outbreak on a Dutch cruise ship in the South Atlantic earlier this month.
It was also unclear whether the woman was a resident or visitor to Pitcairn Island. The Pitcairn Islands, a British Overseas Territory, are one of the most remote territories anywhere in the world, and the least populated. The island has an estimated population between 35 and 47, and no airport—it is only accessible by sea. Scheduled freighter service from Mangareva and New Zealand operates periodically.
Pitcairn was settled in 1790 by a party comprised of mutineers from the British naval vessel HMS Bounty and a group of Tahitians. Many of the island’s current residents are descendants of the original settlers. The island is governed by a local council and an elected mayor; the territory is administered by the British High Commission in New Zealand. The island has a doctor, but emergencies requiring hospitalization involve the 330-mile boat trip to Mangareva and an air ambulance flight to Tahiti.
Officials in Tahiti told the New Zealand news outlet RNZ that “French Polynesia and France are ready to support Pitcairn in the coming days, should the need arise.”
Three passengers on the Dutch ship MV Hondius have died since the outbreak began. Five other passengers on the ship have been confirmed to have been infected. French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu said Monday that one of five French nationals who had been repatriated to France from the ship’s evacuation point in Spain’s Canary Islands had developed symptoms.
The WHO notes that hantavirus infections have a high case fatality ratio of 40-50% among elderly patients or those with aggravating conditions, but that the virus has also demonstrated limited human-to-human transmission in previous outbreaks. WHO recommends that symptomatic individuals aboard the affected ship or flights should monitor for symptoms for 42 days following the last exposure.
The WHO considers high-risk exposures to be cabin mates, intimate partners, persons with prolonged close indoor exposure, and healthcare workers or others handling contaminated materials or bodily fluids without protective equipment.
5 things to know for May 14
Today's headlines: New Fed chair confirmed, but rate cuts could be on hold; Trump library hotel plan in Miami faces lawsuits; Caribbean, Latin America hotels could benefit from geopolitical strife; AIB Group gets €190 million refi package for Irish hotels; Budget airlines Allegiant, Sun Country complete merger
Kevin Warsh, nominee to chairman of the Federal Reserve, testifies during his Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee confirmation hearing on April 21. (Getty Images)
https://www.costar.com/article/1801978313/5-things-to-know-for-date?
1. New Fed chair confirmed, but rate cuts could be on hold
Kevin Warsh has been officially confirmed as the new chairman of the U.S. Federal Reserve, but conservatives close to President Donald Trump are indicating interest rate cuts might take longer than some hope to materialize, The Washington Post reports.
The news outlet notes Trump ally Stephen Bannon sees near-term rate cuts as "highly unlikely" due to persistent inflation.
“This makes it very difficult for Warsh,” Bannon said on his podcast of 3.8% inflation in April.
2. Trump library hotel plan in Miami faces lawsuit
The plan to develop Donald Trump's presidential library in Miami as a hotel project faces a lawsuit from nearby residents claiming the state violated the constitution, The New York Times reports.
The hotel portion of the project seems to be the point of contention, with the fact that a for-profit business would operate on the site potentially making it a violation of the Constitution's emoluments clause prohibiting gifts from states to the president, the lawsuit alleges.
“It has been clear from the start — and has only become clearer in recent months — that President Trump intends to monetize this land for immense personal financial gain,” Miriam Becker-Cohen, a senior appellate lawyer for the Constitutional Accountability Center, which filed the lawsuit on behalf of Miami residents.
3. Caribbean and Latin America hotels could benefit from geopolitical strife
The stars could be aligning for travel to the Caribbean and Latin America, with hoteliers active in the region seeing some signs that travelers could opt to go there amid conflict in the Middle East, CoStar News' Bryan Wroten reports.
“We all as an industry have an opportunity to convince people who have not thought about our region that we should be their main, leading destination for travel,” Juan Corvinos, president of Hotel Equities CALA, said at the recent Americas Lodging Investment Summit CALA conference. “That’s all of our challenges. … I can’t think about a better time for us than we rely on the North American market, both Canada and the U.S., and intra-country, to benefit from this surge in travel as fuel costs rise, as things are happening in the Middle East. It is the best time that I’ve ever seen in my career.”
4. AIB Group gets €190 million refi package for Irish hotels
AIB Group has announced the refinancing of a four-hotel portfolio in Ireland for €190 million ($222.3 million), CoStar News' Terence Baker reports.
The portfolio of MHL Hotel Collection properties includes the 191-room College Green Hotel and 262-room Trinity City Hotel in Dublin; 184-room Limerick Strand Hotel in Limerick, and 275-room Galmont Hotel & Spa in Galway.
5. Budget airlines Allegiant and Sun Country complete merger
ABC News reports American budget airlines Allegiant Air and Sun Country Airlines have merged, just on the heels of U.S. travelers losing major budget carrier Spirit Airlines.
The combined company now has roughly 195 aircraft traveling to nearly 175 cities with more than 650 routes, although the two will remain operating separately until Sun Country's operations can be absorbed into Allegiant over time.
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