Howdy, Neighbor

When it comes to the outdoor season, we’d all like a little isolation in some picturesque spot. But most forest service roads or campgrounds don’t work like that. The reality is, you probably will be in earshot of someone else, so keep them in mind and hopefully they will be doing the same for you. 

No one wants to hear their camping neighbors firing off a 21-gun .22-caliber salute at dawn, or a blaring boombox at 1 in the morning.

It might sound a little hypocritical: You’re going out into nature to have a fun time, after all, and that might mean a wagon train of five RVs parked in one helicopter pad-sized chunk of public land. A few beers later and out come the cornhole boards and Bluetooth speakers. 

But a short ways away might be a family who is taking their 8-year-old camping and fishing for the first time, an experience that’s challenging enough without the burden of engine revving and gunfire. 

Camping is different for everyone, and there’s nothing wrong with having a good old time with friends and family. But be mindful of the good times of other folks you might be spoiling with bad outdoor etiquette.

You Pack It In, You Pack It Out

If this seems like a no-brainer, it unfortunately isn’t. Every outdoor season, hundreds of Idaho campsites — both designated and dispersed — as well as roadways and beaches are left paying the price of irresponsible and selfish people. It’s one of the most inexcusable, infuriating acts someone who aligns themselves with the outdoor community can commit.