1. Campfires
The most important piece of a campsite that should be cleaned promptly is your campfire. Ensuring that the fire is completely extinguished is essential to preserving nature. Also, what tends to be a common habit of less considerate campers is throwing all the rubbish into the fire to disintegrate. Unfortunately, another common problem is that people throw their beer cans and other unwanted items into the pit and leave it for the next group of campers to clean up. When reserving a campsite, someone can be held accountable for this kind of thing, so please be courteous to others. There should be nothing but ash and burnt firewood in your pit when you are finished.
2. Attracting Wildlife
Cleaning up your food and dishes is extremely important in conserving the environment and protecting your group from harm. Leaving food waste or anything with a strong odor will definitely attract wildlife to your campsite. The best thing to do with your rubbish is to throw it out at provided dump stations every night before you and your group go to bed. This will protect your group from unwanted bears, coyotes, and other threatening wildlife. Please remember to also separate your recycling from your garbage as well.
3. Consideration
Can you imagine driving 4 hours with your friends to the campsite you have all been talking about for the past two weeks, only to find that the campers prior to your group just ran away from their mess? A feeling of anger, disappointment, and resentment will brew. The good old saying of “treat others how you want to be treated” could not be more true. Be considerate when camping and please properly dispose of your trash. The world needs good examples for other people to follow, just because another group may have left their mess, it does not mean we should stoop down to their level. Be considerate and the good karma will flow your way.
4. Hygiene
Can you imagine living three days at home, throwing your plates, cutlery, and food waste on the ground when you are done with them? Can you imagine how vile and stinky your house will become? Garbage is a natural attractant of insects and wildlife. Maintaining good hygiene means promoting good health through cleanliness. With a lava pit of garbage and rotten food, maintaining clean is near impossible. Even when after a shower, walking back to a filthy campsite will do your hygiene no good. So, clean up promptly after you are done cooking/eating and wash your hands. The last thing you would want is to get sick from bacteria.
5. It Isn’t Worth the Consequences
Running away from any problem has proven to be not the most ideal option. Similarly, when reserving a campsite, we purchase a campsite permit that has an associated damage deposit. In some cases, the campsites will have a clean up fee and also a fine from the Conservation Authorities. This in turn, will cost up to $300.00. Oh, and also you may be banned from numerous campsites after even just one offence. We all know that littering is not right, and essentially leaving all your trash at a campsite is an extreme form of littering. Rather than making enemies with the local authorities and other campers, just clean up prior to departure.