Filthy Wild Campers

The only solution for stupid campers is to make specialised adventure campsite venues where they will choose to go and be with other stupid youths. Such a venue would have earth closets, mechanised litter picking, and be generally uncomfortable so the stupid youths could feel they were unsupervised and could booze and drug as much as they liked.

Perhaps the government could actually do something useful for a change, and run as good a Keep Britain Tidy campaign as there was in the 1950s.

Please don't tar all wild campers with the same brush. Most of us don't leave rubbish or anything else. We follow a code of conduct which says that you shouldn't stay in the same place for more than 2 nights and, when you leave, there should be no sign that you've been there. That goes for both tent campers and motor homers.

On the other hand there are groups of youths in the nearby town who Meet up in the evenings and leave a dreadful mess! Which is depressing!

Yes, litter pickers in our village mostly wrong side of 60 too, but there is one family of four who always come and litter pick in one of the roads. Its not a pleasant job.

The younger generation are more aware of green issues but do not apply it to themselves; none ever turn up for the litter pick in our village, much of which is discarded sweet, crisp, fast food wrappings; average age of pickers:sixty-five.

When we were hiking in America (in the Grand Tetons) a few years ago, the local guide told us always to carry a trowel and some biodegradable loo paper with us in case we were taken short in the wilds. Anything solid should be buried she said and went off behind a bush with her trowel and hand sanitiser. Personally I preferred to wait till we got back to our hotel, but its different if you are camping I supose!!

www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8538411/Balmoral-rangers-slams-wild-campers-abandoned-tents-left-strewn-Queens-Scottish-estate.html

How do you begin to educate people who do this?

Good posts Maw & Callistemon seems like volunteers will end up doing these dirty jobs as usual.
People's mind set needs to change but I think its a forlorn hope. Quite a lot of the younger generation are becoming more and more conscious of 'green' issues so maybe things will change slowly.

MawB
Good post
We just do not have the resources available.

Suggesting the countryside is policed in a draconian fashion is going the wrong way about this.
Instead we should be teaching people to take their litter and belongings home with them and discourage this throwaway society.

It is the norm, of course, to leave behind tents and other equipment at music festivals where they are recycled or disposed of by staff. Perhaps it has become a habit for some.
"Someone else will clear it up" is a mantra these days in this country, one which needs to change.

GagaJo

I don't see why human poo is an issue. It breaks down.

Rubbish, yes, disgusting. Fires, also a risk so no.

Other than that, IMO it's fine.

Me neither. Out in the wild, of course, not near any footpaths, in sand dunes and certainly not near anyone's property - or even, as some have been doing recently, in their garden! It would be better to bury it out in the wild, of course, if possible.

Not all wild birds and animals are vegetarian either so should their faeces be cleared up too, SallyWally?
Dog or cat excrement is more dangerous as it can cause toxicariasis.

People should take their belongings and litter home of course.

I don't see why human poo is an issue. It breaks down.

Rubbish, yes, disgusting. Fires, also a risk so no.

Other than that, IMO it's fine.

Alexa

This new problem must be dealt with.
There must be policing in wild beauty spots by officers mounted on ponies or quad bikes, who are able to arrest any campers who lack a portable toilet of some acceptable sort, or are too far away from a public toilet with adequate capacity.

These officers should also be detailed to warn and advise any campers that the must take their rubbish home or be punished for not doing so. Officers should keep a registration book of wild campers they find , like hotels' registers.

Trained officers of that sort could be a great job for suitable persons at a time when the employment situation is in a state of change.

While I sympathise with your sentiments Alexa I am afraid I think you are whistling in the wind.
You say this “new problem ”must be dealt with
There must be policing in wild beauty spots
Campers who lack a portable toilet should be arrested
Officers should keep a “registration book” etc etc.

I agree that leaving litter, “going” behind a hedge or a tree and so on are examples of anti-social behaviour, but to expect our over stretched police resources to add this to their list is completely unrealistic.
I would rather see gun and knife crime prioritised.
I would rather see domestic violence prioritised
I would rather see burglary and theft (too often aggravated) prioritised
I think it is appalling that shoplifting for items under something like £200 is not even followed up
I think that dangerous driving is too often ignored because the police do not have the resources to stop every motorist who breaks the speed limit or is seen to be driving erratically
Car theft /joy riding (also called TDA) is rife in too many areas
Drugs circulate freely even in kids’ playgrounds and outside school gates with children as young as 10 recruited in “County lines” by drug dealers.

PCSO’s were an attempt to relieve police officers of some of the “lesser” offences and foster community/police relations. . A good concept but too often they are simply ignored because they do not have the powers of regular police officers.

So frankly if you will pardon the expression, I don’t think there is a snowball’s chance in hell of a force such as that which you envisage .
Of course people could always amend their own behaviour.

Alexa

As I implied there need be a training scheme for girls and boys who are to be found among young healthy job seekers.

Policing is a dangerous job, especially in remote rural areas.

merlotgran

Sounds like a dream job to me. Riding about in glorious countryside, scanning the horizon for the tell-tale sign of curling wisps of smoke from a BBQ.

Very Enid Blyton

I doubt there are enough police spare to deal with wild camping rubbish problems.There are so many places they camp it would be near impossible.

It's people who create these rubbish areas---nothing wrong with the places themselves.

My D has always said how dirty people are which is why she won't allow me to go any further than the safer distance that there is here at the local shopping area and not outside of it to the village, even though there's nothing much to tempt me there.

Since M&S pulled out a few years ago the place went down to rock bottom with charity shops and pound shops and a bloomin' McDonalds----enough said ! So sad to see what used to be a busy shopping village which was well kept reduced to a rubbish area.

MayBee70, you were right in saying a break-down of society.

As I implied there need be a training scheme for girls and boys who are to be found among young healthy job seekers.

Where are all these police officers to take on this task?

They aren't around for the fly-tippers, sheep rustlers, machinery thieves etc.

As septimia said, these wold campers are not like Scouts and Guides. Many of them leave their gas canisters, tents, camping chairs, duvets , food packages, and so forth which the land owner , farmer, National Trust, or council has to pay to remove. If the detritus is left where the campers left it it can kill wild and domestic animals.

I'd be pretty annoyed if someone did that on my private land too!!
Or people who think it's perfectly ok to come and pick fruit from your farm.

An awful lot of campfires as well which is a worry given the dry weather we’re having (at least it is where I am). Lots of human poo in the dunes and people also don’t seem to be picking up their dog poo either. Along with the fact that many drivers seem to be ignoring speed restrictions as well makes me feel society has broken down somewhat.

Read today of the mess wild campers have left atvthe Queen's Balmoral estate. There is picture of the rubbish left- a large pile of tents, camping chairs etc. They just couldnt be bothered taking it home. 'One' will not be amused!

Human waste is a biohazard, meaning it’s leads to health hazards. It should be dealt with hygienically. As far as I know the waste from wild ponies is not a hazard (correct me if I am wrong) possibly because of their diet?

Oh dear, I didn't mean to quote your post, merlotgran!