Message Forums

For most dog owners windbreaks become an essential bit of kit - mainly for the reason that inspired the original post.

Inquisitive children + excitable dog = accident waiting to happen!

Nosying at other peoples set-ups and getting to know your fellow campers is part of the fun.  But as most other people have said, its polite to ask first and kids should definitely not be allowed to wander into strangers' tents.

Quote: Originally posted by natsandjasper on 09/2/2009

---

 its polite to ask first

---

I think it would be more polite to wait to be invited. No way would I have the cheek ask another camper for a look round their outfit, and I wouldn't be too happy about being asked either.

Don't get me wrong, we're not unfriendly people - quite the opposite in fact, we will chat to anyone on site. More than once, during a conversation, we have invited someone into our tt or caravan, and other people have invited us into theirs, but we have never asked anyone if we could look round. We wouldn't knock on the door of a stranger's house and ask if we could look round so why should we do it with a tent or caravan?

On the subject of windbreaks we have two which we use to make an enclosed area outside the awning for the dogs to wander about without being constantly fastened up. They are only beach-type ones and not very tall - we can quite easily see and be seen, and we've enjoyed many a chat over the 'garden fence' with other campers.

Quote: Originally posted by natsandjasper on 09/2/2009

---

 But as most other people have said, its polite to ask first and kids should definitely not be allowed to wander into strangers' tents.

---

 have not posted again because it has been interesting seeing everyones different opinions but I do feel it is important to make one thing clear, my son did not go into a strangers awning or tent, there is no way in this day & age I would allow this, never mind good manners there is a safety aspect also!

 He was standing on the road looking in when the lady in question shooed him like a dog. Now as far as I was and am concerned he was a 4yr old boy doing what children do being curious.

 I just wondered if somehow he had breached an unwritted rule of camping. I was also just curious as to what was considered proper camping conduct, I wouldn't and I don't expect many other people would peer in someones tent unless invited. I just wondered if everyone had a quick nosy or if it was a bit like walking down the street you look forward and don't check out the wallpaper!!

Jubilee TBA-
July - Blue Dolphin

Quote: Originally posted by star1234 on 09/2/2009

---

 He was standing on the road looking in when the lady in question shooed him like a dog. Now as far as I was and am concerned he was a 4yr old boy doing what children do being curious.

---

The penetrating stare of an interested four year old can be a bit unnerving, but as you say it's normal! And if he was on the road then she couldn't complain about "tresspassing". Perhaps she just wasn't used to kids and thought (wrongly) he was being rude?

As to whether it broke one of the unwritten "rules", well no. There will always be a few uberfussy folk but 99.99% of campers won't turn a hair at a four year old staring at their tent. They're more likely to say hello to him.

And you're allowed to look at other tents, yup. You can even stand on the roadway and point interesting bits out to your son and most folk would just smile too. Loudly criticising their pegging style to your spouse would not be quite so acceptable though!

Tisk..Tisk...pointing..and criticising pegging styles is just not cricket old bean!! Deffo one of the unwritten rules..Throwing bread on the roof of the van next to you..whos owners  antics have been annoying you all w/end..is a strict no no..Unless done at 3am on the way to the toilets...

Jelboy.

I think it's great fun looking at all the other tents. Tent displays/showrooms just aren't the same. We had this one chap who wanted to have a look inside ours. I didn't mind, until he got his pipe out. Yuk! 

We have a dog who is allways on a long lead and loves to say hi so we do putup wind breaks.

We allways say hi to enyone who walks past as when we 1st got our Neptune not a lot of people have see one up, and if they show an interest we would quite happily show them around, as long as everyone is up and dressed.