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beachman
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# Posted: 9 Sep 2012 08:05pm
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I can see where this would be a problem. Our place is pretty remote so that we usually invite people and they do not return. Could be the outdoor toilet (outhouse) or the extra residents - mice and or mosquitoes/sand flies in early summer. They are welcome but make excuses. Our family however loves the place and although we love a crowd, it is testy at times. We have built a new place and this has eased the situation of not being on top of each other. For the most part, rules are respected but no one really knows how to clean up properly.
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tsvoyager
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# Posted: 19 Oct 2012 03:32am
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WOW is about all I can say to this thread. We had a few couples and a few singles come up this summer for a long weekend. We currently have 2 campers on the property My wife and I stay in one the other is for guest. The small camper was reserved for one as the others had their own campers. Our guest came up on Friday morning (the wife and I were up longer) I have no electric or water as of now so it is a primitive camp and all were informed of this. One single needed electricity for a CPAP machine at night. He brought his own (quiet) generator and gas for it. We informed everyone they were expected to bring their own meals and we told them what types of food we were taking up but we would cook as a group. Not having been up there much over the last 2 years we didn't have much cut in the way of campfire wood. When they showed up Stagered during the day Friday and set their campers everything was orginized. (I even offered to helped one park their camper so others could park theirs) After a walk around the camp area, I let them know what was allowed to be thrown in the fire pit and what was to go in the burn barrel. What garbage cans were for cans and what was to be taken out when they left. I guess my friends and reletives are a bit more civilized then some of the people you guys have coming up because everyone pitched in to clean up after meals and keep the sight clean. Friday and Saturday nights we sat around the campfire telling storys and drinking until 2 in the morning (We all got to hear the coyotye's howling off in the distance Saturday night) When I woke up the next morning and walked around the firepit sight, I think I picked up a few peices of trash (maybe 3 or 4 peices) that missed the firepit. When everyone took off Monday about noon, the only thing I had to pick up was the folding chairs we put out for friends that came over from their place for the fire. (We have several friends that have places close to ours) I won't hesitate to invite any or all of them back. A couple of them even cut up some logs I drug in to cut up at a later date as well as spliting it (I did help with that.)
Also during hunting season I have friends come up and the "parties" later in the week have beer cans thrown about, but come the next morning everyone pitches in to clean it up. I have only once had to explain that I was not their grandma and defintely not their wife!It's all in how you keep your place and let people know what's expected. No rules and you have chaois. Most people are willing to lend a helping hand if they know that it is expected.
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TomChum
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# Posted: 19 Oct 2012 06:41pm - Edited by: TomChum
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Ever since this thread started, I have made MORE of a habit of picking up every tiny scrap of rubbish. Bottle caps, bread ties, everything.
First of all, that makes for a nice camp. But the message others get, without a word spoken is, "We don't throw stuff on the ground here". And if they do throw stuff, you have a leg to stand on, its not just that one person's trash threshold is different than another. Everything they throw is visible as the first rubbish.
It seems to be working, but I have not had a 'party', which would be a better test. It's certainly working on "me". 
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skootamataschmidty
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# Posted: 1 Nov 2012 08:43am
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I often have guests at the cabin whether it's family or friends. Maybe I am lucky with the friends and family I do invite, but they always help out around the place. I have very few rules at my place but the biggest one is, "leave the place the way you found it." I never want to see any garbage, cigarette buts or bottle caps on the ground. When I have a large gathering I tell my guests in advance what meal they are responsible for and they look after it from buying the groceries to preparing the meal, to cleaning up after. Everybody gets a turn and it works out great. Every Thanksgiving I have all of my side of the family up and everybody helps me gather fallen branches to be broken up and bundled for kindling wood for the wood stove. With everybody helping, it only takes an hour or two to get enough done for the winter season. It is kind of an unwritten rule, if you are coming to my cabin to stay for free, you will be asked to help with some task or another. It has always been that way and it works great and my family and friends are always asking when they can come up again and what project they can help out with. It is great family bonding and everybody helps out and gets along!
If they did come up and expect to do nothing and not help at all, it would be the last time they were invited up!
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TheWildMan
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# Posted: 1 Nov 2012 10:30am
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no one comes to my cabin, i got a hill billy deliverence movie kinda look that scares everyone away (not that its easy to find in the first place) i keep to myself and don't care what anyone else thinks about my off grid subsistance farming. that said, i know the type you refer to. when i lived in town i was harrassed and attacked by punk high schoolers, kids, and drunk welfare types. i got fed up with the lack of respect, drug chasing lowlifes in town and headed back to the hills.
i had relatives who acted like you described, house guests that act like its a resort vacation, expecting the resort hotel staff and resteraunt folk to do everything for them (like a commedian once said the word vacation is an excuse to be a total jackass with no manners).
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justincasei812
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# Posted: 1 Nov 2012 02:20pm
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Since my rant / post I have had people back up to the cabin only in smaller numbers and our guests have been asked to share in some of the responsibilities around camp. I do not expect them to do everything just to keep in mind that I am not there to be their maid. More people than I thought had gotten my drift and my attitude and asked after some time had passed what it was all about. After some talking to our friends things were settled and things are good to go. I feel mainly responsible due to going off of what I had heard about them getting together in the past at someone else place and things seemed to go very smooth there. I am the newbie to the group and I took that for granted and didn't say much then. Now that the ground rules have been laid I am sure the future gatherings will be better for everyone. I am a very organized person and I am sure it is to a fault at times, I am sure I freaked out when I seen so many things messed up and garbage and cans on the ground. All in all things turned out and we are looking forward to having friends up as long as they do not ware out the welcome mat.
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trollbridge
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# Posted: 1 Nov 2012 03:10pm
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Quoting: justincasei812 I am the newbie to the group and I took that for granted and didn't say much then. Now that the ground rules have been laid I am sure the future gatherings will be better for everyone.
Like a kid...I suppose they were testing you to see what they could get away with. I'm glad you were able to work this out!
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Patgreat
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# Posted: 2 Nov 2012 04:01pm
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I have always been very selective with who I invited up to my cabin. My biggest fear is having someone come up who does not respect the place. What I have found is that most people do not get to spend time in a true outdoors environment. They are used to local township facilities where everything is provided for you. When they get drunk they will spill beers, toss trash anywhere or even break stuff. Any time this has happened I always pointed out(not always in the nicest manor, I was usually pretty drunk too!) that this I my house. This is not some random campground or a place you rented. If you break or destroy something I am the one that has to fix it. I tell them I plan on coming up to the cabin for the rest of my life and I do not feel like having stains or broken stuff because you thought something was funny or did not realize what you were doing.
Its something about the woods that makes people feel like that they can do what ever they want. You need to point out this is not public property but yours and all they are doing is creating more work for you.
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shooter mcgavin
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# Posted: 4 Nov 2012 08:21am
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If your friends disrespect your house that much, are they friends????
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silverwaterlady
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# Posted: 4 Nov 2012 08:33am
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Hmmm- I can't imagine trying to control a bunch of drunks at my camp. I most certainly would not allow that much drinking. It can get out of hand. Letting your " friends" know that your cabin is a place for a drunken good time is setting you up for diaster v
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