Impact of camping with a tent

[boanergesza1]

This weekend we went "glamping" at RuahPark. Naturally I brought my trailer while the rest all had tents.
After 3 days we packed up, and this is what I saw.


(the big block of yellow gras is a tent, the three small spots my trailer)

It was clear that after 3 days my trailer yellowed less grass than the tent. While that grass will recover after 2-3 days, in the holiday times that spot might not get enough time to recover and ultimately the grass will die.

Tha made me wonder, do we ever consider the impact our camping activities have on the environment?

[Oppies3800]

Are you suggesting we all buy trailers?

[hatjohan]

I think you can relax - the planting of that lawn has probably left a bigger impact on the original environment than your tent on the "artificial" one.

[Dwayne P]

was the tent used with or without shade netting ground sheet?

or was a pvc one used or tent straight onto the grass.

I always lay down my shade net ground sheet and after weekend camp the grass does not look that bad

[boanergesza1]

Are you suggesting we all buy trailers?

No, I'm sharing my thoughts. I've never really thought about it until we packed up that morning and saw th difference.

[boanergesza1]

I think you can relax - the planting of that lawn has probably left a bigger impact on the original environment than your tent on the "artificial" one.

True that.

I was nice to have the lawn there though. I never even put down the netting under the trailer. Everywhere else we have been there had been a dead spot and putting the netting down prevents you from waking in mud when it rains.

[boanergesza1]

was the tent used with or without shade netting ground sheet?

or was a pvc one used or tent straight onto the grass.

I always lay down my shade net ground sheet and after weekend camp the grass does not look that bad

Yes. Straight to the ground, no netting.

Why does it make it difference though?

[D-tox]

Yes. Straight to the ground, no netting.

Why does it make it difference though?

netting allows for the grass to breath ..
driving there with your trailer caused more damage to the environment though

[Snyks]

My gawd...give me a few minutes....I'll start a silly thread soon

[lekhubu943]

netting allows for the grass to breath ..

I honestly thought that was sort of common knowledge. Some places specify 'no solid ground sheets' for this exact reason.

[Die SwartKat]

Those nets only help for a short stint of 2-3 days maybe.

Two Decembers ago we camped for 10 days with such a net. Grass looked exactly the same.

Sunlight is obviously also needed.

[gavpike]

Those nets only help for a short stint of 2-3 days maybe.

Two Decembers ago we camped for 10 days with such a net. Grass looked exactly the same.

Sunlight is obviously also needed.

And, if you hadn't used it - the grass would have looked worse.

[lekhubu943]

Sunlight is obviously also needed.

True.

Best is just to go camping far from places that has grassed campsites, especially December. Sand or bare ground does not mind much 8)

[SAND]

I honestly thought that was sort of common knowledge. Some places specify 'no solid ground sheets' for this exact reason.

Two different scenarios:
1 - knitted ‘shade net’ type of ground sheet vs solid ground sheet
2 - tent with a built-in solid ground sheet with or without a knitted ‘shade net’ ground sheet underneath

[lekhubu943]

Two different scenarios:
1 - knitted ‘shade net’ type of ground sheet vs solid ground sheet
2 - tent with a built-in solid ground sheet with or without a knitted ‘shade net’ ground sheet underneath

Is tent with build in solid ground sheet directly on grass not pretty much the same as tent on solid ground sheet?

[SAND]

Is tent with build in solid ground sheet directly on grass not pretty much the same as tent on solid ground sheet?

I don’t understand what you are saying

The issue is if it makes a difference to place a knitted ground sheet under a unibody tent with solid ground sheet

[George]

That is why some campsites restrict the use of solid bottom tents. The reality however that such "damage" is collateral damage and part of the campsite offering. If we worry about every grass leaf and bug we shouldn't be driving or walking at all.

[Heinz Modricky]

I think you guys are missing the OP's point (that's if I understand it correctly.)

The OP is saying that in both instances, i.e. the ground tent AND the trailer tent both had solid ground sheets and he was wondering what the cause of the difference to the grass was. In other words, why would the solid sheet of the trailer tent not effect the grass like it did with the ground tent.

And I think I know the answer. Grass (and particularly weeds) are heat sensitive, and my guess is that the heat in the ground tent was higher than the heat in the trailer tent, either because of the increased height or possibly additional fly sheet or more reflective material on the trailer tent. Maybe some venting also played its part.

[out of africa]

This weekend we went "glamping" at RuahPark. Naturally I brought my trailer while the rest all had tents.
After 3 days we packed up, and this is what I saw.


(the big block of yellow gras is a tent, the three small spots my trailer)

It was clear that after 3 days my trailer yellowed less grass than the tent. While that grass will recover after 2-3 days, in the holiday times that spot might not get enough time to recover and ultimately the grass will die.

Tha made me wonder, do we ever consider the impact our camping activities have on the environment?

Sorry for going off topic and possibly derailing the thread. How was Ruah Park?

[boanergesza1]

I think you guys are missing the OP's point (that's if I understand it correctly.)

The OP is saying that in both instances, i.e. the ground tent AND the trailer tent both had solid ground sheets and he was wondering what the cause of the difference to the grass was. In other words, why would the solid sheet of the trailer tent not effect the grass like it did with the ground tent.

And I think I know the answer. Grass (and particularly weeds) are heat sensitive, and my guess is that the heat in the ground tent was higher than the heat in the trailer tent, either because of the increased height or possibly additional fly sheet or more reflective material on the trailer tent. Maybe some venting also played its part.

No. The trailers tent is on top of lid, the "normal" tent was on the ground. There wasn't any netting on either. The trailer by virtue of on having three wheels and tip-over bar on the ground left a smaller "dead grass patch" than the tent.

But as others have mentioned by towing my 1.5t trailer and bakkie full of stuff there, the impact of having a tent on the ground killing grass vs trailer not killing grass is really moot.

I like you ur heat and air movement thought though. I seem to remeber there were soccer pitches designed to be moved out of the stadium so they can get air.