Planning a trip to Horse Lake in the middle of June. We intend to basecamp there and do daytrips and fish. My question is most of the campsites on Horse seem to be large sites, and there will just be the two of us. Is it considered bad form for two people to use a large-say 6 to 9 person-campsite for 3 or 4 days ?

I don't think it is bad form at all. Spread your gear around so you look like a bigger group

I never count tents at sites. If I see color I stay away. I normally camp with one other person. 2 star sites are usually acceptable to us as we have one small tent and a hammock and don’t spend much time in camp. Our site is normally picked by proximity to where we want to fish.

I like to take a daily walk and larger camps tend to have more than just a trail to the latrine. If I can make a route which takes 5 minutes at 3 MPH, an hour will take me 3 miles. I prefer this to taking the canoe to the nearest portage and crossing back and forth. The exception to this is if a portage is fairly long and not so far away. While there are usually only 2 of us in camp, the fact we each take a 4 man tent and basecamp, there has never been any question about our motives for taking a larger site and how we use it. We make a point to make our presence known to anyone passing in the neighborhood by the use of color and or setting a chair in view should the tents be secure in out of view areas.

Definitely not. First come, first serve.

It is soooo nice to have folks who would even consider if it is bad form. Thanks for that.
IMHO it is not wrong by the rule book but if I had done my homework and knew the various sites I likely would take a smaller one that met my needs and a few wants. I would not give up a good spot to sleep by a swamp.

egknuti: "Definitely not. First come, first serve. "

+1

I used to wonnder about that very thing because I nearly always go solo.
I find that I like smaller treed sites over large open sites, so I don't often take the sites that could be used for large groups.
I will admit that I want to stay at that nice campsite on Oyster Lake sometime, the one that is on that long poing with the lake on both sides. I would solo camp there and only feel a little guilty :-)

Jaywalker: "

egknuti: "Definitely not. First come, first serve. "

+1"

+2

Don't feel bad, if it fits what you want it's yours.

Over the years we have had paddlers get close to our site before they could tell if it was occupied. If it is getting dark , or the weather is foul, we always offer to share our site no matter how small it is. Most have declined and moved on, the few who accepted have always been enjoyable, interesting guests for the evening. At least one kept the site when we vacated the next morning. It's all good. We all like our solitude, but a guest does not ruin the trip.

MB

LindenTree: "I used to wonnder about that very thing because I nearly always go solo.
I find that I like smaller treed sites over large open sites, so I don't often take the sites that could be used for large groups.
I will admit that I want to stay at that nice campsite on Oyster Lake sometime, the one that is on that long poing with the lake on both sides. I would solo camp there and only feel a little guilty :-)"

I felt no guilt camped solo there. ;)

bhouse46: "It is soooo nice to have folks who would even consider if it is bad form. Thanks for that.
IMHO it is not wrong by the rule book but if I had done my homework and knew the various sites I likely would take a smaller one that met my needs and a few wants. I would not give up a good spot to sleep by a swamp."

Yeah, I have been looking at the reviews on this site, which is what prompted the question. Of the seven sites, I think that 5 of them have reviews that state room for 6 to 9 people. I am looking at the two sites up on the north end of the lake, or the two on the east side near the river.

On Horse Lake you take what you can get

I wouldn't let it concern you one bit. If you find an open good campsite, be happy and stay. I will say that camping with a single tent or hammock does make some 3 start sites 4 or 5 stars, so you take reviews with a grain of salt.

Find a site and grab it.
If you don't - someone else will.

It is really nice of you to think of this, but as others have said first come first serve. You have no idea who or what size group is coming, you have just as much right to a site as anyone else.

T

What other areas is the unwritten rule that if a campsite is being used, others cannot stay there?

while it is true for NW Ontario too, it seems in many other areas that is not the case, if there is room, all are welcome

Look at the opposite side of the question. Would you ever approve of anyone giving someone a hard time for taking a nicer campsite with only 1 tent? How about a larger group pressuring a smaller group to leave?

You can be nice about things like that and take a site that doesn't have many, if any, good tent pads, but the moment that it becomes bad form to want a nicer campsite (which are almost always bigger ones), someone else is going to start to have a problem with smaller groups taking those sites. First come first serve is the rule for a reason. Anything else would require people to interact with each other about who gets what and that is where problems start.

ZaraSp00k: "What other areas is the unwritten rule that if a campsite is being used, others cannot stay there?


while it is true for NW Ontario too, it seems in many other areas that is not the case, if there is room, all are welcome"

Unless it is a large "group" campsite or a lean-to, most unreservable sites I am familiar with in NY are first come, first served, "owned" by that party.

Not bad form at all. Claim your site and have fun. If someone really needs a spot you might want to invite them to stay a night.

My opinion is those sites are used almost every night of the season. Those big sites could use a break from a big group from time to time. And on Horse you need to grab what you can especially then. And be sure to get a permit that allows you to camp there. I believe they are limited... I think that’s the only lake with that restriction. Not all mudro permits allow camping on horse.

As a solo stripper, I had the same thoughts my first few trips. I stayed on a real nice 4 star on Stuart Lake for 2 nights. That was my first campsite, and still one of my favorites. What I came to understand after 5 trips was that I like a good canoe landing, and easy access to fill my gravity filter. After that, a few trees spaced properly for my hammock, and it is probably 4 stars for me. Add fishing from shore and awesome views and I have a solo 5 star.
What this means is that many 2 or 3 star sites are 4 or 5 star for me.

As everyone else has said, it's not an issue. I've often paddled by sites that appear to have one tent....but upon closer examination have three. The others are just up in the woods. You take what you can get, and what looks good to you.

I have a concern that's similar...my wife and I often stop at unoccupied campsites to check them out for later trips, or for lunch. I always worry that paddlers will pass the site by because they think it is occupied. I posted on this a while ago, and was told not to worry about it. So now I don't.

Mike

ZaraSp00k: "What other areas is the unwritten rule that if a campsite is being used, others cannot stay there?


while it is true for NW Ontario too, it seems in many other areas that is not the case, if there is room, all are welcome"

Well it isn’t an unwritten rule...there is only supposed to be one permit group per site and camps are first come first serve. Obviously emergency situation is different. Even it was unwritten, it is a different area...it is a wilderness, people go to get away from others or to be with the people they came with...when I travel with my wife and two young sons...some middle aged guy coming in to camp and wanting to camp with us is just plain creepy and alarm bells go off.

Also almost every place I have ever camped reserved or first come first serve is one group at a time...exception is AT or some other hiking trails...but that isn’t really a wilderness more of a community event...apples to oranges.

T

gymcoachdon: "What this means is that many 2 or 3 star sites are 4 or 5 star for me."

Yep. Gotta love solo canoes and hammocks. Two trees and I'm in Heaven.

MikeinMpls: "As everyone else has said, it's not an issue. I've often paddled by sites that appear to have one tent....but upon closer examination have three. The others are just up in the woods. You take what you can get, and what looks good to you.


I have a concern that's similar...my wife and I often stop at unoccupied campsites to check them out for later trips, or for lunch. I always worry that paddlers will pass the site by because they think it is occupied. I posted on this a while ago, and was told not to worry about it. So now I don't.


Mike"

My buddy and I were camped on River Lake and headed out for a day trip of fishing and exploration. We stopped at the amazing sand beach campsite on Amber Lake to check it out and have lunch. While there a canoe came in and checked us out and seeing us began to head the other way. We waved them in and told them we are just here for a bit and leaving soon. We ended up having a great conversation with them and actually met up with them a couple more times on the way out. They stayed there two nights. It all worked out fine.

FCFS

timatkn: "It is really nice of you to think of this, but as others have said first come first serve. You have no idea who or what size group is coming, you have just as much right to a site as anyone else.


T"

+1 for sure!

If I come across 2 sites that will both meet my needs equally then I often times will opt for the smaller one so that the larger one is left open for a larger group if needed. I figure why take up more space than I need.

With that said if a solo tripper comes along and takes that larger site it doesn't bother me at all. Its first come first served so they have equal rights to it. When looking for sites I also pay no attention to the size of group occupying a site. Taken is taken so doesn't matter if one person is using a site that could fit 9, I paddle on without giving it a second thought.

Been traveling solo my last three trips and I do take this into consideration, but will not take a bug infested swampy site to leave a nice one for a group that may not appear.

The last two trips I spent my last night of a 10 day trip at a wonderful site on Cross Bay Lake. Its one of my favorite sites and I travel early in hopes of staying there. Its quite a piece and a few more portages with only one campsite to get to Karl/Long Island lake from there. If someone comes by looking late in the day I offer to share the site, but folks always keep moving. I know I have not enjoyed the few portages I've done in the dark. I don't offer if they have plenty of time to reach campsites.

As others have said, i wouldn't sweat it if it suits your needs. It is indeed FCFS. That said, if i was a smaller group, i would probably choose a smaller site just because i usually trip with a group of 6 or 8 and sometimes you can spend a lot of time looking for one with enough tent pads. I have seen a lot of really cool sites that can only accommodate one or two tents, but had to pass them up. I agree with Gymcoach, some lesser star sites are fantastic small sites. Go with what you feel aligns with your goals for the trip. As most have said, nobody is going to bother you or hassle you over it.

I am like Linden when I solo. I am very happy with a smaller campsite most of the time, provided it is not a Charlie Brown Christmas Tree type of site.
On the other hand I have no qualms if I camp on a larger and nicer site by myself.

Not bad form - if the sites open it's yours for the taking.