Excerpted from
Sex in the Outdoors
by Robert Rose, M.D. and Buck Tilton, M.S.
Illustrated by Marc Bohne
Campground Rules
Not everyone will want to have sex in the outdoors way out in the wilderness. If you own a Winnebago, the only rule of etiquette is keep the curtains closed, the door shut and the shock absorbers in good repair. Tent campers should keep the noise down and the tent flaps closed. The general rule is this: Be sensitive to others less fortunate than you.
And consider the little children that so often litter campgrounds. Imagine them seeing something they shouldn't see! They might grow up thinking sex was okay!
Note: In developing countries, tents are a novelty that often attract attention. I awoke in a tent in Honduras once with a mass of little brown eyes peering through the mesh door. Gee, I was glad I wasn't having sex at the time... sort of.
Further Note: If kids are members of the party you're traveling in the outdoors with, you probably: 1) Should plan on not having sex, and/or 2) Should bring a separate tent for the kids. If the kids are teenagers or, even worse, you agreed to chaperone a group of teenagers on a camping trip, it probably won't matter in the least that you have a separate tent. In case of teenagers, bear repellent works well... much better than on bears. Do not play dead. They just get more excited. Fighting back is probably the best plan.
Even Further Note: If you end up with an overpowering urge to have sex with your partner, and you happen to be sharing a tent with another couple, the time has come for some frank talk. For any number of reasons, sharing a tent with a couple who are having sex may be acceptable. Etiquette requires, however, that you bring up the matter for discussion before other things get brought up.
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