A camp host is someone who helps other campers. This includes anything campground related, like: receiving guests, collecting payment, completing paperwork, or even recommending a local restaurant or bait shop. The host answers questions and solves problems while the official camp staff is away. You become the “go to” person when assistance is needed. The camp host is either a paid or volunteer position and most camping jobs are seasonal. You reside in your own RV and sometimes park in an official “camp host” spot.
Camp Host Chris
We wanted to stay in the Florida Keys through the winter, but were having trouble finding an available site for that length of time. At the same time, our current campground was looking for a host for their busy season and had a site available for that purpose. Kayak Chris agreed to become the camp host and we moved into the designated spot.
It was an interesting 5 months! Now that the hosting gig is over, here’s a list of some of the unexpected things he ended up doing.
Top 22 Additional Camp Host Duties
(With Gram Weenie’s sarcastic remarks.)
 Bloody Camper |
 Bandaged Camper |
- Bandaging a bloody leg at 1:30 in the morning
- Blood was: on the ground, pooled inside his shoe, and on his friend’s leg too
- Extinguishing two separate dumpster fires
- Dear well-meaning helpers: Coals from last night’s campfire may still be hot!
- Resetting a water heater breaker, while it shocks you, while 7 dogs bite at your legs
- Detaching someone’s sewer hose (eww) so their abandoned rig could be towed away
- Dear irresponsible 30-year-old: Your trailer was towed away while you were on that week-long bender up north. Your jet ski is next.
- Helping people who:
- fell off their bicycles (2 people),
- fell off their motorcycle,
- fell down their camper stairs,
- fell off the dock into the ocean (2 people),
- fell while wading in the ocean, and
- clotheslining themselves on their scooter.
- Moving picnic tables from one end of the park to the other
- Cutting branches above someone’s camper
- Dear RVer: The maintenance staff has tools and insurance for this type of task. Why did you ask the nice guy in the flip flops to climb on top of your camper?
- Answering the door and phone at all hours
- Managing unrealistic expectations:
- Dear fellow camper: A 3ft sewer hose, with no connector piece, has little chance of usefulness at ANY campground.
- Dear delusional vacationer: You thought a “beach front” site meant the entire beach was reserved just for you…all for less than $100 per night? Did you think the city slogan was “A private beach for every tourist!”?
- Bailing out water-filled boats
- Dear boat owner: You might want to come by to check on your boats every so often. Your other one broke off its rope and has floated away. (True story.)
- Attempting to save a drunk and topless (female) kayaker in fast-moving waters
- She was sitting in her boat backwards
- She was belligerent, rude and wanted NO assistance
- She dumped her beer cans into the water
- Dear rude chic: It’s unfortunate to later learn that you were our next door neighbor. (Awkward.)
- Providing last-minute pet sitting services while a camper was away
- Dear Kayak Chris: I guess petting ALL the dogs and giving them treats widened the scope of your duties.
- Encountering a man with an air rifle
- He was iguana hunting (naturally)
- Dear iguana hunter: Is it smart to shoot in a campground filled with kids, pets, and walls prime for ricochet?
- Listening to long stories during check in
- One camper shared his “remedy” (meds + alcohol) for kidney stones
- Another recounted ALL their camping issues over the last 6 months
- Dear arriving campers: Your life history is not required to show you to your camp site.
- Witnessing two pedestrians side swiped by a vehicle
- Moving multiple cars and boats parked in the way, or tracking down their inconsiderate owners
- Helping to coax a cat from under a truck back to its camper home
- Programming 5 “universal” remotes for 5 different TV brands (never could get that to work)
- Receiving complaints about grass clippings and (at the same time) low frequency of grass cutting
- Dear resident: You want the grass cut more often but don’t want to see any clippings?
- Helping someone locked out (the same family – 4 times)
- Showing other campers how to connect to cable TV
- Dear camper: Attach the coax cable to the hookup outside of your RV. (1930’s technology is amazing!)
- Responding to a drunken fight between two sisters
- Three police cars showed up
- Two officers fell to the ground during the drama
- One woman, and the man they were fighting over, were arrested
- Dear sisters: Your frequent screams of “You’re a whore!” are ruining our camping experience. Quiet time began at 10:00 pm.
In all seriousness, we learned a lot about how campground businesses function. As entrepreneurs, learning about other industries is always valuable. Further, we got to stay in the Florida Keys through the winter and were also able to meet some fabulous people to add to our “camp family.”
Kayak Chris is undecided whether he will ever host again. Gram Weenie still thinks she wants to own a campground one day.
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