The Mind-Numbing Time I Camped In Idaho Next To Pantera Superfans

Music and camping aren't a combination everyone enjoys. Some prefer to hear the birds chirping and the bubbling currents of a nearby river or creek, and some like to turn a weekend in the Idaho woods into an all-out music countdown complete with a blasting Bluetooth speaker box.

I'll be the first to admit I never go camping without my iPod and a sound source. As I've grown older, I have become more courteous and aware of my neighboring campsites. I've been part of a heated situation in the Sawtooth Mountains a few years back involving loud music and a Saturday night.

"This isn't a dance party," a neighbor called out shortly after nightfall. Our response was to turn down the music a bit in hopes of satisfying the agitated camper. It didn't work.

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I think anyone who takes off for a few nights camping should expect and be receptive to hearing a little bit of music, and there should be a certain time in the evening that campers are ok with hearing some tunes from fellow campers. I enjoy celebrating time off with friends and family, and music is just part of that. I think if someone is yelling before 10 P.M. at neighbors to turn the music down it's slightly annoying, but I do think if you're blasting music past midnight, it's definitely an open invitation to confrontation.

My worst experience was a time when we spent a weekend in the woods of central Idaho camping next to a group of die-hard Pantera fans. I grew up listening to Pantera, and am still a fan. The problem was that's all they played on a loop for nearly 48 hours, and Saturday and Sunday someone didn't get around to turning the music off until nearly 3 A.M. We also had a small child with us, which didn't seem to register with this group.

Have you ever had an experience with campers blasting music all hours of the night during an Idaho campout?