Checking Into Public Campgrounds Is Hassle-Free With This Old-School Payment Method

In today's modern world of digital payments, more and more people are making purchases by tapping their credit or debit cards, or even using their phone. However, while society has become more accustomed to using digital payments, cash is still crucial in a lot of places around the world, and a few places even accept checks (remember those?). While some retailers are phasing out the old-school method of using a check as payment, more and more campers are taking to social media to voice their thoughts on wishing they had packed a good 'ol fashioned checkbook in their gear bag. 

"I wish I'd brought one more tool — a checkbook," Redditor _zhang wrote in the r/overlanding forum. "Since most campsites, especially in BLM and Forest Service lands, are exact change only, it's been somewhat of a struggle to keep enough 5's and 1's handy," they wrote, adding "I wish I'd just brought a checkbook, and you can't buy that on the road!"

Just as cash is one of the timeless old-school travel tips to remember for your next camping getaway, it can sometimes be even more hassle-free to bring a checkbook to pay for your campground, especially those with self-service pay stations. While most people today no longer use checks, they are still a useful payment tool, and while seasoned campers may know how to prepare for unexpected bad weather, preparing to have exact change to pay for your campsite might not be on your to-do list. Based on comments from campers online, it sounds like the hottest campsite accessory today may be a checkbook.

A checkbook may be particularly handy for self-service campsites, especially at state and national parks and on lands managed by the U.S. Forest Service or the Bureau of Land Management. These sites will have a wooden or metal box, sometimes called "iron rangers," that you can put your money in, without needing to have a park ranger on duty. That means exact change is necessary — or you can use a check.

"We always have written a check. There are usually instructions on to whom it should be payable," wrote Matt_Colie on the Good Sam Community forum when a user asked about how to pay for public campgrounds when only a cashbox is available. Matt added, "[It] does not deplete our supply of cash." GordonThree agreed, saying "Paying the iron ranger is the only thing I still use checks for," in part because "the amounts seldom total up to a convenient cash amount." 

On the PopUpPortal forum, user MaeKay posted, "I finally realized to add 'checkbook' to my permanent camping packing list. We never have the right type of cash for campsites." Later in the same thread, they pointed out, "It's useful at campsites with no internet to run a card!" The only concern some campers had was about stolen or "washed" checks, a sophisticated scam where a thief steals a check and erases the payee's name, and sometimes changes the amount, adding their own name instead. However, you can protect yourself from check washing by using a gel pen with indelible ink, and always confirm with your account that the check cleared correctly.