RV Russia | St. Petersburg | Moscow | Siberia | Camping

There are millions of beautiful lakes and places in Russia and the farther you get from people, the more pristine it will be.

There are very few places with trash cans and few understand the concept of “leave only footsteps and take only pictures.”

Camping trash can be a problem in Russia

This video shows a typical nice spot by a lake to camp, fish or picnic.
Unfortunately there is no centralized system for trash collection or removal.
It has only been about ten years that many people have had cars and this is a new challenge in Russia.
No on wants to clean up after others and the regional governments have not stepped into put trash receptacles.

Set a good example and carry out all your trash. Just because locals often litter the area, it is not allowed. Let’s hope it will get better!

In Soviet times there was almost no trash in the countryside. It is a phenomenon resulting from cars and modern packaging.

Once you on the open roads outside the main cities, things can get a little rough. Winter snow, ice and freezing make for a rough surface often with potholes and frost heaves.

Russian roads in the country can be rough

Watch this video to see what the roads look and feel like outside the main cities.

That is why heavy built vehicles like Mercedes are popular in Russia. The constant banging and road vibration is hard on vehicles.

Just take it a little slower and your RV or truck will be fine. You won’t make any speed records on Russian roads unless you want to leave your vehicle at the junkyard.

Never feed  bears. They  lose their  fear of people and  invade your camp,  picnic table or even tear open a car  if they smell anything interesting. Even the smell of toothpaste! The only cure for a nuisance bear in Russia is to accept it or shoot it.

In the USA, bears are a problem in established parks.  In Yosemite bears broke into 908 vehicles between 2001 and 2007. Minivans topped the field at 26 percent, followed by SUVs at 22.5 percent, small cars at 17.1 percent and sedans at 13.7 percent.

Lucky that in Russia there are not too many minivans. Minivans  smell good.  Minivans are more likely to carry children, who are more likely to spill food and drink. Passengers are more likely to leave food in the vehicle parked overnight.Minivans are easily accessible.  The bears most often break  in by popping open a rear side window.

The break-ins might also be the work of a few individuals that have learned to target minivans. Humans have been know to imitate bears and break into cars.

Never leave anything visible or smellable in your car.  A bear can see a cooler or smell a soda can.

Place your food in a bear-proof container away from your camp and your car. Toss a rope over a tall limb and suspend it high in the air.

It is impossible to find campgrounds with  bear-proof  containers in Russia. That is why you see the bears in areas where people like to camp in numbers.