Question about leaving your tent

[West Texan]

Re: Question about leaving your tent

my biggest worry lately has been not my tent, but my truck. I leave it at the trailhead and won't see it again till I get back. The trail I have been hitting is not that big of a problem as the road to get there, you spend an hour driviving the last mile, it is that rough of a road. Have heard though that where I want to get to in Big Bend there is a greater risk of vehicle break ins at trailheads closer to the river. That is playing a big part in my decision on which trails to look at hiking.

[tplife]

Re: Question about leaving your tent

That's crazy thinking, man. When you are camping, your greatest risk is people not animals and not the wilderness. I always feel safest the more remote I am

I was talking to a national park ranger yesterday who told me that the most useful education she had for her job was police science and law enforcement. She said that they are so busy in the summer that they can barely keep up. She said that if they had a person just in charge of a drug task force, her park alone could make a dozen arrests per night

The farther away from people you are, the safer you are

Mike, your conversation with Mr. Ranger only proves that campers should keep in mind that their campsite, for the duration of their reserved stay, is, under almost every and all state laws, considered a residence (rented, leased, mortgaged, owned), and that they are entitled to every constitutional protection (READ: 2nd Amendment, 4th Amendment) to enjoy what they have paid dearly for. Anyone entering the campsite can be challenged once opserved (noticed how they yell out "Hello" before walking in) and informed that they are entering a residence, and unless accompanied by a signed warrant, may not enter...don't take my advice, try it for yourself and see - this is STILL America, friend. :cool:

[Logtec]

Re: Question about leaving your tent

I've had my pillows and sheets stolen..
That being said I never leave valuables out unless I'm at my site, if I leave the site everything of value is hidden and locked in my truck. I lock my chairs with a cable lock and cover them with a tarp.

I leave out (but covered) my pots, pans, plates, etc. when i leave my site and at night.
if people are willing to steal used cookware etc then they must be desperate.
I use old bedding/towels/etc. and i buy all pots, pans, plates, etc. at second hand/dollar stores.
I only bring camping what i need, keep it simple.
No computer, DVDs, etc.

[Mike]

Re: Question about leaving your tent

my biggest worry lately has been not my tent, but my truck. I leave it at the trailhead and won't see it again till I get back. The trail I have been hitting is not that big of a problem as the road to get there, you spend an hour driviving the last mile, it is that rough of a road. Have heard though that where I want to get to in Big Bend there is a greater risk of vehicle break ins at trailheads closer to the river. That is playing a big part in my decision on which trails to look at hiking.

EXACTLY!! I have never had gear stolen but I did have my car completely vandalized at a trailhead. All my tires were slashed, windshield wipers broken off, antenna broken off. Body kicked in, windows cracked

That was in Minnesota near the town of Rock Creek on the St. Croix River on the border of Minnesota and Wisconsin. That is obviously an area full of violent hillbillies so my suggestion is to avoid it. We cannot deny that there are local socially accepted norms which makes some places better than others. It is best to avoid places that are known to be bad just as you would avoid south Chicago or Detroit

[PJC001]

Re: Question about leaving your tent

Trail head break ins are common in every state and that becomes a real problem when you take your valuables out of your tent and put them in your vehicle for safe keeping. Personally I trust the camp site more than the trail head. We camp in the southern parts of the border states and the Border Patrol and State Police drive through state parks in AZ, NM, TX and CA many times during the day. I have found that many campers -- tent and rv -- come back to the same sites every year and we recognize one another. I have only felt unsettled at camp sites on large lakes that allow motorized boating and we go out of our way to avoid them. Nothing against boaters but they are boaters, not campers, and tend to choose a different "outdoor" experience with their bored teenagers. Elephant Butte SP in NM in season becomes the second largest city in NM and with it comes noise and crime. A camp host was murdered there breaking up a domestic dispute. On the other hand City of Rocks SP in NM is a beautiful, small, quiet, middle of nowhere gem and safe park to pitch a tent. So, pick your camp sites wisely.

[swebob]

Re: Question about leaving your tent

I hate leaving my Jeep at a trailhead. I worry about it the whole trip. It gets to the point where I don't even want to go hiking if I have to leave my rig at a trailhead for several days.

There are creative ways to deal with trailheads vs. campgrounds. Find someone to drop you off at the trailhead. If you're staying at a campground a few miles away, get someone in the campground to drive you in your truck to the trailhead and then they take your truck back to the campground and park in your spot. Then they come and get you at the agreed time. You have to pick older people who are not inclined to go joyriding, especially if you have a fun car (Jeep with big tires) like I do. I've used this method a few times and it has worked well.

I've been on a lot of hiking trips where I had a rental car. For some reason, I've never felt bad leaving a rental car at the trailhead. I never leave anything visible to steal but it goes much deeper than that. It's just the fact that it isn't my car that makes it so peaceful and calming. So there's something to be said for using a rent car for sure. Rent car = peace and tranquility on the trail.

My most creative solution to this though was to contact, sight unseen, a local minister in the nearest town and make arrangements to park at his house and he drove us the 20 miles or so to the trailhead and then picked us up a week later using our car. That was in Kentucky. Never met the guy before. All I knew was that he was a a pastor and I got his church number off the internet and called him blind and made the arrangements. Turned out to be the nicest guy you could ever meet. We took him and his wife and kids out to a BBQ place at the end of the trip to get to know them better and to thank them properly.

The main point is that there are creative ways to deal with trailheads.

I can remember back in the late 70's and early 80's when jacked up 4 wheel drive trucks were the big thing and we use to head out to the undeveloped areas to go mudding and people would end up getting stuck or break down and come back the next day to recover their vehicle and find it filled with buck shot or destroyed..

So having something stolen out of your vehicle is not the only thing you have to worry about..

[GlitterHiker]

Re: Question about leaving your tent

I share the common thought that campgrounds can be very safe. But I hate for someone to read this thread and think this applies to the entire country. In my region, there is no driving for an hour to get to a remote spot. There are no remote spots.

I could drive 4 hours west to Western Maryland, West Virginia - i.e. the Appalachian Mountains. But living along the Eastern Seaboard, all campgrounds, including state and national parks, are smack dab in the middle of populated areas. And in many cases, heavily populated areas. Campgrounds are not isolated.

The national and state parks may have one official entrance, but other roads lead directly to park boundary. People can just walk in. It's very accessible. Often times, I feel like I am camping in someone's backyard - that's how close residential property is to state parks now. [By the way, campground "quiet" hours do not apply to the house 1,000 feet away hosting a graduation party all night.]

So I may not be worried about other campers, but I need to be aware that "anyone" can access the park.

[Mike]

Re: Question about leaving your tent

I share the common thought that campgrounds can be very safe. But I hate for someone to read this thread and think this applies to the entire country. In my region, there is no driving for an hour to get to a remote spot. There are no remote spots.

I could drive 4 hours west to Western Maryland, West Virginia - i.e. the Appalachian Mountains. But living along the Eastern Seaboard, all campgrounds, including state and national parks, are smack dab in the middle of populated areas. And in many cases, heavily populated areas. Campgrounds are not isolated.

The national and state parks may have one official entrance, but other roads lead directly to park boundary. People can just walk in. It's very accessible. Often times, I feel like I am camping in someone's backyard - that's how close residential property is to state parks now. [By the way, campground "quiet" hours do not apply to the house 1,000 feet away hosting a graduation party all night.]

So I may not be worried about other campers, but I need to be aware that "anyone" can access the park.

God bless you, Glitter, for camping in those kinds of conditions.

I invite you to come to Wisconsin and camp in a real beautiful natural wilderness setting. Our state is full of them - no need for that backyard camping you describe.

I really do admire your love of camping and the outdoors to camp in the urban settings you describe. I suppose that is the way all of the USA will eventually end up as the population grows and spreads.

[KBunn]

Re: Question about leaving your tent

You all have given such great advice and I can't thank you enough. I guess my main concern at this point is the more remote locations. There are only one or two that I don't think there will be many other people at, but seeing as I have never been to them, I could be completely wrong. I am going to go with the plan to pack up everything but our tent and bedding and I think we'll be just fine.

[Mike]

Re: Question about leaving your tent

You all have given such great advice and I can't thank you enough. I guess my main concern at this point is the more remote locations. There are only one or two that I don't think there will be many other people at, but seeing as I have never been to them, I could be completely wrong. I am going to go with the plan to pack up everything but our tent and bedding and I think we'll be just fine.

The more remote you are, the safer you will be. By that I mean bushwhacking into the middle of the forest where people are unlikely to go. If you are talking about camping at a mostly deserted campground, I would not do that if you are a couple of girls.

The best advice I can give you at this point is to not watch any scary movies about people camping or camp murders - that kind of stuff.... like that movie Jason(?) where after killing all but one person at some kind of woodsy holiday camp, the one remaining survivor is floating in a a canoe peacefully in the middle of the lake, assumingly safe from killer Jason AND THEN YAAAAAGAAAA Jason jumps out of the water and grabs her out of the canoe

That took the fun out of solo camping for me for a long time.

[KBunn]

Re: Question about leaving your tent

The more remote you are, the safer you will be. By that I mean bushwhacking into the middle of the forest where people are unlikely to go. If you are talking about camping at a mostly deserted campground, I would not do that if you are a couple of girls.

The best advice I can give you at this point is to not watch any scary movies about people camping or camp murders - that kind of stuff.... like that movie Jason(?) where after killing all but one person at some kind of woodsy holiday camp, the one remaining survivor is floating in a a canoe peacefully in the middle of the lake, assumingly safe from killer Jason AND THEN YAAAAAGAAAA Jason jumps out of the water and grabs her out of the canoe

That took the fun out of solo camping for me for a long time.

Yeah, no worries there, I don't watch any scary movies. I don't think I have chosen any place that will be completely deserted though. It is just my four boy and I. I'll give them my 9 year old first and after listening to him talk for a few hours they'll run away screaming.

[timd]

Re: Question about leaving your tent

I'll give them my 9 year old first and after listening to him talk for a few hours they'll run away screaming.

LOL That reminds me of a couple of nephews of mine.

[brewmandan]

Re: Question about leaving your tent

I haven't had a problem yet about leaving my campsite for a few hours. One campsite we camp at annually is on one side of a large lake and a public beach on the other side of the lake. We've gone to the beach (far enough away to take the car) for a couple hours without a problem of having anything stolen. Of course, certain things like purses, wallets, cell phones, etc. were put in the car and went with us.

[NYCgrrl]

Re: Question about leaving your tent

I share the common thought that campgrounds can be very safe. But I hate for someone to read this thread and think this applies to the entire country. In my region, there is no driving for an hour to get to a remote spot. There are no remote spots.

I could drive 4 hours west to Western Maryland, West Virginia - i.e. the Appalachian Mountains. But living along the Eastern Seaboard, all campgrounds, including state and national parks, are smack dab in the middle of populated areas. And in many cases, heavily populated areas. Campgrounds are not isolated.

The national and state parks may have one official entrance, but other roads lead directly to park boundary. People can just walk in. It's very accessible. Often times, I feel like I am camping in someone's backyard - that's how close residential property is to state parks now. [By the way, campground "quiet" hours do not apply to the house 1,000 feet away hosting a graduation party all night.]

So I may not be worried about other campers, but I need to be aware that "anyone" can access the park.

Very true about boundaries which is where the "know your nabes" thunk comes in handy. I make a point of staying in the same loop for my long trips as I tend to see the same people year in and out. We don't know each others names necessarily but friendly waves abound and watchful eyes are there.

[NYCgrrl]

Re: Question about leaving your tent

Yeah, no worries there, I don't watch any scary movies. I don't think I have chosen any place that will be completely deserted though. It is just my four boy and I. I'll give them my 9 year old first and after listening to him talk for a few hours they'll run away screaming.

Hehehehe....I know well of what you speak. I used to read "The Ransom of Red Chief" to my kiddies as a cautionary bedtime tale.