How to protect gear when out camping?

**TexanFX2** · 07-02-2015, 07:31

Long story short... After spending my hard earned money in new gear, we embarked out to our first outing.
Some of our gear as stolen, including a new tarp, hammock, and backup tent.

Needless to say, this experience has tremendously impacted my family's expectations and desire to proceed with this journey. I am trying to keep them with a positive attitude.

This leads to my question. How do you protect your gear when out camping?

**sargevining** · 07-02-2015, 07:39

Where were you camping?

**TexanFX2** · 07-02-2015, 07:57

You got PM

**ksbcrocks** · 07-02-2015, 08:31

If I'm car camping and need to leave camp for a significant amount of time, I usually leave my suspension up and just throw the hammock and quilts into a bag and in to the car. Depending on the location I may or may not leave the tarp up. I'm sorry to hear about your losses. Sometimes you just can't prevent it.

**TexanFX2** · 07-02-2015, 08:38

Thanks for the tip.. What if you are too far from the car?

**Boston** · 07-02-2015, 08:45

The easy answer is don't leave your gear unattended, especially in front country sites where people have easy access to vehicles to throw your gear in and drive away. Back country is less likely to be a problem, because they still have to haul the gear out, but depending on the area an unscrupulous hiker could still rob you.

If you can't keep it with you all the time, at least take it down when you leave, and hide it out of sight. In the front country that's probably locked in your car. In the back country find an area with little travel, but that has some landmark you can remember, and stow it away/cover it with brush. This may not stop someone who's out hunting for gear to rob (as hiding spots can be predictable, depending on the area), but it does reduce temptation for otherwise "honest" people.

**Hunter55** · 07-02-2015, 09:03

Some good advice here, for an issue none would expect from the hiking, backpacking community. A situation like theft of back country gear could mean serious trouble. Interesting enough this thought passed my mind as I'm planning my next outing. Area would be considered front country, accessible by trail and water. If you claim your site, set camp, then plan a day hike or paddle day, stash your gear or pack it with you, you may lose your original site. It sucks to have to worry about losing your gear.

**novasquid** · 07-02-2015, 09:25

i'm new to backcountry/backpack camping, and wondered about this too. is there a proper way to "call dibs" on a nice camping spot without having to leave all your gear there? between the two of us and hammocks, quilts, tarps, stakes, etc, we're talking over $1000 in gear i definitely don't want to leave around just so i can mark a spot as being taken.

**TexanFX2** · 07-02-2015, 09:31

Thanks for the good advice. Luckily, during my learning process and lots of reading, at some point I became conscious of our backpacks weight, and I started a lightweight approach. Our packs are now 28 - 35 pounds which should make taking our packs with us most of the time. It just sucks to tear down camp (and likely loosing site when 4+ people)

NovaSquid: Tell me about it... I purchased gear for 6!