I protect myself and family with things not permitted to be discussed on this forum.
I protect myself and family with things not permitted to be discussed on this forum.
Used2fly there are places like in the White Mts national forest where fires aren't permitted and you can't stealth camp within 200 ft of the trail. Rangers will measure the distance and will fine you. I believe the fine can't be more than $500 and/or up to 6 months in jail.
Ed
I keep a slingshot in my survival kit, it's there to hunt small game if I should find myself in a survival situation, but I guess it might leave a bruise on somebody or maybe just piss them off.
Otherwise I'm also curious bout how people deal with security when having to leave camp for the day. We are going on a 6 day car camping trip to Long Key State Park and I'm also wondering if it safe to leave the hammocks, tarps and tents setup at the campsite within the state park while we are off exploring the keys during the days and evenings??
Depends how much you like your gear. Usually it's pretty safe to leave base camp setup, but I've had my tent and pack stolen. I don't leave anything anymore.Originally Posted by lesspayne
Sounds like the T#$t is going to make this trip.
From the discussion, the consensus seems to be.....
hide well.
I'm new to hanging but will employ the same tactics used as a backpacking camper. Go places less traveled and the further the better. Criminals are not really interested in worki g hard for little gain, IMHO. Once there, and on the trails, I use a simple escalation of force process.
Camp stove cooking is usually much more common than fires.
Meep the group together.
Make noise while hiking.
Make more noise when encounters with man/beast merit.
Make more noise with hand held "bear horns".
Contaminate the area, air, and offender with deterrent sprays.
[and the escalation continues by the party leader to ensure my cubs are safe]
This conversation has brought up some great things.
I can't wait to comment on them in a bit.....
One thing that its made me think of......
What if you could have a "security tarp"?
This tarp could have opposing sections of lightweight zipper
on each of the long sides. When you leave camp, you could untie your
guy lines, and join the bottom of the tarp, making a sort of sock out of it.
This zipper then could be locked, and you could stow your gear in the hammock
inside of the zipped tarp. My thought would be that the zipper would end up
being underneath the hammock in this configuration.
Also, does anyone who uses a zippered bugnet take a small luggage lock?
This would be one of the easiest deterents, even though they could easily
rip through the bugnet, LOL
Interesting thread.
The problem I usually have is trying to camp when I'm traveling. There's really not very many practical and effective ways to hide your car that I'm aware of. Some people will see a car out of sight of the freeway as an opportunity to break into it. Others will see it as indicating someone is nearby.
I have 2 dogs that act as early warning alarms and are probably effective as a deterrent. But, I still keep either pepper spray and/or bear spray and my knife on me for self-defense.
Usually, I opt to sleep in a supervised campground for safety reasons, although I'd prefer to do otherwise.
Any suggestions and/or ideas?
“I held a moment in my hand, brilliant as a star, fragile as a flower, a tiny sliver of one hour. I dropped it carelessly, Ah! I didn't know, I held opportunity.” -Hazel Lee
I don't tend to hike overnight any more. My camping is either out of a 4x4 or a kayak nowadays. With the 4by there's no issue, everything not immediately needed is safe in the vehicle, and I often hang from the roof bars so nobody's going to steal the car then. Re kayak camping, I try to keep everything close. If in a remote spot I chain up the kayak and take everything I can to my camping spot. At night if in an area that's high usage I cover all my gear with a tarp and stake it down, which keeps it all dry and prying eyes don't see it all strewn around and easy to grab. Precious gear I keep in a stuff bag hanging by me in the hammock.
Here in Aussie land we get dingos (wild dogs) sniffing around our campsites at all times in some places. They are shy but very wiley, and will steal meat off a bbq when your back's turned. They also sometimes carry off bags of food if left unattended. They're also totally protected, so you just have to be vigilant.
Nothing's totally safe, I've heard of people losing caravans, tents and all their gear while out on a day trip, so it's all a matter of risk assessment. Mostly people out in the bush are like-minded, but there's dishonest people everywhere. Like most things, nothing is without risks.
I lose more stuff than most people get stolen.
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