Stealth Camping: The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly
12-01-13, 08:06 PM
#51
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I have stealth camped from my motorcycle, bicycle, and while hiking. The motorcycle is the hardest to pull off because you can't hide it very well. Usually just in the shadows works well (behind rural church is great).
Usually, I get away from the road and just like some have said already, stay away from well used jeep trails where people come to party.
I have a hammock so no need for clear ground. I even stealth camp in my own town, just to spend some time outdoors (and for a bit of practice).
My last stealth camping was on an island next to the Gulf of Mexico. I could have stayed in my buddy's boat, but it was a small cabin and I wanted to give him space. Found a nice spot for the hammock next to an old cemetery while hiking earlier in the day. When I got tired I headed inland from the boat, but saw a kayak stand just out of the spot lights and right near the docks. Strung the hammock right there and had a great night sleep.
I plan on doing more and have a hard time not scouting out new areas while I'm just tooling around. Mainly, in the urban areas I avoid anywhere where there are homeless populations. I really need to sleep well and don't want to be bothered.
The only issues that I've ever had are getting bumped in the butt as an armadillo walked under me, coyotes near by, or wild pigs fighting at the spot that I was going to set up but decided not to because it didn't feel right.
Usually, I get away from the road and just like some have said already, stay away from well used jeep trails where people come to party.
I have a hammock so no need for clear ground. I even stealth camp in my own town, just to spend some time outdoors (and for a bit of practice).
My last stealth camping was on an island next to the Gulf of Mexico. I could have stayed in my buddy's boat, but it was a small cabin and I wanted to give him space. Found a nice spot for the hammock next to an old cemetery while hiking earlier in the day. When I got tired I headed inland from the boat, but saw a kayak stand just out of the spot lights and right near the docks. Strung the hammock right there and had a great night sleep.
I plan on doing more and have a hard time not scouting out new areas while I'm just tooling around. Mainly, in the urban areas I avoid anywhere where there are homeless populations. I really need to sleep well and don't want to be bothered.
The only issues that I've ever had are getting bumped in the butt as an armadillo walked under me, coyotes near by, or wild pigs fighting at the spot that I was going to set up but decided not to because it didn't feel right.
12-03-13, 12:12 PM
#52
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This year was my first year of both camping and bicycle touring. I cannot offer tips per say but some random thoughts.
I have done stealth camping, campground camping and warmshowers camping. First off, warmshowers rocks. Have met some really cool people doing it so far and hope to continue the relationships and meeting new people.
Campground camping, from where I have done it thus far is a mixed bag. Some of the places on the GAP rocked. Once was not so good. When I camped at some dedicated camping sites on another two tours, most of the time it was so loud that I could not sleep and thats even with shades for my eyes and earplugs. I am just a light sleeper but the people close to us and next to us would be so loud. The places I have been at do not have dedicated tent camping sites so your mixed in with vehicles and such. It is fun to meet the other campers though but at the cost of lack of sleep.... we will see. This tour later this month I will try it again but we will see how that rolls.
"Stealth" camping I love but still learning to do it effectively. The best nights sleep I got was at a school when it was so humid out and in the same trip the crappiest sleep I ever got was at a campground. No good. Stealth camping, or in my case camping where no other people are per say is so peaceful. Yes you have to change a few things around on how you tour or approach that day (setting up camp in the evening time, etc) but its peaceful to not have other campers next to you drinking until 3 AM.
Just my thoughts. I am still learning to camp and to stealth camp as well.
I have done stealth camping, campground camping and warmshowers camping. First off, warmshowers rocks. Have met some really cool people doing it so far and hope to continue the relationships and meeting new people.
Campground camping, from where I have done it thus far is a mixed bag. Some of the places on the GAP rocked. Once was not so good. When I camped at some dedicated camping sites on another two tours, most of the time it was so loud that I could not sleep and thats even with shades for my eyes and earplugs. I am just a light sleeper but the people close to us and next to us would be so loud. The places I have been at do not have dedicated tent camping sites so your mixed in with vehicles and such. It is fun to meet the other campers though but at the cost of lack of sleep.... we will see. This tour later this month I will try it again but we will see how that rolls.
"Stealth" camping I love but still learning to do it effectively. The best nights sleep I got was at a school when it was so humid out and in the same trip the crappiest sleep I ever got was at a campground. No good. Stealth camping, or in my case camping where no other people are per say is so peaceful. Yes you have to change a few things around on how you tour or approach that day (setting up camp in the evening time, etc) but its peaceful to not have other campers next to you drinking until 3 AM.
Just my thoughts. I am still learning to camp and to stealth camp as well.
12-04-13, 03:05 AM
#53
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FWIW, there is no 'right to roam' law in Japan as far as I'm aware of, but you can camp nearly anywhere, even in large towns! We've camped right on the beach, in parks, and spent the night sleeping on a bench in a Kyoto park without any hassles. The Japanese are very warm hosts and would never be rude enough to publicly voice their dislike of somebodies choice of camping spot. Having said this, it is still 100% necessary to be within the boundaries of respectability. Dressing nicely and maintaining a good appearance and smell will do wonders for you. Although the Japanese can be sometimes shy (to foreigners, at least, and not always!), and sometimes lack English skills relative to their neighbors, once communication has been initiated they are unfailingly helpful and kind. Summer nights are gorgeous for sleeping under the stars, but watch for mosquitoes.
I met an old Japanese randonneur who back in the day would just sleep in train stations (they close at ~12:30 and open at ~5:00, in rural areas they are closed more) as he conquered his 300k's.
A cycle tourist who had a lovely time in Iran told me the same was true there as it is in Japan. She received an amazing reception in every square meter of the country. This is second hand but I'd trust it given the goodness of the source.
I met an old Japanese randonneur who back in the day would just sleep in train stations (they close at ~12:30 and open at ~5:00, in rural areas they are closed more) as he conquered his 300k's.
A cycle tourist who had a lovely time in Iran told me the same was true there as it is in Japan. She received an amazing reception in every square meter of the country. This is second hand but I'd trust it given the goodness of the source.
12-04-13, 04:18 AM
#54
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Last time I checked, Wikipedia had a page on Freedom to Roam, including country specific entries. As far as Finland goes, that info was accurate.
--J
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12-04-13, 04:42 AM
#55
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FWIW, there is no 'right to roam' law in Japan as far as I'm aware of, but you can camp nearly anywhere, even in large towns! We've camped right on the beach, in parks, and spent the night sleeping on a bench in a Kyoto park without any hassles. The Japanese are very warm hosts and would never be rude enough to publicly voice their dislike of somebodies choice of camping spot. Having said this, it is still 100% necessary to be within the boundaries of respectability. Dressing nicely and maintaining a good appearance and smell will do wonders for you. Although the Japanese can be sometimes shy (to foreigners, at least, and not always!), and sometimes lack English skills relative to their neighbors, once communication has been initiated they are unfailingly helpful and kind. Summer nights are gorgeous for sleeping under the stars, but watch for mosquitoes.
I met an old Japanese randonneur who back in the day would just sleep in train stations (they close at ~12:30 and open at ~5:00, in rural areas they are closed more) as he conquered his 300k's.
A cycle tourist who had a lovely time in Iran told me the same was true there as it is in Japan. She received an amazing reception in every square meter of the country. This is second hand but I'd trust it given the goodness of the source.
I met an old Japanese randonneur who back in the day would just sleep in train stations (they close at ~12:30 and open at ~5:00, in rural areas they are closed more) as he conquered his 300k's.
A cycle tourist who had a lovely time in Iran told me the same was true there as it is in Japan. She received an amazing reception in every square meter of the country. This is second hand but I'd trust it given the goodness of the source.
12-05-13, 06:47 AM
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I had never camped before in my life until last summer. In August I went across Canada and I camped 33/40 days. Here are some of the highlights:
Pemberton, BC: After cycling all day from Vancouver it was late, according to googlemaps there was a hostel nearby but I couldn’t find it. So somebody I talked to suggested I set up near the tennis courts in a housing complex. So I did.
First thing that went wrong was there was a dog in one of the houses that kept barking, I actually went to tell the owner I was there, good thing he was okay with it.
At around 1am I found out that right behind the bush there were train tracks… I hear all the loud sound and get up wondering WHAT WAS GOING ON…
To top it off, at 4am the sprinklers came on… good thing I had my rain fly on.
So I learned 3 lessons: Don’t camp near rail tracks, If the grass is too green: there are probably sprinklers and don’t trust google maps so much!
Near Quesnell, BC: I had been looking for camping spots for the last 30mins, it was getting dark I saw somebody walking by the road and asked him if he would mind if I can just set up between the street and his fence, he invited me to go in his backyard. That was great! They had a dog which made me feel safe from bears (I was very scared of them at that time!).
Rest stop at 26km on Cassiar Highway, BC: There were no camping signs, but I reasoned that if somebody approaches me I can explain that I prefer to camp there because I can stash my food in the bear containers. During the night I saw headlights and barely remember somebody saying “This is crazy” or something like that.
Next day I hit another rest stop, 220km down the road. I got great sleep and woke up to this (see image above). Nobody bothered me at night even though I can be seen from the road.
I arrived at Iskut and saw that there was a music festival (Sacred Headwaters Music Festival), I decided to go see it. I was so tired so that I decided to camp there. After watching the dance competition I went to sleep right away, despite the loud music. It was beautiful area and I saw people still playing songs at 8am! (pic above)
Alaska Highway, KM 1024: I saw this nice ridge and decided to camp there, I learned the importance of camping on Level ground the hard way. I was too tired to move so I just fell asleep like that (good thing I did not roll down the hill, haha). Pic above
Top of the World Highway, Yukon: I was on top of fairly rough gravel, but the view was spectacular (I was right on the edge of a steep drop off). I was about 5m from the road, but luckily the border crossing does not operate after 8pm. I had this wonderful spot to myself!
~KM 120 (Dempster Highway, Yukon): Have you ever walked through the Tundra? Its tough, now imagine pushing/carrying a fully loaded touring bike through it, for 1km. The view was worth it.
Sleeping on a cloud! (or as close to doing that as I'll get). After exhausting day in sun/rain/mud and bad road.
I saw the forecast at Eagle Lodge: 50km/h sidewind (70 gusts), sadly I will be turning to face it head on at some point. But I decided to go anyway. Wearing all the clothing that I own (2 sweathers and a rainjacket - well it was August), I was freezing. I spent about 2-3 hours on the climb up the Richardson Mountains where I cross the continental divide for the 3rd and final time. While hiding in the cover of the "Welcome to Northwest Territories" sign, somebody pulled over and told me there was a bear down the road. There were also flurries, but accelerated to 50+km/h they aren't so nice. I wanted to pass the bear and set up camp down the road, but it was too cold so I just took my chances. There were no trees or any cover (I decided not to go too close to the river to avoid wildlife encounters). Just before I set up I saw a caribou leg, not a pretty sight but I did not have time or energy to go back to the road and move.
After 4 frigid hours, I remembered that somebody gave me an emergency blanket in British Columbia, that, for all I know saved my life. I was able to fall asleep with it.
I did not expect snow in the middle of august and below zero temperatures (but then again, I wasn't planing to go so far north)
The next one is interesting, I saw the police pickup at one of the rest stops before Inuvik. I asked them where I can camp so they said anywhere. That night I set up at a park on the river in town. Nobody saw me aside from a person walking his dog in the morning. The RCMP station at Inuvik had a police RV, never seen that before (sadly I did not take a photo of it
)
Not too proud of the next one, on my second day back in BC (I hitchhiked back to where I made a turn 25days ago, so I can cycle back to Ontario) I set up at a rest area in Glacier National Park, the rest area (and trailhead) was closed, there were warnings about a grizzly and her cubs, but there was literally no other spots to camp on the trans-canada highway. I vaguely recall car lights facing my tent (and because the area was closed and locked, it must have been park rangers or police?). Luckily they did not say anything.
Now, I was there without a park permit and camping at a rest area, I would not recommend doing those but I had no money at the time (long story).
Pemberton, BC: After cycling all day from Vancouver it was late, according to googlemaps there was a hostel nearby but I couldn’t find it. So somebody I talked to suggested I set up near the tennis courts in a housing complex. So I did.
First thing that went wrong was there was a dog in one of the houses that kept barking, I actually went to tell the owner I was there, good thing he was okay with it.
At around 1am I found out that right behind the bush there were train tracks… I hear all the loud sound and get up wondering WHAT WAS GOING ON…
To top it off, at 4am the sprinklers came on… good thing I had my rain fly on.
So I learned 3 lessons: Don’t camp near rail tracks, If the grass is too green: there are probably sprinklers and don’t trust google maps so much!
Near Quesnell, BC: I had been looking for camping spots for the last 30mins, it was getting dark I saw somebody walking by the road and asked him if he would mind if I can just set up between the street and his fence, he invited me to go in his backyard. That was great! They had a dog which made me feel safe from bears (I was very scared of them at that time!).
Rest stop at 26km on Cassiar Highway, BC: There were no camping signs, but I reasoned that if somebody approaches me I can explain that I prefer to camp there because I can stash my food in the bear containers. During the night I saw headlights and barely remember somebody saying “This is crazy” or something like that.
Next day I hit another rest stop, 220km down the road. I got great sleep and woke up to this (see image above). Nobody bothered me at night even though I can be seen from the road.
I arrived at Iskut and saw that there was a music festival (Sacred Headwaters Music Festival), I decided to go see it. I was so tired so that I decided to camp there. After watching the dance competition I went to sleep right away, despite the loud music. It was beautiful area and I saw people still playing songs at 8am! (pic above)
Alaska Highway, KM 1024: I saw this nice ridge and decided to camp there, I learned the importance of camping on Level ground the hard way. I was too tired to move so I just fell asleep like that (good thing I did not roll down the hill, haha). Pic above
Top of the World Highway, Yukon: I was on top of fairly rough gravel, but the view was spectacular (I was right on the edge of a steep drop off). I was about 5m from the road, but luckily the border crossing does not operate after 8pm. I had this wonderful spot to myself!
~KM 120 (Dempster Highway, Yukon): Have you ever walked through the Tundra? Its tough, now imagine pushing/carrying a fully loaded touring bike through it, for 1km. The view was worth it.
Sleeping on a cloud! (or as close to doing that as I'll get). After exhausting day in sun/rain/mud and bad road.
I saw the forecast at Eagle Lodge: 50km/h sidewind (70 gusts), sadly I will be turning to face it head on at some point. But I decided to go anyway. Wearing all the clothing that I own (2 sweathers and a rainjacket - well it was August), I was freezing. I spent about 2-3 hours on the climb up the Richardson Mountains where I cross the continental divide for the 3rd and final time. While hiding in the cover of the "Welcome to Northwest Territories" sign, somebody pulled over and told me there was a bear down the road. There were also flurries, but accelerated to 50+km/h they aren't so nice. I wanted to pass the bear and set up camp down the road, but it was too cold so I just took my chances. There were no trees or any cover (I decided not to go too close to the river to avoid wildlife encounters). Just before I set up I saw a caribou leg, not a pretty sight but I did not have time or energy to go back to the road and move.
After 4 frigid hours, I remembered that somebody gave me an emergency blanket in British Columbia, that, for all I know saved my life. I was able to fall asleep with it.
I did not expect snow in the middle of august and below zero temperatures (but then again, I wasn't planing to go so far north)
The next one is interesting, I saw the police pickup at one of the rest stops before Inuvik. I asked them where I can camp so they said anywhere. That night I set up at a park on the river in town. Nobody saw me aside from a person walking his dog in the morning. The RCMP station at Inuvik had a police RV, never seen that before (sadly I did not take a photo of it
)Not too proud of the next one, on my second day back in BC (I hitchhiked back to where I made a turn 25days ago, so I can cycle back to Ontario) I set up at a rest area in Glacier National Park, the rest area (and trailhead) was closed, there were warnings about a grizzly and her cubs, but there was literally no other spots to camp on the trans-canada highway. I vaguely recall car lights facing my tent (and because the area was closed and locked, it must have been park rangers or police?). Luckily they did not say anything.
Now, I was there without a park permit and camping at a rest area, I would not recommend doing those but I had no money at the time (long story).
12-05-13, 10:19 AM
#57
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The Japanese culture as it surrounds "manners" is a fascinating thing, particularly to an American. I would say it equates in a lot of ways to our reaction to the seemingly "in your face" mannerisms of some Middle Eastern and Asiatic cultures. For instance, I didn't know for a long time that the Sushi chef that isn't talking to you isn't being rude, he just might not have been on the job long enough to be allowed to...
12-05-13, 01:03 PM
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Not that I know, but could it be that both of you are sort of generally correct in a certain way? I could see being guilty of trespassing if you enter an area that's posted. But I could see having a law that's sensitive to differences between posted and unposted areas, by saying that when it's unposted you're not guilty unless you stay after being asked to leave.
It would make sense to me. Is it the law anywhere? I'm not sure.
It would make sense to me. Is it the law anywhere? I'm not sure.
https://www.leg.state.vt.us/statutes/...&Section=03705
As I read this, if it's not posted in a way that provides reasonable notice and you are not given actual notice by law enforcement or one in lawful possession of the land, you have not committed a crime.
Note that some states have separate statutes addressing entry onto specific types of land, such as agricultural and/or botanical land. NJ even has a staute addressing entry onto railroad rights of way.
12-05-13, 01:42 PM
#59
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I have so many stealth camping stories. I'm slowly writing them up for my webzine. One of my favorites was sleeping up on a picnic table in Utah before crossing the Wyoming border. There had to be more than two dozen of us camping in the rest stop. I was the only cyclist. I get up with the sun and was packed and chowing down on breakfast when the police arrived to chase us all away. Nothing more than a wake up call. I was amused.
Worst one was camping off the recreational trail in Cornwall, Ontario. I'd pre-planned a stealth campsite complete with firepit. Made the mistake of beating down a path to it. The local community had discovered it and turned it into an open air toilet. Reeked of urine. I stayed in a more open place where two of my packs were stolen while I slept. Not a good experience.
Worst one was camping off the recreational trail in Cornwall, Ontario. I'd pre-planned a stealth campsite complete with firepit. Made the mistake of beating down a path to it. The local community had discovered it and turned it into an open air toilet. Reeked of urine. I stayed in a more open place where two of my packs were stolen while I slept. Not a good experience.
12-05-13, 02:23 PM
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Saw this guy when I was leaving BC, pretty good spot if u ask me!
Pico Triano, weren't you afraid of bears? I always preferred tenting if there was a remote possibility of one showing up.
12-05-13, 02:56 PM
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Never had a problem with bears. I worry about them where I'm living now.
My first tent was an old pup tent unfortunately I stayed in a lot of places where stakes wouldn't go into the ground. If I every go camping that way again I'll get a cheap popup.
My first tent was an old pup tent unfortunately I stayed in a lot of places where stakes wouldn't go into the ground. If I every go camping that way again I'll get a cheap popup.
12-06-13, 05:51 AM
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This past Summer, I found while on an overnigth trip in Mass. a Forestry Company that actually allows camping on their land. I found out while taking a picture a sign that they allow hiking/camping/hunting on their property with certain guidelines. Thye don't allow open fires ( stoves only) and no tarps, tents only.
