Juan Foote

I have been thinking about an inaugural tour this spring. It was supposed to be last spring but remodeling our home got in the way. In preparation for this I have been doing a great deal of reading on CGOAB, other blogs, here, as well as backpacking and hiking sites to get ideas and knowledge from those whom have been on the road. My equipment and gear lists seem pretty easy to hash out of what worked and didn't among the blogs I read..folks love to detail what they bring with. I will be staying close enough to home on this first outing or two that it would be a short drive to 'bail' from any issues.

What has been a major concern for me is where to stay. I have noted that up north there are lots of hostels, lots of ACA routes and cycle touring is common enough to have a service industry and likely hosts for surfing, etc. In the NW/W there are biker/hiker camp sites that offer a tremendous value to folks to stop in if not every night, every few for services and a shower. Here in Georgia the only ACA route we have is basically an afterthought up the coast and I rarely read of anyone being on that section long. Camping at parks here, public or private, typically costs $25-30 a night if not more and hostels don't exist.

I have been particularly concerned about the idea of "stealth" camping, but cannot reasonably budget any manner of trip I am comfortable with the cost of without doing so. It easily more than doubles my expenses when factoring in even a cheap motel, and even every other night. I have seen where a lot of people will stop at public parks and sleep there, but know from experience that the police will roust you from local parks as you aren't supposed to camp or even be there after dark in most cases.

So, for those of you experienced at touring in the "redneck zone", what did you do for camping? and how did you go about it in the case of stealth or otherwise?

I guess it is important to note that I will be riding a trike, and am an amputee so getting way off in the woods to 'hide' isn't really going to be an option

seeker333

I believe Ms Domeisen camped most of the time on her trike tour, starting in Western NC which is certainly redneck/hillbilly country:

https://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/...e_id=9445&v=DB


Also, not on trike but more time in SE:

https://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/..._id=11285&v=kI

Juan Foote

Yeah, I have actually read both of those and you note that between the two of them barely spend more than a week in mostly Alabama, and one of them one day in Ga.
Reading another post there, which I cannot recall the title of, but a pair were cycling through GA and actually through the town I live in. No warmshowers/couchsurfing hosts in the local or nearby area, and looking up "campgrounds" around here either gets you a trailer park or a religious revival camp.
I stumbled across a post in another thread here that seemed a good idea about just showing up at the fire/police and asking where to legally camp. It seems that may be a segway to a non-rousting sleep on the picnic table at the local parks.

I am a worrier by nature and not knowing where to camp is a major source of concern to me, but at the same time a comfortable $20 a day +/- as compared to $50 a day will sure allow me more time on the road.

fietsbob

Have someone to Bail You Out if your campsite is called Trespassing, on the Citation? ?

ironwood

Many years ag I rode fromTennesee to Savannah, and then to Florida, and I don't remember having to stealth camp. I stopped in state parks a,nd forest campgrounds, places where I was invited in, and a cheap hotel and a KOA. I'd be leery in the South because there are a lot of guns down there and they have "Stand your ground" laws. Also there are a lot of private forestlands and you don't know what chemicals are sprayed.

Stealth camping sounds great, the freedom of the open road and all that crap, but you had better know what you are doing. In other words if you have to ask how to do it, don't.

I admire your courage and hope you have a nice tour, but remember,"Discretion is the better part of Valor.".

Buffalo Buff

I stealth camped every single night but 1 when I went from SC to Ohio. It was also my first bike trip longer than a weekend. Some tips:

+ When you know where you are going to be stopping for the night, use google earth / google maps to browse the area and look for suitable places to stay. I'd look for buildings the general public would use (Church, school, etc.) and try to find patches of woods to camp in near them.

+ Look for areas that people would have no reason to be going to at night. For example, a couple of acres of woods just past a school, or a patch of trees in the darkest corner of a cemetery, behind a church on a thursday night etc.

+ Use a sleeping method you can setup in the dark, quietly. I used a three piece system consisting of a tarp, hammock and bug net, only using the pieces I needed each night. I could setup in 5 minutes in the dark. Not shining a flashlight around or making any noises makes it very hard to detect someone under tree cover at night if people aren't looking for you in the first place.

+ Leave before anyone would be accessing the area. I'd always be on the road by the time morning traffic was there.

+ Always heed no trespassing signs. Never go somewhere you know is private property unless you have explicit permission from the owner to stay there.

+ Don't think you have to get all your sleep at once. Sometimes I didn't find the most comforting spot to stay and I was on my toes all night. Would only manage 2-3 hours of poor sleep. No biggie, hit the road early, go as far as you can, then catch 30 minutes of sleep somewhere in the middle of the day. Just don't push yourself so hard in this type of situation that your legs cramp, been there.

I never had any issues. In fact, the one night I did run into people before I got packed and on the road, they brought me some breakfast. I was sleeping on a bench at a covered pavilion behind a church and a lady woke me up with a few breakfast sandwiches.

I'm just very against paying someone 10-30$ to borrow two trees for a few hours. It doesn't cost the state anything for me to sleep in a hammock.

I managed to tour most of my trip on about 5$ a day, and I couldn't imagine spending somewhere in the ballpark of 30-50$ a day. That would require a lot more saving up and planning.

wbuttry

A friend of mine before he left for his tour if he knew there was a few places that didn't have camp grounds he would call that city and ask if they could help him. Tell them he would be passing through there on bicycle and needed a place for that nite to pitch a tent. And they useally gave him the number to the local church or the fire dept. And neither one of those places if you ask nicely would mind you setting up your tent and getting a good nights rest. And If you contact the police dept you can useally get permission to setup a tent in the local park. And they useally send a extra patrol out to make sure nobody bothers you. Theres places to go you might just half to do a little foot work to get it though.

gregjones

Perhaps it would help if you could narrow your specific area of interest to somewhat smaller than SE.

Walter S

Buffalo Buff had some very good comments. I live in Atlanta and have done a lot of stealth camping all around Georgia. It's best to camp in a forest. Short of that I'll find a patch of woods somewhere. Behind a church or fire station can be good.

But I personally do like to get a couple hundred feet off the road, and the terrain is sometimes challenging. I'm not so sure about doing it as an amputee on a trike.

In Georgia you're trespassing only if there's a clear sign posted or you are asked to leave and refuse to do so. But I'm all about avoiding confrontation! Don't be seen. Leave no trace.

DeadGrandpa

I haven't tried stealth camping around here, but I grew up here. +1 Heed "NO TRESPASSING" signs. I would be more afraid of dogs than someone threatening me with a *** if I were to approach a house, but if you can manage to knock on a door to ask "Do you know somewhere I can camp for the night, please?", do this (1) definitely before it gets dark and (2) preferably if you see someone already outside to ask. Southern hospitality is not a myth and the more rural the location, the more easily you might find it. If you are in a town area, definitely ask law enforcement. It will help in any case if you are well groomed, your rig is well organized and neat, and you don't appear to be homeless. It might be beneficial to preface any request by introducing yourself and explaining that you are on a vacation bicycle tour. In my own day rides on unfamiliar roads, when I stop to ask directions, I am frequently offered water or tea in addition to navigational help. The only folks likely to pull a *** on an amputee with a bike helmet on probably have a meth lab inside or out back. Buffalo Buff's advice sounds on the money.

staehpj1

I guess my tours count since I camped much of the time on the ST tour across the US including Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama and on other trips crossed Missouri, Kentucky, and Virginia. I don't recall using stealth at all. on those trips I did a mix of camping for free in plain sight, paying to camp in campgrounds, and getting a room once in a while. To give you an idea of where I did free camping, picnic areas are a common place for me to throw down my bivy and I slept under a bridge a time or two. I have never had any problems and was never run off from anywhere that I have camped on any of my tours.

Aerohip

$5 a day?? What, may I ask, did you eat each day? I'm usually spending $20-30/day when I Tour, and I thought that was being cheap!

CliffordK

I did a little bike camping in Italy many years ago.

Ride until dusk/dark.
Find a secluded spot out of town and pitch the tent.
No Fires or stoves.
Leave at or before dawn.
Leave nothing behind other than a bit of matted grass.

I think for the most part nobody knew I had camped, although on one occasion, there was a dog nearby that started barking.

I don't think I crossed any fences (which could be a problem in some parts of the USA where there are too many fences).
I don't remember what I did with the bike. On at least a few occasions, I brought the bike into the tent with myself.

imi

$5 a day... I'm guessing porridge oats and beans 'n rice... That's what I do, but I even buy bananas, PB sandwiches and trail mix which would be hard under $5...

Dumpster diving? Fishing? Roadkill?? Let us know!

jon c. 

I haven't done any touring since I was a kid, but I live and ride in the SE. When I was young (and lived in western NY), we'd often take local trips of a few days duration. In rural areas, we found church yards a good place to throw down a bedroll for the night.

In rural areas in the SE, small churches are in great abundance. Around here, I can't think of any rural road on which I could travel more than 5 miles without encountering one. And usually often you'll pass a few in that distance. I can't imagine that the pastor or anyone else would mind you camping there as long as there are no open fires. And local law enforcement won't harass you as long as you appear to be someone taking a bike tour as opposed to a homeless guy with a bike. They might stop and talk to you to find out, but given that you are in a somewhat sympathetic position, any encounter should not go poorly.

Wanderer

Behind churches are good, especially if you ask the Pastor if you can stay the night. We have even been invited inside for sleeping and showers.

Buffalo Buff

I'd buy fruit daily when I passed roadside fruit stands. Never spent more than a dollar at one and ate plenty of apples, bananas and a few cantaloupes.

I'd shop for trail mix, granola bars, cans of tuna, jerky and other ready to eat foods from dollar stores & surplus stores. They tend to be way cheaper than drug stores or grocery stores for packaged goods like that.

Clif bar bulk packs. Less than a dollar per bar. I found 12 packs on sale for 7$ and change, bought two.

Didn't buy juice or sports drinks. Always used water and a mix I made myself from bulk purchases beforehand (Sugar, creatine, whey & instant lemonade mix).

Granted I was operating at a caloric deficit for the trip. This wouldn't be sustainable for a 3 month long tour, but for something just a few weeks long it gave me the energy I needed. I'm also 6'4 215 lbs very athletic, so I require most fuel than most people.

I didn't bring any cooking equipment for a few reasons* but if I had a stove, I definitely would of used rice. It's a great food for backpacking, so cheap and easy to find.

*Saved weight, planned on stealth camping, and less time cooking meant more time pedaling.

bikenh

I don't ask I just usually get there around 11PM or so and set up camp. I first look on Google Earth for churches that don't have any house around them and I target those churches first during the work week. On the weekends I usually avoid churches and instead go for school, town parks, fairgrounds, behind abandoned businesses or even current businesses that open late on the weekends. I always look to Google Earth long before I get into town so I know what might be available in town and then I scout out what looks to be the best options once I get into town in the evening. Google Earth can really give you a decent feel of what a town has to offer before you ever get there. Some nights I might be right in the heart of a town, right across the street from a McDonalds. When I find a nice secluded spot with no houses around but its still close to town I take it. I also look for something that has no natural water around...aka mosquito breeding ground. So far this technique hasn't let me down.

Juan Foote

Thanks for the plentiful replies and information. I am likely worrying about it more than it will turn into.

I live in the South Atlanta area and my plan is to ride out into the Southwest of the state initially staying close enough to a "circle" of home that the wife can bring the truck to bail me out, if needed. I intend on staying completely away from cities and populated areas as much as possible while still maintaining an ability to re-supply. That won't even be an issue on the first few outings as they will likely be 2-3 day only and I can carry the stuff for that aside water. I think of myself as friendly enough to ask for water if I need it, so perhaps I should just turn that confidence towards asking about a place to camp.
There is a saying, easier to ask forgiveness than permission....but I think that also may stand better in an area where the populence owns less guns.

SlowSpinner

Just a quick thought. There have been increased thief, incidents of vandals and arson at rural churches in the south in recent years. Local citizens and law enforcement now watch rural churches for unusual activities more often than in the past.

gpsblake

Toured from South Carolina to Abilene, Texas in 2005, stealthed camped every single night. Very easy to do in the southeast, you can always find a patch of woods that show no current human interest.. Just don't end your day in a major town or city.

gpsblake

I spent about 10 bucks a day on food when I toured and had I not been a sucker for sodas, it would have been half that amount.

BigAura

I've done a good bit of free camping in the Southeast US. Although most of it has been stealth in places where I won't bother anyone, I've also used alternatives. I've been successful asking landowners, asking about and using small town parks with permission, asking in rural fire stations if I could camp outback. In pay state camp grounds, I've also been successful in finding someone that would be willing to halve the cost of his site (I say his because I scout out a single guy camper).

An important thing is, on a tour, you're looking for average cost per day. If you keep this mindset, and try your best every, you should be be able to kept your cost down.

Juan Foote

My ideal would be about $15-20 a day while alone on the road. It appears though the replies here and a few other places I have inquired that it will be easily doable simply by expanding my comfort zone a bit and stop worrying.

lhendrick

There will be a movie one day. A post apocalyptic America with a bike touring guy riding coast to coast, sleeping in church yards, saving damsels in distress, eating fish and squirrel he catches, fighting off roving bands of thugs and avoiding arrest by power-crazed police. We will all be prepared for this