Stealth camping

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Has anybody every done any bicylce touring/stealth camping? Not sure if the wife will let me get away with it... but sure sounds like a nice way to get away from it all for an evening or two every now and then. Especially here in MI with so much public lands.

Would say I likely have all the gear, maybe not super lightweight on the camping side but reasonable. Just picked up the USGI modular sleep system, also... so of course I'm looking for a reason to try it out!
 
some state forests have primitive campsites off trail with just a nearby pit toilet and fire ring , usually more privacy or remote in state park hike or canoe in sites.. Nice and quite ..
 
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I've camped in a few places in London (Battersea Park is my favorite) and have camped in Hong Kong (on the slope of Victoria Peak, near the PLA barracks, and on the shore near the airport). Urban off-site camping is usually/always clandestine, which probably qualifies as "stealth", but I try and be fairly stealthy in "wild" venues as well, since they are often restricted, and where they aren't you might get unwelcome attention. (E.g. Indian lands in the Sierra Madre and Barranco del Cobre.)

A hammock is very useful since you can move into a location and put it up in the dark without showing lights or making much noise, you don't need flat ground, you won't find that you've been sleeping in direct contact with excrement, and you're less likely to have rats run over you.

They give you a higher profile which I suppose is a little "non-tactical", but in cover, in the dark, with (hopefully) no one shooting at you, that doesn't much matter.

I've mostly used a cheap one I bought in Thailand, with a US Army surplus poncho I bought in San Diego for weather protection, but the Hennessy "designer" hammocks look nice.
 
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Originally Posted By: JustinH
I'll stick with camping at the holiday inn, that is my idea of "roughing it"


Having stayed at the Holiday Inn in Bracknell (company was paying) I tend to agree with you.
 
Originally Posted By: JustinH
I'll stick with camping at the holiday inn, that is my idea of "roughing it"


The last place I stayed, a LaQuinta, didn't have a working toilet!

My $200 popup has better facilities!
 
Originally Posted By: OneEyeJack
Do you mean camping where no one else camps? Like the Vietnam Vets in California?
The druggies.
 
What is "stealth" camping?
confused.gif
 
I think of stealth camping as camping in areas that aren't strictly allowed. I wouldn't consider public lands that. Either way, I've never done it, the closest I've done is a backpacking trip and a canoe camping trip. Last year, my wife and I had a camping trip up to sleeping bear, which was great, but saw some of the Manistee National Forest on the way up and are thinking about doing a backpacking trip there this year for a more primitive experience. We're hammock campers.

I would say, just do it! Maybe plan a quick overnighter at a campsite, or practice with your new sleep system in your back yard to make sure it all works as needed before you wander too far into the woods.

Let us know where you go and how the trip goes!
 
Yeah, "stealth" camping is when you've setup your nondescript minivan to be a camper, so that you can park in a neighborhood and not stand out.

You're talking about BLM or FS land camping, which is "dispersed" (i.e. no facilities usually).


Great way to see new areas. Sometimes less traveled.
Just remember to "pack it in, pack it out" and our public lands will stay enjoyable for all.
 
Originally Posted By: surfstar
Yeah, "stealth" camping is when you've setup your nondescript minivan to be a camper, so that you can park in a neighborhood and not stand out.

You're talking about BLM or FS land camping, which is "dispersed" (i.e. no facilities usually).


Great way to see new areas. Sometimes less traveled.
Just remember to "pack it in, pack it out" and our public lands will stay enjoyable for all.


Exactly. Check the dispersed camping rules for the forest where you want to camp, and leave no trace of your visit.

Maybe there's a thrill to be had from camping where you're not supposed to, but I'd rather enjoy a night's sleep than have a shotgun-totin' landowner or a ranger wake me up.
 
that is what they do, any bridge, anytime.
Dated a homeless lady once, it was great, when the date was over, I just dropped her off anywhere ..... but it was difficult to find her for the second date.
 
Originally Posted By: BalticBob
that is what they do, any bridge, anytime.
Dated a homeless lady once, it was great, when the date was over, I just dropped her off anywhere ..... but it was difficult to find her for the second date.

Welcome back where have you been?

Wasting no time getting back into the swing I see.
 
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