Security questions

[UNTMatt]

When you camp for a few days, how do you secure your campsite? Do you just put your stuff in your tent and leave it while out riding or do you take it with you everytime you ride?

I started thinking that I'd hate to come back to the campsite to find our bag liners w/clothes, tank bag, tail bag, all gone.

[Mark]

Depends on the campsite.
I always leave my tent/bag/pad in the tent and I usually leave my clothes too.
You can ask the camp host if there have been any issues... it will give you piece of mind if they say 'no' and it will let you pack your goodies if they say 'yes'.

If the site is really remote I pack it all up usually because I'm not coming back to the same place... :)

Mark

[hawkeyeST]

When you camp for a few days, how do you secure your campsite? Do you just put your stuff in your tent and leave it while out riding or do you take it with you everytime you ride?

I started thinking that I'd hate to come back to the campsite to find our bag liners w/clothes, tank bag, tail bag, all gone.I've never had a problem with humans messing with my camping equipment, ever. Critters are another issue. If you leave any food unattended, be prepared to share. :)

[Austin city limits]

I lick everything I have and make sure everyone in the camp see's me doing it too... :crackup

[Coop]

I lick everything I have and make sure everyone in the camp see's me doing it too... :crackup

I guess the story about your indecent exposure arrest was true? LOL!!

[Mellow]

I keep with me what I could use at a hotel if someone did mess with my gear. So, clothes and stuff are always with me. The gear, it's paid for itself several times over and if someone needs a tent that bad then they have worse issues than I do, they are welcome to it.

I just hope they do it when I'm not inside.. .I do sleep with my axe...

[LeeWonnacott]

I guess the story about your indecent exposure arrest was true? LOL!!

Coop... he DID SAY he licks EVERYTHING ... :eek:

[UNTMatt]

I keep with me what I could use at a hotel if someone did mess with my gear. So, clothes and stuff are always with me. The gear, it's paid for itself several times over and if someone needs a tent that bad then they have worse issues than I do, they are welcome to it.

I just hope they do it when I'm not inside.. .I do sleep with my axe...

I hate riding twisties with the panniers loaded and a tailbag on the bike. When two up camping, having to carry everything with us all the time may really detract from the riding.

[STindy05]

Good topic as I am just starting motocamping and was wondering the same. I will probably leave it all in the tent except my clothes bag. They could take everything I have and I will only be out $250-300. Not that money comes easily, but I won't have to worry to much while out riding.

[Coop]

Coop... he DID SAY he licks EVERYTHING ... :eek:

Yeah, like somebody is going to steal dirty underwear!!

[STArnie13]

When I leave a tent I leave only what I won't miss much if it were taken. When camping I seldom take much of anything out of the bike except the tent and sleeping bag. That leaves my left bad empty so I can pick up some ice or food and take it back to the campsite for the night.:03biker:

[Viggo]

I've never had an issue at a campground but I am naturally a little cautious so I never leave things like a camera or other valuables. That stuff always fits easily in a pannier or tank bag so it's not inconvenient to bring it along.

All the 'camping' gear and clothes/shoes, bags, etc. I leave in the tent. Yes it would be very inconvenient if someone stole all my clothes but not really a disaster. I'd just buy some new underwear and a t-shirt and get by fine.

[BamaRider]

My camera's, and PDA are what I consider valuable. I take them with me. The rest of the stuff added up not worth 200 dollars. If a jokers wants my tent, sleeping bag and pillow then I'm like Joe, got my money's worth already so just take them.

Clothes?? I take the rational approach, now why would a guy steal my underwear, sweatpants and stuff??

In all my miles and years, never had a problem.

[iride]

HAS ANY ONE ever had anything stolen from there camp by a human???
In my 40 some years never had anything taken,,,,,,,,but don't leave stuff out to temp them, Just put the stuff up....
Mike

[Imrubicon]

I have left everthing other than costly electronics in my campsite for the last twenty years and havent had on pair of underwear with a hash mark taken yet .
I wouldnt leave my laptop but would all my clothes and sleeping gear .
I also leave my other camping gear .
I also dont advertize what I have either as if they dont see it then its not there.
most people in the camp area already have the same or close to it gear you have so why would they take the chance of a butt whipping for something they might have better already.
Most in the campsite are there for the same reason as you

[Austin city limits]

Spent 2 nights sleeping at Mt Mitchell off the Blue Ridge this summer and all my candy disappeared and I am pretty sure who took it was,,, uuumm,,, wait,,, never mind... :rolleyes:

[STreaker]

I camp "heavy". Since I'm one up, I justify everything, INCLUDING the kitchen sink by thinking if my SO was riding with me, I'd have another 100 lbs. 30 lbs of gear is nothing for the ST. There are some dumb things I have carried, like a hatchet, or 8 lbs of tools I'll never use. I always carry hot and cold weather gear, no matter what the season; the Western Mountain passes can be much colder than hotel you're sleeping in the night before you do the passes. Out West, its not unusual to do 2 or 3 passes a day. Also, ice for J. Daniels, and a CD player for your best of Willie Nelson.

[uptoblackwood]

I leave the tent with bags, pads, stove, clothes and other "camp gear" and go ride. I put everything in the tent or inside the fly and zip the tent and the fly. I've never lost a thing...except things I forget to pack on the final day at a site. :eek:
Cameras, laptop, PDA, phone and other things that are easy to lift and has that certain kind of value thieves look for....come with me in the bags or topbox.
It's a good idea to communicate with the campground "host" if the site has a host and find out if they have experienced any theft issues.
I've been camping in one form or another for 40 plus years and have never had a problem....knock wood.

Forest

[alphafang]

I got back to the campsite after a ride out whilst camping in Scotland, and noticed another bike had turned up whilst I was away. I'd got the jacket off, sat down taking my boots off and noticed that my camping stove was missing from the side of the tent, I left it there after breakfast, it was still a bit too warm to put inside the tent. I started to wonder if I had left it out, or not, you know scratching my head a bit. When a guy turned up wearing a Metallica t shirt "look I'm really sorry I just got here and unpacked and found I hadn't got my stove with me, saw your's and sort of guessed you were a biker so I borrowed yours, the girlfriend has the tea on come and have a cuppa"
That was three years ago and me and Carol visit Aiden and Gayle his partner about twice a year now for camping weekends on the bikes.
Only time anything went missing and I don't really mind.

[BridgeMan]

Does this mean that after ACL licks his dirty underwear, he could use Mellow's axe to unstick everything when they camp together??

[Austin city limits]

I place my dirty underwear,,, "Shiney Side Up" over my helmet that way no one bothers it over night...

Mostly,,, I travel alone... :rolleyes:

[UNTMatt]

Mostly,,, I travel alone... :rolleyes:

If you're licking your underwear, I can understand why...:eek:

[Mellow]

I got back to the campsite after a ride out whilst camping in Scotland, and noticed another bike had turned up whilst I was away. I'd got the jacket off, sat down taking my boots off and noticed that my camping stove was missing from the side of the tent, I left it there after breakfast, it was still a bit too warm to put inside the tent. I started to wonder if I had left it out, or not, you know scratching my head a bit. When a guy turned up wearing a Metallica t shirt "look I'm really sorry I just got here and unpacked and found I hadn't got my stove with me, saw your's and sort of guessed you were a biker so I borrowed yours, the girlfriend has the tea on come and have a cuppa"
That was three years ago and me and Carol visit Aiden and Gayle his partner about twice a year now for camping weekends on the bikes.
Only time anything went missing and I don't really mind.

Great story, I love it!

[Mark]

Yes I have had stuff stolen while camping.

Camped for 40 years with never a loss and then at Mather Campground in the Grand Canyon I heard someone say something to a ranger about missing gear.
I went back to the site and found that we had lost some small items (we were bike and truck camping so that we could bring the kids and the 2 kegs of beer).

Before this incident I barely put anything away... now I kind of hide stuff so that it isn't visible to a drive-by.
And I take my expensive stuff with me... but, I always carry that *stuff* anyway so it isn't any different than when I car/truck camp.

Mark

[UNTMatt]

The camera and expensive items would be with us. I was just wondering about the clothing in the bag liners left in the tent along with the tail bag. Those just usually go from point A to point B and are then dropped off while we hit the twisties.

[Diggers1300]

We've only had one incident at a campground, a KOA in the Smokies. Never had a problem at any state or federal campgrounds.

It was stupid kids with drug-affected brains. Alot of stuff came up missing at several sites, fishing poles, chairs, a cooler, etc. While walking around the park some of the guests found their stuff at another site, being used by the perpetrators along with drugs in plain sight!

KOA owner was an ex-cop. He confronted them, they denied it but started breaking down camp immediately. Local law enforcement showed up shortly, arrested them and impounded their vehicle and gear. Everyone got their stuff back- except what was used out of the cooler.

Turns out they were on their honeymoon, camping their way home. Great way to start a life together.

[Diggers1300]

I guess that is one great thing about pulling my Uni-go. Lock stuff up in it and lock it to a tree or picnic table leg.

[irish]

Steve and I are fairly new to camping (about 5 years) and this was a major concern for me too.

He tows a Bunkhouse camper behind his Gold Wing, so we're able to pack a LOT of stuff :o: When we leave camp, we put everything inside the camper and close it up tight - you NEVER know when it's going to rain!! Cash, cell phone and camera are on the bikes. Haven't had an issue with anything being stolen. We don't even worry about it anymore. :)

[Ripshod]

In all my years of camping, I've never had a problem. Just like everyone else here, I stash the stuff in the tent and don't worry about it.

[st1300r]

Never had a problem keep the stuff in the tent and go. Been in national state and private campgrounds, never an issue.

[retpd2001]

I just hope they do it when I'm not inside.. .I do sleep with my axe...

I sleep with a .45. Why? Because they don't make a .46! :D

[elk2112]

Never had a problem (knock wood)

[ChipSTer]

I've camped most of my life (RV, truck, ATV, Backpacked, bike, and now motorcycle)... I've never had a problem... BUT... On the bike, if I am alone (i.e. not group camping, like CampSToc, where you can get TONS of help if needed), I'll pack everything up and take it with me... I never know if I'm going to be back by dark and need to make 'other' arrangements.... :D
:cool:

[LRD1300]

MY WIFE AND I HAVE CAMPED FROM CANADA,NEW YORK SIDE ,ACROSS THE U.S. TO THE MIDSATES AND HAVE NEVER HAD A PROBLEM WITH PEOPLE,ONLY 4 LEGGED BANDITS, RACOONS,SKUNKS ETC. WE ALWAYS TAKE OUR VALUABLES JUST INCASE THERE IS A FIRST TIME.