Stealth Camping 101

[Walleye]

If you don't camp, your input isn't helpful and will be deleted.

 

[ToddC]

I can't remember who it was but someone on this site who stealth camped a lot stated that, in small towns, he usually goes to the fire hall and asks if he can set up his tent on the grass behind them. They almost always are very interested in his method of traveling and are more than happy to accommodate him. They even fed him breakfast on one occasion.

He has also tracked down a local patrol car and asked if there was somewhere that he could sleep, again in small towns. Often they take him to a grassy area behind the police station or the local park/baseball field and tell him to set up on the edge out of the way. They often tell him that now that they know that he is there they will pass by during the night to make sure that he is OK.

It has been a couple decades, but I too have had success by asking campus security at small town colleges, and police in small towns.
The campus guard took two of us to a nice patch of trees where we had privacy and he informed the next shift we were there.

Otherwise, back roads, off the road, hidden if possible, prepped to leave at an early hour, or at a moments notice.
Leave no evidence was always the rule.
T

 

[Cocklebur]

I have used this some, Free Camping Near You | Go Camping for Free! (freecampsites.net)
I have remote camped a Lot.
It is easy to do in National Forest. But with no forest around small town parks have always worked fine.
Just driving out into the country on a gravel road and finding a flat ditch has worked good.
On two of my trips to Alaska remote camping was almost an every night deal. That is a lot harder than you think when Griz might be right next door.
Like this one off the South Canol Road.


Or this one along the Yukon River.


Very easy to find a free camp in Missouri.


And Missouri is full of Conservation land scattered throughout the state and it is all free camping.

 

[DannoXYZ]

Back in the '70's, I did a 10k mile loop around the US in my Saab. All of my camping was 'stealth' - usually I just pulled the car off a small road, threw down a ground cloth and unrolled my sleeping bag. I slept next to the car. Sometimes I parked in deserted parking lots and did the same (add a foam pad). The car held all my food and a camping stove...I was not into campfires.

Yes, I did worry about my safety, but I tried to find out of the way spaces or public areas where the worst I could expect would be a LEO telling me to leave.

I've done lots of this for years with my station wagon while at university. Do road trips to Canada and Mexico with parking in out of way lots and crawling into back for snooze.

I raced collegiate cycling and would pull up near course somewhere night before. Then meet up with people from other teams for dinner and pub. Afterwards crawl in back for the night. Best part was no rushing to race in morning since I was already there!

Still do that decades later for moto races. Mainly to save time in morning driving to track and all the hectic prep stuff in morning. Keep bedding in back with couple days food for me and dog!

If I can't make it all way to track, I usually find Walmart with RVs to hang out with. Gotten lots of great experiences sharing stealth camping stories with them, great meals for cost of groceries and even bathrooms in middle of night!

 

[jonz]

<snip>
I raced collegiate cycling and would pull up near course somewhere night before. Then meet up with people from other teams for dinner and pub. Afterwards crawl in back for the night. Best part was no rushing to race in morning since I was already there! <snip>

That reminds me of a time when stealth camping went wrong and can serve as an example of what might happen. In the 80's, two friends and I were going to do a weekend of racing on Coronado Island near San Diego, CA. Races included a triathlon so we had expensive bicycles with us. As poor starving triathletes, we figured to save money by stealth camping at a park where the races were based. Nice hidden spot in the bushes for us and our bicycles. An hour or so after laying down, we are awoken by the sound "tsst, tsst, tsst, tsst" and then a spray of water from the park's rainbird sprinklers. We quickly grab our stuff and move to a less well concealed spot. After an hour or two in that spot "CLICK" and blinding white light. Lucky for us, the cops know about the races starting tomorrow which they are working overtime at doing traffic control. They direct us to a third spot back in the bushes by a fence out of sight and in the dark. About 0230, two drunk navy seals stumble over our prone bodies as we were sleeping in the spot where they snuck back on the base. Not exactly the restful night of rest we were hoping to get before 2 days of racing.