trafficcasauras

any tips for camping in the woods? are churches good? post offices? are there places i will get arrested?
ive done it a few times, but on my tour i plan on doing it as much as possible. ill be using warmshowers, and plan on prefering to camp in state and national park land.

fietsbob

Well given the hot dry conditions make fire danger peg the needle on the high side,
check with the Forest Service for tips and cautions. probably no to fires at all.

gamecock

I've "stealthed" when I had to, last time a month ago, but I prefer commercial, state, or national park campgrounds with SHOWERS. Sometimes water is hard to acquired, and purified, chemically treated, water makes lousy coffee and oatmeal. I can make do if I have clean water.

trafficcasauras

have you ever just went to a campground during the ride without camping or paying and just used the showers?

Cyclebum

In my experience, wild/stealth camping sites are everywhere if you know what to look for. To me, wild camping is anything free. Stealth camping is when you make an effort to be totally hidden.

I like behind abandoned stores, rural churches, and the periphery of cemetaries, especially rural ones. Power/pipe line right of ways are good too. Anywhere you can be reasonably concealed and can access without too much trouble. That are not obviously posted or fenced. The later you enter and the earlier you leave minimizes the chances for nosy visitors. Leave no trace of your presence.

In New Mexico and I guess other states, you can pitch your tent in a rest area. In Texas, not. But, you can throw your pad on the ground or a table and spend the night. I recall once in New Mexico seeing a woman, sans tent, sleeping soundly on the ground at a rest area. Her faithful German Sheppard by her side. She had no fear of being disturbed.

I've noticed that even if you're seen entering a wild site, or for that matter are in view of passing vehicles, ppl mostly will not even notice you, and if they do, are too busy with their own business to be concerned about yours. Best of course to remain invisible to the public as a 911 call about 'suspicious' activity is pretty common today, and local police/sheriff department personal normally have plenty of time to go snooping about.

Wild/stealth camping adds a special touch of flavor to a bike tour. Finding the right site is like a treasure hunt. Not something I make a habit of tho, prefering more formal camp sites when reasonably available. And a motel room every 5 or 6 days.

Trikin'

I'm preparing for the last tour of our summer, probably 4 nites, 5days.
The dates coincide with the labour day longweekend (CND) don't expect much in the way of a campsite, although there's a regional park nearby. I've camped there before, but there's no security and could get dicey.
I'd prefer a provincial park, but no shower arangement there, only in a private campsite

Cyclebum

Yep. Stealthed just outside the state park. Rode in very early, showered, rode out. It's doable if you're on a tight budget, cheap, or just on a lark. More than once, I've stealthed outside the campground and paid the day use fee for amenities I needed, couple of times when the campground was full. Had a very interesting night in a full campground once after getting permission to share a campsite.

MichaelW

Tips for camping in woods?
Don't camp under big, old deciduous trees. Bits can fall off.

simplygib

Once while passing through a very small town, with no obvious camping options available, we stopped in to the local police station and asked them for suggestions. They directed us to a small county park, no fee.

Another time we asked a store clerk for ideas, and they let us set up behind the store.

Another time we stopped in to a bar/restaurant and struck up a conversation with the bartender/owner, who let us stay for free on a little plateau of land that she owned just above the bar. She really made out on that deal because we ate/drank at the bar for 3 days.

And once when we were crossing over a mountain pass, dead tired from the day-long climb and craving a shower and a real bed, we asked someone along the route who directed us to someone else, who directed us to someone else, who let us stay in a spare room in their house, meals included.

Stealth camping is great too, and sometimes that's the only option. But the examples above added a nice bit of flavor to those tours and allowed us to get to know some of the locals, at least a little.

hilltowner

+1 on the treasure hunt analogy. I stealth camp 90% of the time. I use a hammock which makes it easier to conceal the spot.
There is no need for an open piece of level ground. Quite often it's in the middle of a clump of trees. My preference is for a roadside picnic area with "sanitary facilities." There is usually a no camping sign posted with these but since there is no parked car drawing attention I've never had anyone give me any trouble.

When I can't find my preferred spot it's catch as catch can: wooded edges of soccer fields, cemeteries, industrial parks, and even in a pinch the portico of the Essex Co. courthouse in Guildhall, Vt.

Cyclebum

Not likely arrested, but for sure run off at 2 am. If it's posted and/or fenced, avoid. If a small town city park, go with the vibes, or check with police. Small town fair grounds are usually good too.

staehpj1

Yea, always a possibility, but I have found that you can generally avoid that.

After a while you get a feel for where it will be OK and where it won't. I have free camped a lot, mostly in plain sight, and have not yet been run off or arrested. I do ask the clerk at the minimart or general store, "do you think anyone with bother me if I pitch a tent in the park overnight"? If the town is large enough to have them I might ask at the local police station. In rural areas, my preference is usually to stay in small towns in the town park. I only stay at churches, mini marts, or fire houses if someone offers. When it isn't obvious I ask about possible places where I might be left alone and something usually works out. Only if all else fails do I resort to stealth.

On my latest trip I used a bivy bag and dispensed with the tent. I think that made things much easier, but it would be unpleasant if it was hot and there were mosquitoes. Either was OK with the bivy, but both at the same time was unpleasant. It was awesome in the relatively mosquito free parts of the Southwest. When it was warm, dry, and bug free I slept on top of it. When the rain started, it got cold, or the bugs started biting I climbed inside. I carried a tiny (5'x5') tarp that could be pitched over the head end of the bivy for rainy nights.

loubikes

I'm hoping to stealth camp on my first tour coming up soon. I got a hennessy hammock and I think it will really increase the number of out-of-the-way places that I'll be able to setup.

I've highlighted areas on my map that have large swaths of woods. I figured it would be easy enough to pull 10 feet in and hang the hammock.

juggleaddict

I look forward to using a hennessy hammock as well. I have heard great things and none bad. Plus they're cheaper than a similar quality tent. The huge advantage is you don't have to find ground that is clear of debris, you could potentially hang it over some rough and rooty terrain or on a steep slope. Just be careful with cold weather! : ) Shouldn't be a problem right now.

Big Lew

We're very fortunate in British Columbia that we can usually find somewhere to camp for free without being disturbed. Even if the regular public campsites are full, they will allow cyclists with small tents. During normal biking season though, mosquitoes and black flies are a real nuisance so it's best to have a good lightweight fully screened tent, preferably with a sewn-in floor.

staehpj1

There are a lot of pluses and minuses. I have been places where they would be a huge advantage and I have been places where they would be a PITA.

Also, the Hennessy is not necessarily less expensive that some nice tents. I like the Eureka Spitfire very well and it is cheaper than most hennessy models and lighter than some of them as well.

I think that if you find the hennessy much more comfortable than a tent or camp mostly in places where a smooth enough spot on the ground for a tent is extremely hard to find you should go with the Hennessy or similar. I do not think that is the majority of us.

Crossing the US on the Trans America and on the Southern tier there were many long stretches where it would have been hard to impossible to find a good spot to picth a hammock. It wasn't unusual to go for a few days without seeing a tree. On the other hand I have backpacked in places where every square foot of ground was covered with large rocks and boulders and a tent was decidedly at a disadvantage.

indyfabz

That would most likely be called theft of services. You could get yourself in some real hot water (no pun intended), especially if you did that at a private campground. If you want to use the amenities at a use fee site, pay for them or find another option like a free city park or pool.

And re: U.S. National Forests, Google "dispersed camping."

trafficcasauras

gee thanks! i had heard of trailside camping, but didnt know about dispersed camping until you told me to google it! i wont be making a fire, so i wont even need a fire permit!

gpsblake

It's easy enough to stealth camp in the woods in most parts of the USA without having to trespass on churches, post offices, behind businesses etc... I always use the dog test when looking for a spot, meaning I'll take a few minutes to listen for any dogs barking, if you can hear them bark, the dogs can hear your camp. Always respect no trespassing signs and never jump of fence to camp. Also try to avoid areas where fallen twigs and branches are on the ground, especially if the forecast is calling for wind. Also another tip is not to wait until dusk to find a spot.

I love stealth camping in safe places in land that the owners have no purpose in maintaining.

ironwood

Be very careful of deer ticks, especially in the Northeast. Those nice soft leaves are very likely to be full of them.

wahoonc

Ticks are a huge problem in this part of the country too, Deep South pine woods are full of them, Lyme Disease, Rocky Mounted Spotted Fever, and something new that came along this year.

Aaron

el Chilly Willy

yes!! i've done this many times and many different trips. Even some road trips i've paid for the day use area to swim and hang out, then mosey'd on over to the camping area to shower! i always affectionately called it stealing showers..

Northwestrider

I'm in Inuvik at the moment and have camped most of the time along the side of the road whenever I'm outside a city. I find little advantage to campgrounds which are have more noise, just as many mosquitos, same risks for bears IMO if that is a concern for you. Some campgrounds have showers though which are great.

Jude

No real downside of hammocks other than that you can't spread them out. Yeah, you can't use them everywhere, but that's not really a minus, that's just something that never causes you a problem because you plan carefully and don't rely on using a hammock when there aren't trees.

On a cross-country trip, ship the hammock home once you cross the Mississippi, and have a tent waiting for you for the Plains and the desert.

stevepusser

Along the San Diego/ Orange County coast, yes. An example would be hitting the showers at San Clemente campground before camping at the Hike and bike site at San Onofre (which had cold, outdoor showers) The hot showers at SC cost $, though, so you aren't really stealing from them. Now neither campground features H&B sites, though.

I've stealth-camped and used a hose outside an empty volunteer fire department for a shower, but it was still about 35 C in the late afternoon and felt great.

When "wild camping" and no showers or warm enough bodies of water are available, heating up a quart of water on your stove and mixing it with cool water to about 100 F in your water bottles or a gallon jug will allow you to take an adequate shower--one quart for your hair and body to soap up, and one quart to rinse off (I use big water bottles!) Wear your dirty shorts if in public, this helps starting to clean them, and then you can finish hand-washing them later if enough water is available.