Originally Posted by
JoeyBike
So if by "poor planning" you mean that every bike tourist should be rich and only tour at times of the year when there are ample services open and available, then you are correct. For those on a budget or trying to stay on the road for months or years, the allure of a FREE spot to hide out is very tempting. Yes, they are breaking the law. So long as they don't burn the woods down in the process and leave no trace of their stay it's difficult for me to get all ruffled about it. I know a guy from Australia who paddled a kayak down the Mississippi River from Minnesota to the mouth of the river and camped on the river bank without permission every single night until I put him up at my house in New Orleans for a couple nights. He never got caught, and no one cared to catch him either. It can be done, and some travelers really don't have a problem with doing it. It's not for me, but I find it hard to care.
I think it is wonderful that you know someone who camped out on the banks of the Mississippi without a problem. That has nothing to do with the issue at hand.
One of the aspects of private property that occasionally gets overlooked is that the property owner gets to decide what is and isn't worth getting "ruffled" over. It isn't up to you or me to decide what might be OK on someone else's private property. They get to decide. In the case of the Katy, many of the adjacent landowners have made it very clear that they don't want you setting foot on their property. Even if they hadn't, you know the property isn't yours, so it shouldn't be that hard to stay off it.
Good planning doesn't require being a rich cyclist in the summer. It requires planning - something anyone can do. You'd agree that good planning would require a patch kit, a few rudimentary tools, and an adequate supply of food and water, right? Why would having a good idea of where you're going to camp be any different?
BB