andrewclaus

Well said.

MassiveD

Stealth camping is not harder to do in built up areas, often the opposite. People build all kinds of little niches like ditches, bridges, golf courses, abandoned lots, ravines, parks. People in towns also tend to mind their own business. And in some big citys, bums who are flaunting the camping rules are often given some protection. I find certain kinds of rural areas, the ones with 1 acre lots lining the road, particularly if there is waterfront, are like an endless prison system. Lights, guards, dogs, and they look out for each other, etc...

Piratebike

I try to camp in Church yards. Even when I am found, they have never run me off. Country Churches are the best. They usually have trees where I can hang my hammock. But I hung on the front porch columns one time.

Chris_W

I've done lots of stealth camping while bike touring in N America, Europe, and Oz/NZ. Within an hour or so of dusk, I start looking for promising areas - basically undeveloped, wooded areas. It may sometimes take 20+ km to find somewhere suitable, but I've always found somewhere (probably in the range of 50 to 100 separate nights) and I've never (to my knowledge) been spotted. It's all part of the adventure.

I've also stayed in plenty of campgrounds with crappy facilities and noisy neighbors that often make me wish that I'd stealth camped instead. Just top up the water supplies beforehand to allow more than enough for drinking, cooking, and washing, and you're good to go. Camp near a river and you can have a nice cool wash before bed. I stay away from places with No Trespassing signs and farmland, and that way don't bother anyone even if they did find me. After some practice, you get pretty good at reading maps and inferring where are good areas to look for a nice spot.

hilltowner

How come no one has mentioned cemeteries? Oops, I just saw "church yards" were mentioned. Same thing. I usually find myself in at least one during my summer ride.

CameraMan

Has anyone been forced into stealth camping with the current NPS and BLM/NFS lockout ?

MassiveD

Around here, church yards are automatic trespass and big fines apply.

MarkvW

I'd worry about stealth camping in urban areas. The homeless already know all the good places, so they're not really stealthy.

MassiveD

That is totally not true, there are dozens of places within a quarter mile of where I live in a house where you could camp, more like thousands. As far as the deep downtown is concerned, maybe tighter, but the homeless stay within a tight triangle of their services, and rarely stray. A good practice when you are just walking around where you live is to spot places you could camp, then try a few of them out.

hilltowner

What's wrong with camping with the homeless? I was invited to share the campsite of one guy in Keene, NH and was very grateful for the invitation. I left him with a 20 spot the next morning. I figured that would have been the cost of a campsite at Wheelock Campground and as far as I was concerned he was the "proprietor" of my campsite for the night. ABTW it was pretty stealthy all the same.

venturi95

I would never rely on a camo net to remain hidden from people, plus I wouldn't want to carry it. Once I camped at a closed state campground in the U.P. of Michigan. Cop comes by at 1 AM and made us move the tent 100 feet to where tents were "allowed". Another time in the U.P.... all by myself about 1/2 mile up on a rural nearly overgrown access road for a railroad at 2-3 AM or so I am awakened by headlights on me and an idling car just yards away from my tent. Probably just kids looking to park or party, but a lesson learned. I really try to avoid ALL possibility of human contact at night. Go deep, go stealth, it's my motto.

MassiveD

I got two tarp kits, one a silnylon the other the lightest quality camo. The camo one was unbelievably heavier. I'm OK with that since what I wanted in that case was the heavier material, not particularly the camo, but it was odd the huge difference in weight one would have taken on to get camo. That alone was reason not to want it for general use. The camo was far heavier than a standard fly.

Chris_W

I've never had the need for proper "camoflage" stuff - all the tents I've ever bought have been dark green, and that is sufficient for me.

tgbikes

what is Andalusia?

mdilthey

Camo isn't all that stealthy anyways...




I find the best color for a tent is a dark greenish brown. I've hidden quite effectively in that. That being said, I don't think the grey silnylon of my current tent is THAT alarmingly visible. Not particularly worried about the color.

Stealth camping is about finding a spot where it doesn't matter if you'll be seen. If someone is going to be within 50 feet of you and you need camo to hide, you're not in a good spot. Barring the wide open desert, natural cover like a hill or ~30-40 feet of forest is going to hide a neon green tent.

Ekdog

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andalusia

staehpj1

I dispersed camp a lot and seldom find a need for stealth especially in the American West. I find that I can usually camp for free in plain sight in most of the West and the Plains states with no need for stealth. It is a little harder to openly camp for free in the East, but I mostly tour in the West. Those relatively rare cases where I do use stealth I just get out of sight and keep a low profile. I strongly prefer to not need to hide though.

Different strokes, but I really don't understand the preference to resort to stealth as a default in areas where it is not required.