Over my two decade career in the Army I slept countless nights making every effort to remain undetected. We didn’t call it “Stealth Camping” but called it a Patrol Base. One of the rules was to never use white light and if any light was necessary it was a red light under the cover of a poncho, i.e., searching for something in your pack (Rick Sack), you pulled your poncho over you and your ruck then used you red lens flashlight to search. Another rule was while using your camo poncho as a tarp, it had to be no more than 18 inches above the ground at any point. This kept it below average eye level and help blend into the terrain. Good luck to all the Stealth Campers!
I used to be so good at breaking out my poncho hootch when the rains started, maybe 20 seconds from halt to GTG if there were good branches around me. Good times in the 82nd so many years ago, good times indeed!
My parents had an incident early in their marriage, they were tent camping on a road trip, but couldn't find anywhere to stop. Finally pulled off the main road and into some trees, then stumbled around in the dark until they found a grassy spot where they set up. They slept well, and when they poked out of the tent in the morning they discovered they were camped on a golf course, and some early golfers were wondering what was going on. Fortunately they got packed up and left before they were thrown off.
I also camped on a golf course. I was on a 5 day canoe trip and wasn't having luck finding a pull out/camp spot and we came across one of the holes down by the river. Set up camp in the deep rough behind the green. Got up and left the next day no problems. While canoeing, you never know when you'll get somewhere, so you make do with what you have. I have also stealth camped backpacking, motorcycling and car camping. I've never had problems.
FYI - Dakota hole fires can be a big fire hazard. They can ignite roots which can smolder for weeks, and fires can pop up yards from where your fire pit was. If you need to have a fire, something like a solo stove is a lot safer.
Ive heard this before and think they're even illegal in many places. That said, I've used hundreds of times for decades w no issue. I know people say that about dakotas but dont understand how a regular fire pit is any different. Digging a few inches down doesnt magically make a fire more dangerous. In fact they're smaller, more contained, easier to fully extinguish, require far less fuel.
@@ct00001 it’s not “magically more dangerous”, it’s more dangerous because it potentially exposes roots to the fire. I’m sure it’s a similar risk to building a fire over exposed roots above ground, but underground they’re easier to miss.
Be aware that when digging a hole for doing a stealth fire that you may just set the materials in the ground on fire and it can smolder and cause a huge fire when it is not totally extinguished. good luck having enough water to drown it well enough not to become a fire bug> This is especially true in a pine or fir type forest area where the ground can have a foot or so of litter that is not really decomposed as much as you would think it was.
Thruhiking and living out west, I feel stealth camping is a misnomer. It’s more stealth SLEEPING. And as such, no fires. Setup after (or as close to) dark and leave before dawn.
The best choice for stealth camping is to never, ever have a fire. As I live out west and live with the reality of forest fires, I won’t build a fire in any situation more remote than an established campground with fire rings. It’s just too dangerous.
@@theskyehiker - exactly. I’ve even pretty much stopped making fires even in established camps with fire rings. It’s just too much responsibility. It also takes away from sleep time and potentially uses precious water to extinguish. Many of those camps have trees that have been stripped bare of any branches that are within reach too. That’s not LNT and I don’t want to add to the problem. I can see exceptions for emergencies and in winter hiking.
Being a solo female backpacker, I stealth camp quite a bit especially if near roads or “townie” spots (places w a view that are easily accessible w a town nearby and often littered w cans and bottles that hikers don’t carry, burnt out impromptu fire rings w cig butts, trash, etc.). I start looking before it gets dark for a spot that puts a small hill or something similar between me and the trail. And I go off off trail in the middle of nowhere, where you’d never think of finding someone using a spot. (And I make sure to really take stock of my surroundings so I know which direction to go in the morning when I haven’t had my coffee yet!)
If you use twigs, logs and rocks, you can make little directional indicators as you go so help find your way back. They can help you in the dark also, if you have to suddenly leave before the sun comes up.
If you have been in town before going off to find a stealth spot get a jar of cold coffee.... that way you can enjoy it as you are packing up to leave in the a. m. and be your sharp caffeinated self getting back to the trail
I stealth camped in Riverbend Park on the East end of the Ocean To Lake Trail in Florida. I just loitered around the park until it closed at dusk, then hung my hammock under one of the picnic shelters. I set an alarm at 4 AM, ate breakfast, broke camp and left just before sunrise. Finished the trail that day.
The word ‘park’ should be a resting word. Cedar Key Park closes at 11 p.m., which keeps undesireables ‘s alcohol out. Normal, efficient cowboy sleeping on beach, after permission, shouldn’t be a problem. Every Sunday we say the Lord prayer, “ forgive our trespass, as we forgive those who trespass against us “
I've been stealth camping off and on since 1967 and never had an issue or bad experience. Dixie is spot on. Here are a few rules that have served me well. 1) Leave no trace, none-Ever. Live respect for your host - a small shovel is your best friend. 2) Set up after dark, be gone by first light (nap later if you have to) 3) Remember vehicles/heavy equipment can be fired up and moved at any hour. Think about where you set up. 4) Have a "shelter for your shelter" ie. an earthtone/camo light tarp to cover your tent/break up your outline.
Thirty-five years or so ago, my husband was a master at getting us (including two young daughters) lost between campgrounds, so we stealth camped a number of times. He would find a rural side road to turn onto, and we would set up the dome tent wherever a wide, level patch of grass happened to be. Once we had to set up after dark, and awoke the next morning beside an old cemetery. Our girls thought it a great adventure! With my aversion to arachnids, I'll leave the cowboy camping to you, Dixie. Love all your videos!
An important aspect of "stealth" is "leave no trace". If you arrogantly trash up the place, naturally the property owner is gonna be less that welcoming to the next guy. But if you leave the spot looking like "nothing happened here", chances are the property owner will neither know, nor care.
when I find a super sweet spot, I will always clear the area where I put down my ground sheet and sleeping bag in order to establish it as a "campsite" for others in the future, and I note it in my maps for the future. while thru hiking, super sweet sleeping spots are always awesome to come across! keep your "leave no trace", stop being so anal.
Here in South Texas "Stealth Campers" strew trash everywhere. I've seen campsites on private ranches where the trash was 6 inches deep and you can walk 20 feet in any direction without touching the ground.
This makes me happy to live in New Zealand, where I walked Te Araroa and many other multi-week hikes, and have spent some years bike touring in Australia. Few impediments to camping anywhere, fortunately. No one cares, except in obvious very public places. I've camped in a band rotunda, under shaggy trees, once 100 m from the main town supermarket, under the bleachers of schools during school holidays, etc. As well as getting off remote roads. Just behind that bush will do, as people can't see you when driving at night, if anyone ever does. And 30% of the South Island is public land where you can camp anywhere, as long as you are discrete when close to others. I had 4000 sheep walk through the campsite while packing up quickly. I've camped on plenty of beaches. People sound much more tolerant here. No authorities would bother to disturb you, because there aren't any. And yeah, I've camped like this 100s of nights in the last 15 years.
To be able to leave quickly it also helps not to spread out your stuff but already pack as much as possible as early as possible and leave everything packed you don't really need unpacked. The less you need to pack, the quicker you can leave. And it also helps, if your ruck has some extra space to take up your shelter, sleep system etc. without it being neatly folded, rolled, compressed and all that. That way you can just stuff all of it into your ruck, quick and dirty, and be ready to leave should you need to.
I've done lots of backpacking and stealth camping as a transient , having hitch hiked across Canada 11 times when I was younger; in those times I employed a lot of what Dixie advised for months at a time , but now like she said Big Brother's cameras are almost everywhere at least in urban areas anyhow. I usually just got up just before dawn , packed-up , left no trace and was on my merry way; harder to do now a days even in rural areas.
when urban camping you can go to industrial parks, find concrete slabs and sleep there.The warehouses that are empty are your best bet. Just make sure you are out as early as possible. Also the motto "pack it in/ pack it out" apples so no one knows you were there.
residential construction sites can be great places to urban camp however like you mentioned be very wary of cameras and security always case the area , arrive late , sleep with one eye and both ears open and leave well before dawn as most construction trades start very early and leave zero footprint 😊
I went to Yellowstone about 4 years ago . If I remeber correctly , the cabins at the lodge cost $300 per night . And you earned points for the reference to Louis L'Amour western books !
@tomconnor2529 You are right ,I completely agree with the advice she gave . I REALLY appreciate though the very last part of your video when she remind people to clean up after themself and if possible after those who were not as clean minded before you. Hope you staying safe ?
I stealth camped in my car at one of the Grand Teton lodges parking lots. It was getting late & I wanted to spend more time in the park the next day. So I just tucked my car in with all the other paying customers' vehicles, & " hunkered down" for the night. Free & it worked. 💭 Paying $300 to shower & sleep is nuts anyway.
Dixie thanks for adding leaving the place clean and better than you found it. With so many people without shelter or just being in our parks and trails all over they are making it hard to do the fun things outside in some places. So thank you for letting the weird people know that trash does not clean itself. ❤
My first thru hike of the A.T. I stealth camped on the tower at Clingman's Dome and in the short pine trees atop Webster Cliffs but my best stealth camping was between two Interstate highways. I was trying to hitch home and I got dropped off on an exit ramp / entrance ramp between two Interstates. I had to stay there to hitch because there is not hitching ON the Interstate. I tried to get a ride for almost 4 hours and It started to get dark so I went into a small clump of pine trees in the middle of the cloverleaf and stealth camped there. I even set up my green tarp and had a peaceful night. At the break of dawn, I walked 40 yards back up to the ramp and continued to hitch where I got a ride in about 3 minutes.
I've often thought about this for people hiking the Great Divide Trail. Nearly all of the trail is through provincial or national parks, which require booking specific campsites. For the national parks, a lot of these sites have to be booked months in advance, and some spots are so popular you have to enter a lottery and hope for the best - basically it's impossible to do anything but stealth camp for the majority of your thru hike. I'm sure Parks will think of a better system as the trail gets more and more popular. Have you ever thought about hiking the GDT???
We had rented one of the lodges of the hotel you showed when we visited Yellowstone Park for a week, nice to remember. With "stealth camping" I have some experinence, mainly because it is forbidden to camp outside of dedicated locations in my densely populated country. "Cowboy camping" is a gray zone, I always choose this version when sleeping in the woods. In the evening I eat and then move to a diffenent place to sleep, usually making camp after darkness. No fire, no waste, no traces. Never had problems, although one night I woke up in the middle of a military training which took place in the area. Was a surprise for all of us. :)
I always stealth camp in Switzerland and what I do is, once I've selected my camp site, I prop my bag up and I walk in a wide circle around the perimeter of the place I want to set my camp on and check if it's going to be visible. I usually do that if there is a road nearby because I hate to fear being discovered every time I hear a car passing by.
NO to the Dakota fire pit It can cause unseen root fires because it is deep in the soil Stealth camping = no open fires Stealth camping is a new concept based on the need to hide implying illegal I have been secluded camping for 55 years End of day you find a place out of line of sight It could be the corner of a field where the farmer would have to walk into that specific field to see you, which would be highly unlikely Decide on the line of site of discovery like a trail or path Uphill not on a ridge line Red light covered by your body Cooking stove again covered by your body Set up late Leave early
I was crossing Michigan on a horse-packing trail and needed to stealth camp in some places. Once I was within 50 feet of a well traveled road but found a clump of bushes and trees to hide behind. I pitched my brown tarp about 2 feet high and crawled in just as dusk settled in. All of your suggestions work well.
Going along AT and it got dark fast, we went off trail couple hunded yards to avoid traffic, next morning I learned we camped in Burkittsville right in "Blair Witch Project" woods. It was a good night but if I'd of known I wouldn't have slept a wink ; )
Since I‘m from and still in germany, every camping is stealth camping for me. The legal situation is so very complex here, but the safest thing is to asume, that pitching your tent is illegal where ever you are if not on private ground with a permission from the owner. Bonus is that if someone spots you in the wild, german custom is to tell you you are in the wrong or even call the authorities on you. Sooooo I‘ll always make sure no one sees me and my backpack does not look like I‘d sleep outside. Bummer!
Scott, in 1982 a bicycle journey on Route 6 & 30 in Illinois & Indian cowboy camping, w permission knocking on farmer’s door, saved money. Fun to visit at same time on green grass !
I’ve been considering doing the Delaware and eastern shore of MD on the American Discovery Trail. There is only 1 formal campground along that stretch. Basically requires stealth camping on roadsides.
In Europe, wild camping outside campsites is officially prohibited almost everywhere. In addition, Europe is very densely populated. Many people therefore do not dare to go wild camping. But even campsites have become insanely expensive and are often fully booked in the summer. If you don't want that, you have no choice but stealth camping. In practice, stealth camping also works quite well in Europe if you follow a few simple rules, as you show in your video.
Once after a resupply on the AT I was faced with a pitch black climb out of town with no flat spots expected for miles. So I backtracked a bit and found a clearing in the woods that seemed ideal. In the middle of a night, a giant security light mounted on a pole, turned on and lit my campsite up like a stadium.
Hey Dixie, agree wholeheartedly with you. In regards to "Leave No Trace" it seems like your preaching to the chior, because a lot of times I go hiking/camping there seems to be a lot of garbage at the campsites. My trash bag I use is only so big to carry all that extra garbage. Thanks for letting me use your channel to rant!
Hi, along time ago whilst hitch hiking through Italy and being dropped off on a major road junction in the early hours of the morning I camped in the centre of a heavily wooded roundabout. I had some strange looks when I broke camp and had to scurry across the road playing chicken with 4 lanes of traffic. You do what you need when need arises. No harm done.
I had to stealth camp in the Smokies in March in '21 on a clear cold night. I threw down my sleeping bag and slept behind some bushes a few feet off trail. I was very tired and it had gotten dark. Set my phone alarm to just before dawn, took a caffeine vitamin in the AM, , and started hiking before daybreak. Also had food in a bear canister and did not cook. I've stealth camped other times on the PCT and AT as well. As long as I can stay dry, it's really not too bad. I try to follow the rules, but sometimes, the unexpected can occur.
Hi Dixie! I was hoping you good give us some info on caring for/ cleaning our equipment. I'd hate to spend so much on a quilt, a tent, etc. & have them ruined by tossing them in the wash or whatever. Best practices basically for your favorite stuff so it lasts forever!
There’s a few different companies that have a line of tech washes for various types of outdoor gear: down, poly-fill, waterproof fibers (like goretex rain gear), mold & mildew remover, silicone embedded nylon and dynema (like tents and packs), etc. most you can do in your home washer or bathtub. To wash a down sleeping bag not only do you need the special wash and a couple sets of down dryer balls, you also need a large dryer that can run on the no-heat tumble dry for hours, I suggest a jumbo laundromat dryer and a shit-ton of quarters/card credits.
Awesome video as always, Dixie! 😊And I loved the bloopers! 🤣 The expression "stealth hiking" brought up some of my hilarious hiking memories 😆Thank you for that.
Thank you for addressing this. I've left comments in RUclips asking hikers why they are not more specific about where they stop to camp, as it was a concern of mine that it would be illegal to just stop where you want. Questions always went unanswered. I guess people don't want to be on record. Thank you for being willing to open about it.
Far out App, modern day term for HOBO symbols of yesterday. Was handy then as well as now. I guess many of todays hikers have no idea what I'm talking about.
And that's why I prefer hiking in places like Scotland and Norway. Wild camping is legal and I can pitch my tent anywhere I like(with some reasonable rules - like not to camp near someone's house or on a farmland). Don't need to hide. All legal. And my flight from the East Coast to the Midwest or the West Coast cost about as much. Leave no trace!
Thanks Dixie! My ZPacks Duplex tent came in a color called “dirt” and the light brown color blends in to most backgrounds. It sort of looks like a boulder. Having a low key color definitely helps me stealth camp. Happy trails!
Hey Dixie - I stealth camp on campus at our shared alma mater one football weekend every fall. It's better than any other accommodation and, surprisingly, not technically against university rules. Just a little info you might enjoy. Your tips are spot on!
Carry lightweight camo screen material and use it as a cover or as a wall to decrease the odds of detection. 3'x7' along with string/stakes to secure it.
I never called it stealth camping. Never heard the term until last few years. I called it camping off trail hidin' from people. Which happened to be the reason I was out there hiking to begin with. LOL. BTW, that is legal in my national forest. You can pitch a tent anywhere off trail, but leave no trace is strongly encouraged. Which I appreciate and do. She made a very good point around 6:20 about SAR and your visibility.
Same for me, I’d never heard of stealth camping until RUclips a few years ago was like wtf? It never occurred to me that in other countries simple camping is mostly illegal. If you find me camping in Kentucky it means you’re as crazy as me! 😂. We’re off trail so as not to be seen or heard.
You're awesome Dixie. Seems like Yellowstone is so forested that one could just walk 50 yards in any given direction and be pretty well out of sight. Then there are the bears of course.
My best stealth camping was in Iceland. After landing at the Keflavik Airport I hiked an hour into an open field waking up to grazing cattle. In Reykjavik I climbed a fence and camped in a closed campground. Someone lit up my tent that night but didn't wake me.
Yosemite has backpacker campgrounds in the Valley and Tuolumne Meadows for a minimal charge . You can qualify for using them by having a valid Wilderness Permit for the next day or if you arrived by foot, bicycle, or bus. The Valley one can't be used by people in the middle of a hike. I don't know if other national parks have backpacker campgrounds like those.
Yeah, some folk subscribe to camo gear, but if you are noticed it will generally not be in a good way. I carry a superlight olive single tarp, even on day walks. If it's reasonably fine, that can be set in a very low to the ground stealth mode which is a lot less visible than a tent. If it's actually wet enough to need the full cover of a tent, then I doubt anyone who cares will be out and about to notice your tent. I tend to try to dress drab and carry a drab pack & shelter. It's a fly fishing habit, to not be noticed by either fish or land owners. Why land owners? In my state, I am allowed to fish a stream through private property as long as I have entered from a public access point & stay within the high flow level of the stream. Land owners generally don't like this & some can be extremely unpleasant, so I try to not be noticed. Anyway, I use the same outdoor gear when hiking as well. So I am really trying to blend into nature. On the safety side of things, I carry an emergency 1st aid Mylar sheet and for overnighting I use a more robust space blanket as a footprint under a tent or sleeping gear. The space blanket is hot fluoro pink on one side & silver on the other. Both items are my visual signalling devices. Mostly I am solo, so a PLB is a must, my 1st aid kit & PLB remain on my person at all times, because having them out of reach is the same as not having them at all.
A friend and I "stealth" camped after a long day, well after dark in dense fog when we found a flat grassy area to cowboy camp. We woke up the next morning to two golfers teeing off about twenty feet from us because we were on a golf course. Another time, two friends and I stealth cowboy camped again in total darkness only to be abruptly woken up about 2 AM by a blinding light, a loud roar, and the ground shaking. We were all out of our sleeping bags in a flash in time to see a train come roaring by about 30 feet away.
A sniper’s veil is a good, lightweight piece of kit for breaking up your profile. I’ve never trespassed when camping, but as a solo female hiker, I often just don’t want others to know I’m there.
Dixie!!! I can't believe you smacked that poor starving mosquito that landed on your head!! She was just looking for some nice, tasty Southern food 😋 😜 😉
I can imagine scenarios on a long-distance hike where you might just have to bivouac. Alcohol stoves are great for stealth camping as they are absolutely silent. A saw makes little noise compared to an axe if you do that kind of camping. And don’t go banging your pots or cups around, that clanging noise can travel! Ridiculous that such measures are needed to simply enjoy the outdoors.
Great to see new posts from you! I really love hearing your perspective. I have a question that really doesn’t relate to this subject, but maybe you will see this and give me your observations. Do you ever see homemade backpacks during your extensive travels? I love mine as it’s what I want in a pack.
As I got back into hikin, I started looking into places that I could wild camp. Not that I'm ready for multi-day hikes, but I wanted to look into it. Sadly, where I live in Southern Ontario Canada, there really isn't any place to wild camp at all. Honestly, I always thought you could just camp wherever. All this wilderness, and there are only a few spots where there is crown land that you can set up camp. The only way, I could prob do a multi day in my area would be to stealth camp, or get permission from a farmer or something to spend a night on their land.
When bike packing we once stealth camped behind a large hedge at a lookout/scenic area carpark. Little did we know it was the local meetup carpark (wink, wink 😉). That was noisy night.
I shouldn't write this, but back in 1988, I think not long before I turned 24, I went up in the east side of a bridge that was for I-64 in Nitro, West Virginia. I lived a few states away (as I do even now), and I've never lived in West Virginia. Anyway, I got up at the top ledge with my backpack, got out my sleeping bag, and was all set up to sleep. I don't know if I was actually asleep, but at some point I realized that rats were swarming all around me. I guess they lived up at the top in the east side of the bridge. I was super-scared and surprised! I got out of there and slept right out in the open in a grassy area that was like a clover leaf for the interstate, right at the northeast corner near the bridge. That was all right in the dark. My backpack was light-brown, and my sleeping bag was dark-brown. I would say to beware of the unexpected. I feel like I shouldn't mention everything I've done that pertains to this subject. Besides, doing so would take long and use up a lot of space. Before this memory came to me, I was already thinking about writing that I would be really scared of bears anywhere like in Yellowstone National Park, or somewhere where they might be.
The military uses the acronym BLISS to address stealth camp sites. Blend in, keep a Low silhouette, build an Irregular shape, stay Small, find a Secluded location.
On the topic of being found by SAR, one flash of color some often overlook is inner fabric color choice. So when you are getting your quilt/bag built or are shopping for one, get the inside color the brightest on the planet and the color you dig the most on the outside. Having a stealth black outer color with traffic safety yellow on the inside for instance. Many UL jackets can be made the same way with dual colors.
Good on you for beginning by noting that trespassing (a more accurate description than stealth camping) is a last resort. Sometimes you have to do it; I've done it a few times myself. As several commenters have noted, the paucity of legal campsites in Europe can make it tempting. The problem comes from hikers, some of whom have commented above, who think it's a natural right and OK so long as they think they leave no trace. Sorry, it's illegal. Parks and National Forests have reasons for restricting camp sites, mostly caused by "stealth campers" who made cleanup and the presence of human waste an overwhelming job. The one time I got caught, while packrafting along the Yellowstone River, the deputy sheriff who found us was understanding, didn't arrest us, and gave us a lift to a nearby state park that prohibited overnight camping. Do it if you must, but don't make it a habit. And don't think you're entitled.
Recall ‘Port-a-San’ portapoties at Woodstock Rock Concert in ‘69 ? Parks, if it’s their Job earning money, should provide potties. Bill Bryson’s book, ‘ A Walk In the Woods ‘, was written before we did farther Hikeing via walk, creek, or bicycle.
Sometimes you get into a fix needing to camp NOW and are near some National Park regular campground with a ranger on duty. I once had to stay at Indian Gardens in Grand Canyon because we were doing a R2R back in the 70's and had no choice. The ranger might have been reluctant but let us stay. We hiked out next morning early. Another time (also in 70's) I was crossing the Tonto westwards and ran out of water so I stopped at top of final descent down S. Kaibab trail to river and asked other hikers for enough water so I could hike out but none had enough. So I went down to Phantom Ranch and got lots of water. Then I asked the rangers if I could "emergency" camp at the campground and they allowed me. I got up early next morning full of water and went out. So I guess it depends on where you are and who you talk with. But many times I backpacked down in Grand C without a permit and would just stop on the trail and "cowboy camp." Never got caught or met anyone who disagreed with my actions. Things are different now of course with so many people wanting permits for Grand Canyon. But I also hitchhiked across the US for several years and sometimes would set up an impromptu camp at a truck stop, or alongside the freeway. Sort of like a homeless bum dude. Probably different in those years and also for guys than for women.
Fond memory -NOT in N. Ontario, (~1971) lonesome seriously mosquito infested highway. Dropped off, pitch black. Weren't going to get a lift, nowhere to hide from the mosquitoes. We just pitched the tent in desperation in the bush, cleared as many of the bugs out as we could and dove into our sleeping bags.... thank goodness we have permethrine now!
If you're ever through Pennsylvania, stop at shop. If ya see a green kenworth in the lot, your more than welcome to camp out in that. It's clean and the heat and AC work. Lol. Great video. Love the stories.
When I camp I want to blend in as much as possible, to simply better enjoy the environment. It also minimizes the impact to the site. IF extra discretion is necessary, I start thinking 'tactical' (though that may be a dirty word to many campers), where comfort takes a back seat to concealment; this will probably be a simple 'Ranger Roll' (like cowboy camping) where it only takes moments to pull out the bedding and to stuff it back in. This will also mean a 'cold camp' where you relocate after any cooking or other prep that may be noticeable.
As a further to setting up with as little light as possible. Learn your gear. Learn to trust your hands and learn to let your eyes adjust. Even without a moon you can learn to set up in the dark without a light. I worked as a trailwalker at a place where artificial light use was considered emergency only. Some of us were more fastidious about the rule than others, but those of us who followed it could set up at night in the rain.
@BackyardEngineer334 You are right ,I completely agree with the advice she gave . I REALLY appreciate though the very last part of your video when she remind people to clean up after themself and if possible after those who were not as clean minded before you. Hope you staying safe ?
@steverogers7611 You are right ,I completely agree with the advice she gave . I REALLY appreciate though the very last part of your video when she remind people to clean up after themself and if possible after those who were not as clean minded before you. Hope you staying safe ?
Over my two decade career in the Army I slept countless nights making every effort to remain undetected. We didn’t call it “Stealth Camping” but called it a Patrol Base. One of the rules was to never use white light and if any light was necessary it was a red light under the cover of a poncho, i.e., searching for something in your pack (Rick Sack), you pulled your poncho over you and your ruck then used you red lens flashlight to search. Another rule was while using your camo poncho as a tarp, it had to be no more than 18 inches above the ground at any point. This kept it below average eye level and help blend into the terrain. Good luck to all the Stealth Campers!
Great comment, Rangers lead the way.
(Rucksack)
People used to pull a poncho over their head to hide the cigarette. Now that’s stealth! And annoying! 😂
Imagine waking up in the morning to someone screaming FORE! 😂
I used to be so good at breaking out my poncho hootch when the rains started, maybe 20 seconds from halt to GTG if there were good branches around me. Good times in the 82nd so many years ago, good times indeed!
My parents had an incident early in their marriage, they were tent camping on a road trip, but couldn't find anywhere to stop. Finally pulled off the main road and into some trees, then stumbled around in the dark until they found a grassy spot where they set up. They slept well, and when they poked out of the tent in the morning they discovered they were camped on a golf course, and some early golfers were wondering what was going on. Fortunately they got packed up and left before they were thrown off.
😂
I’m sooo happy I came to the comments! 😂What a great story!
I also camped on a golf course. I was on a 5 day canoe trip and wasn't having luck finding a pull out/camp spot and we came across one of the holes down by the river. Set up camp in the deep rough behind the green. Got up and left the next day no problems.
While canoeing, you never know when you'll get somewhere, so you make do with what you have.
I have also stealth camped backpacking, motorcycling and car camping. I've never had problems.
Wow that is hilarious, love it!!!!
My boyfriend (now husband of 49 years) and I enjoyed a late evening on a putting green once, but it did not involve sleeping. :-)
FYI - Dakota hole fires can be a big fire hazard. They can ignite roots which can smolder for weeks, and fires can pop up yards from where your fire pit was. If you need to have a fire, something like a solo stove is a lot safer.
Ive heard this before and think they're even illegal in many places. That said, I've used hundreds of times for decades w no issue. I know people say that about dakotas but dont understand how a regular fire pit is any different. Digging a few inches down doesnt magically make a fire more dangerous. In fact they're smaller, more contained, easier to fully extinguish, require far less fuel.
@@ct00001 it’s not “magically more dangerous”, it’s more dangerous because it potentially exposes roots to the fire. I’m sure it’s a similar risk to building a fire over exposed roots above ground, but underground they’re easier to miss.
Steve Wallace is the best stealth camper
I was coming right away to say that
He could camp in the shrubbery at the police station and not get caught lol
@@podunkmissouri4999 at least he never slept inside 🤣
Steve Wallis*
Thumbs to Steve
I do a similar thing but I bring a Subaru as a base camp, so it’s a dual option thing
Be aware that when digging a hole for doing a stealth fire that you may just set the materials in the ground on fire and it can smolder and cause a huge fire when it is not totally extinguished. good luck having enough water to drown it well enough not to become a fire bug> This is especially true in a pine or fir type forest area where the ground can have a foot or so of litter that is not really decomposed as much as you would think it was.
Thruhiking and living out west, I feel stealth camping is a misnomer. It’s more stealth SLEEPING. And as such, no fires. Setup after (or as close to) dark and leave before dawn.
The best choice for stealth camping is to never, ever have a fire. As I live out west and live with the reality of forest fires, I won’t build a fire in any situation more remote than an established campground with fire rings. It’s just too dangerous.
@@theskyehiker - exactly. I’ve even pretty much stopped making fires even in established camps with fire rings. It’s just too much responsibility. It also takes away from sleep time and potentially uses precious water to extinguish. Many of those camps have trees that have been stripped bare of any branches that are within reach too. That’s not LNT and I don’t want to add to the problem.
I can see exceptions for emergencies and in winter hiking.
Being a solo female backpacker, I stealth camp quite a bit especially if near roads or “townie” spots (places w a view that are easily accessible w a town nearby and often littered w cans and bottles that hikers don’t carry, burnt out impromptu fire rings w cig butts, trash, etc.). I start looking before it gets dark for a spot that puts a small hill or something similar between me and the trail. And I go off off trail in the middle of nowhere, where you’d never think of finding someone using a spot. (And I make sure to really take stock of my surroundings so I know which direction to go in the morning when I haven’t had my coffee yet!)
I was gonna ask if you’ve ever gotten a little lost doing that? My sense of direction is pretty flawed at times!
If you use twigs, logs and rocks, you can make little directional indicators as you go so help find your way back. They can help you in the dark also, if you have to suddenly leave before the sun comes up.
If you have been in town before going off to find a stealth spot get a jar of cold coffee.... that way you can enjoy it as you are packing up to leave in the a. m. and be your sharp caffeinated self getting back to the trail
I stealth camped in Riverbend Park on the East end of the Ocean To Lake Trail in Florida. I just loitered around the park until it closed at dusk, then hung my hammock under one of the picnic shelters. I set an alarm at 4 AM, ate breakfast, broke camp and left just before sunrise. Finished the trail that day.
The word ‘park’ should be a resting word. Cedar Key Park closes at 11 p.m., which keeps undesireables ‘s alcohol out. Normal, efficient cowboy sleeping on beach, after permission, shouldn’t be a problem. Every Sunday we say the Lord prayer, “ forgive our trespass, as we forgive those who trespass against us “
I've been stealth camping off and on since 1967 and never had an issue or bad experience. Dixie is spot on. Here are a few rules that have served me well.
1) Leave no trace, none-Ever. Live respect for your host - a small shovel is your best friend.
2) Set up after dark, be gone by first light (nap later if you have to)
3) Remember vehicles/heavy equipment can be fired up and moved at any hour. Think about where you set up.
4) Have a "shelter for your shelter" ie. an earthtone/camo light tarp to cover your tent/break up your outline.
never ever stay in a place if it appears that someone has been to before
Thirty-five years or so ago, my husband was a master at getting us (including two young daughters) lost between campgrounds, so we stealth camped a number of times. He would find a rural side road to turn onto, and we would set up the dome tent wherever a wide, level patch of grass happened to be. Once we had to set up after dark, and awoke the next morning beside an old cemetery. Our girls thought it a great adventure!
With my aversion to arachnids, I'll leave the cowboy camping to you, Dixie. Love all your videos!
I keep wondering how people go to sleep knowing the spiders will come for you 😂😅. I’m gonna need my shelter sorry not sorry.
Didn't he also set up on a bees nest once? (I'm her daughter, btw.)
An important aspect of "stealth" is "leave no trace". If you arrogantly trash up the place, naturally the property owner is gonna be less that welcoming to the next guy. But if you leave the spot looking like "nothing happened here", chances are the property owner will neither know, nor care.
Or even better, follow in Steve’s footsteps and carry out any trash you can left by others.
when I find a super sweet spot, I will always clear the area where I put down my ground sheet and sleeping bag in order to establish it as a "campsite" for others in the future, and I note it in my maps for the future. while thru hiking, super sweet sleeping spots are always awesome to come across! keep your "leave no trace", stop being so anal.
Here in South Texas "Stealth Campers" strew trash everywhere. I've seen campsites on private ranches where the trash was 6 inches deep and you can walk 20 feet in any direction without touching the ground.
This makes me happy to live in New Zealand, where I walked Te Araroa and many other multi-week hikes, and have spent some years bike touring in Australia. Few impediments to camping anywhere, fortunately. No one cares, except in obvious very public places. I've camped in a band rotunda, under shaggy trees, once 100 m from the main town supermarket, under the bleachers of schools during school holidays, etc. As well as getting off remote roads. Just behind that bush will do, as people can't see you when driving at night, if anyone ever does. And 30% of the South Island is public land where you can camp anywhere, as long as you are discrete when close to others. I had 4000 sheep walk through the campsite while packing up quickly. I've camped on plenty of beaches. People sound much more tolerant here. No authorities would bother to disturb you, because there aren't any. And yeah, I've camped like this 100s of nights in the last 15 years.
Dixie might be headed your way mate, she has always wanted to do trails in New Zealand. Kiwi-On!!!
I want to backpack there! But NZ and AU had the worst Covid lockdowns and vaccine nandates in the western world...
To be able to leave quickly it also helps not to spread out your stuff but already pack as much as possible as early as possible and leave everything packed you don't really need unpacked. The less you need to pack, the quicker you can leave. And it also helps, if your ruck has some extra space to take up your shelter, sleep system etc. without it being neatly folded, rolled, compressed and all that. That way you can just stuff all of it into your ruck, quick and dirty, and be ready to leave should you need to.
2x points for using 'behoove' in conversation!
I've done lots of backpacking and stealth camping as a transient , having hitch hiked across Canada 11 times when I was younger; in those times I employed a lot of what Dixie advised for months at a time , but now like she said Big Brother's cameras are almost everywhere at least in urban areas anyhow. I usually just got up just before dawn , packed-up , left no trace and was on my merry way; harder to do now a days even in rural areas.
when urban camping you can go to industrial parks, find concrete slabs and sleep there.The warehouses that are empty are your best bet. Just make sure you are out as early as possible. Also the motto "pack it in/ pack it out" apples so no one knows you were there.
residential construction sites can be great places to urban camp however like you mentioned be very wary of cameras and security always case the area , arrive late , sleep with one eye and both ears open and leave well before dawn as most construction trades start very early and leave zero footprint 😊
A couple of square yards of black mosquito net makes for pretty good camo and is very light.
I went to Yellowstone about 4 years ago . If I remeber correctly , the cabins at the lodge cost $300 per night . And you earned points for the reference to Louis L'Amour western books !
@tomconnor2529 You are right ,I completely agree with the advice she gave . I REALLY appreciate though the very last part of your video when she remind people to clean up after themself and if possible after those who were not as clean minded before you. Hope you staying safe ?
I stealth camped in my car at one of the Grand Teton lodges parking lots. It was getting late & I wanted to spend more time in the park the next day. So I just tucked my car in with all the other paying customers' vehicles, & " hunkered down" for the night. Free & it worked. 💭 Paying $300 to shower & sleep is nuts anyway.
@@kriskabinThere are also pay showers 5 miles up the road at Colter Bay. In case you do this trip again.
In 30-35 years, your grandchildren will marvel at the tales you tell of your hikes. They’ll be amazed and very proud of their magnificent grandma.
Or maybe she will choose not to spawn any unnecessary children.
@@turkeyphant Or maybe someday, you will choose to keep your negativity to yourself.
Or maybe we can all just play nice here.
Dixie thanks for adding leaving the place clean and better than you found it. With so many people without shelter or just being in our parks and trails all over they are making it hard to do the fun things outside in some places. So thank you for letting the weird people know that trash does not clean itself. ❤
My first thru hike of the A.T. I stealth camped on the tower at Clingman's Dome and in the short pine trees atop Webster Cliffs but my best stealth camping was between two Interstate highways. I was trying to hitch home and I got dropped off on an exit ramp / entrance ramp between two Interstates. I had to stay there to hitch because there is not hitching ON the Interstate. I tried to get a ride for almost 4 hours and It started to get dark so I went into a small clump of pine trees in the middle of the cloverleaf and stealth camped there. I even set up my green tarp and had a peaceful night. At the break of dawn, I walked 40 yards back up to the ramp and continued to hitch where I got a ride in about 3 minutes.
I've often thought about this for people hiking the Great Divide Trail. Nearly all of the trail is through provincial or national parks, which require booking specific campsites. For the national parks, a lot of these sites have to be booked months in advance, and some spots are so popular you have to enter a lottery and hope for the best - basically it's impossible to do anything but stealth camp for the majority of your thru hike. I'm sure Parks will think of a better system as the trail gets more and more popular. Have you ever thought about hiking the GDT???
We had rented one of the lodges of the hotel you showed when we visited Yellowstone Park for a week, nice to remember. With "stealth camping" I have some experinence, mainly because it is forbidden to camp outside of dedicated locations in my densely populated country. "Cowboy camping" is a gray zone, I always choose this version when sleeping in the woods. In the evening I eat and then move to a diffenent place to sleep, usually making camp after darkness. No fire, no waste, no traces. Never had problems, although one night I woke up in the middle of a military training which took place in the area. Was a surprise for all of us. :)
I always stealth camp in Switzerland and what I do is, once I've selected my camp site, I prop my bag up and I walk in a wide circle around the perimeter of the place I want to set my camp on and check if it's going to be visible. I usually do that if there is a road nearby because I hate to fear being discovered every time I hear a car passing by.
NO to the Dakota fire pit
It can cause unseen root fires because it is deep in the soil
Stealth camping = no open fires
Stealth camping is a new concept based on the need to hide implying illegal
I have been secluded camping for 55 years
End of day you find a place out of line of sight
It could be the corner of a field where the farmer would have to walk into that specific field to see you, which would be highly unlikely
Decide on the line of site of discovery like a trail or path
Uphill not on a ridge line
Red light covered by your body
Cooking stove again covered by your body
Set up late
Leave early
This is why it is always a good idea to carry a good camouflage tarp ,that has several guy-out points, and dark cordage.
I was crossing Michigan on a horse-packing trail and needed to stealth camp in some places. Once I was within 50 feet of a well traveled road but found a clump of bushes and trees to hide behind. I pitched my brown tarp about 2 feet high and crawled in just as dusk settled in. All of your suggestions work well.
Going along AT and it got dark fast, we went off trail couple hunded yards to avoid traffic, next morning I learned we camped in Burkittsville right in "Blair Witch Project" woods. It was a good night but if I'd of known I wouldn't have slept a wink ; )
About Hallowe’en time would be a challenge
You and 'Camping with Steve' need to make a collaboration video.
That would be awesome!😃
The two most down to earth RUclipsrs in one video? I approve! They are both so different but I think it could make a great video!
i would give my left kidney for it.
Since I‘m from and still in germany, every camping is stealth camping for me. The legal situation is so very complex here, but the safest thing is to asume, that pitching your tent is illegal where ever you are if not on private ground with a permission from the owner. Bonus is that if someone spots you in the wild, german custom is to tell you you are in the wrong or even call the authorities on you. Sooooo I‘ll always make sure no one sees me and my backpack does not look like I‘d sleep outside. Bummer!
Just in time. Heading out today, on my bicycle, for a month. There will be some stealth camping going on. Thanks, Dixie.
Scott, in 1982 a bicycle journey on Route 6 & 30 in Illinois & Indian cowboy camping, w permission knocking on farmer’s door, saved money. Fun to visit at same time on green grass !
I’ve been considering doing the Delaware and eastern shore of MD on the American Discovery Trail. There is only 1 formal campground along that stretch. Basically requires stealth camping on roadsides.
In Europe, wild camping outside campsites is officially prohibited almost everywhere. In addition, Europe is very densely populated. Many people therefore do not dare to go wild camping. But even campsites have become insanely expensive and are often fully booked in the summer. If you don't want that, you have no choice but stealth camping. In practice, stealth camping also works quite well in Europe if you follow a few simple rules, as you show in your video.
Once after a resupply on the AT I was faced with a pitch black climb out of town with no flat spots expected for miles. So I backtracked a bit and found a clearing in the woods that seemed ideal. In the middle of a night, a giant security light mounted on a pole, turned on and lit my campsite up like a stadium.
7:39 - Spoken like a true @campingwithsteve (Steve Wallis). I salute you!
Hey Dixie, agree wholeheartedly with you. In regards to "Leave No Trace" it seems like your preaching to the chior, because a lot of times I go hiking/camping there seems to be a lot of garbage at the campsites. My trash bag I use is only so big to carry all that extra garbage. Thanks for letting me use your channel to rant!
Louis L’Amour, great reference.
Hi, along time ago whilst hitch hiking through Italy and being dropped off on a major road junction in the early hours of the morning I camped in the centre of a heavily wooded roundabout. I had some strange looks when I broke camp and had to scurry across the road playing chicken with 4 lanes of traffic. You do what you need when need arises. No harm done.
In one of his books, Colin Fletcher preferred blue tarps, but mentioned using a camouflage pattern when packing cross-country, aka trespassing.
Loved the Louis lamore reference
I had to stealth camp in the Smokies in March in '21 on a clear cold night. I threw down my sleeping bag and slept behind some bushes a few feet off trail. I was very tired and it had gotten dark. Set my phone alarm to just before dawn, took a caffeine vitamin in the AM, , and started hiking before daybreak. Also had food in a bear canister and did not cook. I've stealth camped other times on the PCT and AT as well. As long as I can stay dry, it's really not too bad. I try to follow the rules, but sometimes, the unexpected can occur.
Hi Dixie! I was hoping you good give us some info on caring for/ cleaning our equipment. I'd hate to spend so much on a quilt, a tent, etc. & have them ruined by tossing them in the wash or whatever. Best practices basically for your favorite stuff so it lasts forever!
I think she has a few videos about tent and sleeping bag care/waterproofing
There’s a few different companies that have a line of tech washes for various types of outdoor gear: down, poly-fill, waterproof fibers (like goretex rain gear), mold & mildew remover, silicone embedded nylon and dynema (like tents and packs), etc. most you can do in your home washer or bathtub. To wash a down sleeping bag not only do you need the special wash and a couple sets of down dryer balls, you also need a large dryer that can run on the no-heat tumble dry for hours, I suggest a jumbo laundromat dryer and a shit-ton of quarters/card credits.
Awesome video as always, Dixie! 😊And I loved the bloopers! 🤣 The expression "stealth hiking" brought up some of my hilarious hiking memories 😆Thank you for that.
Thank you for addressing this. I've left comments in RUclips asking hikers why they are not more specific about where they stop to camp, as it was a concern of mine that it would be illegal to just stop where you want. Questions always went unanswered. I guess people don't want to be on record. Thank you for being willing to open about it.
Stealth Camping off the AT in Maine as I watch this 😂. In a small trail town tucked away in the pines 😊
Need to urban stealth camp. Landscaping in a roundabout or I think the ultimate would be overnight in the woods of Central Park, NYC.
Far out App, modern day term for HOBO symbols of yesterday. Was handy then as well as now. I guess many of todays hikers have no idea what I'm talking about.
I have used the MRE’s water base heater packs to warm up food and drinks. They weigh nothing and works well when you have to stealth camp.
And that's why I prefer hiking in places like Scotland and Norway. Wild camping is legal and I can pitch my tent anywhere I like(with some reasonable rules - like not to camp near someone's house or on a farmland). Don't need to hide. All legal. And my flight from the East Coast to the Midwest or the West Coast cost about as much. Leave no trace!
A tip if you must use a fire to cook food, if possible do it in daylight, rather than after night has set in, as will be much less visible.
Thanks Dixie! My ZPacks Duplex tent came in a color called “dirt” and the light brown color blends in to most backgrounds. It sort of looks like a boulder. Having a low key color definitely helps me stealth camp. Happy trails!
Hey Dixie - I stealth camp on campus at our shared alma mater one football weekend every fall. It's better than any other accommodation and, surprisingly, not technically against university rules. Just a little info you might enjoy. Your tips are spot on!
Very informative and definitely usable. Thanks 😊
Check out Steve Wallis for real stealth camping.
I like Dixie, but Steve is a next level soul
Carry lightweight camo screen material and use it as a cover or as a wall to decrease the odds of detection. 3'x7' along with string/stakes to secure it.
I never called it stealth camping. Never heard the term until last few years. I called it camping off trail hidin' from people. Which happened to be the reason I was out there hiking to begin with. LOL. BTW, that is legal in my national forest. You can pitch a tent anywhere off trail, but leave no trace is strongly encouraged. Which I appreciate and do. She made a very good point around 6:20 about SAR and your visibility.
Same here where I live, Arkansas.
@@chairmanofthebored8684 But I was not sure if there were different rules for different areas. So I was just clarifying that it was legal here.
Same for me, I’d never heard of stealth camping until RUclips a few years ago was like wtf? It never occurred to me that in other countries simple camping is mostly illegal. If you find me camping in Kentucky it means you’re as crazy as me! 😂. We’re off trail so as not to be seen or heard.
You're awesome Dixie. Seems like Yellowstone is so forested that one could just walk 50 yards in any given direction and be pretty well out of sight. Then there are the bears of course.
This was wonderfully informative and I appreciate your insight, as well as your humility.
My best stealth camping was in Iceland. After landing at the Keflavik Airport I hiked an hour into an open field waking up to grazing cattle. In Reykjavik I climbed a fence and camped in a closed campground. Someone lit up my tent that night but didn't wake me.
Dixie, how about a video about how to survive excessive heat on trail?
Excellent tips and that thumbnail is awesome!
Stealth campers in Yellowstone...or as the bears call them, midnight snacks. :D
Excellent advice. I do have experience in stealth
Great job and advice
using a red lamp also helps you retain your night/dark eyesight vs regular lamp.
I do this quite often, never had any issues with it. It's mostly just to get away from the crowds.
Hi Dixie I've been watching your videos for 5 years now
Yosemite has backpacker campgrounds in the Valley and Tuolumne Meadows for a minimal charge . You can qualify for using them by having a valid Wilderness Permit for the next day or if you arrived by foot, bicycle, or bus. The Valley one can't be used by people in the middle of a hike. I don't know if other national parks have backpacker campgrounds like those.
I knew you had it in you😁 finally the stealth camping edition🍻❤️🇨🇦
Love the thumbnail. ). Great video.
Thanks Dixie. Lovely spot for a vlog. And a "bloopers" section from time to time is fun and interesting (darn mozzies, leave her alone...)
Yeah, some folk subscribe to camo gear, but if you are noticed it will generally not be in a good way.
I carry a superlight olive single tarp, even on day walks. If it's reasonably fine, that can be set in a very low to the ground stealth mode which is a lot less visible than a tent. If it's actually wet enough to need the full cover of a tent, then I doubt anyone who cares will be out and about to notice your tent. I tend to try to dress drab and carry a drab pack & shelter. It's a fly fishing habit, to not be noticed by either fish or land owners. Why land owners? In my state, I am allowed to fish a stream through private property as long as I have entered from a public access point & stay within the high flow level of the stream. Land owners generally don't like this & some can be extremely unpleasant, so I try to not be noticed. Anyway, I use the same outdoor gear when hiking as well. So I am really trying to blend into nature. On the safety side of things, I carry an emergency 1st aid Mylar sheet and for overnighting I use a more robust space blanket as a footprint under a tent or sleeping gear. The space blanket is hot fluoro pink on one side & silver on the other. Both items are my visual signalling devices. Mostly I am solo, so a PLB is a must, my 1st aid kit & PLB remain on my person at all times, because having them out of reach is the same as not having them at all.
PLB = "Personal Locator Beacon"
2:27 have you catched the mosquito? 😁
That’s why I always carry a very light weight camouflage tarp to throw over my tent.
Love following your hike! The scenery is breathtaking! ❤
A friend and I "stealth" camped after a long day, well after dark in dense fog when we found a flat grassy area to cowboy camp. We woke up the next morning to two golfers teeing off about twenty feet from us because we were on a golf course.
Another time, two friends and I stealth cowboy camped again in total darkness only to be abruptly woken up about 2 AM by a blinding light, a loud roar, and the ground shaking. We were all out of our sleeping bags in a flash in time to see a train come roaring by about 30 feet away.
A sniper’s veil is a good, lightweight piece of kit for breaking up your profile. I’ve never trespassed when camping, but as a solo female hiker, I often just don’t want others to know I’m there.
Dixie!!! I can't believe you smacked that poor starving mosquito that landed on your head!! She was just looking for some nice, tasty Southern food 😋 😜 😉
the outtakes at the end are priceless! love you miss dixie!!!
I can imagine scenarios on a long-distance hike where you might just have to bivouac. Alcohol stoves are great for stealth camping as they are absolutely silent. A saw makes little noise compared to an axe if you do that kind of camping. And don’t go banging your pots or cups around, that clanging noise can travel! Ridiculous that such measures are needed to simply enjoy the outdoors.
Great to see new posts from you! I really love hearing your perspective. I have a question that really doesn’t relate to this subject, but maybe you will see this and give me your observations. Do you ever see homemade backpacks during your extensive travels? I love mine as it’s what I want in a pack.
Yes! Very rarely, but I have :)
Thanks! I love your point of view on stuff 👍🏻
Bloopers were fun at the end. Good stuff, Jess.
As I got back into hikin, I started looking into places that I could wild camp. Not that I'm ready for multi-day hikes, but I wanted to look into it. Sadly, where I live in Southern Ontario Canada, there really isn't any place to wild camp at all. Honestly, I always thought you could just camp wherever. All this wilderness, and there are only a few spots where there is crown land that you can set up camp. The only way, I could prob do a multi day in my area would be to stealth camp, or get permission from a farmer or something to spend a night on their land.
Turn on the Captions, Dixie. 🌵
When bike packing we once stealth camped behind a large hedge at a lookout/scenic area carpark. Little did we know it was the local meetup carpark (wink, wink 😉). That was noisy night.
I shouldn't write this, but back in 1988, I think not long before I turned 24, I went up in the east side of a bridge that was for I-64 in Nitro, West Virginia. I lived a few states away (as I do even now), and I've never lived in West Virginia. Anyway, I got up at the top ledge with my backpack, got out my sleeping bag, and was all set up to sleep. I don't know if I was actually asleep, but at some point I realized that rats were swarming all around me. I guess they lived up at the top in the east side of the bridge. I was super-scared and surprised! I got out of there and slept right out in the open in a grassy area that was like a clover leaf for the interstate, right at the northeast corner near the bridge. That was all right in the dark. My backpack was light-brown, and my sleeping bag was dark-brown. I would say to beware of the unexpected. I feel like I shouldn't mention everything I've done that pertains to this subject. Besides, doing so would take long and use up a lot of space. Before this memory came to me, I was already thinking about writing that I would be really scared of bears anywhere like in Yellowstone National Park, or somewhere where they might be.
The military uses the acronym BLISS to address stealth camp sites.
Blend in, keep a Low silhouette, build an Irregular shape, stay Small, find a Secluded location.
On the topic of being found by SAR, one flash of color some often overlook is inner fabric color choice. So when you are getting your quilt/bag built or are shopping for one, get the inside color the brightest on the planet and the color you dig the most on the outside. Having a stealth black outer color with traffic safety yellow on the inside for instance. Many UL jackets can be made the same way with dual colors.
Great ideas 😊
Good on you for beginning by noting that trespassing (a more accurate description than stealth camping) is a last resort. Sometimes you have to do it; I've done it a few times myself. As several commenters have noted, the paucity of legal campsites in Europe can make it tempting. The problem comes from hikers, some of whom have commented above, who think it's a natural right and OK so long as they think they leave no trace. Sorry, it's illegal. Parks and National Forests have reasons for restricting camp sites, mostly caused by "stealth campers" who made cleanup and the presence of human waste an overwhelming job. The one time I got caught, while packrafting along the Yellowstone River, the deputy sheriff who found us was understanding, didn't arrest us, and gave us a lift to a nearby state park that prohibited overnight camping. Do it if you must, but don't make it a habit. And don't think you're entitled.
Recall ‘Port-a-San’ portapoties at Woodstock Rock Concert in ‘69 ? Parks, if it’s their Job earning money, should provide potties. Bill Bryson’s book, ‘ A Walk In the Woods ‘, was written before we did farther Hikeing via walk, creek, or bicycle.
Sometimes you get into a fix needing to camp NOW and are near some National Park regular campground with a ranger on duty. I once had to stay at Indian Gardens in Grand Canyon because we were doing a R2R back in the 70's and had no choice. The ranger might have been reluctant but let us stay. We hiked out next morning early. Another time (also in 70's) I was crossing the Tonto westwards and ran out of water so I stopped at top of final descent down S. Kaibab trail to river and asked other hikers for enough water so I could hike out but none had enough. So I went down to Phantom Ranch and got lots of water. Then I asked the rangers if I could "emergency" camp at the campground and they allowed me. I got up early next morning full of water and went out. So I guess it depends on where you are and who you talk with. But many times I backpacked down in Grand C without a permit and would just stop on the trail and "cowboy camp." Never got caught or met anyone who disagreed with my actions. Things are different now of course with so many people wanting permits for Grand Canyon. But I also hitchhiked across the US for several years and sometimes would set up an impromptu camp at a truck stop, or alongside the freeway. Sort of like a homeless bum dude. Probably different in those years and also for guys than for women.
Fond memory -NOT in N. Ontario, (~1971) lonesome seriously mosquito infested highway. Dropped off, pitch black. Weren't going to get a lift, nowhere to hide from the mosquitoes. We just pitched the tent in desperation in the bush, cleared as many of the bugs out as we could and dove into our sleeping bags.... thank goodness we have permethrine now!
If you're ever through Pennsylvania, stop at shop. If ya see a green kenworth in the lot, your more than welcome to camp out in that. It's clean and the heat and AC work. Lol. Great video. Love the stories.
If you look at the early videos of her you can see how amazing exercise is. Now she looks like a superhero. Wanderlust is an awesome inspiration.
I totally agree, she looks lean.
Great video, we've all been there, and even when money is no objection, there are cases when there is no alternative.
When I camp I want to blend in as much as possible, to simply better enjoy the environment. It also minimizes the impact to the site. IF extra discretion is necessary, I start thinking 'tactical' (though that may be a dirty word to many campers), where comfort takes a back seat to concealment; this will probably be a simple 'Ranger Roll' (like cowboy camping) where it only takes moments to pull out the bedding and to stuff it back in. This will also mean a 'cold camp' where you relocate after any cooking or other prep that may be noticeable.
As a further to setting up with as little light as possible. Learn your gear. Learn to trust your hands and learn to let your eyes adjust. Even without a moon you can learn to set up in the dark without a light. I worked as a trailwalker at a place where artificial light use was considered emergency only. Some of us were more fastidious about the rule than others, but those of us who followed it could set up at night in the rain.
Yellowstone is Grizzly Bear Country, no way I’d tent camp there.
@BackyardEngineer334 You are right ,I completely agree with the advice she gave . I REALLY appreciate though the very last part of your video when she remind people to clean up after themself and if possible after those who were not as clean minded before you. Hope you staying safe ?
Corporal's Corner (Shawn Kelly) approves of this post.
Pack your pack the same way every time so you can get stuff in the dark/by feel without a light.
This is funny, I literally stealth camp anywhere. That’s the fun of it.
@steverogers7611 You are right ,I completely agree with the advice she gave . I REALLY appreciate though the very last part of your video when she remind people to clean up after themself and if possible after those who were not as clean minded before you. Hope you staying safe ?
no noise+ no trase usually is enough ) Thanks for video.