First, be careful about assuming that it is okay to trespass on someone's unmarked land even if it doesn't have "do not trespass" signs.

You are VERY likely to be run off, especially if you are camping on their land - which skirts the edge of most trespass laws if not crossing over. In a SHTF situation it is also very likely that landowners will be patrolling their land with more diligence and be a lot less forgiving of trespassing than in a normal situation. Anyone near a metro area is well aware of the problems of homeless squatting on land without permission and usually take a very dim view of it, even on someone else's land.

A LOT of land around me is posted. If I catch someone squatting on my land you can bet I will be running them off very rudely, after I look at their ID so I have their name and I will report them to the county sheriff (the local deputy lives just down the road about 2 miles from me on my mountain road) and then informing my neighbors on the mountain that there is a squatter going around camping on private land without permission.

In my state if you are hunting on private land without permission, whether posted or not, it is criminal trespassing - it is the responsibility of the hunter to know whether they are on private or public land or not, and if you have a firearm with you, a strong case can be made that you are hunting (there is a year round hunting season for such animals as squirrels). I am not sure, but I believe the same is true of fishing (although the land immediately to rivers and large lakes is technically owned by the state for some feet along the banks, you do not have permission to trespass to reach a river bank, although you can fish from it if you get to it from the river or lake side - there is no such thing as a private beach for a public river here).

As for being "stealth", I simply use earth tone colors, no bright colors if at all possible, and I use the lightweight camo nets that you can buy for duck blinds and such to cover my tent and other items. I put the tent well off a trail and more or less behind brush. To me, the rest is more or less common sense about keeping out of sight, including not building fires (I cook with a stove) and not making noise.

Generally, most private land is increasingly posted and fenced and gated. This is also true of a lot of public land too - especially the watersheds. We used to be able to hunt, hike, dirt bike a lot of public land that is now closed to all access because it is a watershed. WA state is really bad about that, but Oregon less so, just some of the more fragile watersheds are closed now.

So there is still a lot of public land that a person can camp on for a limited time, some of it is private forest land owned by timber companies who may or may not have their land posted, but they often do have it gated and posted at the entrance, which is sufficient by law and some do patrol their land periodically even though it is vast in size and heavily wooded. Some of these corps still allow hunting and other uses with permission, but many do not any longer due to liability issues and again, it is up to the person hunting to know whether they are on public or private land.

I would say that generally your best bet would be to find a landowner that does not live on the land you would like to camp on, and ask their permission to hunt it periodically. If SHTF then you have a foot in the door to ask them if you can camp there until things settle down. Have a backup to camp on public land somewhere too.

 

And what if someone is not willing to show you ID ? he/she/they may not have one ? what if they say F Off ? Be careful when in the woods in any situation, there may be someone hidden you do not see, and you may be the one people will end up searching for when you don't return home....

 

ironically this is my job. Kicking out people doing exactly that. $220 fine if I get you.

 

I would be interested in hearing a story or two. There are certain things not to do like build a fire or stay in one place too long, but what might you have to offer up on advice.

 

It just does not occur to me to go camp on someone's private property, I have no interest in that, but commercial or public land is fair game. I suppose the definition of urban could be in the presence of street lights, otherwise I don't see much difference between stealth camping and hunt camping.

One thing I have learned is that upon approaching a stealth camp rather occupied or abandoned homeless camp is to always watch where you step.

Here is a video in which case is merely a review for most people.

 

It just does not occur to me to go camp on someone's private property, I have no interest in that, but commercial or public land is fair game. I suppose the definition of urban could be in the presence of street lights, otherwise I don't see much difference between stealth camping and hunt camping.

One thing I have learned is that upon approaching a stealth camp rather occupied or abandoned homeless camp is to always watch where you step.

Here is a video in which case is merely a review for most people.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U6StcLVXj64

Good video, and suggestion to stay frosty if you happen to come upon a stealth camp. I usually make mine with a surprise for someone coming too close.

 

Stealth camping is easy. You just have to worm your way into the thickest, most uncomfortable thicket around.... J-hook in if at all possible.

 

Exactly. Not really a science to this practice. Simply camp where no one else wants to go, arrive at dusk, leave at dawn, and LNT.

 

Been there, done that: http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/222943

 

I have a notion to do some stealth camping, well at least a one time project. I am still sorting out the objectives that I would like to accomplish. One consideration would be to use gear and materials only found in civilization. I suppose carrying out this particular set of restrictions may warrant doing some dumpster diving and other types of urban salvaging. I do understand that there are risks involved and lines crossed in legalities. The video below addresses these issues. I think maybe what I am interested in investigating is not necessarily a full blown bug out but rather mimic a scenario where I were to be pushed to the edge of town.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XDCmSbPoZUk

Did anyone else find it funny, that there's this guy in a bright yellow parka, explaining what STEALTH camping is??

 

haha, the first time I ever solo-camped was on a weekend off when I worked at a private camp in Maine.... I was 17. I took some food and a few items, a sleeping bag, and found a super-thick blob of young spruce regeneration to hide out in. This was on National Park ground.

No fire, I didn't move around at all, and spent a nearly sleepless night scared to death that somehow the Ranger would find me!! : Not very fun. But a good experience.

 

So - what would the Ranger have done if he found you?

Make you return the pic-a-nic basket?

National parks are public land, most allow temporary camping, many, especially the larger ones, allow it outside of campgrounds.

 

Two things that typically draw the attention of others... smell and movement. A tent can be hidden fairly easily (or opt for building one out of natural material), but if a fire is not properly built, it will be seen miles away. The same with smell. The smell of smoke can be smelled miles away if downwind and food especially to someone/thing that is hungry.

 

There are ways to help mask and conceal smoke ; and for us Prior Service - Combat Arms.....we know a few tricks. Not 100% effective, but is better than doing nothing.


Green Shadow ---**---

 

Now that's an awesome idea, I have never thought about stealth camping, I am new to the USA is this legal in public parks?

 

Not usually, but it's done quite often from what I've seen. :taped:
I don't suggest it, but if it's a large park and you use good LNT practices then maybe at your discretion...

 

OK, I put together a pack for the occasion and heading out shortly. I will come back with photos of my stealth camp, or photos of my camp and a mug-shot. If I get caught I don't suppose there is a chance ya'll put together a fund drive with the aims bailing me outa jail....maybe. No?

 

I've sort of done it when touring by bicycle. Except not so much stealth as off the beaten track. Usually ask someone if they know a place we can camp overnight an we'll be gone the next morning. Mostly told... over there is fine if it's just for the night and don't have a fire.

 

Parachute tipi. Now you see it?:

Now you don't.

Welcome to Wyoming.:thumb:

 

Here are the results of my experiment. I know this area fairly well and was confident in carrying this out. It was right on the edge of town where one side of the street had street lights and the other side opened up to dark desert. I know this area to be a place for at least one regular homeless inhabitant. Shortly after dark I followed the sounds of coyotes and went to investigate about 200 yards from my camp. I recognized the coyote warning call once I got close and the yotes stopped their chatter after that and fled. I sat there for a while and then heard a man coughing from inside the brush. I crept back t my camp. For this trip I field tested the make shift trappers pack which is an office trash can strapped to a pack frame. The pack most certainly has its merits. The camp area was well insulated with heavy brush that required navigating on my knees and elbows. So thick that the pack could not be worn but rather dragged through the brush which compromised the goal of leaving no trace. No one would be able to sneak up on me, but to that, I would not be able to sneak away in an escape and evade without giving up my presence. The ground was cold and damp which intensified convection. There is no good trees or lumber here for a suspended sleep arrangement, no leaves for bedding. Cutting Tamarac branches would leave a trace. I had a heavy duty space blanket, wool blanket, Snugpack Jungle bag and a military poncho for cover. For food I ate cold Raviolli outa the can, and cereal/dehydrated milk in a ziplock bag..

 

Morning shots and an abandoned hobo camp.

 

That's horse hockey, you better clean up after yourself. ....

 

Conduction - convection is heat transfer by ambient atmosphere or fluid.

 

...yes-yes of course.

 

Read about chongo of the stone monkeys.
Followed some of his practices growing up and wanting to avoid the people and permits of the NPS.

 

hammock, winterized, between two trees, no fire, 2 flower pot style convexion heater for heat and cooking. Ghillie sheet for hammock tarp doesnt hurt either

 

I did have a 3/4 length sleep mat. You can see in the pack photos a roll of burlap for Gillie applications. Just a word on burlap, this stuff is extremely flammable and takes a spark from a fire starter very well. I believe it is made from jute. The burlap roll was basspro ground blind with camo print until I put it in the washing machine and all the dye came out. It turned out for the better as a concealing device and frayed the fabric so it is less likely to reflect light. Another consideration in this project was the question of just how fast could I get up and get out. A more comfortable camp would not be difficult to obtain but it would have resulted in a larger more complex pack.
Over all this experience was like some people have stated in that it was easy. Easy because there were no camp chores like shelter and fire. Keeping in mind that I heard some guy coughing also illustrates just how easy, if for no other reason than chance, the stealth camper could be discovered.

 

OK, ....who is next to give it a try?

 

Funny you should ask... There is some very thick land on a hill behind my house that nobody ever ventures into. I have noted several edibles there for just in case. Sometimes when the train signals in the distance, a giant pack of coyotes goes nuts back there. I could literally be 50-100 feet from my house and go undetected indefinitely. A single sleeping bag size tent nestled into the briar would work but I would have no room to move. Crosses my mind often...

Hobo camp looks good! :thumb:

 

I was out camping on the mountain earlier this week. It's a pretty secluded spot but I knew people go up there occasionally. You're not really supposed to camp overnight there so I try to keep it on the down low. Usually I have a gypsy camp set up and leave my stuff sprawled out wherever I want. However, I feared that some intrepid hiker would make their way up to my camp so I took my hammock down and wadded it up, and gathered all my gear and stuffed it under some rock ledges. Then I pushed the stones in the middle of the fire pit to conceal it.

When the sun started to set I got all my kit back out, prepared wood in the campfire, and watched as the full moon rose above the horizon. Amazingly, I see out in the distance a man running up the jagged rocky mountain--running! I was two MILES from the entrance which is where he had to have started from. Double that distance as this was a round trip...with no water I might add. It became clear as he drew closer that he was coming to the peak I was camped on. I stood atop making my presence known in an attempt to discourage him from coming there, but he was determined and would not be dissuaded.

Dude finally gets there and see's me but doesn't say a word to me. He takes out his phone and snaps a pic of the moon, probably to put on his facebook page. He's gasping for air the entire time. He momentarily disappears to the other side of the peak but then all of a sudden I hear him running towards me. That was not the direction he came from so I don't know why he would've chose that route to leave from. I was alarmed because I was standing on the edge of the precipice and he came charging at me right through the middle of my camp and around my fire pit. He veered off at the last second and kept right on running back down the mountain again. I don't know if that was some sort of passive aggressive douche move on his part or what. It was clearly disrespecting my personal space.

That taught me a valuable lesson about op sec though. Even when you are paranoid and take measures to protect your location, there will still be people who can compromise it. How could I have ever predicted that someone would run four miles at sundown up a mountain in the middle of winter with no water just to come to the exact spot I was on and see my camp set up, then take off again? And for what, a snapshot of the moon? I'll be changing spots next time.

 

Here in Iowa, you can primitive camp on public wildlife management areas for up to 14 days.

 

My $.02 from an Infantrymen's POV.

Tents are for those who are wanting to get caught. Tents ARE NOT stealthy. Pitching a tent takes time and effort. Stealth camping requires an uber low profile which tents are not. The best way to camp is to do it with nothing but ground cover. If conditions require it, a low profile poncho hooch is your best bet.

Ground cover is important, especially in winter. For that, just a simple sleep pad would work. Myself, I'm old and I like some comfort when I sleep. So I have a self inflating pad that rolls up and can fit under the top flap of my ruck. How ever, with speed needed in case of discovery, try and go without.

Eating is the BIGGEST problem to campers. In the south, feral hogs have as good a sniffer as a deer. They can smell anything in the woods. If you're gonna eat, bring double sealed freezer bags to put your trash in. Trust me on this. Cooking is the biggest thing that gives your presence away. Smell is a powerful thing. Even a small fire can be smelled from miles away. Stick to dehydrated of chemical (mre's and the like) heating.

Stealth camping isn't about comfort. It's about survival and evading. Leave the creature comforts at home. They'll give you away 90% of the time.

 

Bivy sacks are low profile

 

+1 for a bivy bag. When I go camping with the family I will throw a glow stick on my bag to make sure no one steps on me during the night... I haven't had a chance to do any serious stealth camping this year but I should in a month or 2 so I'll post again then if I do go

 

Given the risks are at about two hundred dollars for getting caught, this is still cheaper than getting bitten by a Brown Recluse.

 

I never understood why hobos need to make their camps so messy like that. They could just as easily toss a lot of that crap in the fire and burn it rather than let it lay around. I think they just like to root around in squalor so they can play up the role.

I remember this homeless bum who lived here and he would walk around with this jacket on that was actually more holes and tatters than it was actual jacket material. It couldn't have possibly served to keep him warm or do anything other than look ragged and beat up.

 

True, but then have you ever seen a homeless guy practice any opsec or LNT unless he's a vet?
Usually a campsite with a very small footprint is a sign, if you find it.