Stealth Camping

Done properly…
If done properly, the landowner will never know that you were ever there and will have nothing to complain about. I am all for being legitimate every chance I get… however, in areas where access is already locked-up, I’m all for a little stealthly civil disobedience.

Sounds
like Maine is a lot like where I live in Northern Wisconsin…not interested in sneaky or in activities that require sneaky or skulking either.



Best Wishes from a land owner

Roy

Good story… every location is different
It reminds me that we (here on pnet) paddle in a huge variety of different situations.

Where I paddle, it’s overly restrictive public lands that are the issue. I live near the Channel Islands National Park. Also known as the “American Galalpogas” Incredible paddling!.. but horendous limitations on access. The majority of the land area is off-limits unless a Ranger is actually holding your hand. Legal campsites are very limited and too far apart for most to paddle between. There is also a huge chunk of land on the largest island that is owned by the Nature Conservancy.

You can ask for permission all you want, but the answer will ALWAYS be a firm ‘No!’.



The real answer is stealth camping.

Yeah, often enough
I wish the shores of the nearby Great Lakes were uniformly public domain, like the seashore in Oregon.



Where it’s not, and when it’s private but rustic, I’ve been known to make a discreet camp, as outlined throughout this thread. Much of this land is owned by absentee fat cats anyway, and I always leave it cleaner than I found it.



On a recent visit to Florida, I found countless miles of prime beachfront gated off with no access. Worst of all, the vast majority of these condos and oversized mansions were vacant, so even the fat cats weren’t there to appreciate what they so jealously guarded.



Delphinus

Hail and Tornadoes…
caused me and a buddy to camp on private property once. When we took off it was hailing pretty bad, however as the day went on it turned into thunderstorms. It was getting dark so we decided to set up camp.



Around 8 or so we are sitting by the fire and out of nowhere a huge Spotlight was shining on us from across the river. 'What in the hell you think you’re doing on my property" the farmer yells!! Wetold him it was an accident and we would leave no trace. He didn’t really buy it so we went to plan “B”



My buddy says- Sir, I have $20 in my pocket and in the morning I will hike up to your house and leave it for you… The farmer liked that idea and agreed to let us sleep there.



So what would any good folks do, probably what we did- before first light we packed our stuff and headed downstream without paying!!! We knew the river went under a bridge downstream and prayed he wasn’t there waiting for us— and he wasn’t.

Sure
It’s the way it should be. If you’re not causing any destruction, not bothering the land owner, leaving no trace, and keeping it low key, it shouldn’t be an issue.



I support laws that would allow access to private property in these ways – just like they allow in Norway.



I’d gladly let people camp on my 40.

hmm
Fires are NOT stealthy!!! They just scream “Look at me” I am a redneck and am going to burn your property up!!! The also leave a “trace”

not what I would do
If I tell someone I’m going to pay them in the morning, I pay them in the morning.

generally
that’s the case here

Youth
Brings back memories - I used to do it all the time. I’d sometimes camp on posted islands that usually had a duck blind, hunting shack, or a field that might be tilled by the owner every few years. I’d use a single burner camp stove if I felt the need to cook, pull the boat back from the water, sometimes sleep under it with a tarp, or pitch a small tent in a low depression surrounded by trees so as not to be very visible. I’d come in late and leave early.

There were some abandoned gravel pits near the river that were very nice too. Pull the boat out and stash it behind a log and pack in to an out of the way corner. They were owned by corporate hunting clubs and saw pretty heavy use during hunting season. One had a target range that I avoided. They were too large for anyone to patrol regularly and to see the camp one would have had to practically walk into it. Those were good times. I bet slot machines were more fun back when they were illegal also.

I don’t do it much now mostly, I suppose, because where I now paddle there’s plenty of legal camping on sandbars. I prefer to be legal but in a pinch I’ll stealth camp rather than paddle in unsafe conditions. They can take me to a nice safe jail if they feel some compelling need to - better than paddling in a serious storm or in tricky water without light.

Then
Then don’t have a fire.

stealth camping
I paddle through sparsly populated areas, but yet the land is still owned by someone, usually. Sometimes the house might be miles away. I just camp quietly, leave no trace, have had no problems so far

Try Asking

– Last Updated: Apr-09-09 9:12 PM EST –

I have never been turned down when I've asked permission to either hunt or camp on posted land in NE Pennsylvania.

At one time I also owned and lived on a large tract of land in PA. and I never refused anyone who asked first. My neighbors all felt the same way.

Due to our screwed up legal system, you also have to remember there are liability issues you have to consider when you are a landowner. A trespasser can get hurt on privet property and end up suing the landowner.

I believe that’s called
…theft of service!

tsk tsk
you made an offer of payment. An honorable person would have followed up instead of sneaking out.

I have been preparing to stealth camp in the Hudson Valley this fall. Anyone out there know the area?

@ said:
Done properly…
If done properly, the landowner will never know that you were ever there and will have nothing to complain about. I am all for being legitimate every chance I get… however, in areas where access is already locked-up, I’m all for a little stealthly civil disobedience.

Like using someone else’s photo? Who doesn’t mind.

Having issues with jerks pooping in our farm equipment, and ripping open locked out- buildings, and borrowing old tools, I come down on the side of asking permission of the land owner. Also with cheap remote trail cameras readily available, you are risking getting a visit from the sheriff or my 30-30 if you set the alarm of in the middle of the night. I also suggest asking the local police, in New Zealand lots of great spots were posted no camping, we asked a ranger/cop where we could go to camp and he said … oh you can camp right here. A friend later confirmed that stealth camping in NZ is often expected, but you have to know when and where you can break the rules, and that’s a bit tricky. Scandinavian countries have open camping on private ground laws, make sure you understand the laws, and also if you can identify the owners let them know you are there and leave the site as you found it.

Stealth camping is what is normally required on multi-day events like the Everglades Challenge.
Ironically I find it is often best to hide in plain sight - if there are no safe and hidden public areas then camping at a condo often works. I suppose people assume that you are associated with someone there and they are not as freaked out by “someone on their land” as most private landowners are. Still best to setup late and leave very early.

Every situation is different. At first not knowing exactly where I would sleep was stressful and sleep was difficult. Now it’s just part of the challenge.

Greg Stamer

Greg and the rest of the Water tribers wrote the book on “Stealth camping” !