Security & Camping alone

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Security & Camping alone

Postby oklahomajewel » Tue Oct 07, 2008 1:53 pm

I am a divorced woman,... kids gone off to college now and the youngest (almost 19) likes camping but too busy.
In the past two years I've only camped with you teardroppers.

I can hook and unhook the trailer myself, even get the canopy open myself but it takes longer... I do have interior locking mechanism on my doors so that security is not a problem.

Do you girls LIKE camping alone??? or what are the advantages / disadvantages???

Just wondered...
Some things are way over my head !! ...but it keeps me looking UP!
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Postby mandy » Tue Oct 07, 2008 2:30 pm

I don't like camping alone for safety reasons, and it think it's boring. I like to socialize and cook mass quanities of food for everyone.

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Postby CAJUN LADY » Tue Oct 07, 2008 2:47 pm

Funny you should ask...camping alone can be a little scary.

I camped solo this past weekend about 100 miles from home. This was a small campground, only 25 sites but very, very clean. But there were only 3 campsites filled...an older couple, me and a shirtless scary looking guy camping out of his truck. Someone knocked on my camper late, late Saturday night so I turned off the light, looked out the curtains and no one was there. And yes, I was wide awake. There was 3 knocks so I know someone was there. (unless raccoons can knock). I checked and nothing fell on the camper...or at least I didn't see anything that would have been that loud. It shook me up a little and it was awhile before I could go to sleep. I am very cautious and even had put towels over my curtains as extra privacy so no one could see in and I AIN'T OPENING THE DOOR unless it's a Park Ranger calling my name and showing his face.

So, yes, it can be a little scary to camp alone. The hubby doesn't like it when I camp alone but he knows I use my head.

Things that I do when solo camping:

* I never go to the bathhouse late at night - ever.
* Get your campsite ready for the night before nightfall hits (pick up
food, clean dishes, etc.)
* Be aware of your surroundings!!! (scary looking shirtless guy camping
in pickup truck)
* Don't act like a helpless lady.
* Keep your vehicle keys handy - not in your purse. You never know
when you may have to hit that red panic button to set your car alarm off.
* Use Common Sense!
* Get to know the Park Ranger(s). Find out an emergency # for a
Ranger.
* Tell the Ranger you are camping alone or if you are expecting visitors.

I know some of you have mixed feelings about carrying a concealed weapon but I always have (concealed weapons permit) and always will. But, it is for protection while traveling, especially alone and that's it.

So, I know a lot of the ladies have their own safety rules and I would love to hear them too.
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Postby Ivar the Red » Tue Oct 07, 2008 2:47 pm

I went camping by myself once...once. It was not on purpose, I worked nights, me and my buddies were going to the lake that weekend. When we did this we packed everybody's stuff in my truck and Friday morning when I got off work I would go snag a good spot, stretch out a hammock, go to sleep and wait for everyone else to get off that afternoon. This particular trip everyone else had to cancel, I already was there and had my tent up, so I decided to stay. Well this lake was deserted because they were working on the dam, so I was ALL by myself. That evening, setting by a campfire, I thought to myself..."This place reminds me of Crystal Lake" (from the Friday the 13th movies) that spooked me for the rest of the night. I wound up sleeping in my truck with the doors locked. :lol: My point is a lonely mind sometimes wanders into some strange places, and you end up in the fetal position, hiding from noises. :lol:
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Postby CAJUN LADY » Tue Oct 07, 2008 2:58 pm

Ivar the Red wrote:I went camping by myself once...once. It was not on purpose, I worked nights, me and my buddies were going to the lake that weekend. When we did this we packed everybody's stuff in my truck and Friday morning when I got off work I would go snag a good spot, stretch out a hammock, go to sleep and wait for everyone else to get off that afternoon. This particular trip everyone else had to cancel, I already was there and had my tent up, so I decided to stay. Well this lake was deserted because they were working on the dam, so I was ALL by myself. That evening, setting by a campfire, I thought to myself..."This place reminds me of Crystal Lake" (from the Friday the 13th movies) that spooked me for the rest of the night. I wound up sleeping in my truck with the doors locked. :lol: My point is a lonely mind sometimes wanders into some strange places, and you end up in the fetal position, hiding from noises. :lol:


Johnny, you weren't camping at Lake Monroe, shirtless, in your truck this weekend....were you?? :oops:
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Postby Ivar the Red » Tue Oct 07, 2008 3:04 pm

CAJUN LADY wrote:
Ivar the Red wrote:I went camping by myself once...once. It was not on purpose, I worked nights, me and my buddies were going to the lake that weekend. When we did this we packed everybody's stuff in my truck and Friday morning when I got off work I would go snag a good spot, stretch out a hammock, go to sleep and wait for everyone else to get off that afternoon. This particular trip everyone else had to cancel, I already was there and had my tent up, so I decided to stay. Well this lake was deserted because they were working on the dam, so I was ALL by myself. That evening, setting by a campfire, I thought to myself..."This place reminds me of Crystal Lake" (from the Friday the 13th movies) that spooked me for the rest of the night. I wound up sleeping in my truck with the doors locked. :lol: My point is a lonely mind sometimes wanders into some strange places, and you end up in the fetal position, hiding from noises. :lol:


Johnny, you weren't camping at Lake Monroe, shirtless, in your truck this weekend....were you?? :oops:


Nope. My wife don't let me out out by myself any more. :D
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Postby Eunice » Tue Oct 07, 2008 3:14 pm

I like camping alone. Now alone to me is with one or both of my dogs. Like Becca I carry a firearm. licensed and trained. My trailer locks. With the dogs, gun, red panic button on the keychain, cell phone I figure I am fairly safe.
When Kenny is out of town I love to go out with a good book to a beautiful spot and read and walk and just de-stress.
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Postby planovet » Tue Oct 07, 2008 3:18 pm

CAJUN LADY wrote:There was 3 knocks so I know someone was there. (unless raccoons can knock).


It could happen! :lol:

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Postby Gaelen » Tue Oct 07, 2008 3:21 pm

Ivar the Red wrote:My point is a lonely mind sometimes wanders into some strange places, and you end up in the fetal position, hiding from noises. :lol:


I tend to agree... :thinking:

I have camped alone on purpose (if you can call camping with a minimum of two dogs 'camping alone.')
I've also camped with two very small boys (ages 3 and 6) and four dogs--so I was the only adult in the party, with a very amped-up responsibility level.
When I was younger I actually enjoyed spur-of-the-moment hiking trips--where I'd load my pack and tent, put dog food and water in the springer's pack, and head out to--where ever (usually someplace free within a couple hours of home, like a DEC forest area.) Those places, since they're largely unimproved, tend to be pretty sparsely camped, even in high summer...so either as a solo camper, or as a solo adult camper with two small kids, I was pretty much on my own as far as safety and emergencies went. Oh, and because I was usually with either small kids, dogs or both, I did generally try to pick a site that is a bit removed from other campers.

Now that I'm older and a lot stiffer, solo and spur-of-the-moment camping is one of the things that I miss most--mainly because I have to make plans that accommodate my doc's schedules for me in order to go anywhere. :roll:

The three times I've actually been 'out' in the Sunspot, I was alone--twice in my brother-in-law's back field (they were the closest house and were off on their own cabin-camping trip; I was tending to their horses; the next nearest neighbor is a half-mile through the fields.) The third time was in a parking lot on the far edge of my development's property--it faces a lightly-traveled road and an empty school playing field. On the bright side, it is light up by a motion-sensor spotlight.

In fact, before this summer got overscheduled by team oncology, I had already scouted out a couple of nearby DEC forest areas, and a less-popular state park I've never been to which is only about 40 minutes from me. I had my camping lists and the Sunspot ready to go. But I've still got those spots marked out, and the *second* I am cleared to go and my schedule is free next spring, I will be using them. Probably solo (well, okay, with the two dogs, but otherwise by myself.)

My main safety rules are:
-- keep on my person my cell phone, charged
-- make sure I've left an itinerary (time I'm going, where I'm headed, and when I'm expected back) with someone who will wonder if I don't check in soon after I'm supposed to be home
-- make sure my vehicle is in good running order (vehicle problems in remote places can be more trouble than people problems--at least for me!)
Never have run into a situation I couldn't talk down or safely move away from, so those three safety rules have covered everything I've encountered to date.

I do use the park facilities at night, and move freely about my site and the camp trails--but I always take a dog and a flashlight...and I always sent a dog with the kids, from the time that I trusted them to go to the wash houses with each other but not with me (and that wasn't until they were seven or eight--until then, I walked them there, and waited for them.) *Kid* safety rules were that they were never to be out of sight of either me or each other, never go off without telling me where, and always carry their 10 essentials--which included their first piece of camping equipment--a lanyard with a penlight and one of my best field whistles. A Gonia is loud enough to sound an alarm in the heaviest cover. I always wore one because of the dogs--the boys wanted one like mine and it was an easy way to give them a little safety insurance.

However, the mind can play tricks--I like being alone, and enjoy the solitude of places. And I don't let my mind go to the 'what if?' after I've planned for being safe and made sure that I am. A lonely mind will really get you into trouble!
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Postby CAJUN LADY » Tue Oct 07, 2008 4:17 pm

planovet wrote:
CAJUN LADY wrote:There was 3 knocks so I know someone was there. (unless raccoons can knock).


It could happen! :lol:

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Oh jeez :duh:
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Postby Miriam C. » Tue Oct 07, 2008 5:14 pm

:lol: I know I am nuts but the shirtless guy in a truck might be just that and the park ranger a real loon. Talk to me in the morning when there are people around or call me...........

I camped alone a lot when I was younger. I would litterally get a blanket and take off for the woods or the beach. I could run fast then too. My girls and I camped alone a lot too.

Now I think if I went totally alone I would go to a private campground where someone was on duty and keep my phone real handy......I don't run too well anymore. As for armed............Don't ask don't tell and please don't wake me. :R
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Postby b.bodemer » Tue Oct 07, 2008 5:52 pm

Everyones brought up good points........................I just wouldn't let it stop me from camping a night alone if I needed to.

Two summers ago I went away for almost three weeks in the teardrop. The leg from NY to NC and then the final leg from NC to OH had a night each that I was on my own. I opted both times for a Walmart parking lot and checked in with the manager. Even parked next to a huge RV with some seniors in it. I knocked on their door and said "I'll keep an eye on you if you'll keep an eye on me".

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Postby CAJUN LADY » Tue Oct 07, 2008 6:06 pm

Miriam C. wrote::lol: I know I am nuts but the shirtless guy in a truck might be just that and the park ranger a real loon. Talk to me in the morning when there are people around or call me...........

:R


True, true.

You know, when we were younger, things weren't as dangerous. We could camp alone knowing that the only things that posed a danger were crazy raccoons, not crazy people. I don't mind camping alone but I like it when there are lots of people camping around me.

I've only had one nasty camping trip and that was when we lived in Augusta, GA. We had camped at this particular campground on Clark Hill Lake many, many years and loved it. It was right on the lake and run by the nicest people. Well, one camping trip we had car campers (party hard dude types) next to us who drank themselves stupid that night and played their 'good ole' boy' music loud enough to get warned by the onsite Ranger. I swear, I was waiting for them to pull out a gun and start target shooting at stacked beer cans.
Well, the next day we decided to leave earlier than we normally did so we packed, cleaned up and raked our site clean.
Well, that Monday we got a call at home from Ranger Bob telling us our campsite was left with beer cans all over, torn up paper every where and literally trashed. Since he wasn't on duty that weekend, he wasn't aware of the problem campers next to us. He knew us from camping there for so long and thought it out of character for us to leave it like that.
Well, we found out the following Monday with a call from Ranger Bob that the problem campers were asked to leave about 2 hours after we left because of complaints but before they did, they trashed our site and theirs, from what the other Ranger told him. The other Ranger went on vacation so that's why Bob wasn't aware of the scum bag campers. After that incident the park created a "No Car Camping" rule.
That was a nightmare but haven't had a bad camping trip since.
Last edited by CAJUN LADY on Tue Oct 07, 2008 6:42 pm, edited 2 times in total.
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Postby S. Heisley » Tue Oct 07, 2008 6:23 pm

Becca and Gaelen make some very good points.

I camp alone a lot; but I usually have a dog with me. However, I try to find campgrounds that have a host and I pick a spot within shouting distance of their campsite.

One time, I rented a cabin and there was a knock at the door before it was totally light. Since I was with my family, I carefully opened the door and saw who it was..............................It was a woodpecker! :lol:
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Postby mandy » Tue Oct 07, 2008 6:36 pm

I guess it must be my generation, we were taught to never trust strangers and we still don't. :roll:

I wish I had the guts you all do.

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