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Theft of camping gear


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Viewing 16 posts - 26 through 41 (of 41 total)
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  • #1885041
    Anonymous
    Inactive

    Why risk it with your very expensive super ultra light gear, especially since you are day hiking. This is a high traffic camp area.. Take the stuff the loss of which will bring no tears.

    #1885050
    Anonymous
    Inactive

    "Take the stuff the loss of which will bring no tears."

    Better yet, hike some place where it's not a concern.

    #1885081
    Kattt
    BPL Member

    @kattt

    Chris:
    "Sorry, but I have to have a MAJOR laugh at the stereotypes shooting around in this thread.

    As a shameless user of both substances, NO ONE on LSD or Marijuana is going to be more inclined to STEAL than they would if they were sober. NO ONE. If you are a sociopath, then you will still be a sociopath. But chemically, these substances will INCREASE feelings of empathy, compassion, and well-being within your brain, if anything.

    What you have far more to worry about is alcohol. How many violent crimes have been caused by alcohol? MILLIONS. "

    As someone who has lived in a house full of "hippies", as someone that lives in Santa Cruz County and works at UCSC, I agree with Chris' statement above. Much more trouble with alcohol.

    #1885086
    HElinTexas C
    BPL Member

    @helintexas

    I have car camped in many national parks. ( well 8 of them) I have always left my tent up while I am out doing my daily exploring.. I have never had a problem with people bothering my stuff. Never even worried about it. Most people in the campgrounds do the same..

    Lol. The only problem I ever had was is Yosemite. It wasn't with humans tho. We came back and as I was crawling into my side of the tent, I noticed something white on the ground about 20 feet behind the tent ( which was in the back of the campground). A squirrel had went into the vestibule of my tent and had went thru the open duffle I had setting there ( my own stupidity). It was my silk thermal shirt. I was lucky I came back when we did and scared it into dropping it.

    My dad still likes to tell the story but likes to tell people that a big wild animal went thru the tent and stole my white underwear!

    I am going to Yellowstone in about a week and will leave my tent up during the day.

    If you are really worried about it. Keep the valuables in the car and put a small lock on the tent zippers

    Hel

    #1885114
    Stephen Morse
    BPL Member

    @scmorse1

    Locale: Bay area

    I've never had any issues car camping in national parks. Just keep the electronics & food in the car when not in camp.

    #1885154
    Richard Scruggs
    BPL Member

    @jrscruggs

    Locale: Oregon

    Only camping theft I've experience was about 40 years ago at the parking lot for the Snow Lakes Trailhead to Enchantment Lakes, along Icicle Creek Road out of Leavenworth, WA.

    We left our VW Beetle at the parking lot for about 4 days or so while we backpacked into the Enchantments — after first checking at Leavenworth USFS ranger station for any reports of animal issues in the area.

    In retrospect, should have asked about people issues at the trailhead, too.

    When we came out from a great trip into the Enchantments, we discovered our Beetle (which we had left locked) had been broken into, with the vent window jimmied open and the glove compartment accessed to pop open the front hood. Our luggage had been rummaged through (we were on an extended trip that included continuing to North Cascades NP for another backpacking trip after we came out of the Enchantments).

    We were lucky the VW could be "broken into" without breaking anything.

    There were at least two dozen additional vehicles parked in the parking lot, and every one of them had been really "broken into" with windows smashed out in every one of them.

    A regular crime spree in a trailhead parking lot immediately off of a highway.

    Returning to Leavenworth, we first called our credit card companies to report that our credit cards had been stolen.

    Then we went to the Leavenworth USFS station to let them know there was a problem at the Snow Lakes trailhead parking lot. Response? Yep, they said, there's been a problem with break-ins at that lot all summer.

    Well, gee, I thought to myself, thanks a lot for the non-warning earlier when we had checked in before our trip.

    Upon going through our luggage later that day, we found the culprits had overlooked our credit cards after all. Unfortunately, that discovery was too late since we had already reported the cards stolen and couldn't use them for the rest of our trip.

    At another time, a few years earlier, I had reason to appreciate the honesty of folks who actually hike into the backcountry. My camera got "forgotten" on the ground at the start of a climbing pitch in the Tetons. Some nice person found it and left it at Jenny Lake ranger station — where it was waiting for me when we checked-in after our climb.

    Wouldn't be too surprised, though, if the increase in folks hiking into the backcountry these days doesn't include some who aren't so honest — at least when it's within a day hike of the trailhead.

    That's unfortunate, but seems that's the way it is nowadays.

    #1885506
    R S
    Member

    @rps76

    No. I live 30 minutes from RMNP and I've camped there plenty of times. Nobody is going to mess with your stuff.

    I have no clue where half of you go camping to be afraid of someone taking your stuff. And it's sad that when you go, you actually worry about that stuff. I mostly camp on forest service land here in Colorado, Montana, Wyoming, and New Mexico and have never had any of my stuff taken or even touched. In fact, the only time anyone has ever moved my stuff were the rangers in Yellowstone and that was a gallon jug of water because they are just stupid bear crazy around there.

    BTW….this thread is kind of sickening.

    #1885832
    Curry
    BPL Member

    @veganaloha

    Locale: USA

    "…I love the smell of patchouli in the morning…"

    LOL – I do love me some patchouli!!! but based on this thread, I guess I better not take it with me into the wild, I don't want to be confused with a gear-stealing, whacked-out hippie and shot by "larry-the-cable-guy," who I belive apends his free time in drag.

    #1886029
    joseph peterson
    Member

    @sparky

    Locale: Southern California

    Roger, while I don't condone stealing…wow you guys let them WALK AWAY WITH YOUR STUFF?!?!

    Typical for your demographic

    #1886030
    W I S N E R !
    Spectator

    @xnomanx

    Joseph for the WIN!

    #1886034
    Curry
    BPL Member

    @veganaloha

    Locale: USA

    Joseph,

    Good one, brah!

    #1886229
    Mobile Calculator
    Spectator

    @mobile-calculator

    [x] ignore test delete

    #1886382
    Harald Hope
    Spectator

    @hhope

    Locale: East Bay

    John H Brann, I wouldn't leave a 500 dollar tent in a car camping space, just the same way as I wouldn't leave a stack of 20s sitting there unattended. Seems pretty basic. Cheap tents are so cheap now that there's no excuse to do that. Plus sun wear on the nylon, and all that. Just get a cheap car camping tent, they are heavy and will last a long time if you get a decent one. Same for the gear inside. I've had stuff ripped off before, I don't even like leaving my gear unattended once on the trail and camping out there, especially not expensive ultralight gear, or stuff that I made that took a lot of work to do.

    I'll agree with others, the people I fear camping are the ones who drink. Especially drinkers of cheap canned beer or whiskey. Plus they are the worst ones in terms of respecting the environment and their neighbors at night. Hippies, I'll take them any time, never met a hippy backpacking I didn't like at least to some degree, which is way more than I can say for certain other groups. And tripping hippies, even more entertaining, what more can you ask for? Did I mention the LA type A type ultralighter I ran into who wouldn't carry back some failed gear for me that weighed probably 3 ounces while I was heading in a few miles from the trail head? Or the hippies who offered me a ride back when I shared a tale of woe, but as I was heading in, and they out, I declined. So yeah, I'll take the hippies, with all their flaws, at least they appreciate where they are.

    #1886466
    Doug Wolfe
    BPL Member

    @wolfie2nd

    Why are you hating on the cheap beer?? What did miller high life or shafer do to you? Its the sweet nectar of life! Some even call it mothers milk…

    #1886488
    Erik Basil
    BPL Member

    @ebasil

    Locale: Atzlan

    Theft in sites does happen, according to Rangers and the logs. It's much more common in large campsites or areas, such as on the valley floor in Yosemite, for example.

    Up in the high country, with less people and at least some semblance of the camraderie of the outdoors, I think it's a lot less common. However, I've met hikers who have complained of food being stolen from a sealed bear canister (probably not Yogi, eh?).

    In So Cal, although that racist Roger was too politically correct to note it, it's usually hordes of French people, swarming like locusts and claiming they can't speak English as they rifle through things, steal the pate' and scarf down our soda pops. If challenged, they get all indignant and it turns out they do speaky some of the English! Here's one recorded by cameras at Burnt Rancheria on the PCT and transcribed for the public: when the greasy little frogs were challenged, their leader cried, "You don't frighten us, English pig dogs. Go and boil your bottoms, you sons of a silly person. I blow my nose at you!" The through-hikers weren't even English, you racist demographogogues!

    Anyway, better to let them move along. Don't mess with le fronch.

    #1886553
    Keith Bassett
    Member

    @keith_bassett

    Locale: Pacific NW

    Yep. Hippies are generally good people, who actually like other people. I tend to enjoy their company. But I am a mother earth news loving organic eating middle aged guy from the PNW.

    As for theft, it doesn't happen as often when you are on a rarely traveled location, that is hard to get to. It happens more often when there is easy access where people can use their car to get away with your stuff. Plan accordingly. :)

    And as for the comment earlier in this thread that things are getting a bit sickening – I am with you. Lets put this to bed. Sometimes people do bad things and steal your stuff. All races, ethnicities, and belief communities sometimes contain bad people.

    end of story.

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