Trailhead Car Breakins

What a colossal disappointment. It’s a ripe target, too; a backpacker’s trunk is likely to have something expensive in it. Unlikely to have people around in the middle of the night.

You could keep something like an Apple Air Tag in your trunk gear. At least you could tell the police where to look. Teslas take videos of thieves. Otherwise, maybe keep your car conspicuously empty if you can.

It is a problem that has plagued motorists forever. Some ideas suggested over the years:

Burglar Protected

Trunk Monkey

About the only thing you can really do is not leave any items of value within view of a potential thief, nor should any valuable things be left in a car at all. Break-ins also happen at a lot of trailheads near urban areas which are often located in more affluent zip codes. Many times thieves will simply look for unlocked cars and avoid smashing windows, but other times they’ll bust windows out with no hesitation.

that’s terrible that someone broke into your car.  Probably little of value stolen, but fixing it is expensive

I have parked many nights at trailheads.  The only thing I can think of is someone poked a hole in gas tank and stole my gas once.  Fortunately, there was enough gas capacity left I could drive home.

Don’t leave anything visible and lock your vehicle is all you can do.

Maybe avoid trailheads with lots of break-ins, but I don’t know how you could determine whether a particular trailhead is riskier. Herman Creek trailhead where I was broken into is maybe worse – close enough to a populated area, several trailheads with lots of cars nearby.  Maybe a poorer area with desperate people.

I don’t think you have to worry about trailheads in wealthy areas – those people have found better ways to enrich themselves : )

There’s many that live in these areas that can’t afford it. They find serenity, but they get bored. They get caught up in the drugs ending up in a homeless situation. Their kids grow up learning that all others, especially those who can enjoy life are the enemy. You’re in their territory and you’re expected to share anything you have. What they haven’t shared is your experience. Hopefully if some kid steals my gear, he’ll make good use of it. It could change their life. If I don’t catch them first.

I leave an old car at the trailheads with nothing in it. Unfortunately. I’m sorry you got ripped off. It’s a helpless feeling.

That Trunk Monkey ad is one of my favorites.  It’s not enough to whack the guy, you dispose of the body.

Sometimes guide books and/or internet posts will warn of trail heads that have a history of car break-ins. Also, could ask the local rangers. I take an old bead spread and last thing before locking up my car, I cover things so they are not visible.

same here, I always cover anything up with blanket

also, I put covers over the windows but that’s more for heat

I always look on the ground for broken glass from car windows.  If there was a trailhead that had lots of glass I might not park there.

Sometimes there’s a place with people like a camp host or a business.  I’ll park next to that.

I’ve always been torn on whether should use the pullout cloth screen thing in the back of my hatchback or not. Usually it’s just a duffle with some dirty clothing and I almost think I should leave it visible and open even.

Thanks to all for ideas.

Bill, you get the award for “most humorous”.

Friend  suggested a note: “Warning, shotgun on trip wire”

Friend suggested a note: “Warning, shotgun on trip wire”

That and an NRA sticker couldn’t hurt.

Sorry, Man (People?).

A gun in an unattended car, or something that hints at a gun in an unattended car, is about as good of a way to encourage a break in as leaving a $20 bill on the seat. Guns cost money.

An official looking burglar alarm sticker on the windows might not hurt… not to mention the typical alarm blinking red led light somewhere on the dash… (you could use a sticker and light without actually having an alarm)

A roll,of duct tape and roll of plastic are part of the gear list for the vehicle. If a window is broken we can cover it for the ride back where it can be replaced. I know on wants to shoot vandals and thieves but duct tape, plastic and a new window are much cheaper than a lawyer unless one uses the shovel carried to extract a stuck vehicle to cover up the bodies. We have never had to use the duct tape yet.

I know a woman who is a very active backpacker, not afraid to go into some remote and rugged places, and will go solo much of the time. She gets back to the trailhead and a creepy guy starts circling around her and won’t leave her alone. She finally got to use the line; “say hello to my little friend”. Maybe that’s why she cowboy camps, to save some weight for the extra hardware.

I left the truck at a questionable trailhead years ago.  I left the doors unlocked, nothing inside.  I put a sign in the drivers window “Doors unlocked.”  They broke it anyway.  Maybe rank stupidity, just to spite my sign, or mad I had no Halloween candy for them.

After a few days on the trail, she might shoot me.

I saw similar fate in a parking area in the Trout Lake vicinity. It is almost as if luck of the draw. I’ve yet to have it happen to myself and I rarely see it in the White Mountains of NH (although it definitely still happens here).

I usually cover things up with a dirty blanket/towel. If anything, my car still looks like a dirtbags car with little of value. Visible junky blankets and empty bottles (for hydration prehike) doesn’t leave much to be desired.

*Knock on wood

It’s everywhere. They warn of trailhead break ins in Algonquin Park Canada. You have to leave your permit itinerary in site in your vehicle. They told us to keep it face down so nobody could read the dates.

Best way to see if a TH has had frequent break-ins is to look for broken safety glass–around the parking area.  If you see a lot of it, it’s a sure sign that the area has had frequent break-ins.

We all need to “educate” the thieves by NOT leaving any $$$ (wallet, etc.)…or ANYTHING of much value.   The more they break-in w/o finding anything…the more they are likely to try another ‘hobby’.

I Like the dirty clothes/trash idea!

YMMV

Break-in’s vandalism, and creeps/ner’-do-wells have always been at least somewhat problematic.  Remember reading articles about not hanging around yr car at the TH if solo from the 1990s.

Seems more people act like jerks, so it wouldn’t be a surprise if there were more TH break-in’s … even if leaving doors unlocked.  I’ve also mentioned before some states are seeing more wildlife break-ins (anything smelling like food) or even gnawing brake lines, etc.. There are also hikes where the TH is near a ranger station and/or remote … but even then it’s still on my mind.

I’ll preferably hike where there’s a shuttle/bus/train of some sort available anymore with a fairly reliable schedule.  I’m about done with “short trips” though (having maybe overdone them when younger) so it makes this easier.

I often hike or even overnight off a motorcycle, which means there is gear available to simply walk away with. Thus far I have been lucky, or perhaps nobody thinks there is anything saleable in a saddlebag.

One tip: if you’re leaving electronics in a vehicle (laptop, phone…) turn them off. Scanning for Bluetooth activity in sleeping devices is a fairly well known approach.

I worry more about catalytic converter theft at trail heads.  I drive a new truck that is very easy to slip under.  Has me very worried to park at trail heads.

“Thus far I have been lucky”

For years I had this large plastic tote in the back of my pickup.  Firewood, axe, stove, mat,… nothing of much value.  After many nights at trailheads, no one even took the lid off to see what was inside.  I considered it an experiment to see if anyone bothered it.

I think trailheads are pretty safe in general.  Our phobia of someone breaking into our cars is mostly unfounded.

When reading headlines about how terrible things are, take it with a grain of salt.

I just park my car, lock it, nothing visible, then don’t worry about it.  The value of hiking exceeds any small risk of car damage.

A few years back, my husband and I parked at a popular trailhead in Anchorage, along the coastal trail. We parked and started walking, and then realized we needed bug spray and didn’t have any. So we left and drove 10 minutes to a shop to buy some and returned. In that time frame – maybe 30 minutes max – someone had come and broken every single auto window in the parking lot. I don’t know if they stole anything; it mostly looked like they were just “having fun” because they broke ALL the windows in every vehicle. We decided to hike elsewhere. Anchorage sucks, by the way, for car theft and vandalism. I highly recommend not parking overnight anywhere there.

I never ever leave anything of value in my car, but there’s always the registration and insurance info, so someone could use that to advantage. No one could actually steal my car, because it’s a very old manual. Betting very few thieves know how to drive a manual these days!

When I’m outside Alaska, I always use public transit or private shuttle to get to trailheads; I just don’t rent cars, too expensive. I would hate to leave a rental at a remote lot and have it busted into. Cheaper in the long run and less worry to just pay for rides to and fro.

AK Granola

I was thinking car break-ins might not be a problem if I backpacked in Alaska.  NOT

Thanks for the reality update.