Security while Traveling alone

[Gina D.]

Now THERE'S a great idea, and exactly what I was looking for. Little things that people do or know about that are so simple, you could slap your head and say "I coulda had a V-8".

Small spray bottle and amonia is on my shopping list today. Thanks Roger.

[Brian B-P]

My wife carries a small container of bear spray, which is her choice, but I'm not convinced that it is a good idea. Any weapon (including that flashlight) can be used by an attacker against the victim. If someone attacks you, can you get the device (spray, club, knife, gun...) out and use it effectively before it is taken from you, and potentially used against you? I don't know, I just wonder.

In the case of a bear (which I realize is not the subject of this topic), a small can of spray seems unlikely to do much good if the bear is already close enough to be in range.

Personally, I would like to think that if I were attacked by a person - or charged by a bear - I will have the presence of mind to calmly take the most effective action... but I doubt it would really go that way.

[Glo]

I always know where my keys are for the car when camping. They are always within reach or on a chain around my neck if my hands are busy. The single safest thing to do is get in the car, lock the doors, honk if need be while leaving the scene. Making sure your car is parked facing out for an easier escape makes great sense.

My purse, camera, things I don't want to risk being left, are kept in the trunk.

One of the creepiest experiences I've had while camping alone was with the host of a private campground. When I called to make the reservation, I asked the owner to place me near the bathrooms and the best lit area. Well, he put me in a great location, unfortunately, it was where he lit a fire every night on a cement pad and hung out. By telling him I was alone, he became a pest and was at my campsite every night. It would have been a challenge to move as I was taking a painting class during the day. He parked his drinking buddies, a man and his wife, next to my camper and they tried to impose themselves upon me as well. The very icy shoulder given all three soon put things to rest. It wasn't pleasant, however.

The ammonia bottle is very smart, Roger! Great thread, Gina. It's a good reminder with campinig around the corner!

Any other ideas?

[Tirah]

I always know where my keys are for the car when camping. They are always within reach or on a chain around my neck if my hands are busy. The single safest thing to do is get in the car, lock the doors, honk if need be while leaving the scene. Making sure your car is parked facing out for an easier escape makes great sense.

My purse, camera, things I don't want to risk being left, are kept in the trunk.

One of the creepiest experiences I've had while camping alone was with the host of a private campground. When I called to make the reservation, I asked the owner to place me near the bathrooms and the best lit area. Well, he put me in a great location, unfortunately, it was where he lit a fire every night on a cement pad and hung out. By telling him I was alone, he became a pest and was at my campsite every night. It would have been a challenge to move as I was taking a painting class during the day. He parked his drinking buddies, a man and his wife, next to my camper and they tried to impose themselves upon me as well. The very icy shoulder given all three soon put things to rest. It wasn't pleasant, however.

The ammonia bottle is very smart, Roger! Great thread, Gina. It's a good reminder with campinig around the corner!

Any other ideas?

The times I've gone tent-camping with just my mom (Yellowstone NP and some places in CA), I slept with an aluminum baseball bat, and I made an extra effort to belch very loudly (I was trained by a pro...my older brother) around the campsite (to either give off the impression there was a male around, to sound like someone an attacker wouldn't want to be near...or as my mom said, to attract wild pigs).

[Patrick M.]

Someone may have mentioned some of these, but in addition to the good ideas above, my contribution:

1. Cell phone in the trailer when camped, and the car when traveling. Fully charged.

2. If you have a remote for locking the car, it usually includes a "panic button" to honk the horn. Set this off from within the trailer (or car), and wait for the cavalry to arrive. Very difficult to disable once running.

3. NEVER, EVER get into a vehicle, or into your trailer when being forced to. Better to get attacked outside in a parking lot or camping ground, than driven to a remote location and face a worse fate. NEVER, EVER is our rule.

4. We carry a hand tool that propels small bits of metal at a high rate of speed for defense as a last resort. My goal is to never be a victim.

5. Keep that "situational awareness" cranked up to a 10.

Patrick

[Byron Kinnaman]

Someone may have mentioned some of these, but in addition to the good ideas above, my contribution:

1. Cell phone in the trailer when camped, and the car when traveling. Fully charged.

Most of the places I go there is no cell phone coverage. It don't work.

5. Keep that "situational awareness" cranked up to a 10.

Patrick

With the amount of paranoia I see here the best suggestion I have is to get out more so that you can become as comfortable with your surroundings as you are in or around your home. I believe most your fears are because "camping" puts you into surroundings you're not used to. If you really look closely you'll see that the chances of a bad guy bothering you are greatly reduced when camping. You have a greater chance of problems right in your own house than you do out in the woods, camp ground or no camp ground. In fact you're in much greater danger of loss of life or getting hurt while traveling (driving down the road) than you are while camped.

I suppose it could be different if you mainly go to high usage parks and rv places. Maybe that's why I avoid those places. I'd rather no camp ground at all, or maybe a Forest Service remote camp ground.

Why bother to go camping if you have to crank up your "situational awareness to 10". My situational awaness says that I can relax while camping and not worry.

[Patrick M.]

Why bother to go camping if you have to crank up your "situational awareness to 10". My situational awaness says that I can relax while camping and not worry.

That was on a scale of 1-100.

[Byron Kinnaman]

That was on a scale of 1-100.

Wheee!! you had me worried. I was thinking scale of 1 to 10... Now just reduce that situational awareness to 1.

[Audrey Herbert]

Hi, my name is Audrey & I just drove to Regina to pick up my 1971 Boler on Monday& drove back to Calgary Tuesday. So I am a Newbie although I have been on this site many times as an interested observer picking up many tips before I bought. My Father in law is the original owner of the first 100 Bolers made which he passed on to his daughter. I borrowed it once last year & have been hooked ever since. Although I have a husband I do travel alone alot and I wanted something I could handle all by myself. Having driven alone to Regina and picking up it by myself I know I made the right decision!!!! I am excited to restore my precious egg now!! My husband, Gunther is going to help alot with this venture. So you will probably see our questions when we need help!!! Awesome tips on travelling alone, I stayed overnight alone in Swift Current and I did close all the curtains and lock the trailer door!!! Take care all!!! I need to take pictures and post them during our restoration journey!!!

[BuzzardsBurro]

Wow, I have learned a lot reading this. I don't do a lot of camping by myself but sometimes I will nap while my husband explores. I know of many times I have napped with the trailer door unlocked , but after reading this that will change. The one thing I have thought about before, but never bothered to do anything about is......I don't know how to hitch up the trailer, turn on the fridge, light the heater or anything thing else . My husband and I have always had our own "camping jobs" that we do every time we take the trailer out. In return Berry has no idea where the first aid kit, cell phone, phone book or anything else is kept in the trailer. I guess we have divided it by the inside of the trailer is my responsibility and the outside is his. We need to change that, this thread has pointed out to me, I really need to know how to get us on the road incase he is hurt or something and he needs to know where things are at in case I am injured and can't tell him where to find things.

For the most part we have found fellow campers to be friendly, helpful, a pleasure to camp near and so many ask about and want to see our little egg . I can think of 2 times while camping that Berry was out walking and I was left alone in camp and let strangers view our trailer . Thinking back while being in camp alone there have been many times I made myself look like a victim and I know better. I am always preaching to our girls about how not to look like a person that someone might want to attack. Because Berry is a big man most people are a little leary of him and tend not to want to mess with him too much. I think I have gotten used to that sense of security but I now realize I am too lax when I am by myself in camp. I am usually pretty aware of whats going on around me but once in a while I get so involved in my book or watching the squirles and birds that I don't pay attention to things as I should. I vow after reading this to change all this.

The things that I do, that no one has mentioned is.............find out where the nearest hospital and phone is, know the name of the nearest town, the name of the highway or road we took to get to camp, and the name of the campground we are in, I always contact a friend or family member as soon as we are settled and let them know where we are, what site we are in and what our plans are for the next couple of days and I don't leave my purse, camera, wallet, cell phone, keys are anything like that laying around the campground. (Once, we got to camp late and we were in a hurry to get things set up and get to bed. I left my purse on the hood of the car over night, thank godness our camping neighbors were honest and picked it up and kept it safe until the next morning , I learned my lesson) I also make sure I know approx where Berry is headed when he is out exploring and approx how long he expects to be gone.

The other thing that I do (and I know I think about this a little more than I should ) is if we are camping near the ocean, I try to figure out where the highest ground is. I have always had an strange interest and a fear of tidalwaves. I always try to know what route I should take to get to high ground if I was lucky enough to have maybe a 10 or 15 minute warning. It might be weird to some of you but I have lived near the ocean all my life. I have always felt, it is not if a tidalwave comes but when it comes. That is my little quirk.

This thread really made me stop and think about some things. I can make myself safer than I have done in the past. I am going to learn how to hook up, turn on and plug in things in the trailer. I also think the spray bottle idea is a good one and something I am going to put on the list to pack. I also like the idea about keeping the keys around my neck and stand up when approached by strangers. My best friend had a cougar in her campground one night and had to walk infront of it to get her keys off the picnic table to be able to get in the car. My bestfriend also does a lot of tent and back of the truck camping by herself. I am going to make her sit down and read this thread. I think she could learn a few things too. Thanks so much for this discussion. Hope more put in their two cents worth. You never know, your advise just might help someone out of a dangerous situation one of these days.

Good job everyone!!!!!!!!!!!

[james kent]

This thread reminds me of the time.........
We were up at Sioux Lookout when we woke to the sound of 3 or 4 men, moving around with flashlights, outside our trailer at 1 AM. I arose, dressed. turned on ALL available lighting and went outside. WHAT THE H#$%^ GOING ON.???
Turned out they were collecting dewworms. One asked where we were from and I answered" Southern Ontario". He replied that "Weall's from Misoori and come 500 mile. Howfar y'all come. I replied that we were 1500 miles from home". And he said " oooeee an ya din even leave y'own state". Later they brought over some fresh Walleye for our supper. Had a good weekend with some new friends.
I was a lot younger and braver then. I don't know if I'd confront them now.

[Penny Taylor]

<<<My best friend had a cougar in her campground one night and had to walk in front of it to get her keys off the picnic table to be able to get in the car. >>>

When I was little, and growing up during the air raids on London, all the Moms made sure that everything was in their handbag, at night, and ready to pick up and leave, to go to the shelter. Even after all those years, at night I make sure my cell phone and keys, are in my handbag, next to my bed, so in an emergency, it is ready.
I wear pants, or shorts with pockets. I always have my car/house keys in my pocket, during the day. I don't have to burrow in my purse to find them, in a parking lot. That is when one is most vunerable. They can also be a good defensive weapon, as well as being able to find them, in a hurry !

[Byron Kinnaman]

<<<My best friend had a cougar in her campground one night and had to walk in front of it to get her keys off the picnic table to be able to get in the car. >>>

I'm glad she walked, running would have triggered the cat to attack.

in a parking lot. That is when one is most vunerable.

Ya, I'm more concerned in a parking lot than anyplace out in the woods, some worse than others.

[jack maloney]

Remember that most car accidents happen within ten miles of home! Security, then, depends on you staying away from home with your egg.

[Candi Woods]

It appears to me that our news media has created a very paranoid society. We think nothing of jumping into our vehicles and driving down the road, but worry about camping.

Byron, I don't get the impression that anyone is "worried" about camping, just talking about how to be prepared. Yes, driving may be risky but millions of people still have to go through driver safety training just to get a license to drive a vehicle. There may still be "greater risk" but it doesn't hurt to be prepared. Plus, being prepared is not the same as being paranoid. Being paranoid means you won't do it because something bad might happen. Being prepared just means you do it anyways but take careful precautions.

Anyways, there is some catharsis in feeling that you're prepared even though there is little likelihood of something bad happening. I go through the same routine every time I fly on an airline. Will something happen? Probably not, but it is just weird thinking of taking off without going through the whole safety speel again. I probably won't ever be in a major car accident but I can't drive comfortable without having my seatbelt on anymore, either.

Happy Camping!
Candi

[Byron Kinnaman]

Byron, I don't get the impression that anyone is "worried" about camping, just talking about how to be prepared.

This subject wouldn't exist if somebody(s) weren't worried.

There's being prepared for something that could happen, like an automobile crash. And there's being prepared for something that's very very unlikely to happen, like chasing the boogyman out from under your bed.

That said, if you feel better checking your closets and under the bed, then by all means do so, no harm done. Well, not much harm done. You're feeding the paranoia and it's your paranoia, you can feed it you like.

[Gina D.]

This subject wouldn't exist if somebody(s) weren't worried.

Actually Byron, your judgement is completly incorrect. I was the one that started this thread, and it is done in the spirit of preparedness, not worry.

As Candi elegantly stated... one needs to be prepared for all kinds of occurances. This subject is just one of them, and should be taken with no more, and no LESS weight than any other safety subject. It is that preparedness that is one of the many keys needed to allow us to get on the road.

Otherwise, we WOULD stay home cowered in a corner.

It is actually more UN likely that my trailer will seperate from my car than it is that I will be robbed or raped, in any location. Yet you would be the first to run after me to let me know that my chains were not on, or my hitch pin wasn't in. And you would do it out of concern for my safety, not to show off your skills and knowledge.

Knowing you personally, I suspect that if we were in the same isolated campground or boondocking area, but in sites not ajoined, that you would pop around on occasion to check on my welfare. Not out of worry, or paranoia, but just because that is the way you are and you would do it regardless of your accessment of a real or potential threat, or a total NON threat. Thats what nice people do.

This thread is just another thread about safety items and techniques. It is about what can be done when there ISN'T nice people watching out for us to tell us our hitch pin is out, or the boogie man really IS around the corner.

[Gina D.]

BTW, the ONLY time I have had my car broken into by force was on Mount Hood, at a trailhead on the Salmon River Trail. 6 or 7 others had the same joyous suprise along with mine. Forest service hiked in in the morning and notified everyone along the trail in the dispersed sites that we needed to hike down and check our cars.

[Roger H]

Byron, I'm with Gina on this one. The "boogyman" is alive and well in our culture and touches the lives of thousands of people across the country every day. I've spent the past 30 years of my professional career dealing with victims of their "boogyman" and tracking down and prosecuting "boogyman" varients.

We have people in this world who prey on others. It's a fact. It's also a fact that through reasonable preparation and vigilance on our part as individuals, we can reduce the chances of being victimized by boogymen signficantly.

Paranoia is an unreasonable fear. Being prepared for the unexpected, and situational avoidance are not paranoia; they're reasonable actions to be taken, just as is fastening your seatbelt every time you get into your car even though you don't expect to crash on this trip.

The boogyman shops in the same stores we shop at, eats at the same fast-food joints, and generally lives in our neighborhoods. Unfortunately, we don't recognize him until he's either victimized us or he's been caught after victimizing another. Reasonable precautions and preparedness on our part will go a long way in causing the boogyman to choose someone else who's not as cautious or prepared.

Roger

[Byron Kinnaman]

Byron, I'm with Gina on this one. The "boogyman" is alive and well in our culture and touches the lives of thousands of people across the country every day. I've spent the past 30 years of my professional career dealing with victims of their "boogyman" and tracking down and prosecuting "boogyman" varients.

We have people in this world who prey on others. It's a fact. It's also a fact that through reasonable preparation and vigilance on our part as individuals, we can reduce the chances of being victimized by boogymen signficantly.

Paranoia is an unreasonable fear. Being prepared for the unexpected, and situational avoidance are not paranoia; they're reasonable actions to be taken, just as is fastening your seatbelt every time you get into your car even though you don't expect to crash on this trip.

The boogyman shops in the same stores we shop at, eats at the same fast-food joints, and generally lives in our neighborhoods. Unfortunately, we don't recognize him until he's either victimized us or he's been caught after victimizing another. Reasonable precautions and preparedness on our part will go a long way in causing the boogyman to choose someone else who's not as cautious or prepared.

Roger

Yes! there are bad guys in this world. There's also risk analysis. The bad guy is more likely to be found in your neighborhood than out in camp grounds. Hence the risk is greater that the bad guy will bother you in your home than while you're camping. When I lived in the city if I was to leave my tent, camp stove, or any other camping gear unattended in my front yard it would be gone in no time. When camping, I've never had a problem. Why? The bad guy isn't as likely to leave town. Again, risk analysis.
Risk analysis also tells me that there are some camp grounds to stay away from. In the summer I won't go to any of the Oregon State camp on Oregon coast during the summer. There's a couple other places I avoid also.
Mostly I don't go where there's going to be a crowd. Risk analysis indicates that the more people around the more likely there's going to be a problem.

So I do take some precautions. I go someplace that I can relax.