Camping Safety.

[Grandpa Don]

Statistics agree with this.

I guess I'll leave my Bear spray and First-Aid kit home from now on. LOL The chances are so slim that I will have a run-in with a Bear or big cat that I just won't need them any longer. Maybe I should get rid of my spare tire and my fire extinguisher too.

Sorry, I just had to say that. But you guys are correct. There is no need to unduly scare people. We do need to take precautions in everything we do. I wouldn't dream of camping alone in the Boonies without "Mr. Ruger" in my belt.

 

[tombiasi]

I guess I'll leave my Bear spray and First-Aid kit home from now on. LOL The chances are so slim that I will have a run-in with a Bear or big cat that I just won't need them any longer. Maybe I should get rid of my spare tire and my fire extinguisher too.

Sorry, I just had to say that. But you guys are correct. There is no need to unduly scare people. We do need to take precautions in everything we do. I wouldn't dream of camping alone in the Boonies without "Mr. Ruger" in my belt.

Where did you get the idea that anyone was advocating that?

 

[PopAnimal]

Was scrolling through topics and decided I'd chime on this old thread. Once while tent camping at literally an off the side of a paved road, mostly used as a bathroom stop for west TX/NM travelers, National Forest campground I had two experiences that rattled me same trip. This C/G is basically a pull off, bathroom and several sites that you have to cross a bridge to get to. Rock wall to he south, and bathrooms and parking lot to the north. I had arrived on a Thursday night and had till Monday to enjoy. First night easy peezie. Next day, as I am relaxing in my chair listening to the radio a big white van pulls up to the bathroom. Passenger departs with full tactical gear and rifle and inspects the bathrooms. Meanwhile driver with maybe a badge on his hip and nothing else that i could tell, unloaded and lined the crew of 12 or so in bright orange. Armed guard reappears and goes into van, I am assuming to check for contraband. One by one, each occupant was un cuffed and shackled and goes to bathroom, only to reappear and get shackled at the end of the line. Still armed escort is in the van. Now the lineup is steadily checking out the guy with all the freedom in the world to be basking in the sun on a Friday. Line proceeds with only the driver monotoring the crew, much to my nerves and no incident. Afterwards, my camping buddies Mr. Smith and Mr. Wesson moved to the entrance of the tent near me. Afternoon comes and a truck pulls into the parking lot. I'm prepping for dinner and night fire as the truck just sits, no bathroom trip, no turning off the engine. After a long while, a yournger gentleman exits the truck, walks across the bridge and up to my camp and asks "Do you have a sprite?" No excuse me , no wave on arrival and speciffic on the Sprite. Told him I had water and beer. He stood and looked at me dumbly and turned around and back to truck. After another long wait, the truck finally departed. Smith and Wesson stayed in very close contact the rest of the trip. Nothing else odd happened. Sometimes it gets weird out there.

 

[J Starsky]

View attachment 78332

Wow, this post reminds me of my mom, RIP. ... Even when I was an adult living in Minneapolis she'd give me this rundown

Such a happy memory you gave me: My Mom, RIP, would go ape whenever I would travel solo. I would live in my old suburban often. Clothes, fire provisions, nearly zero food, maybe a kitchen chair or CJ7 rear seat, sharp axe and a grill. That was my M.O.
Eventually, I would call her from the location: "Hi Mom, I've been in Chicago a days now. Dave show was good, Yep, going home VIA Michigan and Duluth. Yep, only got a week off, yep yep love you, too!"

 

[RV Satman]

My solution for " unwanted guests / threats"... ... Big Girl, a 100lb Rottweiler, and my friend Sig Sauer, Actually the only issue I've ever had camping is bunch of unattended " Rug Rats " screaming , carrying on, and making a mess of the restrooms at midnight. No idea where the parents were.

 

[Mark60]

Only place I’ve had problems is in privatized campgrounds with no host or nobody on site. They utilize drop boxes for payment for the campsites and once your in you never know what’s going to come in next. After a few fights and gunfire I gave those places up.

 

[Sjm9911]

Only place I’ve had problems is in privatized campgrounds with no host or nobody on site. They utilize drop boxes for payment for the campsites and once your in you never know what’s going to come in next. After a few fights and gunfire I gave those places up.

Lol. I thought I knew you.......

 

[PointyCamper]

Recently finished a book titled Trailed by Kathryn Miles about the Shenandoah murders of 2 women. It talked about camp and AT crimes. They are far less than elsewhere but the Rangers are spread really thin.
I’d like to see the NP budget increased.
MD state parks seem to be doing well.

 

[yetavon]

You are more likely to have a tree limb fall on you or get bit by a snake. When I used to backpack I always felt very comfortable sleeping next to the fire.

After the Sandy Hook Tragedy, a bunch of us at work done a bunch of research and numbers crunching covering several years of FBI and CDC statistics.
You were 4X more likely to be killed by a falling tree or limb than by a random mass shooter. Our scariest camping experience was due to lightning.
Several families tent camping out of boats.. no place to run or hide... several strikes you could HEAR the lightning and smell the ozone.