Stuff stolen while on a hike - Page 2

Cyrull · 08-12-2019, 09:25 AM

Sorry to hear that, it is a pain to pack everything up. I typically will leave nothing more than $100 of stuff out otherwise everything goes back in the van when we are away from the vehicle or if we a doing a day trip where we leave the campsite. I usually leave my camping chairs and our large folding table at the site to let people know its been occupied. The chairs are old, and the table isn't the kind that can fold in half.

When I was at BC Overland Rally, I used my folding emergency triangles to reserve spots for other SMB Folks that were arriving late.

Beasty Boy · 08-12-2019, 12:29 PM

Thieves should have their hands chopped OFF

NO mercy!!! I've had 2 brake
ins in the past,damaged ribs,loss of smell,and 24 years later still don't remember what happened

I take EVERYTHING with me when I leave
camp even if I'm in the middle of nowhere

I like the scooter idea. Considering do that.

Sad that we have to take such precautions in the wilderness

happycampingcouple · 08-12-2019, 02:54 PM

We have thought about buying an inexpensive small tent and leaving things inside while we are gone... Expensive stuff still goes with us...

mikracer · 08-12-2019, 03:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by happycampingcouple

We have thought about buying an inexpensive small tent and leaving things inside while we are gone... Expensive stuff still goes with us...

This is what we did when we had a sportsmobile. Set up a tent in a few minutes and you have yourself some covered storage. Not secure at all, but it takes more balls to open up a tent not knowing if someone is in there.

BrianW · 08-12-2019, 06:30 PM

I have often thought that some “police line do not cross” tape and a chalk outline in the campsite driveway would keep people from stealing g our site :-)

86Scotty · 08-12-2019, 07:04 PM

Leave your porta potty in the middle of the site, lid up and freshly used. Smear some chocolate here and there on your belongings. Everything will be just as you left it when you get back.......unless a raccoon gets it.

Sorry to hear about this Dave, it is a problem but we always just pack it all up, and we have lost a site or two to this. No perfect answer.

mtnclmb · 08-13-2019, 05:38 PM

This is a recurring problem for us too.

When we first rented a van to try to decide what features were important, our site at Death Valley was taken even though the receipt was attached to the site pole. The guy had set up a big trailer with all the trimmings on our spot while we were out hiking. I was so mad that I made him move it the next day. It was too late that night. So the next day we left a step stool and some water jugs with a note on it. Another neighbor told us that many people tried to take the site while we were gone, but he warned them about the crazy lady they'd have to deal with!

Then last year near Acadia National Park we left our folding table and some water jugs on the site and came back to no table.

Also in Canada last summer we left our water hose on our reserved site. The neighbors took it and were using it when we returned. As I don't speak French, it was difficult to convey the problem at first. They did return it.

I like the suggestions here to get some cones. Thanks. I think I'll skip the porta potty idea!

yonan · 08-13-2019, 06:30 PM

We usually leave a tablecloth on the table to signify that the site is taken. The experiences reported by you all makes me think we should leave more evidence, maybe a clothesline blocking the driveway with some old clothes on it (if allowed and if possible) would surely signify the site is taken. We have been lucky so far with no theft of items left at the site, but we don't leave much. I do like the collapsible cone!

My sister was charging her phone with a small solar panel at the edge of her campsite along the road (only sunny spot) and someone driving by stopped and sent his ten-year-old to pick it up. Lucky she saw them and chased after them to retrieve her phone and solar! This was in the Adirondacks.

-Nancy

YoTerryh · 08-14-2019, 10:33 AM

I live in Portland and have stayed several times at Armitage County Campground near Eugene. I've had several interesting issues occur there nearly every time I've stayed. Despite this, I continue to use the campground because it's nice, convenient, and close to Eugene.

Two years ago I had reserved a site for a Friday night since I was going to Eugene to watch my daughter's high school marching band competition at Autzen Stadium the next day. As it happened, I also attended her high school's football game on that Friday night and departed Portland after the game.

I arrived at the campground some time after 10:00 p.m. and slowly cruised the camp loop searching for my site. As I approached it, I found it occupied by a decrepit-looking RV! I double-checked the site number to make sure I had the correct number and it was indeed my spot.

There were no lights on in the RV and I wasn't keen on knocking on their door anyway, so I drove over to speak to the camp host. In this campground, there's a full time host who has a camp spot next to the office. I have a history with this host (but that's another story), so I was dreading asking for his help, but I needed to claim my site. The lights were on in his trailer so I knocked on the door and explained my problem.

As in the past, he was not friendly and insisted I provide proof of reservation, which I had printed out before I left home and had in hand. He grudgingly agreed to go and tell the offending RV owner to vacate my spot. I took another slow drive around the loop and parked and waited for him to do so. It took a few minutes for him to roust the squatter and get them to leave and then I was able to claim the site and get set up.

While this is a different scenario than having someone take a site you've occupied and left temporarily, I'm not sure what I could've done differently. It was late, the campground was full and the squatter thought they could get away with staying, even though there was an obviously visible "reserved" tag that they chose to ignore. I chalked it up to another in a continuing series of incidents with Armitage and was happy to have had a reservation!

IanF · 08-14-2019, 01:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by yonan

My sister was charging her phone with a small solar panel at the edge of her campsite along the road (only sunny spot) and someone driving by stopped and sent his ten-year-old to pick it up. Lucky she saw them and chased after them to retrieve her phone and solar! This was in the Adirondacks.

-Nancy

Where I live, it's common to leave items at the curb for scrappers to take. So pretty much anything left at the edge of the road would be considered fair game. As a result, I've been conditioned not to leave anything at the edge of the road unattended for more than a few seconds.