A ? about Safety/Security

[Grandmotherbear]

I'm pretty much utterly fearless. I have been solo in the wilderness and travelled on my own as a teenager (running away! ). But I will have my 2 grandchildren with me this summer, and this will be pretty much my first experience with state park/US Forest Service/Corps of Engineers/KOA camping.
I am a little nervous about being around people. I know that predators are mostly looking for food when in the woods, but I don't know what motivates human beings who snap.
I will not carry a firearm (although I might bring along my trusty machete) and will trust to keeping observant of the surroundings and people, and trusting my "gut" for personal safety.
What about light-fingered discounters? Can I safely leave my expensive cooler, sleeping bags, air bed and camp chairs zippered in the tent while we leave to go sightseeing, or should everything but the tent be re-stowed?
Any comments appreciated.

[Grandmotherbear]

OK, the silence has been deafening. I will assume that a campground is nothing like the wilderness (where your campsite remains mostly undisturbed by humans)and everything except the tent should be restowed in the van before sightseeing.

[Alterego]

Being no one else has jumped in to offer an opinion, we will. We have found that it is the exception that something ever gets touched in a campground. We mainly use federal, state and COE parks; very seldom do we use a private park so can't say much about them.
We leave everything sitting out: lanterns, stoves, BBQs, ice chest, chairs; you name it. We always just leave things out and never have had anything take legs.

[sundevil6]

Like Alterego, we use mostly government parks, and have had no problems. The ingress and egress is monitored and that helps keep out undesirables, plus they patrol the park on a regular basis. Please keep in mind, these park rangers are law enforcement officers, not rent-a-cops with no power. These parks also have workampers on duty 24/7 as an added safety factor.

[Grandmotherbear]

Sundevil6 and Alterego, thank you for your replies. There is nothing like the voice of experience! That's why I wanted to hear from people who had actual experience!
That said, maybe we will leave te sleeping bags and tables/chairs zippered in the tent, and just stow the electric freezer/cooler when we sightsee.

[ChuckD]

I have been doing this for over 40 years (camping) and only once was anything removed from my campsite. I had a lantern picked up (I had three of them out) and two days later, it came back the same way it left. However, don't leave food out. The four-legged visitors to your site are not so honest. And it is best to keep your doors locked to keep the honest folks honest.
_________________
Chuck
Beautiful Southern Oregon
2005 Jayco 30 ft Greyhawk
NEED A TOAD

[Dustytuu]

We had our spare tire and wheel taken this fall in a Good Sam's RV park. It was there that evening and gone next morning. We noticed it when hooking up to leave. That was almost a $300 dollar loss. Expensive tire! Had to order a wheel which was expensive too. This RV park was in Nebraska about 10 miles from a small town. Who would have thought something would be taken there The new one will be locked in place under our 5th wheel. We have 3 different locks to put on it and a ratchet strap. If they take it they will have to work for it!
Also a tip for everyone. The owner put us in a space that was blocked from view on back, a building, on other side a building, and other side a large motorhome was stored so no one could see our unit from either side or front. I will never accept a spot like that again. So we were blocked from view on all 4 sides.

We have had friends who have lost gas barbeque grills, firewood, coolers and other things. This is first time we have had anything taken since RVing which has been several years. RVers are usually very helpful and honest people. Most of them are this way.
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D & D
2 Schnauzers & cat
2008 Carriage Carri lite 36SBQ,
W/D, dishW.
2008, 5500 Dodge, Laramie cab.

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y250/Dustytuu/forwallpaper.jpg

"Criminals like gun control"
http://photobucket.com/albums/y250/Dustytuu/

[ethiermr]

We generally stay in RV resorts and advise our RV neighbours when going out for the day. They keep an eye on our rig and belongings. We do the same for our neighbours. Nothing has ever been taken. Have stayed in State parks and followed the same routine with the same results. In rest areas we found the truckers to be extra vigilant and detest thieves. We generally stay out of resorts/parks/campground/rest areas that look run down and seedy. Maybe we were lucky but we found that practically all dedicated RVers, campers and truck drivers look out for each other. Common sense dictates that small attractive items be kept out of site and under lock and key as there are some people out there with no morals. I will not let a few dishonest people stop me from enjoying life and trusting people from all walks of life. That's my two cents worth.
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Marcel & Jenne
Ontario, Canada

Our second home
2005 Intruder 377W
2007 Saturn Vue Hybrid

[sundevil6]

Most likely the thieves were locals and not campers or RVers.

[Corley]

I volunteered as a camp host at one of the most popular national parks this summer and it was an eye opener. First, I would feel OK about leaving normal (sleeping bags, chairs, etc.) camping equipment in a closed tent, but not unique or expensive stuff like a power center, voltage regulator or electronics. The parks attract the same variety of people who live in your city or town. The vast majority of campers are nature lovers who come to relax and vacation. However, the parks have become cheap places to party, groups come to get drunk, loud, and vulgar. This is usually on Fri and Sat night. Also, sleazy and/or peculiar people come for anonymity. We had domestic violence, drunk drivers, a man who verbally abused the children at a neighboring site, and lurkers who took pictures of little girls, a naked man who aggressed women alone on the beach. There were car breakins at remote beach parking lots. One of the loudest sites was a group of dentists who had a small class reunion. Not all rangers are law enforcement. Some rangers are resource educators, some naturalists, some campground employees, some are maintenance. We had 3 law enforcers for an area 10 miles long. They were available from 7 AM to midnight. After midnight we called one who lived the closest. Law enforcement was busy, and we never had more than one at a time due to 3 people covering 14 shifts a week plus court appearances. No time for sick leave. If an officer was called to another part of the park, it could take 15-20 minutes of driving time to get to another campground or beach, so a few times I had to wait for one. A few times I called about one situation and the officer found more situations when he approached. I felt safe, BECAUSE I know when to be cautious, who to avoid, when to be invisible. We all carried two-way radios and communicated when we left one area and arrived at another. I had dogs with me who barked when someone approached my rig, and the only people who came to my door at night were campers complaining about neighbors. No weirdos came to my door, but criminals don't like to wake up dogs. I always carried a small baseball bat with me when I walked after dark or on trails. If you Google national parks + crime, you will learn a lot, and you need to know a lot to proceed with caution.
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MAC and Two Dog Night

[Dustytuu]

Well, we talked to some people who were staying in the park while we were walking our small dogs. They came in late and said they had a flat that day, and did not have a spare. They left before 4 AM because we got up at 4 so as to get on the road early. Or could have been someone who needed a truck tire.
Maybe they did and maybe they didn't... will never know.
Will not let this stop us from traveling. As I said, this is the first time we have lost anything.

[debbie79072]

In 43 years of camping, I have only been victimized twice. Ask a fellow camper to watch your things while you are gone and then reciprocate when you can. Most of the time, everyone looks out for everyone else. It isn't the other campers you have to worry about, it's the riff raff that comes in from the outside. I have camped in every type of park and things have always gone really smooth. Good luck and have lots of fun. We are going camping for Thanksgiving, cooking our turkey over the firepit and spending it with all the family and grandkids. We are really looking forward to it.

[jrf]

Corley's experience is consistent with what I've observed, unfortunately, and the number of people who do "bad stuff" in campgrounds is rising. After all, a campground is pretty much a microcosm of society in general; most folks are OK, but the law-breakers in the population are there, too.

After an experience with vandalism and theft (they even heisted the tablecloth!), I no longer leave chairs, the barbecue, or anything else out during the day when I'm away from the RV or out overnight in a public campground. I also never camp on a weekend, especially if the state or other public park is within easy driving distance of an urban area, as that's when the "partyers" can show up in force.

Most of the time, one's "stuff" is safe in a public campground, but why take the chance on losing something to an opportunistic thief?

[Grandmotherbear]

Hmm, both pros and cons. I guess I will try really hard to remember not to leave anything out I can't afford to lose, as the saying goes.
We won't be in a rig- just a big tent- and we will be near major tourist attractions. This isn't really what I consider a "camping" vacation- it's more a "cheap accommodations" deal to stretch our vacation $$. So guess we would be more apt to run into partyers. If I can convince DH to put in a week with us it may help to break him in to the realities of RV camping. (He has said he would be willing to "try" RV camping since he has refused to do any car or back country camping with me for years now. Said it was too uncomfortable. I have bought him an inflatable mattress and a cot and he hasn't used them at all). Don't want to research and buy a camper/RV and have him continue to refuse.

[DaveG]

Grandmotherbear,

Have you considered renting a RV? By renting an RV you can determine if your husband has any interest or not without incurring a large expense first.

Also several large campgrounds will rent a TT. The problem there is these are HUGE campgrounds like at Myrtle Beach. Based on your previous posts these may not be well regarded by both of you.

Just a thought -- Good luck
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2006 Chevy Silverado 2500HD
2004 Flagstaff 28 BH 5th Wheel
Me, Wife, 2 Teenagers & 4 Dogs