Stealth Camping

Anyone here do this?

I'm considering a longish solo ride this summer and I'm thinking I will camp where I stop two or three nights and motel/hotel the next, then repeat... The idea is to both reduce cost and add some adventure and challenge. I'm not new to camping, I think the first time I was on a camping trip I was 5 months old and I've been doing it ever since!!! I've camped on Crown Land in Ontario but never in the US. The gear I have now isn't suitable for the motorcycle so I'll be picking up a small tent and a sleeping bag that will compress much more than my current one as well as a couple dry bags.. MEC will probably be my source for new gear. Everything else I need I pretty much already own. I won't be cooking where I sleep, other than some espresso in the morning and evening!!

I've never done this before but I have been reading a lot on a few different forums (it seems to be big with the bicycle crowd) and talking to some who have (but seem to prefer not to) so I think I have the ground rules under control as well as some strategies, my big question is how people find and select the places they setup for the night. My trip will be in the US possibly as far south as Northern Florida/Louisiana but no further east than The Mississippi River. I've heard that stealth camping is much easier on the west coast, but for those who have experience, is finding a suitable (aka legal) spot really that difficult on the east side?

Sorry for the vagueness of the destination but I'm trying to keep everything as loosely planned as I can!

I'm not looking for lectures on if this is a good idea or bad idea, nor do I want to be told of all the children I will harm... I understand the risks associated from being attacked or robbed to wildlife. I just want some tips on site selection from those who have some experience with this!:cool:

I sorta do.
I don't "stealth" hide...I just camp wherever I feel like.
Behind nice little churches...this is the best place I have found...no good christian would ask you to leave. I don't do it on wknds though, as churches are busier on sat and sun
On boat launch lawns.
At community centres in small towns.( even had the sherrif stop by two yrs in a row in West Virginia , once to bring me a coffee, and the other time to chat for over an hr)
Along hyrdo line tower paths.
Beside covered bridges.
At the edge of nicely grown hay fields or pastures on sideroads.

My stealth camping setup consists of a tarp, foam pad and sleeping bag. I have a lot of different places (ie. in a long driveway, behind a commercial building and the most memorable was on a pier so I woke up looking out over the ocean). I am normally gone by 05:00 so I haven't had to answer awkward questions yet (ie. who are you and why are you on my property).

I lay the tarp on the ground and drive the bike over one edge, then flip the tarp over the bike and back along the ground. Throw the foam pad on the tarp beside the bike and quickly lace the ends shut. The weight of you and the bike secure the tarp and obviously no one can f with your bike as you are sleeping beside it. If it's cool out, the bike keeps you warm while you fall asleep, if it's hot, let the bike cool off before you setup the tarp. It takes less than 5 minutes to setup or teardown, has no parts to break and is easily replaced if something happens to the tarp. On a comfort scale, it is very low, on a cost/time/convenience scale it is hard to do better.

^^ that is the lightest and easiest way to camp on the go by far. I've never done it but have seen others that do and it's really is a good way to camp if the weather is decent and no bugs out.

I tried to do this up near Timmins, but it was getting really dark out after a very long day of riding and with temperatures close to freezing out, so I chose to go to a campground.

There's a good thread over on ADV with lot's of input from riders all over: http://advrider.com/forums/showthrea...t+travel+jamie

Like already mentioned, churches are a good source and apparently in the states Walmart parking lots are semi-legit places to set up a tent for the night. Omnivore's got the right idea with all of those suggestions. There is also the concept of dispersed camping in the states which allows camping as long as you are 100 ft from a road or water source (or something like that). More info here:

I would also think about camping in a campsite as there are lots that will let you pitch up for less than $20 and would have electricity and hot water/showers if needed. There is a good thread about good campsites if you are interested here: http://advrider.com/forums/showthrea...persed+camping

On ADV there are also tent space threads, where you can contact another rider who lives in a state you will be passing through and you can just set up your tent on their property. This can be really helpful sometimes if you need a garage (and maybe borrow tools) to do some maintenance on our bike. Here is that thread: http://advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=538543

At my age, I don't camp anymore - but I warn you of something!

Stop riding when it's still light!

Back in 1973, my brother and I were riding to Toronto and Niagara falls from Montreal in late August.

Our plan:
1. Stay in farmer's fields
2. Eat fresh corn on the cob! We both loved that stuff anyway!
It was such a beautiful night - but totally dark - no moon and we were on an untraveled little road near Winchester, Ont. Anyway - we stopped,, beside a cornfield, set the groundsheet and tarp between the bikes and were quickly asleep after a couple of cool ones. Made no fire, used bike lights only as necessary.
At two in the morning we were awakened by the rumble of a freight train of over 100 cars that was about 12 feet over our heads. We had seen the Berm when we parked, but paid no attention to it and thought it would provide great cover - never thinking there'd be tracks on top of the berm.

Well, after $hitting our pants we couldn't get back to sleep - it was cold as hell and damp! So we went to the hospital in Winchester and had coffee in the waiting room. We sat around there until dawn and then took off 'cause everything was closed. We stopped in Kemptville - everything still closed - so we continued to Merrickviille, where we got something to eat. (no corn the first day)


Don't sleep beside railroad tracks!!

Never thought of the trains! And I guess I can make nights where the churches will be busy my night for a room and shower!

Thanks guys for the reply's, I think this will be a fun trip... something different for me!

Cheers! I might practice around Ontario before the trip so if you see a VFR/tent combo stop in and say hello!!!!

For the price to camp a night in the states why not pay it, although if the park were full I could see this being a better option then finding some hotel/motel to spend the night. Never really considered it myself, though I do know that Walmart permits people to sleep in their parking lots in the States.

Better check with the manager of the particular Walmart you stop at. They are starting to stop that practice of parking lot canpgrounds.

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Originally Posted by DoubleJ

Better check with the manager of the particular Walmart you stop at. They are starting to stop that practice of parking lot canpgrounds.

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I thought Walmart promoted RV's spending the night, not tents. It's hard to pound the pegs through the asphalt too!

^^ LOL.. don't peg your tent on the pavement! .. put it on the grassy area where people walk their dogs!

On my FJ1200 in 1993, I took a trip to Nova Scotia and went throught the New England States. I wanted to stay ahead of a storm and catch the 7 am ferry from St. John to Digby so I rode for about 14 hours straight. I got there okay, but at 11 pm, so I decided to set up my tent on the ferry docks, but not wanting to be on the nice grass in front of the ticket office I set up at the side in some tall grass. All night long I could feel the tent walls being pushed in but thought it was just the wind. Got up the next morning, took my tent down, went over and bought my ticket. THe ticket guy said to me, " Was that you over there camping?", I thought I would get a lecture or something about camping there and he just said, " YOu should have set your tent up in front of the office here, over there there are rats, rats the size of your arm..." I then figured out what the wind was....

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Originally Posted by meester_jamie

^^ LOL.. don't peg your tent on the pavement! .. put it on the grassy area where people walk their dogs!

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Outside a Walmart?? Sounds like an easy way to, uh, badly soil the bottom of a tent!

(And the local Walmarts have no grass!) Walmart likes the RV crowd, as they tend to buy stuff from them!

One thing that has worked from me (I read it over at ADV rider) is to ask a local "do you know somewhere that I can setup my tent for the night?" DON'T say "Camp" as that has all kinds of negative connotations.

I did that a couple of times when I headed to Grand Canyon last Spetember and was told it was okay to setup my tent behind a gas station and another time on the edge of a farmer's field.


..Tom

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Originally Posted by V-Tom

One thing that has worked from me (I read it over at ADV rider) is to ask a local "do you know somewhere that I can setup my tent for the night?" DON'T say "Camp" as that has all kinds of negative connotations.

..Tom

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I think this will be a common practice for me... I've read to ask local police as well, seems like a smarter plan than asking the creepy looking fellow at the gas station!

Worst case I guess for me if I don't find a suitable spot to sleep I can write the night off and grab a room.

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For the price to camp a night in the states why not pay it

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Two reasons... A) It looses the feel of "adventure" I'm seeking. I know I know, it sounds really silly and corny but what can I say??? :dontknow: And B) prices aren't that friendly for the 8hour use of a patch of grass... for example I just tried a reservation at a KOA for the fun of it and motorcycle/tent/no hookup was $29.00!! I would be ok paying up to $10 for a campsite but it seems to be that 2x to 3x what I'm comfortable paying is the norm... just too much for 80sq.ft of grass for the night!!!

My experience is that KOA is some of the most expensive camping in the states... there are much better and cheaper alternatives in the smaller campground outfits... I regularly camped for 10-15$ in the states with many parks having free camping altogether...

There are entire websites devoted to free camping in the states...

Don't forget the option for couch surfing, http://www.couchsurfing.org/. A friend of mine took advantage of this when he crossed Canada and the US by motorcycle a few years ago. At worst he had to set up a tent in someones backyard and was able to use their bathroom, at best he got a full meal and a couch.