Does anyone stealth camp?

Maverick1

WKR
Joined
Jun 1, 2013
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1,903
I would like advice for sleeping in my car while driving cross country. Motel parking lots?
I generally avoid motel parking lots, with the thought that if authorities are called, the motel would prefer you pay them $ to stay at their place. I've asked before, and been denied, so I stopped asking and have taken a different approach.

To answer your question about sleeping in your car while driving cross country - rest stops along the highway/interstate, which are made for such things, and filled with other travelers. And larger gas stations, which usually have quite a few larger semi trucks doing the same thing. Both usually have rest rooms, gas stations have food.

Don't sleep in your vehicle on an on-ramp or off-ramp, that would be a bad idea. And side streets can have parking ordinances against such activities, which can become a hassle. (Traveling cross-country, with a vehicle full of weapons, smelling and looking homeless?) If it comes down to it, at least say at a gas station you stopped to get gas and felt tired, and felt it safest to take a short break from driving for the well being of yourself and other drivers.
 
Joined
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Montana
Never had an urban place to work but camped in a differant place every night for 35 years (usually May - September) for work. I think I stayed in a motel 6 times in that period. Cities were too far, too few and too noisey.
 
Joined
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Central Oregon
Grab all your stuff at 10 o clock at night, check out go to the laundromat, wash all your stuff on hot, through away your suitcase/duffle still show up for work in the am, do that a couple times because someone on your crew saw a bed bug.
All of a sudden them hotels aren't so appealing any more.
 

ScottRK

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Jan 14, 2021
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205
I would like advice for sleeping in my car while driving cross country
93FBCB48-91EC-474E-B6FD-41019A0CCB93.jpeg
The 65-70 y.o retired guy sleeping in this insulated cap he built said the worst thing was noise at night even in a small town where he had permission to park in a lot.He was cooking breakfast on his smoky joe there by the MS river . Gave him some ear plugs and a few other things. This was early 2021 and his wife went nuts from Covid isolation and got him kicked out was the story. I tried sleeping at a truck stop under my pick up cap and it was miserable.No locks either so worried about that too.

Maybe take some Benadryl or something to make you a little more drowsy too.

About the only place I’d actually stealth camp is to be dropped off or hike thru at state rec area that doesn’t allow dispersed camping like National or state forest .
 
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WKR
Joined
Dec 20, 2018
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N/E Kansas
I decided to 'run' my Eureka TCOP for the public land stealth camp trips this season... :)

I will post some pics as things progress. No geo tags thou...
 
Joined
Jun 8, 2021
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NorCal
I would like advice for sleeping in my car while driving cross country. Motel parking lots?
Truck stops and all night diners. Food and a bathroom readily available and ppl in the parking lot don’t draw attention.

I’ve spent a few nights in dennys parking lots
 
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WKR
Joined
Dec 20, 2018
Messages
7,774
Location
N/E Kansas
View attachment 553431
The 65-70 y.o retired guy sleeping in this insulated cap he built said the worst thing was noise at night even in a small town where he had permission to park in a lot.He was cooking breakfast on his smoky joe there by the MS river . Gave him some ear plugs and a few other things. This was early 2021 and his wife went nuts from Covid isolation and got him kicked out was the story. I tried sleeping at a truck stop under my pick up cap and it was miserable.No locks either so worried about that too.

Maybe take some Benadryl or something to make you a little more drowsy too.

About the only place I’d actually stealth camp is to be dropped off or hike thru at state rec area that doesn’t allow dispersed camping like National or state forest .
Looking good~
 
Joined
Aug 10, 2019
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Location
Lowcountry, SC
Did it once in Stockton. Bro and I met a couple cute girls visiting Pine Grove. Drove down to their town the next week and had a wild night. Girls were college age. I was 15 and had absolutely no shot. Big Bro was a pro and knew how to change that. Crazy fun in the car involving Jack Daniel's, Coke, smoke, and another kind of coke. Two wild couples and lots of steamed up windows.

After dropping them off we didn't want to get popped driving home, so we parked at a curb in a random neighborhood and slept in our bags right on the sidewalk next to the car. Cops showed up around 5 am and, amazingly, just asked us to move on. Times were different then (70s). They didn't breathalyze my Bro or search the car. We drove home with a lifetime of memories.

Curbside camping wasn't very stealthy then. :cool:
 
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WKR
Joined
Dec 20, 2018
Messages
7,774
Location
N/E Kansas
Homeless fantasy camp.
That is funny stuff.

Slipping into a public use area which does not allow dispersed camping and spending the night than slipping out unnoticed can be a bit challenging. No fantasying needed...I would imagine doing it behind walmart would be more difficult...in an area that did not have homeless folks everywhere but I am never going to a place like that anyway...unless it is some very extreme situation. Not that I have anything against the homeless but I will not go into area of liberal jurisdiction.

Generally you have to hit the exit a bit early...and it may not be for everyone but we all (I hope) engage in hunting which is certainly not for everyone and ridiculed by many in todays society.

JMO, ymmv.
 
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