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Post by twp on Dec 7, 2022 15:34:34 GMT -6
Full title: What is Stealth Camping and Why It’s Awesome for Preppersmind4survival.com/what-is-stealth-camping/I live in an urban area (271,000_/-) and we have a homeless population, some of whom try to camp just about anywhere in town. They need to read this article, as do we all. There have been several "rousts" of homeless camps along the river, which only served to force the homeless to move to another area... I (when) we hit a SHTF situation, the homeless population will have a distinct advantage over the newly homeless because they have gained experience on hot to Stealth Camp. My point is that now (right now) is time to start training yourself on Stealth Camping. You may already know how to set up a camp, but how good are you at keeping it "below the radar" of both fellow campers and the local "authorities"? Read the article and then schedule some practice outings with the intent to remain invisible to other people. I DO NOT recommend trying to camp inside your town/city limits because you could find yourself either simply rousted and force to move or robbed by those who are looking for opportunities. Plan on going outside your town/city. If you need to drive, what are you going to do with your vehicle? They are HARD to camouflage and they leave tracks... Think about this because, wordwide" society is either already going over the proverbial cliff or is very close to it... Good luck and stay safe.
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Post by kelabar on Dec 13, 2022 19:05:38 GMT -6
Good one. Noise is the main problem. Metal on metal sound carries a long way. You don't realize how noisy you are until you need to keep quiet. At night, light is a real giveaway. The tiny LED on my solar panel is visible from hundreds of yards away on a dark night. Mirrors and stainless steel equipment are also very reflective during the day. From my experience painting things matt black makes them invisible at night even if you shine a light on them. Smell can also travel a long way and is very distinctive. Cooking smells and the smell of smoke from campfires can travel a long distance. And these are always associated with humans so someone will know you are around.
For vehicles mirrors, glass and reflective lights are a real giveaway. Cover the glass with something non-reflective. Hessian is good. Use a bag with a drawstring to cover your mirrors when you are not driving (this only works for some mirror types). Make up covers or stick something over the lights. They stand out, as they are designed to do, under artifical light.
If all else fails cover your vehicle in dirt or mud. High gloss paint is a giveaway.
To make tracking harder leave sealed roads at 90 degrees. It is much easier to see tracks which veer off of a road as opposed to one which are perpendicular. Also once off the road get out and use a tree branch to smooth out the tracks you do leave. If you have been off road and return to a sealed road watch the dirt you will leave on the sealed surface. Either rejoin the road where other vehicles have already left dirt or put one wheel just on the road and let the dirt wear off for a couple hundred yards. Then when the wheels on that side are clean bring the other wheels just onto the road surface and let them clean off as well before driving as usual. Much less noticeable.
When driving off road through grass or low vegetation drive in long sweeping curves but do not turn hard enough to leave a separate front and rear wheel track. The idea is to avoid long straight tracks in the grass which are easy to see. Gentle curves can be followed but you need to travel on foot to do it. Most people are too lazy to do this.
I recall some saying "you can always make yourself seen or heard if necessary but it is very difficult to go back to being invisible if you have already been spotted".
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Post by twp on Dec 14, 2022 14:23:05 GMT -6
kelabar, thanks for the reply. You make some excellent points.
These days, most vehicles have highly reflective paint jobs. I'd invest in several cans of matt finish spray paint (think camouflage colors) and either apply it right now or be prepared to wait a day (post SHTF?) for the paint to dry. Your choice but sooner is better.
I like the idea of running with only two tires on the road surface at a time, to clear any mud.
Having a camo tarp, big enough to cover the entire vehicle, seems like a necessary item in your bug-out-bag. Another option is military style rag tarps.
Think about the color scheme of your tent and any tarps you use for camping. The waterproof tarps may also have a shiny surface which may reveal themselves to spying eyes. Rag coverings, placed on top of shiny waterproof tarps may help reduce your visual fingerprint.
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