Campsite thefts
I've been lucky, I have not lost any valuable gear while camping. I try not to leave valuables in unattended campsites but unless I want to spend all of my time guarding my gear, I do have to leave items either at trailheads or campsites. I've blogged about trailhead vehicle thefts before
here but at a campsite, gear is often not even in a locked vehicle. Tents, tarps, and other gear may be out in the open in a campsite with no one around. Sometime other campers are in the area but having people around does not necessarily ensure nothing will be taken. I doubt that used camping gear is very enticing to most thieves but some gear is expensive and can be resold.
I don't know how often items are taken from campsites, I hear anecdotes, read news reports, and see Internet postings about thefts. Most reports of theft involve electronic gear, cash, or items like bicycles although some are of more mundane camping items such as chairs or stoves. I try to reduce my risk of theft by not leaving any desirable items at my campsite but sometimes that isn't very possible. I can avoid the worst areas, there are some local areas where several thefts have been reported for years. Campgrounds with Camp Hosts may or may not reduce thefts. Some of the Camp Hosts are so rarely present in the campground I doubt they deter anyone. Anyway, I really prefer to camp in small and primitive campsites.
I wonder if more thefts occur near urban areas, popular National or State Parks, or near freeways. My feeling is that the more remote an area, the less risk of theft. This would make sense in that someone planning to steal would not go to an area with few people to steal from. Of course there are also fewer potential witnesses. I don't usually worry much about losing gear because most of my gear is old and reasonably inexpensive. I would dislike having to replace gear very much and be highly inconvenienced if I lost items during a longer trip but I can't fret about it and still enjoy my trips.
Labels: Thefts and personal safety
Feeling unsafe on trails and weapons
Normally when hiking, I am not too concerned about danger to myself. When I am concerned it is mostly about natural hazards, lightening, falls, hypothermia, and occasionally animals. Other than people hiking above me causing rock falls, I rarely worry about dangers from people. Of course I am aware of trailhead car break-ins, many trailheads have warning signs and I've seen the results. But having items stolen while I am absent is different from feeling personally threatened. I also know of people assaulted or murdered on trails but these are relatively rare occurrences although I remember them much more vividly than other reports of violence. And of course I think about drug operations in some areas and the fact I don't want to meet anyone so engaged when hiking.
I've often encountered people with guns along trails who were probably not hunting. In some areas it seems almost routine that many hikers carry pistols or even a rifle or shotgun attached to a pack. If asked (not that I usually ask someone in these circumstances) they usually say they are carrying the gun for protection against animals, especially rattlesnakes, or people. Most of the time these people do not alarm me even though one time I met a lone man on the trail who, when he saw me, rather ostentatiously put his hand on his pistol. Maybe because he seemed more alarmed by me than aggressive I was more amused than otherwise.
Unfortunately, I sometimes meet people on the trail carrying weapons who do alarm me such as hunters with poor gun safety or people taking potshots at unknown objects with no regard to what is beyond their target. I also have met people who frighten me who aren't obviously carrying a gun. I'm not always sure why some alarm me and others do not, I presume it is their demeanor especially their reaction to me. At times I've looked over my shoulder a lot, turned back, or left camping areas because of them. I've also on occasion wished for my own gun. In reflection, after I'm home, I acknowledge to myself that if I had a gun it would probably not increase my safety. First I've never been assaulted in the backcountry. Also someone who was going to attack me would probably not give me time to mentally and physically be prepared. Anyway, guns and ammunition are heavy and I'm trying to reduce my load, not increase it.
Labels: Thefts and personal safety
Carrying weapons in National Parks
I haven't wanted to write about the controversy about allowing weapons in National Parks in because it is a highly divisive issue and very politically charged. I also do not see the need for changing the current rule of no loaded or assembled weapons in National Parks (some parks in Alaska may have different rules) and I think allowing weapons could do real damage. I'm not sure I can add much to the discussion that hasn't been said but this is a blog and my chance to air my views.
National Parks Traveler has a very good post on this subject.
I do understand the motivations to carry weapons into backcountry areas and to a lesser extent more populated areas. I take a gun when I go camping, I don't when hiking but that is at least partially due to weight considerations. I've never needed the gun but I have felt safer and have had minor trouble on some occasions. It is not a weapon that would be effective against bear or cougar. When I am traveling both inside and outside of Parks, I disassemble my gun inside the park, making it legal to transport inside my vehicle. I am aware that even a concealed carry permit does not give me the right to carry the weapon anywhere, definitely not into most government buildings or an airplane and state laws additionally limit it can be carried.
One commentator suggested that the rule should be discarded because of threats from wild animals. There are a few animals that may threaten people in parks, specifically cougars (mountain lions or pumas), black bears, and grizzly bears. The number of attacks on people by these animals is small but I can understand the desire to have a weapon. However, most fatal attacks by cougars and black bears are surprise attacks leaving little time to defend oneself with a gun. Others, see Herrero's
Bear Attacks: Their Causes and Avoidance book, have written of the problems with depending on a gun, especially a handgun, against grizzly bears. Other defensive options also exist.
A major possible problem I see is for people carrying weapons to fire on animals they feel are threatening but are not directly attacking. Killing a bear or cougar or rattlesnake as anticipatory defense in a National Park degrades the purpose of the Park and may contribute to the decline of endangered species. Also, these is poaching of game animals around several western parks. Allowing loaded weapons in these parks would make it more difficult to reduce poaching.
Labels: Thefts and personal safety
Trailhead vehicle security
I been lucky enough to have never lost anything important from my vehicle when parked at a trailhead. I've lost minor items such as a flashlight but nothing that couldn't easily be replaced. I'm careful not to leave tempting items out in plain view but since I often have a pickup full of camping gear that is left at a trailhead while I hike, I can't hide everything. Many trailheads have signs saying to take all valubles with you but that is hard to do when I've traveled a distance to get to a park to hike in. I have a canopy over my pickup bed but it doesn't offer much security, it is easier to break into than a locked car, and doesn't offer a trunk to hide things in. Of course a thief may not consider camping gear valuable, certainly less so than cameras and similar small items.
Occasionally around Seattle at popular trailheads volunteers camp at the trailhead or nearby during the summer and provide some security. And various law enforcement personnel sometimes include trailheads on their patrol. Having someone watching or coming by often probably reduces theft but this isn't very practical for most trails
I don't know how often people use car alarms at trailheads but in the last couple of years I've twice encountered car alarms going off at trailheads. Both were very annoying because it took about half an hour before I hiked out of hearing range and neither time did the owner appear to stop it. The first time a snowplow caused the alarm to go off, I don't know the cause the second time. Somehow I doubt that an alarm is very useful if you can't get to your car in 1/2 hour and or are out of hearing distance.
Labels: Thefts and personal safety
