View Full Version : Camping off trail
It seems many hikers prefer to camp very near the Trail. Others like to walk a ways into the woods.
This poll asks thruhikers and section hikers how often they selected campsites that were far enough into the woods that they could not be seen from the AT.
Footslogger
11-23-2005, 11:07
Whenever I didn't stay at/near a shelter I tried to get far enough off trail so as not to be seen by passing hikers.
'Slogger
That's my style as a weekender, too. I prefer finding a small stream and following it into the woods quite a distance.
That said, for a long time I felt uncomfortable walking even a couple hundred feet into the woods. Not sure why.
Footslogger
11-23-2005, 11:27
That said, for a long time I felt uncomfortable walking even a couple hundred feet into the woods. Not sure why.
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I've always been just the opposite. What I enjoy is getting far enough off trail so that I am within eyeshot of the trail but far enough into the woods so that everyone passing by doesn't feel the need to wander in my direction to pay a visit. What I have noticed over the years is that animals employ somewhat the same strategy.
'Slogger
On our section hike this year in VT, we camped one night out of sight of Governor Clement and the trail due to all the stories we had heard about "recreationers". Just before dark, curiousty got the better of me and I went to take a peek. Sure enough, no one was at the shelter, but it was not a shelter we would stay in anyway - too old, dark, depressing. Around 2am, we heard some ATV's cruising around, followed by gunfire down the forest road. This went on for about an hour. Apparently, our out of sight camp needed to be out of gunfire range as well. It was quite a fright night with little sleep! I will always camp away from shelters close to (un)civilization.
We reported our 2am wake-up call to the trail maintainer on Killington the next day. She filled out a report. Apparently, the local trail club or forest service (not sure which, or both) are trying to get the forest road closed. The local town has been hesitant to do so, because they fear losing out of towners coming to "recreate" and spend money in town. This kind of "recreationers" are not needed here or anywhere else.
Footslogger
11-23-2005, 14:17
[quote=Tin Man]On our section hike this year in VT, we camped one night out of sight of Governor Clement and the trail due to all the stories we had heard about "recreationers".
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I remember the area around that shelter well from my 2003 thru. The shelter itself was darn right scary. There were spent pistol and rifle cartridges lying around on the ground and some pretty dramatic grafiti on the walls of the shelter. I was just passing through after coming out of N. Clarendon but if I was going to overnight in that area it would be nowhere near that shelter.
'Slogger
[quote=Tin Man]On our section hike this year in VT, we camped one night out of sight of Governor Clement and the trail due to all the stories we had heard about "recreationers".
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I remember the area around that shelter well from my 2003 thru. The shelter itself was darn right scary. There were spent pistol and rifle cartridges lying around on the ground and some pretty dramatic grafiti on the walls of the shelter. I was just passing through after coming out of N. Clarendon but if I was going to overnight in that area it would be nowhere near that shelter.
'Slogger
The burned out car along the forest road didn't help our impression of the area either. I recommend cruising through Governor Clemont early and if you must camp, do so 2 miles before you reach it and hike through early am. Scary is right!
My most interesting off-trail night was when I got lost in the Smokies and ended up atop LaConte Peak. :eek:
Papa Razzi
11-23-2005, 15:59
I remember hearing the horror stories about the Governor Clement shelter last year and deciding to avoid it. There was rumored to be a 'secret shelter' somewhere in the area - find the right road crossing, look for a note under a rock, and follow the directions. I figured I'd shoot for the secret shelter instead. However, I couldn't find the note at the end of a long, hard day and was a bit bummed out. (My splitting headache wasn't helping matters any.) I ended up camping in the woods a bit past a road crossing in a far from ideal campsite. Anyways, I found the note at the next road crossing early the next morning. Apparently I was told the wrong road crossing - oops.
A half hour later I came across the Governor Clement shelter. There was an empty pile of beer cans and two pickup trucks there, each with someone sleeping soundly inside and looking as if he'd had quite an evening. One of the trucks was actually parked on the trail, blocking where it emerged from a patch of weeds into the shelter's clearing. It suddenly made my less than ideal campsite seem a whole lot better.
i love stealth camping in my hammock:cool: neo
http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/vbg/showimage.php?i=9352&c=577
http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/vbg/showimage.php?i=9351&c=577
I remember hearing the horror stories about the Governor Clement shelter last year and deciding to avoid it. There was rumored to be a 'secret shelter' somewhere in the area - find the right road crossing, look for a note under a rock, and follow the directions. I figured I'd shoot for the secret shelter instead. However, I couldn't find the note at the end of a long, hard day and was a bit bummed out. (My splitting headache wasn't helping matters any.) I ended up camping in the woods a bit past a road crossing in a far from ideal campsite. Anyways, I found the note at the next road crossing early the next morning. Apparently I was told the wrong road crossing - oops.
A half hour later I came across the Governor Clement shelter. There was an empty pile of beer cans and two pickup trucks there, each with someone sleeping soundly inside and looking as if he'd had quite an evening. One of the trucks was actually parked on the trail, blocking where it emerged from a patch of weeds into the shelter's clearing. It suddenly made my less than ideal campsite seem a whole lot better.
For those looking for the secret shelter, you might find directions if you page through the registers both north and south of the secret road. I discovered directions AFTER I had passed it in the register atop Killington. I missed it myself and wish it was a little less secret.
I liked your set up Neo-- but for the yellow garbage bag!
I'm surprise at the high percentage of thru hikers whose camps were invisible from the Trail for more than 20 nights.
SGT Rock
11-23-2005, 22:14
I liked your set up Neo-- but for the yellow garbage bag!
I'm surprise at the high percentage of thru hikers whose camps were invisible from the Trail for more than 20 nights.
That is because you never see us.
Or perhaps because I see most all of you guys who think that you are hidden under your tarps, but are hanging bear bags up in the trees with bright, reflective line.
Or perhaps because I see most all of you guys who think that you are hidden under your tarps, but are hanging bear bags up in the trees with bright, reflective line.
Or perhaps because real stealth campers are smarter than given credit for as they set up over the hill and beyond line of sight.
Come on Tin Man. Next thing you'll be telling me is that today's stealth campers use super quiet stoves which won't give them away no matter which way the wind is blowing. ;)
Come on Tin Man. Next thing you'll be telling me is that today's stealth campers use super quiet stoves which won't give them away no matter which way the wind is blowing. ;)
OK. Let me know the next time you are on the trail and I will camp downwind and an extra half mile away from the trail. ;)
I liked your set up Neo-- but for the yellow garbage bag!
I'm surprise at the high percentage of thru hikers whose camps were invisible from the Trail for more than 20 nights.
its not a yellow garbage bag lol:cool: neo
http://whiteblaze.net/forum/vbg/showimage.php?i=9352&catid=member&imageuser=3462
its a copy of the german army sniper parka bag