Anyone thought of carrying a tree camera to see what is watching you when you sleep?

[Gambit McCrae]

I have thought about setting a tree cam up at shelters and tent sites to see what I miss while in my tent, "what was that noise?" It could either put you at ease or freak ya out! lol

I can just picture pulling pictures up once at home of "the mountain men of the Smokies" in their tattered loin clothes and push clothes, knife in hand sneaking around my tent salivating at the mouth :eek:

[Dogwood]

No. I want to develop my awareness in other ways other than just through sight. Being aware of your environment is much more than sight. I'll offer this bit of craziness, as it will likely be perceived, information does not only come through our physical senses. There is more than a physical reality.

[MuddyWaters]

All you will see is raccoons, porkies, and 40+ yr old men getting up to pee.

[Sarcasm the elf]

I had considered it but ultimately decided that setting up a hidden camera at a designated camping site (most of my A.T. camping is in designated site only areas) wasn't appropriate and went against the implicit respect that most of us show for the privacy of other campers.

I have set one up in the woods behind my house, that is always fun see what wildlife is living in the 'burbs

[JaketheFake]

Setting up game cameras on my place and checking to see what lurks out there has gotten to be more fun than actual hunting. Just not sure it has an application on the AT. However, from an AT study standpoint it would be interesting to see how many people camped in particular spot over a month's period.

[Slo-go'en]

The main issue is the bulk and weight of a tree camera. You really want to carry that for a long way?

Tree cameras have been set up along the trail and capture an amazing number of critters using the trail at night. One reason you really should camp aways off the trail and not on it or right next to it.

[donthaveoneyet]

I think this is a really cool idea. I've often wished I had a tent that I could have the rain fly a few inches higher than the tent floor/bathtup, so I could see 360 degrees around me at ground level, just so I could figure out what the hell it is that's walking around out there. Yeah, most likely raccoons, but I've heard coyotes nearby on a regular basis in one place I camp, and certainly bears are always a possibility. I think I'm gonna try this. Any suggestions for a camera? I don't think I've ever seen anything billed as a "tree camera"....

[squeezebox]

Interesting thought to bring to your favorite camp site. I wouldn't carry one hiking.

[Dogwood]

Can tree cameras be used to catch people doing the cathole thing? :D Umm, I reconsider. I'm in favor of tree cameras.... and satellite imaging, GPSing, trail police, and robots giving citations at every TH too. We NEED one of these at every mandated camping are too. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5rVQGT01Kzg

[MuddyWaters]

Setting up game cameras on my place and checking to see what lurks out there has gotten to be more fun than actual hunting.

+
Deer with collars, trespassers, wild dogs, an emu, coyote with fawn leg in mouth, bocats, hogs, bucks you will never see in daylight. My fav is the new fawns, they start moving with mom around 2 weeks.

[swisscross]

Any Big Foot sightings?

[MuddyWaters]

Any Big Foot sightings?
Of course, but always blurry.

[rocketsocks]

I had considered it but ultimately decided that setting up a hidden camera at a designated camping site (most of my A.T. camping is in designated site only areas) wasn't appropriate and went against the implicit respect that most of us show for the privacy of other campers.

I have set one up in the woods behind my house, that is always fun see what wildlife is living in the 'burbs
You bring up a good point, and topic for discussion. Do we have an 'expectation of privacy' when we make a camp....hmm, I'm gonna say we do, but legally I just don't know.

[Pedaling Fool]

Any Big Foot sightings?:D Nope:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u_vLy3T65X8

[gpburdelljr]

I think this is a really cool idea. I've often wished I had a tent that I could have the rain fly a few inches higher than the tent floor/bathtup, so I could see 360 degrees around me at ground level, just so I could figure out what the hell it is that's walking around out there. Yeah, most likely raccoons, but I've heard coyotes nearby on a regular basis in one place I camp, and certainly bears are always a possibility. I think I'm gonna try this. Any suggestions for a camera? I don't think I've ever seen anything billed as a "tree camera"....

Google "Trail Cam".

[scrabbler]

Another problem is most of them take a ton of batteries (hence HEAVY) since they are usually left in the field for quite a while.

[shakey_snake]

I've thought about getting a min/max thermometer for recording at night, does that count?

[tflaris]

My imagination is dangerous enough without photographic or video evidence.

TF


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[MuddyWaters]

Another problem is most of them take a ton of batteries (hence HEAVY) since they are usually left in the field for quite a while.

The ones I built take 2 AA batteries, and will last a month or more in the field with energizer Li taking hundreds of IR flash pictures at night. IR has no visible flash so it doesnt alarm animals or human intruders. With NiMH I get 3 wks with 2400 mah. The energizers are 3000 mah with no self discharge.

But yes, they are heavy. Waterproof case, 3d camo, controller board, camera, batteries, locking cable to attach to tree, all adds up.

32692

32693

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[gpburdelljr]

Wouldn't you love to get some pictures like this:

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=AihvuZiDhsg

[ChrisJackson]

I think there is one set up at Dicks Creek Gap...30 or 40 yards from the road...north side. Not sure if it is working.

[Casey & Gina]

One reason you really should camp aways off the trail and not on it or right next to it.

LOL, does anyone actually camp ON THE TRAIL? That would be hilarious (in a sad, sad way) - talk about entitlement! I have no idea how I would respond if I were hiking along in the early morning or late night and came upon a tent blocking the trail.

I wonder if it's a good place for a campfire... ;)

[Sarcasm the elf]

LOL, does anyone actually camp ON THE TRAIL? That would be hilarious (in a sad, sad way) - talk about entitlement! I have no idea how I would respond if I were hiking along in the early morning or late night and came upon a tent blocking the trail.

I wonder if it's a good place for a campfire... ;)

Happens all the time, especially in the off season. It's even more common on trails that are less used than the A.T.

[rocketsocks]

I find it a environmentally a sound practice, it should happen more...3.2.1 dead serious!

[u.w.]

I think there is one set up at Dicks Creek Gap...30 or 40 yards from the road...north side. Not sure if it is working.

It was there this past May. I waved at it and kept moving.

Saw one this July also, in VA, between Pearisburg & Troutville. It was raining it's azz off - I waved, smiled, and kept moving

u.w.

[Slo-go'en]

I ordered a cheap game camera last night to play with. Lets see whats roaming around in the woods behind my place. If it's not too big or heavy, maybe I will bring it along on my next hike NOBO from Harpers Ferry in May. Can always send it home if it proves to be useless.

But I think there should be one located near every state line crossing as it would be a good way to get a reasonably accurate count of trail usage.

[Traffic Jam]

I had considered it but ultimately decided that setting up a hidden camera at a designated camping site (most of my A.T. camping is in designated site only areas) wasn't appropriate and went against the implicit respect that most of us show for the privacy of other campers.



Thank you. Just the thought of this really distresses me.

[egilbe]

Wouldn't you love to get some pictures like this:

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=AihvuZiDhsg

The bears really, really like that tree :D

my brother set up a couple game cameras on his property to take pictures of the deer eating his garden. He caught a poacher in a gillie suit.

[Casey & Gina]

But I think there should be one located near every state line crossing as it would be a good way to get a reasonably accurate count of trail usage.

Trail surveillance. Just what we DON'T need.

[4eyedbuzzard]

What's really outside you tent at night https://cdn.streamable.com/video/webm/atk5.webm

[SWODaddy]

My wife bought one (one of the lighter smaller ones too), but it always ends up getting left behind as we're calculating base weight for a trip. I could see it for an overnight where an extra couple pounds is mostly irrelevant, but not for any extended trip...

[SWODaddy]

It was there this past May. I waved at it and kept moving.

Saw one this July also, in VA, between Pearisburg & Troutville. It was raining it's azz off - I waved, smiled, and kept moving

u.w.

Yeah, there is a Forrest service trail camera set up about 50yds south of the Mountain Lake road crossing.

[ChrisJackson]

Saw a new camera today on the Coosa Backcountry/Duncan Ridge Trail coming out of Wolf Pen Gap. It looks identical to the one at Dick's Creek Gap so I'm thinking it's data collection by land management which, I suppose...is pretty obvious.

[Slo-go'en]

The cheap game camera I ordered last week showed up the other day. Weighs in at 10.5 oz with 4 AA alkaline batteries and the strap. Any thing which weighs over 1/2 a pound has to be carefully considered and it is a bit bulky, so I don't think this will be going on any extended trips with me. Meanwhile, it's set up in the woods behind me to find out if anything lives back there :)

[atj_Hiker]

Wouldn't you love to get some pictures like this:

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=AihvuZiDhsg


I was in a shelter on the AT in the Smokey Mountains with my 2 boys and a couple other guys when a lot of bears came to the shelter. One of them scratched it's back on the corner of the shelter while my boys & I watched. Due to exhaustion from hiking all day, the other guys slept through the entire event. You'd be surprised what you can sleep through if you're exhausted. I think it would have been cool to have pictures of the bears we saw, especially the one that smelled my boys feet. My cheap camera couldn't take a picture of a black bear in the dark. I got a better camera for the next hike but never had another encounter. I bet a camera like you guys are discussing would show some cool things happening at night while you sleep. I say go for it even though I'm the 50 year old that has to relieve myself in the middle of the night:)

[LittleRock]

Can tree cameras be used to catch people doing the cathole thing? :D Umm, I reconsider. I'm in favor of tree cameras.... and satellite imaging, GPSing, trail police, and robots giving citations at every TH too. We NEED one of these at every mandated camping are too. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5rVQGT01Kzg

Why hike at all when you can get a drone with a camera and explore the trail from the comfort of your car? :D

[Hikes in Rain]

Actually, I expect to see that some time soon. :rolleyes:

[SWODaddy]

Actually, I expect to see that some time soon. :rolleyes:

I'm actually surprised that Google doesn't have the whole trail done in "street view" yet. If you do some research, there's actually a few neat places that they've done (Midway island, for example).

[Kaptainkriz]

So, who will step up to do a through hike with one of these.. :)

http://youtu.be/mpcar4L_EXY


I'm actually surprised that Google doesn't have the whole trail done in "street view" yet. If you do some research, there's actually a few neat places that they've done (Midway island, for example).