The plan Rory and I are counting on is a combination of hotel/motel stays, couch crashing, and stealth camping. The majority of that time will be spent stealth camping.
Stealth camping is the art and practice of finding a nonconventional place to set up your camp and sleep without leaving any trace of your being there and without getting caught. It sounds illegal, but this is not universally true. That said, when I talk about stealth camping with my cubicle mates, they pretty quickly conclude that stealth camping sounds a lot like being homeless. That’s because stealth camping is exactly like being homeless, but at least you have a tent.
Although Rory and I are planning on the tent/sleeping under the stars version of stealth camping, there are actually at least a couple of versions of the ninja camping arts. Stealth camping really got it start in the long distance bicycling community. This foray into the art was followed closely by through hikers and long distance walkers. Finally, the van life folks got involved and started stealth camping in their vans within the confines of urban areas.
From the research I’ve done, it seems that stealth camping really is more of an art than a practice. There are only a few rules.
Other folks that we’ve talked about contacting in a populated area for ideas on where to camp are police and fire stations, churches, and even locally owned businesses. We’re basically counting on the social nature of people and putting our night’s sleep in the hands of the trail angels we meet along our path.
At least one important aspect of this pilgrimage is to reconnect with the people of America that Rory and I have somehow lost touch with in the day to day grind of our working level existence. I’m looking forward to the opportunity to meet new folks and the prospect of asking them for help along our journey. Wish us luck, and if you have a campable piece of ground somewhere along US Highway 20 that you’re willing to share for an evening drop us a line (bwalthrop@gmail.com). We’d love to hear from you!
Stealth camping is the art and practice of finding a nonconventional place to set up your camp and sleep without leaving any trace of your being there and without getting caught. It sounds illegal, but this is not universally true. That said, when I talk about stealth camping with my cubicle mates, they pretty quickly conclude that stealth camping sounds a lot like being homeless. That’s because stealth camping is exactly like being homeless, but at least you have a tent.
Although Rory and I are planning on the tent/sleeping under the stars version of stealth camping, there are actually at least a couple of versions of the ninja camping arts. Stealth camping really got it start in the long distance bicycling community. This foray into the art was followed closely by through hikers and long distance walkers. Finally, the van life folks got involved and started stealth camping in their vans within the confines of urban areas.
From the research I’ve done, it seems that stealth camping really is more of an art than a practice. There are only a few rules.
- Stay one night
- Leave no trace
- Don’t get caught
Borrowing another technique from the full time RV band of nomads, Rory and I intend to “stealth camp” legally by using an exotic technique known as asking for permission. The RV’ers call it moochdocking, and I really like the idea conveyed by that name. Though we haven’t had the opportunity to test this approach in real life, there are a number of folks who have used it to great effect. The plan is to find a promising location, knock on some doors, and ask if the owners or tenants know of any place in the area that might be available for a night of camping.
Other folks that we’ve talked about contacting in a populated area for ideas on where to camp are police and fire stations, churches, and even locally owned businesses. We’re basically counting on the social nature of people and putting our night’s sleep in the hands of the trail angels we meet along our path.
At least one important aspect of this pilgrimage is to reconnect with the people of America that Rory and I have somehow lost touch with in the day to day grind of our working level existence. I’m looking forward to the opportunity to meet new folks and the prospect of asking them for help along our journey. Wish us luck, and if you have a campable piece of ground somewhere along US Highway 20 that you’re willing to share for an evening drop us a line (bwalthrop@gmail.com). We’d love to hear from you!
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