Camp Security

[Huntster]

Regarding perimeter repelling devices, electric wires are very popular in Alaska to keep bears off your tent. I've never hauled such a thing out there with me, but I've seen several videos of bears nosing such a wire, and they bolt away every time. 

 

I also saw a video of a deer carcass being electrified and a grizzly persistently working at it until he inadvertently broke the current, after which he took the carcass away to enjoy. But in a camp situation, the first time the electric current sent him away, it would give the person time to exit the tent ready for trouble.

 

I hate the idea of being in a tent with Mr. Trouble outside. And getting out would seem like a lifetime. A Whelen shelter would offer 180 degrees of visual, but no protection from the bugs, who are more assuredly there than the bears.

 

18 hours ago, Catmandoo said:

........I am waiting for someone to present a claymore scenario.

 

I love Claymores! Unfortunately, I also hate jail.........

[XoXSciFiGuy]

In the lower 48, sometimes your main danger isn't the wildlife, but humans. Here in WA state I have found discarded propane tanks, clear hose, beakers and other glassware etc...all the usual makings of a Breaking Bad operation out in the woods...at the end of little-used Forest Service roads. Now these folks are seriously dangerous because you can go to jail for many years for making that stuff, and the operators might just shoot first and forget the questions entirely. If you pull up on something like that, you should just turn around right away and leave with haste. But there are other practical things that are more useful and you would probably need more than worrying about bears or meth makers. 

 

I always carry any spare belts I replaced, the old ones, and a good tool kit. Two spare tires is a good idea, along with a tire plug kit and a pump. I went out in the hills above Naches, WA once and found out it WAS possible to get two flat tires on the same trip. Using the plug kit on the second flat, I still had to shove a bolt into the hole on the tire (pretty big hole) and made it back to civilization. Slowly. 

 

Recently, I picked up the item shown below and an Amazon return 50 watt solar panel and ditched the little gas generator I was using previously. I gave it a five star video review at Amazon. This one even beats the Jackery portable power units. It uses not just a lithium battery, but the LI-PO 4 battery, which will take many more charges than straight lithium and is far less dangerous. But it is a heavier unit due to the lithium iron phosphate battery. However, this unit comes with a nice little zipper case that includes the charging connectors for wall power, cigarette lighter, AND solar panel. It also comes with a built-in MPPT solar controller, if you can believe that. So you can plug a solar panel of any type right into the thing and it will stop charging automatically when it's full up. I personally recommend this 300-watt hour unit. Last trip I took was a group campout north of Rainier and the group generator stopped putting out power. Still, I was able to run a Samsung 32" TV and a small DVD player from this box and watch two complete movies...ran it down only to 40%. That's pretty good. LI-PO 4 battery will also give you full power right up (almost) to the point where you need to recharge. Some units get fading power and the cheapies that use a bunch of strung-together 18650 flashlight batteries aren't worth your time. You get one or two bad batteries in that series and the entire unit works much less. 

 

 

Here is the link to the unit at Amazon. Currently it is 265 with a 50 buck off coupon. You will never be sorry with this one. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08GPL38M3/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o09_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1

[VAfooter]

Here is a portable solar panel to pair with the power station:

 

https://www.amazon.com/Renogy-Monocrystalline-Foldable-Waterproof-Controller/dp/B079JVBVL3/ref=sr_1_3?dchild=1&keywords=portable%2Bsolar%2Bpanel&qid=1626371338&s=hi&sr=1-3&th=1

 

But that is an extra 37 pounds (11 for the power unit and 26 for the panel) to have to haul in and out of the bush.

 

The great thing about the power station is that it gives you plenty of options (detectors/sensors, lights, noise, etc.) for securing your perimeter.

 

[XoXSciFiGuy]

28 minutes ago, VAfooter said:

Here is a portable solar panel to pair with the power station:

 

https://www.amazon.com/Renogy-Monocrystalline-Foldable-Waterproof-Controller/dp/B079JVBVL3/ref=sr_1_3?dchild=1&keywords=portable%2Bsolar%2Bpanel&qid=1626371338&s=hi&sr=1-3&th=1

 

But that is an extra 37 pounds (11 for the power unit and 26 for the panel) to have to haul in and out of the bush.

 

The great thing about the power station is that it gives you plenty of options (detectors/sensors, lights, noise, etc.) for securing your perimeter.

 

Pretty heavy. If you have a vehicle with you, might be better off with just a 50 watt Renogy panel with the foldable stand you mount to the panel. Cost for those is about 120 total. I keep mine in the box it shipped in. It comes with good styrofoam corner protectors. If you don't get a stand and just lay it up somewhere, you can cut cost to 75 for just the panel and use rubber cement (Its removable) to glue to the styrofoam protectors to the panel itself. They don't cover any of the cells. Most of the time I am working on a tight budget. 

Edited July 15, 2021 by XoXSciFiGuy

[MagniAesir]

On 6/17/2021 at 10:18 AM, norseman said:

His setup.

Correct, thanks for stepping in for me to answer this

[Foxhill]

When I was doing a lot of solo camping, I've always carried a pistol, bear spray, that was about it.

When I first started, I did consider some sort of perimeter system. I was always hearing something, moving around and rummaging thru stuff, especially if I paddled into a site, could tell something was climbing in the boat, and generally mucking around. Finally caught the culprit in the act one night, raccoons get into everything they can LOL!

      Have encountered numerous bears, all ran away, never encountered a sow with cubs, in that case I would be running. As others have stated people are my only real issue and feral pigs, very nasty!!!

[Madison5716]

On 6/15/2021 at 1:31 PM, norseman said:

And your buddy must be a BAD guitar player to get rocks thrown at him!😉

 

Hahaha, that's exactly what I was thinking.

 

NorthWind and I are gonna get out there and camp one of these days. IF we take his dogs, then they ARE the security alarm. If we don't have them along (which is the plan at several places we've scouted), then camp security is something we're looking at.

 

As always, @wiiawiwb, your plans are well made. We could do most of that - choosing the location, having situational awareness, personal protection measures, using technology. I'd like to look into fishline warning systems etc. 

Edited July 18, 2021 by Madison5716

[wiiawiwb]

On 7/15/2021 at 12:10 PM, Huntster said:

I hate the idea of being in a tent with Mr. Trouble outside. And getting out would seem like a lifetime. A Whelen shelter would offer 180 degrees of visual, but no protection from the bugs, who are more assuredly there than the bears.

 

 

If I lived in an environment where venomous snakes and bugs are not an issue, I'd be sleeping cowboy style with only a tarp if rain might occur.  I don't, and venomous snakes are potentially an issue, so being enclosed is the way I roll.

 

I agree with the optimum degrees of visibility and have chosen tents with as much netting as possible to allow for such visibility. 

 

[wiiawiwb]

@Madison5716  Thank you. Here is another ingenious means to set up a trip alarm using fishline. The person is using a window alarm from the dollar store and plastic bag to keep it dry in wet climates like the PNW.

 

 

 

 

 

[7.62]

On 7/15/2021 at 1:00 PM, XoXSciFiGuy said:

In the lower 48, sometimes your main danger isn't the wildlife, but humans. Here in WA state I have found discarded propane tanks, clear hose, beakers and other glassware etc...all the usual makings of a Breaking Bad operation out in the woods...at the end of little-used Forest Service roads. Now these folks are seriously dangerous because you can go to jail for many years for making that stuff, and the operators might just shoot first and forget the questions entirely. If you pull up on something like that, you should just turn around right away and leave with haste. But there are other practical things that are more useful and you would probably need more than worrying about bears or meth makers. 

 

I always carry any spare belts I replaced, the old ones, and a good tool kit. Two spare tires is a good idea, along with a tire plug kit and a pump. I went out in the hills above Naches, WA once and found out it WAS possible to get two flat tires on the same trip. Using the plug kit on the second flat, I still had to shove a bolt into the hole on the tire (pretty big hole) and made it back to civilization. Slowly. 

 

Recently, I picked up the item shown below and an Amazon return 50 watt solar panel and ditched the little gas generator I was using previously. I gave it a five star video review at Amazon. This one even beats the Jackery portable power units. It uses not just a lithium battery, but the LI-PO 4 battery, which will take many more charges than straight lithium and is far less dangerous. But it is a heavier unit due to the lithium iron phosphate battery. However, this unit comes with a nice little zipper case that includes the charging connectors for wall power, cigarette lighter, AND solar panel. It also comes with a built-in MPPT solar controller, if you can believe that. So you can plug a solar panel of any type right into the thing and it will stop charging automatically when it's full up. I personally recommend this 300-watt hour unit. Last trip I took was a group campout north of Rainier and the group generator stopped putting out power. Still, I was able to run a Samsung 32" TV and a small DVD player from this box and watch two complete movies...ran it down only to 40%. That's pretty good. LI-PO 4 battery will also give you full power right up (almost) to the point where you need to recharge. Some units get fading power and the cheapies that use a bunch of strung-together 18650 flashlight batteries aren't worth your time. You get one or two bad batteries in that series and the entire unit works much less. 

 

 

Here is the link to the unit at Amazon. Currently it is 265 with a 50 buck off coupon. You will never be sorry with this one. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08GPL38M3/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o09_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1

E

 

On 7/15/2021 at 1:00 PM, XoXSciFiGuy said:

In the lower 48, sometimes your main danger isn't the wildlife, but humans. Here in WA state I have found discarded propane tanks, clear hose, beakers and other glassware etc...all the usual makings of a Breaking Bad operation out in the woods...at the end of little-used Forest Service roads. Now these folks are seriously dangerous because you can go to jail for many years for making that stuff, and the operators might just shoot first and forget the questions entirely. If you pull up on something like that, you should just turn around right away and leave with haste. But there are other practical things that are more useful and you would probably need more than worrying about bears or meth makers. 

 

I always carry any spare belts I replaced, the old ones, and a good tool kit. Two spare tires is a good idea, along with a tire plug kit and a pump. I went out in the hills above Naches, WA once and found out it WAS possible to get two flat tires on the same trip. Using the plug kit on the second flat, I still had to shove a bolt into the hole on the tire (pretty big hole) and made it back to civilization. Slowly. 

 

Recently, I picked up the item shown below and an Amazon return 50 watt solar panel and ditched the little gas generator I was using previously. I gave it a five star video review at Amazon. This one even beats the Jackery portable power units. It uses not just a lithium battery, but the LI-PO 4 battery, which will take many more charges than straight lithium and is far less dangerous. But it is a heavier unit due to the lithium iron phosphate battery. However, this unit comes with a nice little zipper case that includes the charging connectors for wall power, cigarette lighter, AND solar panel. It also comes with a built-in MPPT solar controller, if you can believe that. So you can plug a solar panel of any type right into the thing and it will stop charging automatically when it's full up. I personally recommend this 300-watt hour unit. Last trip I took was a group campout north of Rainier and the group generator stopped putting out power. Still, I was able to run a Samsung 32" TV and a small DVD player from this box and watch two complete movies...ran it down only to 40%. That's pretty good. LI-PO 4 battery will also give you full power right up (almost) to the point where you need to recharge. Some units get fading power and the cheapies that use a bunch of strung-together 18650 flashlight batteries aren't worth your time. You get one or two bad batteries in that series and the entire unit works much less. 

 

 

Here is the link to the unit at Amazon. Currently it is 265 with a 50 buck off coupon. You will never be sorry with this one. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08GPL38M3/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o09_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Every post you made so far on this forum is pitching things to buy . Is this what you do ..join websites and pitch things for members to buy .

[XoXSciFiGuy]

On 7/18/2021 at 8:01 PM, 7.62 said:

E

 

Every post you made so far on this forum is pitching things to buy . Is this what you do ..join websites and pitch things for members to buy .

No. Mostly I write sci fi and host events related to having fun out in the woods. If I were to pitch stuff, I would direct you to some books. But that wouldn't be kosher and we're strictly wholesale anyway.  Like you, I get up every day and put on my pants for work. 

[7.62]

2 hours ago, XoXSciFiGuy said:

No. Mostly I write sci fi and host events related to having fun out in the woods. If I were to pitch stuff, I would direct you to some books. But that wouldn't be kosher and we're strictly wholesale anyway.  Like you, I get up every day and put on my pants for work. 

Fair enough

[XoXSciFiGuy]

Maybe one cheap way to do nighttime camp security is just the old-fashioned way. Take a really long piece of paracord, string a bunch of pop cans on it, and drop some pebbles into the cans. 

Then string up this paracord around your entire campsite about a foot off the ground, and try to hide the cord from view whenever possible. 

[JKH]

Fishing line or even thread is the old trick I've heard of for invisibility. I'd think to put it six feet up, but what about belly crawlers and tree climbers?