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Housekeeping

Great  American Rail Trail reveal

On May 8, 2019, Rails-to-Trails Conservancy and our partners across the country are celebrating the Great American Rail-Trail—and you’re invited to celebrate with us!

We’ll reveal the preferred route that the Great American Rail-Trailwill take from Washington, D.C., to Washington State at four trailside events, and we’ll be broadcasting it all live on our websiteand our Facebook Pagefrom 1-2 p.m. Eastern.

We hope you’ll be part of this moment with us as we unveil the details of this incredible trail, where it will go and what it will take to bring it to life.

Follow us on Facebook to stay up-to-date about the Great American Rail-Trail route reveal celebrations—and mark your calendars for May 8!

Five Star

Slovenia checks in

Pedalshift Society Exclusive Pod

The Lab: Stealth Camping 

My definition

• Sleeping/resting overnight
• Zero impact/leave no trace
• As not illegal as you can make it

Goals

• No visibility 
• Easy in and out
• Sleeping only (some exceptions)
• Very early exit, do not return

Tools

• Minimal setup and backup
• No lights/muffled light
• Cover bike and bright colored gear
• Ideally a blending colored hammock or tent fly

Why?

• Expense avoider
• Adventure!
• Agenda enhancer

Good spots

• Elevated above roads
• Behind brush/trees
• On public land, not posted with no camping/no trespassing

Bad spots

• Off of highly used trails (good morning dog walkers!)
• On farms (hello farm dog who smells me from a mile away!)
• Anyplace posted no trespassing

Let’s talk about “not illegal”

• In some countries, people have the open right to wild camp. Yay for these countries! In the US and Canada (and other places) it’s a lot fuzzier, but real talk… you are probably trespassing.
• Some places are posted no trespassing. Avoid those.
• Some places are obviously residential. Avoid those.
• Some places are not public land, but not posted. Some of those spots are places to consider IF and only IF you can be in and out with no impact.
• So many examples on YouTube of people doing it right and wrong. No, you can’t just go in a firehouse shed without asking and be a jerk about it. 
• Example: behind a billboard off a road
• Example: abandoned roads
• Example: picnic shelters at rest stops (maybe)
• I do not give you, nor can I give you permission to trespass. I know many people are comfortable stealth camping in spots that are posted, but otherwise public spaces (town parks, etc.) or private land where the impact of an overnight is minimal (edges of farms). Your line may vary.

So you got caught ¯_(ツ)_/¯ 

• Be aware of your safety in the context of who’s confronting you
• Don’t lie
• Don’t be a jerk
• Ask to stay, then offer to leave

Conclusion

• I don’t stealth camp often, because I generally don’t have to. But when I do, I tread very lightly, leave no trace, get in and out quickly and respect places that are explicitly forbidden.
• There are other POVs on stealth camping. I’m fine with what you choose to do, unless you ignore leave no trace principles. That make you a jerk.