We’ve all been there. Friday afternoon traffic was a nightmare, and you roll into your destination way past dark. Maybe you can find a pay site or maybe you can’t, but you just can’t bring yourself to throw down ten bucks just to sleep in the dirt and leave in the morning. Dirtbag climbers, cash-strapped hikers, and bikers who spent their last cent on new tires have spent years developing stealthy techniques to procure a place to crash without forking over any coin. When your budget is tight and your eyelids are heavy, employ one of these road-tested methods or go-to spots for fast, active relief.
TACTICS
Car Bivy
It doesn’t get much easier than the car bivy. Just park, get in the back, and go to sleep. Anyone who has spent serious time living in a vehicle can tell you that this beats pitching a tent every night. Clearly a van is the most comfortable, but you’ll have to deal with all the “in a van down by the river” jokes. Trucks work great as long as you have a canopy on the back. Check out these plans from Outside Magazine. With little more than a sheet of ½-inch plywood and some 2x4s you can build a platform in the back of your truck that lets you sleep soundly with all your gear stored underneath. You can also sleep in the back of your Subaru Outback if you pack it right. Make sure you wake up early enough for a stealthy exit if you park somewhere with a “no camping” sign.
Ninja Bivy
A stealthy, earth-toned gear kit and a little creative hiding can be the ticket to a night of restorative rest. Get yourself a red-lens headlamp like the Petzl Tactikka to maintain your low profile. No fires, no late-night drum circles (we’re talking to you, hippies) or laughing conversations—this is strictly business. Park where you won’t be towed during the night and start hiking until you’re sure you won’t be seen from the road. Be careful not to trample fragile plant life or erode soil. Dawn patrol back to the car to avoid walking past a ranger and getting busted.
Late in, Early Out
The National Forest Service is seriously underfunded and needs your money, so if you’re going to camp on their land, you should dish out the cash. With that said, and we would never condone or encourage this … but when money gets really tight you gotta do what you gotta do. For remote campgrounds where you deposit your payment in a tube by the entrance, arrive super late, flop down in a pay camp site (preferably without pitching a big, obvious tent), bail at sunrise, and leave no trace. Rangers and retiree campground hosts tend to make the rounds once or twice a day, so the less daylight you spend in the spot the better. You can put a blank stub on the post in hopes that a ranger may just assume you paid and drive on by. If a little golf cart does show up before you escape, tell them you showed up late and fork over the dough. Bonus points: After midnight, empty sites with a reserved tag practically beg to be poached. Follow the above guidelines, and pray that the people with the reservation don’t show up after you. Also pray you have some karma points built up, because this is one shitty move.
HOT SPOTS
BLM Land
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) controls 254 million acres of land, and much of it is free to camp on. If you find yourself in a super-secluded place with no paved roads or signs, there’s a decent chance you’re on BLM land. But much of it is interspersed with leased parcels and private property—check out the BLM web site before you leave to make sure you’re not pitching a tent in Joe Farmer’s cow pasture. It also helps to have a recreation atlas or state gazetteer in the car for quick reference. If you see pay camping monitored by the BLM, it’s a safe bet you can just drive further down the road until there’s an unmarked campsite and throw down for the night.
National Forests
Most national forests have at least a handful of pay campgrounds with bathrooms, developed sites, and even electrical hook-ups, but free, primitive camping is allowed almost anywhere within the boundaries, as long as you are well off the road and away from any waterways. Unmaintained logging roads or a short hike will get you to the goods, and keep an eye peeled for No Trespassing or Private Property signs Most areas have a two-week limit, so if you’re in it for the long haul, make sure to move your camp periodically.
WAL-MART
Come on, it’s not like you have to buy anything! The juggernaut of corporate mega-stores has an open policy on its parking lots, allowing truckers, RV’ers, and assorted dirtbag travelers a free place to park and pass out. With more than 4,000 stores across the country, there’s bound to be more than a few along your planned travel route. We’ve even seen a bold few physically pitch a tent.
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Tags: backpacking, camping
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