I’ve now been solo camping in my van on and off for over a year. I’ve had some seen some incredible things like the wildlife in Theodore Roosevelt National Park, wildflowers in Bighorn National Recreation Area, and loved hanging out with the locals in Bombay Beach, CA. I also had some adventures in the van like getting frozen in one night after freezing rain near Crater Lake and surviving a heavy thunderstorm in the South Dakota Badland’s free campground.
But I have many people who ask me how I feel safe when I’m camping alone. For the most part, I’ve felt quite safe while camping, but there have been several occasions when I’ve found myself a little on edge. There was a time I was tent camping, and as I made my way down to a remote spot on a river there were two guys in a car that were exiting the area at the same time. All alone along the river, and after eating dinner I tried to go asleep but heard some noises. My mind was racing with bad thoughts so I ended up driving back to the main road and sleeping in my car that night. A couple nights I’ve been camping in my van but found myself alone in a public campground. It seems like every time I parked and set up for a night in one of these campgrounds, some guy in a rusty 20-year old car with a cigarette hanging out of his mouth would drive around the campground at about 2 miles per hour checking out my van. When this happens, I tend to not sleep so easy. The first time I ever slept at a rest area, I arrived at midnight and (literally) the first thing I saw was a guy coming out of the men’s restroom with a baseball bat in his hands!!! Despite the creepy guys, I’ve never had any problems with someone trying to get into my van or tent. That being said, it’s worthwhile to follow some basic safety rules.
These solo camping tips work for many occasions:
- Camping alone in a campground
- Camping alone in the wilderness
- Camping alone in a van
- Camping alone in an RV
- Camping alone in a ten
- Car Camping
- Solo road trips
- These tips aren’t just for solos – these tips are also great for camping in a group or a couple
Disclaimer
The statistical chance of something bad happening is very low. But by following a few simple, intuitive rules, camping alone doesn’t have to be scary. This post contains affiliate links. This website earns a small commission for items purchased through these links with no additional cost to you.
Solo Camping Safety Rule #1 Tell Someone Where You’re Going
It’s wise to have a friend or family member back home to whom you can simply text or e-mail your location each time you arrive at a new camp place. You can send the name of the campground or even send a google map pin.
Solo Camping Safety Rule #2 Stay in Cell Phone Reception Range
It is best when help is only a 911 call away. While there are many campsites that are so remote there is no cell phone reception, there are many with great reception and this seems to get better each year. When staying in low populated places, the best cell phone reception will be within 2 miles of Interstate and main highways. If you are camping at more remote places, it may be worth investing in a cell phone signal booster. Not only will you have cell coverage, but you will also have data!
Solo Camping Safety Rule #3 Don’t Share Your Location Publicly
While it’s fun to share your camping photos on public pages on Facebook and Instagram (check out my Instagram here and subscribe), please do not show your location until after you’ve left the area.
Solo Camping Safety Rule #4 Lock-up and Keep Valuables and Yourself Out of Sight
Always leave your valuables hidden out of sight. If you have a van with windows, use blackout windows or curtains so people can’t see you sleeping inside. When I’m relaxing in my van after dark and while sleeping, I always lock my doors. If you’re a woman camping alone, you might leave a decoy in visible sight indicating a man might be around. For example, you can leave a man’s cap on the dashboard, or leave a pair of men’s boots outside the door.
Solo Camping Safety Rule #5 Pick Your Weapon
Statistically you will probably never use these camping protections, but it’s assuring to have them on hand:
Tactical Flashlight/Torch
If someone is breaking in, it’s wise to have a blinding flashlight, also called a tactical flashlight. For my day to day lighting use, I have a headlamp but it’s nice to have this extra flashlight if I don’t have spare batteries for my headlamp.
Pepper Spray
When used properly, pepper spray can temporarily incapacitate an attacker and give you enough time to escape. I like the kind that you can easily snap on and off your key ring. I like to snap it on when I go outside to the toilet in the middle of the night. Do note that it is illegal to have pepper spray in Canada and some cities in the USA.
Bear Spray
Bear spray is basically a giant can of pepper spray. I like carrying bear spray because it has two uses – it means I have an extra protection in my van, and it provides bear protection if you camp and hike in areas that have both black and grizzly bears. Note that only certain types of bear spray are allowed into Canada.
Something Sharp
If someone did manage to break a window while I was sleeping, I’d like to have something sharp by the bed. After considering several tools, I decided a fireplace poker was best – it has a long handle, it’s heavy, and it has a sharp end, yet it takes very little space. And this weapon is useful for rearranging your campfires too! Score for something that has multiple uses! Hiking poles would be another good tool for protection.
Firearms
I personally am not an advocate for having firearms around as there’s a higher chance of hurting yourself, suicide, or hurting someone you love, but some people don’t feel safe without one. I’ve met people that carry a BB pistol that looks realistic, but this could be more lethal if confronted by someone with a real gun.
Follow these rules and you might just sleep a little sounder, but please be responsible for any weapons you might carry or use.
Read some of my other van camping tips here!
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2 comments
Well I have had a lot of years traveling and friends who van camped. First is that you have a nice van, your nice van has become a target because it is a new vehicle, as people with no money don’t have nice cars. So you already set your self up as a target. 99% of camping your going to be safe, the 1% most dangerous as far as I am concerned is Rest Stops. The one just south of both Portland OR and Seattle have had to be closed several times from armed hold ups to people being out right shot through the head sleeping in the drivers seat. I was towing a travel trailer and stopped in a rest stop in CA for lunch (middle of the day not night) and parked away form trucks as I didn’t want to open the trailer door and have a semi peal me off. After lunch some one knocked on the door of my trailer and asked for money, I didn’t open the door but looked through the kitchen window out at him and he had a hand gun in his waste. He got quite persistent, then ran to his car and left the rest stop with his fellow travelers in a hurry. I was stupid didn’t have the shot gun my grandfather told me and my family and I were prisoners in that trailer as I couldn’t get out and drive away. A few miles down I-5 several CHPs had them pulled over and were going through their car. You might as throw all the above crap out for protection, if you can’t drive out of a bad situation they got you over a barrel. I traveled around Alaska for years with my grandparents in a VW camper. My grandfather always carried our big dog chained him to the bumper and always said if someone or a bear came in to camp forget about the dog, he is not your pet any longer he is now bait to buy time. Then my grandfather carried a shot gun with solid slug for bears and pellet for people. Instructions were if someone or a bear was breaking in “shoot them through the door or window” with a shot gun you almost don’t have to aim to hit some fairly close. The van can be repaired it was a “no issue” Our personal lives can not be replaced, someone trying to harm you is just too bad if they die in the process. I think my grandfather made it quite clear what to do when you get in harms way, Alaska is a different state as when camping during the summer it never gets dark for all to most of the night . You also have most people up there carry guns (in racks in every PU) so you never know who is friend or foe when they are driving around a camp ground at 3-5 am usually drunk at a time normal people should be in bed. Hope this gives you something to think about. As i got older and had nothing happen I got to where I thought maybe his ideas were extreme. It wasn’t till I put my wife and childr in danger in that stupid trailer that I could not get to the truck to drive away or had the shot gun to shoot him through the door if he had pulled that gun on us at that point I realized my grandfather was right all along. Also on cell phones, while at the RTR I was camping in the handicap section next to a young lady mentally challenged, had to use a walker. camped near me and a group of great folks who looked after this gai the ladies helped her take car of her personal needs keeping her warm getting her to bed and the guys cooked for her and made sure she got fed, she came with almost no food to eat. One afternoon she didn’t come home, we were all worried about her but no one got her phone #. As it turned out she went to the store in Quartzite then left the wrong way from town wander out in the desert and got stuck. She called 911 but her cell phone was old like mine and did not have the 911 GPS in it. After hours of the authorities trying to find her she got mad and started kicking rocks under her wheels and got her self out. Then went back to town and tried again which she finally made it, by then it was almost 8pn. She had no I idea where she was couldn’t tell 911 where to look and had an older phone with out GPS. in a stress full situation a normal person can forget how to tell 911 where they are at. Hope this helps others when they think a flash light or a bb gun will save the day when the guy on the other side of the door is packing a .45 don’t think so!
Author
Wow. These are scary stories. I like to think of the world as a friendly place but there are some bad apples. For some people, like those with depression or a prior conviction, or those driving through Canada, a .45 isn’t a good option. You have me convinced to only stay at rest stops as a last option.