Self defense precautions

[AnnArborBob]

Originally Posted by BoldAdventure

I was joking. But I think Protagonist made the best advice personally.

I knew that, but I still want to borrow a beer!

[Panama Red]

I actually did have beer stolen from my cooler one night, which was better than the guy next to me, because his whole cooler was stolen, along with his surfboard...

Situational awareness would have saved me a few beers... Kids, beach, cooler full of beer. I should have seen it coming.

-Red, still looking for the Corona bandits...

[warbler5]

Originally Posted by SteveSueMac

Hi. One guy's opinion here...


1) I've yet to stay in a location where I've felt threatened. If it feels "squirrely", don't camp there.

2) while I've never felt threatened, I do lock my camper doors at night.

3) does your tow vehicle have an alarm? If so, have your tow vehicle key fob handy where you sleep. If needed, press the panic button. Instant security alarm.

4) for extra protection, have a can of wasp spray (the kind that shoots 20' out) handy where you sleep. If needed, deploy to intruder's face.

5) see 1 above

Happy, safe camping!

I think this was the best advice provided, so far. I recently attended Alumafandango, and there was a presentation given on this very topic. The one thing I got out of this presentation was to keep your key/alarm button and your cell phone next to your bed. Even with Verizon, about half the places we camp do not have cell service (National Forests and National Parks). However, not many people are going to hang around if you set off your car alarm during the night!

As far as the wasp spray goes, this was also recommended at Alumafandango. This is one I probably not use....for environmental/health reasons....but, if I did use this on someone, I would not be worried about the perp's recourse in a trial! After all, I would be using it if I was in fear for my life.

We always lock our tow vehicle and Airstream at night or when we are not there, and we lock down anything of real value (solar panel, Q grill, bicycles, kayak, etc) with a cable lock or stick smaller things inside the Airstream.

To be honest, I used to work as a State Park Ranger, and most crimes that occurred in the campground were crimes of opportunity. However, if I pulled in somewhere that I did not feel comfortable, I would skedaddle!!!

[warbler5]

One more thing.... At Alumafandango, a woman who camps alone most of the time told the group that she sets up an alarm system that consists of this unit that shoots an invisible beam between her awning arms (high enough that curious raccoons don't set it off), and it will alert her if someone gets close to her door. I kinda liked that one....then, the car alarm thing on your key fob comes into play, I would guess.

[AWCHIEF]

Word to the wise, unless you wish to make your trailer uninhabitable for quite some time do not use fogging or cloud producing OC or Bear Spray inside.

[HowieE]

Pulled into a rest area in Tenn. one night and it had 2 cars of state troopers in it. Thought that might be a problem so I asked. One of the state custodians had murdered a fellow custodian the night before so we got police protection and went to bed.

I like the light beam idea.

[dkottum]

Fifty years of extensive travel and camping without a threat. Well, a six-year-old tried to grab my wallet once in Manila.

If a campsite doesn't look right to you, move on.

[mefly2]

Situational awareness is the term used in law enforcement ...
Bear spray for both two and four-legged threats ... more serious protection if you prefer ...

[gomotomoto]

All great advice. This is all new to me and I'll be traveling with those that are most important to me. Just wanted to know how everyone handles themselves.

I have little kids and they are into EVERYTHING, so having a firearm in the trailer would be a very bad idea. I am however going to pick up a few hi-tech mace guns, just in case of emergency.

I agree that diffusing situations is always the best solution. Thanks all for chiming in.

[BoldAdventure]

Originally Posted by gomotomoto

All great advice. This is all new to me and I'll be traveling with those that are most important to me. Just wanted to know how everyone handles themselves.

I have little kids and they are into EVERYTHING, so having a firearm in the trailer would be a very bad idea. I am however going to pick up a few hi-tech mace guns, just in case of emergency.

I agree that diffusing situations is always the best solution. Thanks all for chiming in.

It's also not worth the hassle keeping up with all the various laws. I've been selling off my collection. No plans/intentions to travel with them as much as I have thought about it. Have a daughter with number 2 on the way.

You don't need it till you need it, but risk assessment tells me it's a safer world in all reality. I survived 28yrs before owning my own. I'm sure I can survive the years of traveling as well.

[SteveSueMac]

Originally Posted by Panama Red

No disrespect to SteveSueMac intended here, but...

...snip

None taken! Point worth considering. Thanks.

[Ray Eklund]

Originally Posted by gomotomoto

I never camped with an RV. I'm headed for my first trip with my family And want to make sure we are prepared/safe.

How does everyone feel about the topic? What precautions does everyone take?

********
Many Americans as well as my relatives in the Netherlands, watch too much dramatic television. Motorcycle gangs. The Bridge between El Paso and Mexico. They are LOOKING for some excitement in their normal, uneventful lives. It is like when JAWS promoted man eating shark(s) on the East Coast and everyone decided to watch on the beaches for the next great white attack.

Being your first trip... I would be nervous, too. More on the new experience of towing a trailer or driving a RV. After the first 24 hours... you will feel much more comfortable and secure.

If I were driving and was trying to find a place to park our trailer in New Jersey... I would be a bit concerned. Gangs. Mafia. Drug Smugglers... and it is all in the imagination of television and movies. Out west we have Longmire in Wyoming cleaning up the streets of Buffalo, Wyoming and chasing down the Casino "gang" at the Reservation.

I will make you this offer... You come out here next Summer. My wife and I, two Blue Heelers will have you follow us to some camping where you would have REAL CONCERNS. Bear. Moose. Chipmunks... and fifty miles of pure scenery with the compliments of the United States Forest Service or Bureau of Land Management. After you have adjusted to serious Boondocking without any services, you will be ready to complete any trip in the Rocky Mountains or... North America. Just PM me and I will give you my email address.

Sure. Colorado, Wyoming and New Mexico are far away. That is what makes it an adventure! Let me know what you like to do. If you do not like to do any of the things I... do, maybe someone else will. You could be hit by a meteorite tomorrow out of nowhere... Your concerns are unfounded. Your common sense will know what to do and when. Find that first camping spot and get over it. We all had that feeling believing someone would hijack our vehicle and trailer and smuggle it to some far away place... probably some other movie.

You did not say what you were driving or towing. For that extra sense of security... put a LED battery operated motion light on both sides of the trailer. When those get tripped... even the biggest Bear will run away as fast as possible!

[Nomad518]

I've been camping for 50+ years. Backpacking, tents, now I'm doing it right in our Airstream. The only problem I ever had was a hungry bear that walked into our open backpacking camp shelter on the Appalachian Trail in the Smoky Mountains. We yelled and waived our hands and he left still hungry. As an early warning signal for his return while we slept that night, we strung a rope with some tin cans on it across the open front of our log shelter. We ingeniously thought an intruder bear would trip the rope and rattle the cans giving us warning of his entry into our shelter. He didn't come back that night, but every time the wind rattled those cans about 8 guys jumped up from their sleeping bags yelling and waiving their hands. None of us slept well that night. But I'll bet the bear did, wherever he was.

[perryg114]

I have some stuff that is CS tear gas mixed with pepper spray. Unless they are on PCP that will stop them. I don't think the wasp spray is a good idea for the reason's Red mentioned already. After the tear gas, they will wish it was wasp spray. It does not hurt to carry a weapon as long as it is legal in your area and you have the proper permits.

Perry

Originally Posted by Panama Red

No disrespect to SteveSueMac intended here, but...

Instead of the wasp spray, if you feel the need for non-lethal weapons, go ahead and buy some good OC spray. The wasp spray, while possibly effective, opens you up for all sorts of legal problems. Imagine when you're drug into court by some thug that just tried to rob you, for pain and suffering and loss of wages etc. that he incurred because you shot him in the face with a product that was designed to be a nerve agent on insects... His lawyer will present the MSDS on that wasp spray, showing all the chemicals in it that are harmful to people, and start grilling you on your knowledge of those same chemicals.

Go to your local police department, ask them what kind of pepper spray they'd recommend, and use it. Preferably, exactly what they use. That way when said thug drags you into court, your defense is, "My local law enforcement recommends this for use on bad guys..."

Read up on some Mas Ayoob. "In The Gravest Extreme", and "The Gun Digest Book of Concealed Carry". Mas has spent years studying the legal aftermath of self defense situations, and has been a professional witness in many trials. The guy really knows his stuff, and gives some great advice...

Just my .02 worth...

-Red

[Wingeezer]

As Canadians, not only do we not have firearms, and pepper spray is not legal here either!

We have not yet had the slightest problem after many many years of rv'ing, but as they say, there is always a first time.

I don't worry much in regular campgrounds, but do get a bit nervous sometimes when we stop overnight at a Flying J - though never yet had the slightest problem.

I do sense things are getting more dangerous over the years. These days, so at least to feel a bit more secure in such situations, I do keep a can of wasp spray close by the night table - as well as a rather nasty looking knife that I think might have been owned by a Gurkha at some time in the past!

Hope I never have to use either - and not sure if I ever would anyway, could be the worst thing to do, but at least it makes me feel a bit more secure!

Funny story - a few years ago, after my dad passed away, we found a can of pepper spray in his possessions (as stated - not really suppose to have it here.) We brought it to our house and it is probably still in my night table here!)

Anyway, when we first brought it home it was in our kitchen and one of our daughters and her husband happened to be staying at our place overnight while we were away somewhere.

Seems they ran across this thing, wondered what it was, and our son in law, while fooling with it managed to discharge it full into our daughter's face while the two of them sat at our kitchen table!

It worked - and I gather, very well!

Needless to say she was far from being amused and he was suitably upset and apologetic!

This was a few years ago, and luckily now it is a humorous family anecdote!


I have heard wasp spray is just as effective and shoots about 20 feet. So far I have only used it on wasps! It is a large can (much larger than the pepper spray) and could probably do the trick if called upon!

I still suspect one might be best advised just to give the intruder what he wants rather than get into a confrontation that could well go very wrong!

Certainly I would not open the door to anyone at a FJ overnight unless I could clearly see out a window that it was police or security.

I guess that is where it would be an advantage to having a motorhome rather than a trailer! A lot easier to just start it up and drive off! One feels a bit more vulnerable in a trailer!

I often wonder if Canadians are more at risk when traveling in the US because of our restrictive gun laws - probably a good bet that most of us would not have firearms and i suppose that would be anticipated by would be thieves and other unsavory characters!

Brian

[AWCHIEF]

Ray, sorry but Longmire was cancelled and will not be back due to ownership disputes.

[Sbb]

I am female and travel about 160 nights alone for work(Irish Festivals). When possible I stay on venue where there is hired security. I use Ohio rv areas and PA turnpike. Recently I packed up Pittsburgh, drove East to first rest area, got there 10pm. I get out of car, leave two empty ups in cup holder, big pair of boots outside of door. I go in lock door, close curtains, lights on and go to bed. I do not go into rest area store, mind my business, and in morning enjoy my breakfast. D hit the road.
I do end up with huge amts of cash which I split up and hide and I always have handy roll I willingly hand over if needed. I would never argue in a robbery.i grew up camping where we always slept with screen door, I would live to do that, but just feel when alone better to lock door at night. When my husband come caming for our vacation trips, door stays open!

[Ag&Au]

Originally Posted by dkottum

Fifty years of extensive travel and camping without a threat. Well, a six-year-old tried to grab my wallet once in Manila.

If a campsite doesn't look right to you, move on.

Strange about Manila. Years ago in Manila (and some other places in asia, I had women (some may have just looked like women) that didn't seem much older than that try to grab me in places more important to me than my wallet.

Come to think of it, I believe I've heard that currently, you must watch for that, if you try to save a bit of money and spend the night in a truck stop.

I have heard some true stories of people in RVs being mugged and worse while camping alone off the beaten track. My advice is to stay on the beaten track especially at night.

Ken

[Isuzusweet]

Originally Posted by Wingeezer

As Canadians, not only do we not have firearms, and pepper spray is not legal here either!




I do sense things are getting more dangerous over the years. These days, so at least to feel a bit more secure in such situations, I do keep a can of wasp spray close by the night table - as well as a rather nasty looking knife that I think might have been owned by a Gurkha at some time in the past!

I guess that is where it would be an advantage to having a motorhome rather than a trailer! A lot easier to just start it up and drive off! One feels a bit more vulnerable in a trailer!

I often wonder if Canadians are more at risk when traveling in the US because of our restrictive gun laws - probably a good bet that most of us would not have firearms and i suppose that would be anticipated by would be thieves and other unsavory characters!

Brian

If you have a Kukri knife, you have the very best close in, mano-mano personal protection system in the world. I wouldn't trade my Kukri for a gun.

It was one of the up sides thought of when I bought my 310 turbo diesel, that we could drive away from a situation.

I think Canadians are no more at risk than other out of state visitors. If anything a robber will hit a Yank first over a Canuck as we have funny money that would be a bother to him (or her) to exchange.

Hope to run into you one day.

Cheers
Tony

[Silverflames]

Originally Posted by Panama Red

I actually did have beer stolen from my cooler one night, which was better than the guy next to me, because his whole cooler was stolen, along with his surfboard...

Situational awareness would have saved me a few beers... Kids, beach, cooler full of beer. I should have seen it coming.

-Red, still looking for the Corona bandits...

One of the camp hosts are Rainbow River Campgrounds told us a great story of how he had to chase down a raccoon who stole his cooler of beer in the middle of the night!


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