Why/ What is it, that you feel unsafe free camping?

Hey Jim · Guru

Why/ What is it, that you feel unsafe free camping?

Delta18 · Guru

Hey Jim wrote:
Hi all,
I see many on here asking about safe /unsafe free overnight camps. What are you most worried / concerned about out in the never never?
Regards Jim

Running out of beer / wine.

jules47 · The Happy Helper

Never really worried about camping in free camps - just sometimes on arrival you get a feeling that you don't want to be in that place. Have been travelling on and off for over 15 years, no permanent travel - so three or four times in all that time isn't much is it?

Aus-Kiwi · Guru

At first we did.. We park where we can drive away.. Usually slightly out of the way .. Either right in town or way out in country ..
Motor home in our case is a little more secure in that the drivers seat is in sleeping area.. Been free camping off and on between Port NSW , vict, and SA ..the last 6 years .. No issues ..

kiwijims · Guru

We towed an old Classic Caravan right around the Block incl Tassie about 6 years ago,

In all that time we never felt unsafe in any of the over-night stops we made, ( which were many )

I usually judged the places on arrival , mainly how many people were there already, and what type of vehicles were around,

If for example there were a hundred Bikies sitting around a camp fire drinking booze, well naturally we would move on, but this never happened,

We always made sure that the door on the Caravan was locked on the inside before we retired,

this usually didn't happen until pretty late some nights, as there was always someone who would invite us to sit around a camp fire and have an interesting conversation on their travels ,

K.J.

Desert Dweller · Guru

We don't. We started bush camping back in the 70's in a 2 man nylon tent. We then graduated to larger tents & various camper trailers before a caravan, all camping out BY OURSELVES. We feel safer out in the bush!
We don't camp within 20kms of large rural towns though particularly at weekends, too many Bogans. If we see a spot with alcohol cans, take-away food wrappers & used condoms around we don't camp there. We never camp within sight of a major highway either.

-- Edited by Desert Dweller on Friday 30th of October 2015 05:12:23 AM

NeilandRaine · Guru

For those travelling across The Kimberley watch Wolf Creek before you go.

Ozzie_Traveller · Senior Member

G'day Jim

Like everything, there's two sides to the story

In 40-or so years of camping & free camping, the only time I have had stuff interfered with has been in caravan parks

With non-caravan park camping of all sorts & in all sorts of places, ...

within towns I occasionally get a local hoon who drops a donut or waffles a fancy horn at 2am and then races away - a very manly act you will agree
with out in the bush camping, we camp in anything from roadside repair areas [nice & flat and a firm base] to river banks to you name it, and all without any problems

There was one time we did have a hellava scare tho
- we were parked on a hilltop lookout in central Qld
- was woken up about midnight by a 'bump' on the side of the campervan
- listened and heard more 'scraping noises'
- climbed over into the drivers seat
- pulled on the headlights to scare off the 'robbers'
to find a dozen or so kangaroos grazing at the long grass alongside the camper

as I said - yeah it was real scary !!!
Phil

jade46 · Senior Member

My brother was woken one night by a tap tap tap etc all along the side of the van this was repeated every 20/30 seconds. So he gets up carving knife in hand throws door open to be struck by a automatic grass sprinkler.
Had to laugh when he told me
DT

-- Edited by jade46 on Friday 30th of October 2015 01:28:50 PM

Onedodger · Guru

Running out of drinks for the inevitable happy hour...........s.

blaze · Guru

I think when free camping (I hate the word free camping) the worst danger is your own mind, especially when sole. I have spent many a night camped through out aust in a swag I have only had fear on one occasion due only to my mind not being settled to my enviroment.
cheers
blaze

in transit · Senior Member

We have moved from a couple of sites where we the only campers, but have stayed in a lot more where we were the only campers. I can only remember moving once because of someone else being there ( and in his condition, I don't know hoe he got there!). We lock the camper from inside more nights than not. If we are alone we try to make sure we have an exit plan.
I can't think of a reason why we should stop doing this type of camping.

madaboutled · Guru

In my opinion there's more reported incidents in caravan parks than in free camps, We feel much safer free camping.

Desert Dweller · Guru

Watch out for the Yowies!
Seriously , we've only had one weird encounter out in the bush.
We camped at Wenham's campground in Warby - Ovens National Park near Wangaratta VIC for 5 nights until we moved to another campground in the same NP.
When we got to Wenham's there was a small 2 man nylon dome tent with no-one around & no car, but the sound of a radio coming from it. During the day all we heard was the radio but when it got dark at night a big bloke about 6ft 4in tall got out & walked past our camp as he went to the drop dunnie then back to the tent.
This happened every night but on the 5th night as he went past we heard him say to himself ''you've gone nigh nighs''. It sounded a bit spooky so we moved to the other campground.
Next day a Ranger came to empty the bins so we told him what had happened.
He was aware of the bloke at Wenham's. Apparently the Government Dept that deals with mentally ill patients puts many of them out in the bush because of overcrowding in institutions. They are only entitled to a certain number of days of institutional care per year so the rest of the time they are dumped out in the bush with enough food to survive on & are visited about once every fortnight. It happens a lot apparently according to the Ranger.

Hey Jim · Guru

Only once in 45 years in 2008 we were in the Kimberly ranges between Roebourne and Mt Tom Price, Pearched on top of a cutting under a Telstra tower with its tower lit with navigation lights for aircraft.

We found this site late in the afternoon. We had to locate the sevice track in, that lead up the winding track to the top to the tower.

Once up on top There was a Tee section that we could reverse into next to the tower and set up in the KK. The views 360deg as far as the eye could see Perfect. We had our EU1000 Honda lighting up the whole camp site. Our camp oven doing its job, the drinks flowing the best we had ever stayed at. one million stars out and not another sole around.

There was only one goat track in and the same track out.We had settled in taking all the stars, a few ports under the belt. Life was good.

10pm look a vehicle is heading from the direction of Mt Tomprice, some 10 -15ks still away from where we are.

We watched it make slow progress along the graded road below us. it slows and finds the entrance track to our castle.

another ten minutes it takes to wind its way up the track with its headlights appearing and disappearing on each bend, we would be about 500-600ft above sea level.

Action stations with my razor sharp firewood cutting axe by my side in case of the unknow.

Who would know how to find the entrance in the dark if we had the same trouble in daylight?

The vehicle rounds the final bend and sees our camp lights. Jim now has shoulded his camping axe. The car comes to a stop. There's no where to go except back in reverse. No conversation no nothing.This car reverses ALL THE WAY BACK DOWN.

We watch it drive off in the same direction towards Roebourne for a further 15mins. All is good again and off to bed. Haaaa at last.

.......

......

Midnight ALL Hell breaks lose. The noise below us what the hell, we have camped on top of a rail cutting and the ore trains kept coming through that cutting that we could not see. All bloody night. biggrin biggrin biggrin biggrin biggrin biggrin

Jim

-- Edited by Hey Jim on Saturday 31st of October 2015 09:21:08 AM

sarg · Guru

Ha ha ha that is gold, Jim. 👍 👍

done dreaming · Senior Member

We have travelled around Aus mainly free camping and am currently in a caravan park in Cairns when the other night a group of thieves came into the park and went to work.They tried to steal a car from a site three down from us but the owner woke up and gave one of the thieves a smack in the mouth and they scarpered but i then realized they had stolen my smokes so i will have to take out another 2nd mortgage to buy another packet.We are leaving next week and i am looking forward to the safety of my next free camp.

DarylC · Veteran Member

If you are in a bush camping area & feel a bit insecure DO NOT think it's a good idea to park right next to me please!
The reason I'm parked out in the bush is to get a bit of space.
Leave a bit of room & come & say g'day.

Aus-Kiwi · Guru

Don't park under gum trees .. Be aware of drop bears..