Theft

[pitch]

I am always amazed by the amount of worry folks express about their gear being stolen.
How many have actually, personally had something stolen while camping?
Please restrict yourselfs to personal experience only while on the road or camping.
I don't want answers about your brother in law,or storage or driveway theft.
Never in my life have I had a theft, and I am extremely lax in the security department.
I know that crime can occur anytime anyplace,and am just trying to determine whether the concern displayed by many is real or paranoia

[korbe]

A momma bear and her cub were able to make a mess of our ice chest with cans of soda and beer strewn about. Momma also snapped the posts of the bear proof box but was unable to get the door open.

[jjj]

Inside a friends fifth wheel years back at the Rincon highway in Ventura Ca. We were playing cards and using a generator in the back of the friends pickup truck that was locked and chained. The lights go out around 8:30 pm so we get up to put fuel in the generator and when we got out there the generator was gone. Someone drove up next to his truck and cut the lock and made away with it. It happened so fast we never saw a sign of them.

[Campfire_Time]

Nothing in 28 years of camping.

[ryegatevt]

Back in the late 60s we were tent camping in the White Mt (NH) National forest. During the day while we were away from our site someone completely cleaned out the site next us; camp stove, cooler, sleeping bags, clothing, and supplies. All the thieves left was the tent, so a quick look from passersby would show nothing amiss. The disgruntled family called the State Police and then left, their vacation at a sad end. Since that day we leave nothing outside except our electric cable to our overnight hookup...

[p220sigman]

We've never had anything stolen unless you count the Racoons (4) emptying our cooler the last night of our spring break trip this year. DW's famous last words as I shined the flashlight out the window to watch the 4 thieves run off into the night at 5:30 AM, "I heard something about an hour ago and didn't think anything about it." I'm guessing she heard them chewing through the strap that was securing (obviously not well) the cooler in the bed of the truck.

[Tom_N]

Leave a cooler, with beer in it, outside at Myrtle Beach and the beer will be gone by morning.

[Joseph_T1]

Over 35 years of camping............ nothing. I do lock up the bikes and keep valuables like cameras etc. out of sight, but that's about it

[Dog_Folks]

In 33 Years of Camping: Nothing

In 7 Years Of Full timing: Once, a small table radio we kept outside under the awning.

[wandering1]

Must be real slow in NY.

[brirene]

Hondavalk wrote:
40 years of camping,here's my list:
Pack of hotdogs out of cooler by Racoon (tent)
Pack of hotdogs off picnic table by Racoon while putting stuff away (TT)
Pack of marshmallows off the chair right next to me by Racoon.(TT)
And in my youth, bag of pot by unknown source (suppose it could have been Racoons since they didn't take my wallet and left my money) (tent)

I think you've got the order wrong. Obviously the raccoon stole your pot first, then got the munchies. 😉

As for me, only thing I've lost was a wrought iron flag holder, with flag, in a state park on a holiday weekend. Pretty sure it was kids, as there was a rash of pretty items taken, and other mischief that night. Another reason we rarely camp on holiday weekend anymore.

[jorn]

We had a cooler of beverages (alcoholic and otherwise) stolen from under our rig. Found the cooler later that day, empty, in another part of the campground.

[WI_Bowhunter]

Last year I had a brand new electric trolling motor taken off of my boat that was parked at my site. The good news is, the polite thieves put the caver back onto the battery where the had disconnected the motor. $160 loss.

[Finally_Fulltim]

In 8 years of fulltiming, one pair of cheap sandals left on the entrance to the beach at Fort Pickens CG. Must be a high rate of crime in that area!

[donn0128]

I think the theft issue is worse the closer you are to a big city. Used to camp at a NF camp ground in the Mt Hood NF, but it got invaded by a bunch of non english speaking peoples. They thought everything was theirs for the taking. One fells saw them in his boat on the lake. Others reported coolers and another canoe gone. The camp host was so frustrated they swore they would never come back to this park. We haven't been back since that weekend.

[fla-gypsy]

Nothing and I have camped the length and breadth of Florida in the state park system and leave my chairs, grills and such out all the time. I do lock my vehicle and TT at night but I never lock my storage boxes.