Stealth camping, sometimes also referred to “wild camping” is the act of secretly camping in a public or private area (sometimes legally – sometimes illegally) and moving on the next morning without being detected.

Some preppers believe stealth camping is good practice for a TEOTWAWKI situation where you find yourself traveling through an urban or suburban environment and don’t want to be noticed for whatever reason.

10 Tips for stealth camping in a SHTF situation

1. Camp above any nearby roads or trails. People tend to look down more than they look up… and climbing uphill is difficult, so it is less likely that others will come looking for you if you are up high. Plus, from up high, you can look down on others who might be approaching your camp.
2. Use a brown, green or earth-toned tent to blend in with your surroundings. Camouflage works wonders when it comes to stealth camping. If you aren’t sure if you are blending in, hike out a ways from your campsite and look to see if your camp is blending in.
3. Cover your tracks. Be sure to cover up or hide any footprints or bicycle tracks that might lead people to your campsite. Even broken branches can lead a person to your camp, so try not to disturb the nature surrounding your stealth campsite.
4. Don’t make a fire unless you absolutely have to. Smoke and light from a campfire attract attention. If you aren’t sure if a light can be seen, set a small flashlight down and walk to an area where people might pass and see if you can see the light.
5. Do not camp near dogs. This could mean avoiding walking trails, or being near homes that have dogs. Sooner or later the dogs will discover you and alert their owners. This will happen even sooner if you are traveling with your own dog.