Matt here, a recent addition to the community !! I've been travel-camping with my pup for the last 9 months in a softop Wrangler--from Michigan to
Alaska (via SFO.
Well, after half an Arctic winter we broke camp and headed for warmer climes. Ended up moseying down to SoCal to gear up for several months of
exploration of the best of Baja backcountry !! We're departing L.A. in a couple of days.
Since I've seen several recent threads about property crimes/theft, and especially since it's nearing the spring break season, I just hoped to get
some opinions on whether any extra measures might need to be taken to keep my belongings mine, beyond common sense. I'm a seasoned traveler (Africa, Brazil, Southern Mex...), but this'll be the first time I'll be living out of
country with my vehicle as homebase.
We'll probably be doing the San Felipe to Gonzaga route first, and at a leisurely pace, on our way south (then back up the Pacific beaches). So....a
couple of specific questions:
1) With the paving of the SF to Puertocitas route (it was unpaved the last time I was down it in 2000), should I expect the spring break revelry to
leak from San Felipe to the campos/beach south of town very far ??
2) Are Gonzaga & the BOLA areas spring break hotspots ? Spring Breaks are great--I loved every one of them !! --but just not what I'm looking for
at the moment.
3) A solitary, open Jeep is easy pickin's for light fingers. Will there be places where I can abandon it for a day of hiking without having to worry,
or will I need to keep it in sight or find fellow nomads/locals to keep an eye on it while I stray a bit ??
4) Will it be completely stupid to carry valuables such as my laptop (pretty important to me) on the ride without a locking trunk/compartment for it,
or should I just leave it stateside ? Alternatively, are there any places on this stretch where I may be able to fork out a few pesos to leave it in
secure hands for a week or two while i go play nearby, like a hotel safe, or in a trustworthy local's closet...??
5) Have there been many incidents of outright auto theft in the area ? I've got a club lock for my steering wheel, but that's pretty much of a joke to
somebody that's got a couple of hours to work out that minor anti-theft puzzle while I'm miles down the beach !!
Hanging out in established campos or with impromptu friends all would alleviate any such worries & I'm definitely looking forward to making new
friends on the way, but there'll also be times where I like to park off alone, and so I just wanted to get a feel for the neighborhood !! So....any
insights'll be welcome !!
Thanks in advance !!
Matt (& Kobe)Packoderm - 3-11-2008 at 08:41 PM
One thing you can do it get a steel tool box or two and drill holes where a cable can pass through and lock them to your roll bar or what ever looks
strong. You'll need decent tool boxes that lock securely. That might at least slow them down a bit for a some peace of mind when you duck into a store
or whatnot. I did that very thing with one diamond plate, aluminum tool box for when we go to the water park, so we don't have to rent a locker. It
works great. You could easily add a hasp to make this 24" box more secure:
Gonzaga isn't a spring break hot spot by any means. Not if you're talking about drunken teenagers going crazy sort of thing.805gregg - 3-12-2008 at 06:20 AM
I bolted a Zarges aluminum box in the back of my Liberty(still there) to lock valuables in.DENNIS - 3-12-2008 at 07:08 AM
Quote:
Originally posted by Matt&Mutt
A solitary, open Jeep is easy pickin's for light fingers. Will there be places where I can abandon it for a day of hiking without having to worry, or
will I need to keep it in sight or find fellow nomads/locals to keep an eye on it while I stray a bit ??
Welcome, Matt&Mutt......
You really have to be careful these days when leaving your valuables unattended. Not just what's in your vehicle but, the vehicle itself, with your
Mutt, could disappear in the blink of an eye. It's best to rely on friends to keep an eye on things, assuming you can trust them.
If it's within your capabilities, just think like a slimey thief for a few minutes and your vulnerabilitys will expose themselves.
Be careful and have a problem free trip.Hook - 3-12-2008 at 10:39 AM
You might want to consider investing in a brake pedal restraint device as well as pulling your IOD fuse in your "power distribution center" under the
hood.
My Jeep is an automatic so there is a locking mechanism tied to the ignition, brake pedal and the shifter. Not sure if there is something similar on a
manual tranny.
OH yeah, I'm a hard top. I just think the threat of a complete car theft cant be ruled out.
[Edited on 3-13-2008 by Hook]Leo - 3-12-2008 at 07:13 PM
Your trip sounds great, but no way man, you're asking for it nowedays. Unfortunately.
[Edited on 3-13-2008 by Leo]
We survived with smiles !!
Matt&Mutt - 4-26-2008 at 01:43 AM
Hey Folks,
Thanks for the tips & cautions you put forth last month about traveling Baja in a softtop Jeep. Well, I just got back from almost a month travel
through Baja Norte--1500 miles with 500 of it on trails, dirt, sand, or softpack & didn't have a problem in the world cept maybe getting stuck in
the sand on pristine beaches around San Francisquito (didn't even bother digging for two days !!).
The dog was an excellent deterrence/alarm system for all kinds of critters. Nobody was sticking their fingers inside the Jeep. She was great at
running coyotes out of camp in predawn raids on my foodpacks, too. We camped primarily remote beaches & desert, & took the basic precautions
when resupplying in towns or staying on more populated beaches. Typically, though, I didn't let the rig too far from sight for too long.
Excellent trip !! So nice that I'm turning around in a couple of weeks to drop back down & explore Baja Sur this time !!
Thanks again for the tips.805gregg - 4-26-2008 at 07:35 AM
Unfortunately nowadays common sense says it's better to camp around other people and not all alone on deserted beaches. Thats where you are easy
pickings for the real bad hombres.David K - 4-26-2008 at 08:40 AM
Matt&Mutt...
We would really love a trip report (with photos)!!!
Sounds like my kind of Baja trip!!! The sand at San Francisquito is really 'soft'... I got temp. stuck there back in the 80's myself... What a great
place to get stuck, however!
Stuck in San Francisquito
Matt&Mutt - 4-26-2008 at 09:12 AM
David K hey--excellent SF pic. That spot on the extreme left of the "main" beach where you were camped is precisely where I got my rig dug in. I
came over the far left hill, behind the airstrip, saw the empty white sands and the aqua waters, and the steep decline down to it, and said "go get
'em, Jeepy !!" and just went for it without scouting it out first, which is typically the only times that I get stuck. No way that I was getting back
up the hill I'd just come down, or the next ATV trail over. Didn't really care though--plenty of gas, water, food, & cervezas on board to last a
week or more, if need be. Ended up staying for 3 nites & just loved it !! Peaceful as can be.
The morning of my departure I packed up, dropped the air down to 10 psi (usually ride at 20 on washboard & drop it to 15-18 on severes and
moderately deep sand), started off in 2nd low, and just did not stop (the kiss of death in sand), for the mile or so of deep sand hills to the "town"
where the in-'n-out is not so steep. Very excellent fun, but with fingers crossed for good reason !shari - 4-26-2008 at 09:28 AM
MOst mexican people leave their vehicles with someone...you just make friends with someone near where you want to leave your car and after a nice long
chat ask if you could pay the family something to leave your vehicle at their place. Works very well and you make new friends...win win situation.fishbuck - 4-26-2008 at 10:58 AM
Quote:
Originally posted by shari
MOst mexican people leave their vehicles with someone...you just make friends with someone near where you want to leave your car and after a nice long
chat ask if you could pay the family something to leave your vehicle at their place. Works very well and you make new friends...win win situation.
Shari, can I leave my truck at your house when I go out fishing with Jaun? Ken Cooke - 4-28-2008 at 10:13 PM
Jeeps and Baja...just as good as Peanut Butter and jelly!
Heading towards Baja Sur !!!
Matt&Mutt - 5-5-2008 at 02:01 PM
Well, we had excellent travels through Baja Norte for a month in the open rig, so I'm just yet restocking for a mid-week departure for new adventures
on the beaches of Baja Sur !! Common sense and a good guard dawg can make all of the difference...
. 
