BajaNomad - Tent Camping Security

Tent Camping Security

Anonymous - 7-22-2004 at 11:53 PM

Hi, I'm considering whether to buy a truck camper or just bring a tent to explore for 2 months this winter. I prefer tents but as this is my 1st Baja trip I'm concerned about safety. Most of the time will be 4X4ing to hopefully remote beaches. Thanks!

dug - 7-23-2004 at 12:01 AM

I camp in the back of my pickup and in tents. The truck gives a sense of security when I have to leave my stuff. I've never had any trouble with either. I'd go with my preference with out worrying about security.

David K - 7-23-2004 at 12:12 AM

Convenience and not security would be the issue in my book. I always tent camp or sleep under the stars on an air mattress, except one trip I had a camper shell with foam mattress and found it very convenient without the hassle of packing up a tent and air mattress at each stop. Of course the cost of transfering the camper onto my truck and minor bedliner damage was a negative.

Camp far from cities or agricultural areas except inside secured campgrounds in these areas.

Camping near villages, fish camps, and ranchos is very rewarding IF you are polite and ask permission first... You then become a 'guest' of the local family and will be treated as such.

Camping isolated and far from pavement is fine also. Please remember to leave a clean camp and haul out everything that didn't burn in your campfire.

Do you have some ideas as to your destinations in Baja?

Mexitron - 7-23-2004 at 07:36 PM

I've always been concerned about driving with a big camper shell due to the higher center of gravity, but depends on how bad the roads are that you are planning on driving. I love sleeping out under the stars if the weather is willing.....I always feel as though i've missed a beautiful night full of shimmering stars, meteors, and moonlight when I sleep in a tent.

When I camp for a week...

David K - 7-23-2004 at 08:08 PM

... on Shell Island, all one needs is shade.

Third image at: http://community-2.webtv.net/Baja4Me/album/page5.html

Note foam mattress leaning up for shade, is layed on beach at night for star viewing and sleeping. This was 20 years ago... I want to go back!

[Edited on 7-24-2004 by David K]

4baja - 7-23-2004 at 08:18 PM

go with a shell as i have camped down there a hundred times and when the rain comes in the winter you can look out and laugh at your friend in the tent getting soaked as you are cozy reading a book or listening to some good tunes. it does rain in baja and get cold too. :coolup:

David K - 7-23-2004 at 09:09 PM

That is a true point to consider! We got rained on pretty well at Camp Gecko last New Year's!

Mexitron - 7-23-2004 at 09:28 PM

I was sleeping under the stars in the outback around Pico Matomi with six others when, in the middle of the night, it started to rain.......everybody started putting up tents or jumping into their camper shells--problem was they got soaked doing all that running around. I just rolled up in my low-tech plastic tarp and went back to sleep, stayed dry all night.............word has it that the infamous Bud Bernhard never slept in a tent--just rolled himself up in his tarp. Works pretty good!

Packoderm - 7-23-2004 at 09:37 PM

I play it both ways; I have a camper shell (or my VW Bus) and a tent. The shell will help keep your stuff (including your tent) secure while you are parked in town. When I am camped out for a while, I set up my tent in a palapa and use my truck for storage.

Mosquitos

jrbaja - 7-23-2004 at 09:47 PM

A tent is generally a much better protection against flying critters if you are tent savy. It is better for your health to sleep on the ground sometimes. Tents are good for this.
Campers are great to have when it rains and combined with a tarp, you are having a blast in your dry living area, camper and tent. If you plan it right, the run off gives those darn dogs water too.
Rain on Ma Natural, I was going snorkeling anyway! jejejejejejejejeje :lol:

Mexitron - 7-23-2004 at 10:12 PM

Yah jr --good point about the dry living area under the tarp--that's enjoyable to have--if you're v-e-r-y careful you can even have a little fire going under the edge of the tarp area, eh pappy?

ZZzactly!!

jrbaja - 7-24-2004 at 08:39 AM

Sounds like a story regarding Pappy may be in order. We promise not to laugh hahahahahahaha

Mexitron - 7-24-2004 at 09:04 AM

Pappy and I were at Punta Santa Maria in the big El Nino swell of '97, after driving down to FINALLY catch Santa Rosalillita with a big swell and to surf the fabled point waves, only to find it blowing apart at the point into a bunch of choppy peaks......boo hoo, skunked. Anyway, we headed to Maria, which wasn't much better, but huge. We set up camp and it started to rain so we put up the blue plastic tarp a la jr and sat watching the rain....but it was cold. So, how to have a fire in the rain? Well, we lit a small fire just far enough in under the tarp to keep most of the rain off it and yet keep us warm....it was kind of sketchy but it worked! So, no funny punchline jr, although it was tempting to have the tarp go up in flames in the story :biggrin:

Darn,

jrbaja - 7-24-2004 at 09:20 AM

I too have not had any Tripui incidents with my tarps. Yet. And I've had many a fire under em.

Anonymous - 7-24-2004 at 09:22 AM

OP here. Thanks everyone. Planning to just wander to Todos Santos and back, do some fishing. I'll have my dogs and XM radio for company. Didn't consider it might rain so leaning towards the small camper.

pappy - 9-11-2004 at 01:50 AM

in addition to the trip mexitron and i were on in 97, i have spent many a rainy night under a tarp, in the backyerd bbq'ing along with a small bonfire-works great and keeps you warm!also, the sleeping back rolled up in atarp( the hoydog approach) works wonders.mexitron , myself and two others were up on mesa avion with howling winds and ice but the tarps wrapped around our bags kept us nice and dry....

Pappy, Dave, Huddo photo by Mexitron

David K - 9-11-2004 at 03:45 PM

Mesa Uribe Oasis on hike from Mesa el Avion... More photos at http://community-2.webtv.net/TheBaja/mexitron

Camper

Amigos de Baja - 9-11-2004 at 07:00 PM

:lol:

A camper can sure put a dent in that north wind.

Amigos de Baja

http://groups.msn.com/AmigosDeBaja

Get a pop up

FrankO - 9-11-2004 at 09:30 PM

Tent like camping off the ground and room for all your stuff. Get a 12 volt fridge. You'll be stoked.

mcgyver - 9-12-2004 at 05:12 AM

Frank O, I am with you, tent camping is for the youngest generation. I just aquired a"Four Wheel" Ranger popup for my Tacoma, it is so easy to popup & down.
Light weight,gas & 12 volt Frig, Stove, lights and lots of stowage. I have added folding step and grab bar to the rear and locks front and rear for when the top in down. Hope I get to use it soon . I have wanted one every since I saw Neal Johns's poptop and some of the places he goes with it in Baja.

El Jefe - 9-12-2004 at 11:31 AM

The best camper for Baja. Carry your gear under the bed and on the roof if you need to. Nothing to break. Best of all, it keeps you out of the wind.
http://www.callencamper.com/product1.htm
I think sleeping in a high wind in a tent is the worst. In my Callen camper I gently rock and feel smug as hell.

I carry my Baja kitchen and other supplies in big Rubbermaid boxes which slide in under the bed. We can sleep in the camper with all our gear if we don't feel like unpacking. Longboards go on the ceiling with bungies.

mcgyver - 9-12-2004 at 02:44 PM

If you do tent or other camp with out a camp watcher don't put it in plain sight of a beach. Last year in 3 different places near BOLA camps were ripped off, two by boat, one by Quad. One group were experinced Baja campers who where on a research project and lost $1000,s including a 3k laptop, but all their books and papers were left, they were so embarrassed that they would not report it and asked if I would not, they left Baja probably never to return. The other group found quad tracks and that was all in a very isolated area. The third group did report the theft which was by boat and even Id'ed the boat but nothing was proven ,they watched from a distance as their gear was taken.The first incident was by a boat also and in a very isolated area. I was first upon the scene of two of these incidents and present when the other was reported.

Anonymous - 9-12-2004 at 11:13 PM

Franko has the best solution. Been there, done them all. Spoiled rotten with my Pop-Up on a Tacoma.

Neal Johns - 9-12-2004 at 11:17 PM

Curses! I'm not Anonymous, I'm Neal Johns with that last post!

elgatoloco - 9-12-2004 at 11:28 PM

We started with a custom fit tarp over a utility rack on an '86 F-250, moved to a Callen, now we have a pop-up. We love it.

:biggrin:

elgatoloco - 9-12-2004 at 11:28 PM

elgatoloco - 9-12-2004 at 11:38 PM

McGyver

:fire:

Ripoffs,suck. Sometimes all one can do is be vigilant,prepare for the worst and hope for the best.

Marian has trained Neal well! :lol:

David K - 9-12-2004 at 11:45 PM

Matt, the photo looks like you found a home at El Requeson!

mcgyver - 9-13-2004 at 05:28 PM

elgatoloco, Youv'e given me a huge case of Baja fever with those pictures, Thanks

mcgyver - 9-13-2004 at 05:50 PM

Well , I have a couple of good pictures of Neals poptop camper but I can not get them to post! Brain dead.
What brand is your Poptop ,elgatoloco?
I can't wait to get back to Baja and hear coyotes insteed of sirens and 18 wheelers.!

elgatoloco - 9-13-2004 at 05:58 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by mcgyver
Well , I have a couple of good pictures of Neals poptop camper but I can not get them to post! Brain dead.
What brand is your Poptop ,elgatoloco?
I can't wait to get back to Baja and hear coyotes insteed of sirens and 18 wheelers.!

The first photo is the old Callen Camper shell , the second photo is our Four Wheel pop top with 3 way fridge, two burner stove, electric lights & fan,queen size bed over the cab-just stop and pop the top and then pop a cold one. Maybe we will see you at Malarrimo?? :coolup:

mcgyver - 9-13-2004 at 09:56 PM

Yep, That is what I have, a "Four Wheel" but it is an older model and does not have a queen size bed over the top, about a 1/2 size. We use that for stowage at night anyway. Yes we are still planning on Malarrimo, looks like it will have to be the very last of October ( and still hot) or more likely November.
Butch from Punta Bufeo is going for sure and there are a couple of other maybes that wiil get firmed up soon probably.
Butch is bringing VW rails, Corky from Prescott is a almost for sure and is bringing his dirt bikes. I was going to tow my Geo behind the Tacoma but now I think I will not. There will be plenty of beach machines I am sure.
I am still planing San Borja and Bahia Guadalupe after Malarimmo.