As many people know and agree, security is one of the most important things when it comes to living comfortably. Whether you live in a house, apartment, or any other form of living, there’s a good chance that you will want to make sure that it is as secure as possible. Matters are no different when it comes to camping.
Chances are that when you go camping, there will be at least a few other people who are in the mood to camp in the same grounds as you are. As with any other property that you are sleeping in and have your belongings in, you are going to want to make sure that things are as secure as possible.
Unfortunately, you can’t really lock your tent up the same way that you can lock the front door of a house, right?
While a lock and key won’t do a tent much good, there are still plenty of ways that you can close and secure your tent so that people, and wild animals, can’t get into your personal space and belongings.
With this being said, there are still a few things that you should know about keeping your tent and belongings secure.
Feeling Secure at a Campsite
For the times when you are camping on actual campgrounds, there are a few things that you will want to look into to make sure that you are feeling as safe and secure as you can while on the campgrounds.
Of course, if it makes you feel better, you can always lock your tent up, but you should also practice safe habits when you are camping in an area with many other people.
You are going to be more at risk for someone targeting your campsite if you have an overtly large tent with multiple rooms. After all, a tent that has so many rooms has got to have some sort of valuables inside of it, right?
Keeping your valuable items away from the rooms you sleep in puts you at a much greater risk for losing said items, as there’s less of a chance that you would wake up to catch the burglar.
The best way to go about combatting this kind of situation is to put your valuables in the same room as you decide to sleep in. This ensures that if someone is after your belongings, you are going to wake up and see them, which isn’t going to be good for the burglar.
Another option you have is to invest in a tent that is small enough that you would notice if someone was trying to break into your tent. Of course, larger families that are all camping together might not have the luxury of being able to do this, but at least knowing what the solutions are is something that you can benefit from anytime you decide to go camping.
While some of these campsite solutions might be more inconvenient for you at first, they are going to be quite a bit more favorable than having your belongings stolen. In the end, making sure that you know how to be safe at a campsite is going to be worth the time spent researching and making changes.
Now that you know a little bit more about how to stay safe and secure on a large campsite, you can now learn a little bit more about keeping an individual tent safe from people who are up to no good. There are a few different ways that you can handle situations such as this.
Using a Tent Lock
As the name might suggest, a tent lock is a device that you can attach to the zipper of your tent, and it acts as a lock to the entrance of the tent.
Generally, they have a lock combination just as a locker lock would, meaning that you can set a passcode that only you and your family knows. These devices are a good go-to for that extra layer of security when you are camping.
Do keep in mind that these locks are much closer to a deterrent than a complete solution to the idea that people want to get into your tent when you don’t want them. It would take a potential burglar time and effort to try and crack the combination on the lock, or to try and dismantle the lock altogether.
Theoretically, the amount of time and effort it would take to do this would either dissuade the burglar entirely, or it would take enough time and make enough noise to wake you up to catch the burglar in the act.
It is simply important to remember that extremely determined burglars can, and will, find a way to deal with them, so you cannot expect a tent lock to protect every aspect of your tent.
In fact, some people might argue that it draws more attention to your tent, because it is such a rare thing that people do. It can lead burglars to believe that you have a reason for locking the tent, such as having valuables inside.
It becomes a matter of weighing the hassle the burglar would have opening the tent with the attention the lock will get in the first place.
Tent locks are also completely useless against wild animals, such as raccoons. Raccoons are not going to notice or care if you have a lock on the door of your tent, as they can simply use their claws to claw their way through the door of your tent.
They are also not going to care nearly as much if you keep your food in the same room as you. The only way to really dissuade curious raccoons is to make a lot of noise if you notice that there is one trying to get inside your tent.
Other Security Measures
Keep in mind that the rest of these security measures are similar to the idea of using a tent lock in the sense that these are only deterrents.
A burglar who is truly determined is going to find his or her way in, no matter how many of these practices that you follow. However, by following as many practices as you can, you can reduce the risk of being targeted for a burglary in the first place.
One of the most helpful things that you can do for yourself is going to be to hide valuables from sight. If there are any windows in your tent, make sure that you cannot see anything important through them, from all angles. This will drastically decrease the chances that you will be chosen for a burglary.
What would be an even better solution is to try and leave as many valuables as you can in your actual home. When you bring as little as possible that has either financial or sentimental value, the less chance there is that your property will be targeted for a burglary.
Of course, there are always going to be some valuables that you simply have to bring with you, especially when they are related to camping, but cutting down on the number of valuables that you bring is going to be well worth it in the end.
If you have to leave the tent for any reason at all, you will want to make sure that any and all valuables inside the tent are secured and in a place where nobody will find them. This is the least that you can do.
An easy solution would be to store your valuables inside or underneath your sleeping bags inside the tent, so that if someone looks in, there is absolutely nothing suspicious about the tent in the first place.
If you have valuables with you and you are planning to go to sleep, you will want to keep your valuables as close to you as you possibly can. Doing this increases the chances that you feel and realize that someone is trying to get to your valuables, and more cautious burglars will choose not to even attempt to take anything in the first place.
By keeping your valuables out of sight, or out of the vicinity entirely, you can significantly reduce the chances that a potential burglar would choose your campsite as one that needs to be ransacked. This is the least that you can do for yourself if you are worried about this kind of event happening.
Choosing the Best Campsite
Another way to avoid these issues entirely is to choose a campsite that is particularly secure. You aren’t really going to have to worry about anything if you choose a camp area that is sound, secure, and away from the shadier-looking areas of the campgrounds.
There are a few specific things that you can look for to make sure that you are making the most out of your campsite.
First, you will want to make everything as inconvenient as possible for a potential burglar to get to your tent. While this might inconvenience you to some extent, it will mean more trouble for the burglar, and this is what matters.
Doing this also ensures that if something does happen, then the inconvenience of your campsite will make for a much slower getaway, giving you ample opportunity to try and get your stuff back.
What this means is that you are going to want to have your camp as far away from the main roads and access points as you feel comfortable with. Of course, don’t go so far that you completely isolate yourself, as nobody really wants this to happen.
Having a few other campers near you is going to increase your security even more, as when the others hear that something is going on, they will be able to help protect your campsite.
Ben has a bachelor’s degree in construction engineering. When not constructing or remodeling X-Ray Rooms, Cardiovascular Labs, and Pharmacies, you can find him at home with wife and two daughters. Outside of family, He loves grilling and barbequing on his Big Green Egg and Blackstone Griddle, as well as working on projects around the house.
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