Site Occupied

[MsNomer]

$3 pop-up mesh laundry basket from Walmart. Laminated sign held on with bread wrapper ties. Hold it down with a rock.



It should dry quickly when rained on. Folds flat for storage.

[michaelingp]

Great idea. Does it work? I've been thinking of doing something similar but using an orange cone. People have a lot more respect for traffic cones than they do for laundry baskets!

[booster]

Originally Posted by michaelingp

Great idea. Does it work? I've been thinking of doing something similar but using an orange cone. People have a lot more respect for traffic cones than they do for laundry baskets!

I think anything will deter those that will be deterred, and nothing will deter those who won't be.


I would suggest to take whatever you use to mark the site and make it look as crappy as possible, and put your name all over it in magic marker, or they will steal it. We have heard of quite a few who have lost their cones to the the scavengers.

[InterBlog]

Originally Posted by michaelingp

Great idea. Does it work? I've been thinking of doing something similar but using an orange cone. People have a lot more respect for traffic cones than they do for laundry baskets!

I carry two collapsible traffic cones. But be sure to take a Sharpie and mark your name and phone number on them. Those things sprout legs.

[jon]

I use an old tent.

[VanFan]

I like the old tent idea, because it seems less likely to be stolen (being a little more trouble to do so), plus if placed just right, someone driving by might not be able to tell if the tent is occupied. A pop up screen room type tent would be even better, so we could actually get some use out of it in mosquito and horse fly season. Think I'll surf the interweb for one that folds small enough and doesn't take too long to set up...

[Mfturner]

My favorite popup shelter if price isn't an issue is the Clam, but for this purpose I might go with something really cheap...

[gundylake]

I find I have the best results keeping someone from grabbing my site by;
drawing a chock outline of a body on the pad and circling the pad with "Crime Scene" tape

[Roadtreker357]

I just take a used gallon milk jug and write on it something like 'occupied' or 'site taken'. Put some water in it so it won't blow away.

If someone steals your site, there is no monetary loss. This happened in an Alaska state park this year. The gallon jug was gone when we returned and a 5th wheel was in our site. When asked about the jug, we heard, "there was no jug on the site when we drove by". There was no way for us to prove we paid for that site as the host did not have access to the pay box. Only a park employee that came around now and then could open the pay box.

I have seen ice chests, bicycles, tents, electric cords, etc. left in sites to mark occupancy. These can walk off too. I have to agree that only those that will be deterred will respect site occupied markings. Others will not.

[VanFan]

Originally Posted by Mfturner

My favorite popup shelter if price isn't an issue is the Clam, but for this purpose I might go with something really cheap...

Just googled the Clam and it looks like a great option. Thanks for the tip!

[pasusan]

I carried a collapsible traffic cone till someone else told me about using a ziploc bag with a paper in it saying site occupied and our name. Just hang it from the picnic table.

[jon]

Originally Posted by Roadtreker357

If someone steals your site, there is no monetary loss. This happened in an Alaska state park this year. The gallon jug was gone when we returned and a 5th wheel was in our site. When asked about the jug, we heard, "there was no jug on the site when we drove by". There was no way for us to prove we paid for that site as the host did not have access to the pay box. Only a park employee that came around now and then could open the pay box.

This really pisses me off and makes me not want to use campsites. It's like the people that drive to the front of a merge lane and then cut in....but where there is an easier way people will find a way to exploit it.

[Hatteras Jim]

Left our water hose and filter and a folding chair to mark our site at an Oregon State Park this Spring. Returned 3 hours later and only had the Y connector on our water spigot. Camphost suggested flagging tape across entrance. Now carry a small roll of 1 inch orange tape. First time in over 50 years of camping.

[Bud]

Originally Posted by Hatteras Jim

Left our water hose and filter and a folding chair to mark our site at an Oregon State Park this Spring. Returned 3 hours later and only had the Y connector on our water spigot. Camphost suggested flagging tape across entrance. Now carry a small roll of 1 inch orange tape. First time in over 50 years of camping.

With kind of experience, I would do nothing and just start another successful 50 year run!

Good for you Jim.

Bud

[Doneworking]

I have never had anything taken from a campsite. In the past I did not give it a thought but now I think about it every time we leave the site. I use a "site occupied" sign and the orange warning tape mentioned in one of the posts. Also, if I am concerned I attach one of these to something that might sprout wings or legs:
https://www.harborfreight.com/door-w...arm-94983.html

I simply attach one side of the gadget to something I leave and I have a few feet of dental floss attached to the other side. The one I have is not exactly like the one in the link but you get the idea. If the magnetic field is broken by pulling the two sides apart you can hear that sucker go off for a long way. I think mine is supposed to be 110 db as I recall. Put it to a traffic cone, something like that and use your imagination as to how to camouflage it. I sometimes throw dead leaves over the dental floss if they are available.

Gosh, you hate to have to do something like that but I think we older RVers have all noticed that the character of a lot of folks that camp now is much different than it was ten or fifteen years ago and there are simply more people camping. Campers reflect society in general and it ain't the good old days.

[travelmug]

Requirements:
1) Visible from road, clearly yours, provides additional info (i.e. date occupied).
2) Difficult to remove/steal.

Possible solution:
1) Orange cone with "Site Occupied" and your license number indelibly written on it. A note with your name, the date or other info can be stuffed in the top or taped to the side if you want.
2) A cable lock through the cone (or whatever) and wrapped around a convenient, heavy or secured fixture on-site (picnic table, bbq grate, water pipe, etc). Of course this requires that there is a secured fixture on the site, but it's a pretty basic site where there isn't something like that.