HOW TO STEALTH CAMP (Secrets of a covert camper!)

So how do you Stealth Camp?
In this video I take you on a stealth camp with me, so you can learn all the tips & tricks that I use when I’m out doing a spot of Covert-Camping!
Enjoy
Music - “Mockingbird” by David Mumford sourced from the Free Music Archive
For more about Greencraft follow this link:
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[@leonstancliff7218]

50 years ago I did this professionally, and we just referred to it as trying to stay alive. There are some hard and fast rules that make success more attainable. 1. Never cook and eat where you sleep. It will attract those dogs they were speaking of, and in my case coyotes, raccoons, bears and the occasional mountain lion. That is not to mention the sharp nosed land owner or dog walker. Cook and eat at least 500 meters from your camp. 2. Recon your spot during daylight and move away from it. When time to sleep move in only after dark and get out before daylight. Do not set up your gear in advance. Have everything organized for setting up in the dark by touch only. No one ever used a "shelter". You laid down your poncho, unrolled you swag on one side of it, laid down and pulled the empty half of the poncho over you. You kept everything organized so you could pack up and move in 15-20 seconds if you were discovered. 3. No light of any kind. Not white, green, blue, purple or red. The flame of a candle is visible to the average person at 1 mile distance and a headlamp, even a red one, is visible for two miles. People have forgotten the old "never light three smokes on one match" rule they followed in the trenches of WW1. Bad thing about this situation is that when you try to turn certain survival skills into a recreational activity you start practicing making mistakes that will get you killed when you make those mistakes in real life. You folks are trying to convert trespass into a sport. Real life SHTF "stealth camping" as you are doing it, someone a mile away would see you enter your hide in the evening, or smell your brew up, give you two hours after dark, then come in and kill you with a stick while you sleep, just to steal your rucksack.

[@willowwood3384]

A few good tips. I would however avoid red light, might sound silly as it preserves night vision but red is the colour that is most visible at the furthest distance which is why emergency flares and stop lights are red, also why mountain rescue wear red. I remember the old night navigation exercises where we often got a beasting for showing anything more than a pin prick of red light. Green light with a hood is better so it's directable without any light spill. I would also avoid coffee, aside from being a diuretic you can smell it a mile away. Noise discipline is very important too, sound carries a lot further at night, again don't pitch up anywhere too noisy, you don't want to compromise your hearing. You want to hear someone approaching before they hear you.

[@rcfokker1630]

I've learned to avoid caffeine. Worst thing in the World, having to extricate yourself from yer 'ammock for a slash at 1 am. Regards light. I won't use any torch, unless it's unavoidable. Nor do I cook at my camp-site. I makes a very Spartan camp. Nothing comes out of my saddle-bags, except what I need for sleeping. I don't really know why I even bother doing it! With a bit of effort, I could make myself just as miserable, without leaving home.

[@mattimatkalainen]

No use using red light if it is a bleeding mega-lumens flashlight. Got to be low enough lumens, like 2-5 lumens at most. I have a headlamp with red light of 2 lumens and that is quite enough to make you see in the dark to cook or whatever.

[@OldNavajoTricks]

Bit of snipe over the lens with no gap here, headtorches mounted on Bergen (Left) and Belt yoke (Right) straps and angled down.

[@fletchercobb4398]

Red light scatters the least, but the human eye is more sensitive to green.

[@willowwood3384]

There are more colours of green than any other colour on the planet, someone with normal colour vision can differentiate between thousands of shades of green, if that's what you mean. The human eye can pick out red at the greatest distance.

[@rcfokker1630]

Interesting. Different from how I do things ... but, it ain't fixed-in-stone. With regard to red light. I sometimes walk my dogs on the Wolds Way, in the dark. Once, during lock-down, I was sitting at a favored spot, brewing-up, when I saw an intensely bright red light in some distant woods. The Sun was well down, but there was still enough daylight to make out the general shape of the wooded area. The red light was at a spot which I sometimes use for a sneaky over-night, so I knew that someone had set up a camp. Anyway, I measured the range on Google Earth, at something over 800 yards. But, if I'd had an unobstructed view, I reckon I'd have easily seen the light at 2 or 3 miles. I'm guessing that the camper thought he was being stealthy. It would be interesting to experiment with your red head torch, to discover how visible it is, in dark conditions. It just occurs to me that I've several times found people camping in the spots that I choose for myself. There's probably a lesson in there, somewhere.

[@canadafree2087]

The Brits threw me for a loop when I first heard the term Stealth Camp. I was like, "In Canada, we just call that camping". However I came to learn that almost every inch of land is private property. I have stealth camped as I live in a city and it is hard not to be around houses. Even public lands bordering cities often have no-camping laws. Nowadays, the homeless camp on the High Streets.

[@awatt]

Pro tip. The exif information in photographs taken on your mobile phone can hold latitude and longitude if location is turned on. Useful for finding camping sites in the dark that you have previously scouted.

[@michaelstephanides1854]

The Chemtrails are so beautiful. I can almost imagine breathing all that lovely nano-particle goodness.

[@smartcookie11]

Lol no way to avoid them now

[@smartcookie11]

Forestis still farbetter than city

[@BourneOutside]

Nice vid, Neil. Enjoyed this part too. Funny how there is so much advice in the comments coming from folks who have no videos of their own 🤔 Please people, don’t be shy. Do a video to educate us on how it should be done. I’m all ears and eyes 😗🎶

[@davearcher7474]

Great vid, I'm a complete newbie. So really useful. I found a practice pitch in the back garden really useful before my first outing. I learnt a lot before setting out. Also learnt paracord is my new best friend and not to watch 'scary/weird things caught on trail camera, at night, in the woods' video's 😂

[@spiketyler]

Just a thought. If you attached some of the cloth strips off an old camo net along just the edge of the basha, would it break up those sharp edges? It looks like those straight lines would be the biggest giveaway at a distance.

[@stevegrew6758]

Or a scrim net, cheap lightweight. I carry a bivi bag adapted with extra points to secure as it provided an instant shelter ( cheap lightweight) and 58 pat poncho for overhead shelter which doubles as rainwear.

[@earlshaner4441]

Good morning from Syracuse NY USA brother across the Pond

[@mallyredfearn6834]

I really enjoyed this video. I'll probably watch it numerous times over. Your style is very much like my own, keeping it simple and largely budget friendly. I do like to carry an Uco candle lantern too though. Only the tealight type, as the candles are easily replaced and cheap as chips. Goes well with the poncho too if one ever needed to hunker down, using the candle lantern as a heat source. That might be an idea for a video for you, sometime in the future. All the best.

[@flatmoon6359]

Excellent advice for staying sneaky,the only difference is that I have a red light that usually goes on bicycle, with a stretch band on. Goes onto a hiking stick or wood stick. If really remote I have a rechargeable garden light ( B&M Bargains).

[@stevegrew6758]

Walking poles double as bivi poles and I also added the same bike lights ( banded) in red and white to the poles… great for finding the shelter and walking about with generally. Walking poles are really great bits of kit easily adapted ( compass in cap etc)

[@flatmoon6359]

@@stevegrew6758 Lately I've really gone off hiking poles, hopefully because I'm getting fitter. It seems to get in the way. They are everywhere now, fashion items possibly.

[@kennethwilson8633]

Quiet night..Have fun stay safe

[@RockyGully]

Not specifically to this video,but gathering water should be done as quickly as possible if you can't carry enough to sustain you .Waterways are very often heavily trafficked by man and beast.Collect it as quickly as possible with a dry bag,keep on the watch while you do it(as deer always do) and exit from a different direction.You can always filter it back in camp.Just my two bobs worth from a keyboard warrior lol..Good stuff Neal,you are one of my most watched channels of late.

[@jock308]

Good video lots of info. Could you please do a video on how you deal with ticks. Thanks

[@rickh.9543]

Yes please Neil, with your ground setups, how do you offset the challenge with Ticks?

[@soggz4246]

@@rickh.9543 I eat lots of garlic. Ticks don’t seem to like it, as it leeches out from your skin pores. Seems to keep them away. All the best.👍🏾🇬🇧🪵⛺️

[@colinbrown4008]

Great video neil, I like the windshield but it's bloody noisy lol.

[@perebird]

Nice one Neil 👍

[@seasoldier3902]

Good drills!

[@oleklasota6305]

👍 hello from Poland

[@darrelltregear756]

Hello back to you from England.

[@Mugwumps107]

Enjoyable and educational Neil 👏🏻👍🏻

[@tywilliams6530]

More like this!! Please

[@jmv2902]

Nylon gear and velcro closures are very noisy. Wool/canvas gear with ties, buttons, or snaps are much quieter. Gear will most likely be heavier and bulkier.

[@Pyjamarama11]

Pro tip Carry a dead kitten in your backpack so if anyone challenges you, tell them you have been out searching for your lost kitten but sadly you didn't reach it soon enough (The dead kitten can be substituted with parrots, dogs, children, in-laws etc)

[@Abefroman-lq3md]

🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@mooseyrambling5838]

Top notch. ! My Friend

[@John-wo5bp]

Neil nothing wrong with ninja camping I prefure it to attract attention watching wild life relaxing I just got into Chinese teas because cafeen in coffee aint good for you I do miss expresso coffee being part Italian lol 👍🇬🇧🐾🦊

[@GypsyBushcraft1]

Great video

[@trevorwilliamson6305]

Great tips to remain stealthy. Where did you get your Blackhawk water canteen from?

[@treksntarps]

Nice one . Enjoyed that 👌 🏕

[@JRLNeal]

Any advice about encounters with dogs on the loose? Early morning dog walkers in this sort of environment often have their dogs off the lead and the dogs quickly sniff you out. How do you deal with an inquisitive dog?

[@greencraft4783]

I have camped in a couple of places that are frequented by dog walkers and I found the best way to avoid them is go in late and leave early as they don't like the dark. Hope that helps

[@StephenDye-hj2ws]

Hi, where did you source the guard around the crusader stove, thanks in advance

[@greencraft4783]

@@StephenDye-hj2ws it's not a crusader , it's a USGI mug and stand. The foil windshield came from Backpackinglight.co.uk

[@kisbushcraftdownunder]

Velcro is not your friend when you are trying to keep quiet

[@dirtyscoundrel2013]

Especially in a war zone

[@Jerryshipping12]

Good video but that wind screen was LOUD! Lol

[@metted2745]

👍🏻

[@Nofixedabode859]

Hi m8 does the Dutch poncho give enough coverage in rain head to foot end, like look of them

[@geoffreyburgess7639]

Mine does. Use your rucksack to block the head end.

[@Nofixedabode859]

@@geoffreyburgess7639 thx m8 gonna get one, my basha bit big for some setups I use stealth 👍

[@BenSou66]

👍

[@robertuffman3041]

i don't have a subscribe option.

[@louisesearby7522]

Can you tell me what the presstuds are for down the side of the Basha ?

[@flatmoon6359]

The prestuds on British Army poncho were so you could attach your 58 pattern sleeping bag,to your 58 pattern poncho. Probably the same idea. I think it's a poncho,poss Dutch. I've been known to be wrong from start to finish though.

[@kennywoods8713]

They can be used to join 2 ponchos to each other to make a bigger one too.

[@ricardodafonseca9043]

Enjoyed these videos... Serious question though. How do you deal with ticks?

[@outlaweduk]

they prefer hedgehogs to humans

[@erik7452]

In general, isn't this silly. Should we have to be afraid of wanting to spend the night in the forest? God created this world for all of us and really there should be no "private property" at all. Everyone has been given the right to stay on our land. And, as long as we treat others as we ourselves want to be treated, then everything is as it should be. If a dog owner "gossip" to the police or landowners, that person should also start thinking about why they do this, and which side they really stand on! We have to start caring about what these so-called politicians and others in the top elite are up to. For example. anyone seen what the sky looks like at the beginning of the video? It is littered with chemtrails that float out and create artificial clouds and you can clearly see that this is not natural. Time for the people to look up now and start asking questions. My best regards to all nature lovers

[@stuartb9194]

Has anyone here actually been trespassed or busted for stealth camping in the UK?

[@rickh.9543]

Never had a problem so far. If anybody rocks up, just say no problem at all, pack up and move onto another location. 😀

[@The.Omnipotent.1]

I got reported by a couple of lads (I was somewhat miffed as I had shown them how to avoid walking through a muddy patch). I think they saw me cutting firewood off a dead tree and perhaps thought I was chopping live trees down. Anyway, the next morning I was sitting carving a spoon when I was surprised by a bloke standing in front of me. He was an official from the trust that own the woods. He was quite decent though, he said he couldn’t let me stay because they have a lot of teenagers having fires and leaving litter- it wouldn’t be fair to let one person stay and not the other, blah, blah, blah. He said, you don’t have to leave straight away. It could have gone really bad if it was a jobsworth as I had a couple of knives by my side and one in my hand, so they could have reported me to the police. I still go back there anyway!😁😂🤷‍♂️

[@aleksiiprohorov89]

Where are is stealth camping secret?

[@Smokdeel]

Thanks for good tips 🏕🤠👍