Surviving in secret

[gryffynklm]

Jimmy, No disrespect taken. If you read the posts and blogs from the guys that have posted. You will see that these guys are experienced wilderness campers. They are at a point in their wilderness experience were it is fun, still challenging but fun because they know by doing.

They are only suggesting that you do it properly which includes getting permission. They are offering questions that are based on reality and on their experience. No one has told you not to do it. They are trying to help you logically think it threw. By the way, when you set your camp, look above you at the trees. Avoid trees that show signs of decay. Fallen limbs can be deadly. Did you think of that one? I'm not trying to tease you but you do need to take the advice from these guys seriously. It isn't like backyard camping I know you know that. You have the option to have a more controlled experience over a wing it experience. These guys are helping you be a camper and not a homeless squatter in private or public lands. You should be able to find the local laws for vagrancy and the homeless. Without permission to do extended camping, You are kind of homeless. No offense. We want you to succeed.

[Ken]

Well ........

In most states, trespassing is a misdemeanor.

Damage the property, something like causing damage to a tree, and you've probably got yourself at least one felony there. Light a fire? Yep, I can envision an arson charge. That's another felony. Use or take anything you find on the property - like wood - and that's a larceny charge. Want me to keep on going?

Get permission from the property owner. Otherwise, most juries and judges probably won't be very sympathetic to you.

[Jimmythehat]

The falling tree thing i did not know so thank you. I may be coming off as inexperienced because... i am. I know nothing empirically about LIVING in the woods so i think its ok to come off as a "knumpty". Why wont i see 50?? About being a squater, i didnt even know what that was until i looked it up, so im not trying to come off as experienced, im willing to admit im not at all. I guess i was looking for advice on squating though, because i just dont think the permission thing will happen. Ok the arson charge ect is POSSIBLE but is it really plausable because that is too severe for me. Whos TBWN??? I came on this site not denying my inexperience, but rather just hopping i would leave better than i came with the ability to successfully squat for a summer. Im in no way bragging about breaking the law but rather asking you to look past that and give me advice. If you cant look past that aspect of my inquisition im pretty much SOL. Let me know either way. Thanks Guys

[Ken]

Ok the arson charge ect is POSSIBLE but is it really plausable because that is too severe for me.

In my professional experience, the more brazen you are, the more likely you are to be charged with every crime you have possibly committed. So my answer is, "yes, it's plausible."

[laughing beetle]

If you cannot get permission to camp in the area you are looking at, then do Not do it. You could end up spending your summer semester in jail.

[crashdive123]

The falling tree thing i did not know so thank you. I may be coming off as inexperienced because... i am. I know nothing empirically about LIVING in the woods so i think its ok to come off as a "knumpty". Why wont i see 50?? About being a squater, i didnt even know what that was until i looked it up, so im not trying to come off as experienced, im willing to admit im not at all. I guess i was looking for advice on squating though, because i just dont think the permission thing will happen. Ok the arson charge ect is POSSIBLE but is it really plausable because that is too severe for me. Whos TBWN??? I came on this site not denying my inexperience, but rather just hopping i would leave better than i came with the ability to successfully squat for a summer. Im in no way bragging about breaking the law but rather asking you to look past that and give me advice. If you cant look past that aspect of my inquisition im pretty much SOL. Let me know either way. Thanks Guys

If you've got questions about camping and all that, search through the existing threads. If you can't find the answers you're looking for, ask away. It's probably unwise in an open forum to ask for advice on how to accomplish something illegal, and even less wise to give advice on how to do it.

[remy]

Well...i think what you want to do can definitely be an interesting experience...

We do need a little more info though on your general location, since this will affect some of the answers.

As for the law issue...you are an adult.

[Sarge47]

You're one of three things: A NUMPTY.(idiot), A Tenderfoot,(more likely), or a Troll playing us! (Time will tell). I'm going with the middle one for now, until you prove different. So that means you're here as a "student" & want to learn, right? Ok, sit down, shut up, & listen up! Read my critiques again between each section.

I may be coming off as inexperienced because... i am. I know nothing empirically about LIVING in the woods so i think its ok to come off as a "knumpty".

[SARGE: The term, NUMPTY, is UK for idiot, is that what you want us to think of you?]

Why wont i see 50??

[SARGE: Ever see a sign that reads: "NO TRESPASSING! VIOLATORS WILL BE SHOT! SURVIVORS WILL BE SHOT AGAIN!"?]

About being a squater, i didnt even know what that was until i looked it up, so im not trying to come off as experienced, im willing to admit im not at all.

[SARGE: Fine, then pay attention. Members on here have spent their entire lives learning about the outdoors; you cannot realistically expect to aquire the same knowledge in a very short time!]

I guess i was looking for advice on squating though, because i just dont think the permission thing will happen.

[SARGE: So that gives you the right to just go and do whatever you feel like doing? If I found you squatting on my land I'm going to get the book thrown at you!]

Ok the arson charge ect is POSSIBLE but is it really plausable because that is too severe for me.

[SARGE: Read this whole thread, especially Ken's findings towatds the end of it! http://www.wilderness-survival.net/forums/showthread.php?t=188&highlight=Arson]

Whos TBWN???

[SARGE: Again, read through the whole thread that I'm listing, the two guys in question show up after a ways into it; in the meantime there's some info you're asking about: http://www.wilderness-survival.net/forums/showthread.php?t=378&highlight=The+Bare+Wilderness +Numptys]

I came on this site not denying my inexperience, but rather just hopping i would leave better than i came with the ability to successfully squat for a summer. Im in no way bragging about breaking the law but rather asking you to look past that and give me advice. If you cant look past that aspect of my inquisition im pretty much SOL. Let me know either way. Thanks Guys

[SARGE: Okay, this is the part that gets my goat! You don't own the land, you don't have permission to even be there, you don't pay the taxes on it, yet you seem to think you have the right to do whatever you want on it? Why? What gives you the right? I hope you get busted, lose your education, & have to flip burgers at McDonald's the rest of your life if this is your attitude! This is the "NUMPTY" part of your post. GET FRIGGIN' PERMISSION!!!"]

[trax]

For every action there's a consequence, regarding legal issues I think Remy said it all---you're an adult. Break the law, get busted, accept the consequences, it's your life.

If someone comes on here and says they're going to go spanking off into the bushe of northern Manitoba with nothing but a roll of dental floss and a safety pin, I'm going to tell them how stupid I think they are, but I'm not going to say "don't do it!!" Each of us is responsible for our own behavior. Don't look for someone's blessing here if that's what you want, none of us will have to help you pay fines or sit in a cell with you, so it's irrelevant.

[Sarge47]

Here's the problem, which I'm sure you haven't figured out yet. 1st, you intend to "Trespass" on someone else's land for a rather lengthy time within the very for-see-able future. 2nd, by your own admission you have little or no experience doing anything like this. 3rd, you will be setting up a semi-permenant camp for this length of time & praying to the almighty that you won't be found out so you can continue your education without paying rent. 4th, you don't see anything wrong with all of this.

Now to burst your bubble. 1st, you've also talked about digging a fire-pit to keep the fire low-profile; however, as soon as you dig the hole you've "destroyed" someone else's property. As soon as you gathered firewood you've commited theft. As soon as you lit your fire you've committed arson. You now have moved over from simple "tresspassing" to "criminal tresspassing". (Please note key-word: "CRIMINAL!") You say you want to have a professional career. This implies criminal background checks, licensing, & such.

2nd, your lack of experience is your worst enemy, there is no way that you can gain "experience" by reading about the subject in question; you have to actually do it. With that in mind I give you a very low rate of success in not being discovered. You will tell others in your college what you are doing & they could blow the whistle on you; the jails are full of naive people who thought they could trust their friends only to tragically find out how wrong they were. What about Deer-hunting? Do people Deer-hunt on that property? They're not too picky at what they shoot at, ask Ken! If they don't shoot you I'm sure they will discover your camp & turn you in. Here where I live we have deer in every wooded area in town, & Bucks have been known to attack humans during the rutting season. Again, you'll be lucky to see age 22, if not 50!

3rd, you made a permanat scar on the land by your callous negligence in setting up your camp, so much for being an "enviremental major." You'll be lucky if the EPA dosen't come after your "Hiney" as well.

4th, doing this on property illegally simply because you didn't get permission is tantamont to stealing your grandmother's purse (or stealing $$ from anybody else) because she/they wouldn't loan you any money. In other words, it's a form of stealing, vandalizing, & felony tresspassing. Worst-case scenario, you will probably wind up in prison with a new boyfriend you don't really care for, or, best-case scenario, have to learn to say: "You want fries with that!"

ps. What about studying? I suggest using a friends house or dorm room as having any kind of light on at night is not a good idea. Think on these things, please!

[Rick]

See? That's exactly what happened to me. Exactly. Except the room mate thing. And the meth part. Oh, and trying it. I wouldn't do that. Or stealing. Teeth aren't that great but I do have a good dentist. And I didn't flunk school, either. And I've never shot a cop. Otherwise, it's exactly what happened to me.

[Rick]

Thank you. See that, people? That's what I'm talkin' about. That's exactly how you talk to a Super Moderator. (adding stars beside Remy's name).

[SARKY]

Have you looked into any KOA sites in the area? Are there any parks in the area that ave camping site available? Look at all your options before you decide to commit a crime. And besides if we had approved and gave you advice on how to accomplish your felonious deeds, wouldn't we be aiding and abetting???

[Sarge47]

Well, you don't seem to be able to stay "secret" even where you are. You're using a computer at the Penn State Campus (Main Campus). That puts you in Pennsylvania.

[AKS]

Hey, I did nothing just like this once! Back in high school I worked at a cannery in Ninilchik, Ak one summer and camped out on the property along with several coworkers (with the owners permission) for a month and a half. Had a small cook fire and gallon jug of water near the tent, just about everything else was provided on the job. It was great fun. Didn't have much trouble with bears, but we did have a lot of moose problems. One guy wouldn't come out of his tent for about three hours one day cause a mad mamma moose was running around the area.

[DOGMAN]

Just a couple of thoughts...
First- I believe you said the woods are 7.5 miles away from campus, and then in another post you said your only mode of transportation is your feet and backpack.
So, are you prepared to walk 15 miles a day? How many hours a day are you dedicating to walking? Thats going to be a significant part of your life right there.

Next- your a Biology major. Try to get you summer long camping arrangement officialy sanctioned by your department. Call it a field study, or an independent research project. But come up with an angle so that you can approach the land owner and the local authorities with your "project" and get permission to conduct your "research". Then you can have a clear conscious as you go about your business, and maybe even get college credit to boot!

Lastly, don't leave anything at camp your not willing to have stolen. I have lived in permanent camps outside of cities and towns on numerous occassions and I've always had stuff ripped off- it doesn't matter how hidden you think you are- if your near other people someone will rip you off.

[Jimmythehat]

Thank you (last post), im pretty skillful on a longboard and i dont mind walking/jogging either. I'll let you guys know how everything goes and of course i am going to get permission first or else i would be breaking the law and im 100% against that.

[crashdive123]

I guess the definition of long board has changed. I'm assuming you mean skateboard and not the 13 foot long surfboard used for large waves.

[DOGMAN]

Yeah, long skateboards are all the rage around college campuses. they Look to be a fun way to liven up a commute

[RangerXanatos]

Sounds like quite an adventure, but...

If you are absolutely set into doing this, trying staying in a public park for a week during your current classes. I bet sleeping on the hard ground, not having any REAL meals, and etc will bring you closer to realizing how hard your summer adventure will be. I think that your mental/class capabilities will have declined and not to mention your health. Do you have any idea how it easy it would be for you to get sick while out for MONTHS in the open weather!?

But if that's what you want to do, I would recommend working this summer and saving up your money. Then next summer you could still do it, but if you need to, could afford housing, or motels for a couple of night.