Stop Getting Caught! Military Techniques For Wild Camping Without Anyone Knowing

After being made unintentionally homeless I spent one year 'wild camping' in the uk. Being a country rather than a city boy I slept in woodland with my tarp/basha changing location every night as I wandered around the UK. This was long before my army days. I was never disturbed even once. Key points were that I would reccee my campsite in the daylight (checking for comfort by lying on the ground, visibility, approach routes etc.). I would then go well away and make my supper and a mug of tea. Then at dusk I would come back to the site and set up my low profile shelter. Sleep, not making fire or using torches. At the crack of dawn I would pack everything away and be off. I was never disturbed. As you can imagine after a year of this discipline some things were second nature. When I finally did join the army. In my post army days I have travelled the world far and wide and wild camped many times. The very worst place to wild camp is in Greece because there are so many wild and feral dogs and they definitely do find you!

Basic Fieldcraft Lesson 1: Why Things Are Seen. A great presentation of something those of us who served were taught very early on. Smells include toothpaste, deoderant, cigarettes and body odour. I've smelt people in the bush by all of those and it is surprising how far away you can be and get a whiff of something that simply doesn't belong.

Love this guy! Glad he mentioned "Don't be seen, heard, or smelled..." I remember reading somewhere in a manual, "Don't smoke during hiding, as the smell of tobacco is unmistakable!" LOL!!!

Shape, shine, shadow, silhouette, sound, speed and surroundings all in 8 mins nice work.

I have years of experience nomad stealth camping in the city (even used the wood stove in my camper in the middle of the city!) and never once had a problem. The biggest factors that will keep the heat off you is staying clean, tidy, friendly demeanor if approached and consistently moving. If you seem like an honest person who is just out enjoying their life 99.9% will not bother you, they might get curious and ask questions. It's when you start getting complacent, staying a bit too long and look unclean, that's when people start becoming suspicious and causing issues. Look the part and play it too. I lived multiple years next to a ski hill without issue in my RV because I abided the rules and dressed my RV up to look like a mobile ski rig. If I were to try it in an industrial area I would dress disguise it as a plumbers work vehicle, etc.

Can never get enough of the stealth camping (which shows what I think of the world situation lately). New sub!

Wearing grey works very well. It looks causal to the public & it seems to blend in with browns & greens well.

Very good tips. This blending in (grey man) tactic does not only apply to clothes but also for gear like backpacks. A highly tactical backpack raises more suspicion than a normal (day hike) backpack. Cook, eat and have your coffee before setting up camp but find the right spot to camp a bit away before you cook. Learn how to set up your sleep place in low light conditions or even darkness. Most people use the paths so be aware of the angle of your shelter to the path. A camouflage net sure helps but adds bulk and weight.

Also camp where people don't expect you to camp. In this regard hammock camping has it's place because it allows you to setup over rough ground or on sloping ground where people, who think only in terms of tents would not consider as a feasible camping spot.

Another plus for the alcohol stove, although there is some odor it’s far less than a campfire, and is absolutely silent. Saw vs axe, that chopping noise will carry for a mile! Nice video.

And that my friend is why I solo stealth camp. You wouldn't believe how many "bushcrafters and self proclaimed woodsmen" have asked me to go on a stealth camp with them, then have told me they like a real fire. I am itching to get out in the hammocks again, but am waiting for the foliage to emerge again, before I get out again, so I can blend in to the surroundings easier. Never have fires myself, usually an alcohol stove, or a jetboil for a brew, or a bite to eat. Good video, with important tips...subscribing

Wonderful insight, and we didn't have to enlist to receive it. This information is even helpful with a simple day hike or nature walk. Often on my strolls through the local woods I encounter people wearing loud colors and speaking loudly -- but they never see or hear me. Muted colors and sounds just make nature more natural. Thanks

Karl Bushby from Hull in the UK, a former paratrooper, is walking around the world. He passed through the Darien Gap one of the most dangerous places on earth. Drug barons passed within ten feet of his hamoc and had no idea he was there. He floated downstream in a river for three days disguised as debris to avoid danger!

People are not really a problem, their dogs are. You really don't need all that camo stuff, just use a black tarp and only deploy it when it's dark. Leave early in the morning and you'll be fine. And don't forget to leave the place as clean as possible.

I've wildcamped in NW Europe in normal tents, though green in colour, as well as under tarps and have never bothered disguising them. Never once been found by anyone just as long as I set up and break down around dusk.

@8:15 Or do your cooking in one spot, clean up, and move farther away to set camp. This is how to avoid bears in North America.

Great sharing

It's brilliant! sometimes things don't work quite as expected, that's life not failure. One thing I noticed is one wheel seems stuck and the other spins, on a 'normal' 4x4 you'd use diff lock to get the power distribution right. Not sure if that applies on hydraulics / when there's no axle

Watching stealth camping techniques always makes me glad I live in Snowdonia, so much easier wild camping in the hills, I used to live in Stoke and this just makes me imagine trying to stealth camp in Hanley Park!

It's funny I've just spent the weekend hiking and by the end of it I noticed I was smelling peoples fabric softener as they passed. I couldn't smell myself at all but I was told to take a shower as soon as I got home 🤣