Personal Safety

[ghosthunter]

But my all time best security person is Grandma Brad. Both in our TV at night and around the trailer during daylight. Grandma Brad keeps her eyes always open.

She has been across the state of Washington two dozen times.

It’s quite shocking to approach our TV at night with tinted windows ,flash a light and find Grandma Brad in the back seat. I have had folks walk into camp and start talking to Grandma.

She is so unexpected and shocking most folks just pass us by when they see her.she was with us at the Fort Casey Rally but because of weather stayed in the truck most the time.

Took our travel dog awhile to get use to her.

[ghosthunter]

Grandma Brad

[Mike G]

Originally Posted by ghosthunter

Grandma Brad

Grandma Brad looks a tad undernourished. Skinny as a rail! I suspect she has an eating disorder; when is the last time she ate a hearty meal?

[ghosthunter]

Originally Posted by Mike G

Grandma Brad looks a tad undernourished. Skinny as a rail! I suspect she has an eating disorder; when is the last time she ate a hearty meal?

Yeah she do t eat much, goes right through her.

[KirkB]

Originally Posted by ghosthunter

Grandma Brad

Looks like you found your ghost.

[KirkB]

Originally Posted by bborzell

We have decided to stop unplanned overnights in parking lots of retail stores that are not open all night.

Pilots and Loves are our new choice when plans fall apart. The lots are large enough to avoid idling trucks and people are coming and going all night long.

Looking at your photo in post #35, I was thinking if you are still concerned about your surroundings on an overnight stop, you could keep the trailer door facing the lighted gas pumps (or store entrance, etc). Any intruder would be visible from the high traffic area. It's a tradeoff between privacy and security.

[almost born canadian]

We should consider that someone pulling on the door at night could be an honest mistake. Perhaps they have a white trailer too that they use a few times per year and they got turned around on the way back from the RV park bathrooms. Same for a pizza delivery., maybe the wrong site We don't unlock our door at night for any reason unless they arrive in a law enforcement vehicle. I do have an aluminum ski pole 'walking stick' in a holder inside the door that would go right through a person but that would be a drastic last resort. It does make me feel more secure though.

Our practice is to park the truck and camper facing a safe escape exit and to put everything away at night so as to allow for a fast departure without driving over lawn chairs, cloth lines, big boots, etc.

[Ooshkaboo]

Originally Posted by almost born canadian

We should consider that someone pulling on the door at night could be an honest mistake. Perhaps they have a white trailer too that they use a few times per year and they got turned around on the way back from the RV park bathrooms. Same for a pizza delivery., maybe the wrong site We don't unlock our door at night for any reason unless they arrive in a law enforcement vehicle. I do have an aluminum ski pole 'walking stick' in a holder inside the door that would go right through a person but that would be a drastic last resort. It does make me feel more secure though.

Our practice is to park the truck and camper facing a safe escape exit and to put everything away at night so as to allow for a fast departure without driving over lawn chairs, cloth lines, big boots, etc.

Reminds me of the line-don’t bring a knife to a gun fight.

I’m sure it’s against somebody’s made up rules to be realistic, so I will go along with pretending.
When I choose a particular saw blade I will choose the amount of teeth on the blade for cutting the type of board needs cut. If the material to be cut is metal or plastics, drywall, that requires a certain saw blade. I like easy to maintain and no safety features for my saws. Cordless saws are easy you carry but can be limited, choose the saw that fits your needs.
Certain saws must be transported differently in saw hating states, so abide by their rules. Some of those states don’t allow some saws at all, don’t take that saw across those lines. There are plenty of saws that will keep you law abiding and take away the criminal law breakers edge. Yes they have an edge on you, just having nothing to lose gives them and advantage against you and your trusty brick you carry.
Don’t be caught hearing the-bump in the night-just to feel fear, realizing too late you’ve been naive.

Quote-I am Rome, where I walk is Rome-don’t live skared…

[Ron in BC]

Originally Posted by almost born canadian

I do have an aluminum ski pole 'walking stick' in a holder inside the door that would go right through a person but that would be a drastic last resort. It does make me feel more secure though.

Great minds and all that. We were headed for a city in Peru where visitors were warned about "strangle muggings". Pleasant thought.

So how to deal with that? I used an old ski pole. I cut it half and then threaded it. That allowed me to carry it in my luggage. I removed the basket. It already had a rounded carbide insert on the tip. I made it a little more pointed. Then I put a rubber boot over it.

We never hop into cabs at train stations etc. In some cities there's a danger of getting into the wrong vehicle. Especially at night and with a bunch of drivers all yelling at you at once.

So we hoofed it down some dark streets to our hotel. I felt a little more comfortable and, hey, we were by the Andes and who knows, a ski pole could have been handy.

Ron

[John in Santa Cruz]

I'll admit to usually carrying a Spyderco folding knife in my pants pocket. its clipped to my pocket in such a way that I can slip my hand in, pull out the knife, and flip the blade open with my thumb in about a 1/4 second.



I have never ever pulled this thing out in fear or anger. it gets used as a boxcutter, and all around knife. partially serrated blade, so if you can't cut it, you can saw it.

[gbaglo]

Originally Posted by Ooshkaboo

Reminds me of the line-don’t bring a knife to a gun fight.

Make sense to me.

[hotfishtacos]

Personal safety while traveling cannot be fully discussed on this forum with the rules we have in place. It is a little frustrating. I have a very effective plan for taking care of safety for my wife and I while traveling from state to state that doesn't exclusively involve bear spray or other interesting ideas I've read here. It's really too bad but we have the rules we have so those of us who are really fully prepared while traveling need to keep our ideas to ourselves. Enough said...

[WillyB]

This has been clipped in my front pocket during the day and on my nightstand everyday for the past many years. It's small, comfortable to carry, strong, sharp and always available.

It spends a lot of time cutting fishing line.

[Ian and Sue]

Hmmm yeah not a gun toting type here...your decision though. Here is what I would do:
- Pay attention to where you are
- Lock the door
- Don't open the door for anyone but law enforcement
- If they are trying to get in and it looks like they might be successful...my plan is to tell them to go away and I am calling 911(and do it!), bash em in the face w/the door, standing there in my birthday suit, screaming bloody murder, holding a butcher knife, they will probably leave....close and lock door, have a drink to calm down(put on some pants!) while waiting for police, give the nice officer the description of someone with a big bruise on their forehead and ask them to keep an eye out for you, go back to bed or move on.

[Dcboyd]

Originally Posted by hotfishtacos

Personal safety while traveling cannot be fully discussed on this forum with the rules we have in place. It is a little frustrating. I have a very effective plan for taking care of safety for my wife and I while traveling from state to state that doesn't exclusively involve bear spray or other interesting ideas I've read here. It's really too bad but we have the rules we have so those of us who are really fully prepared while traveling need to keep our ideas to ourselves. Enough said...

Ditto. Well said my friend. I walk anywhere, anyplace camping, hiking or traveling without fear of looking for a pipe, bug spray or a phone, or scarecrows in chairs.
Makes no difference to me what other do, it’s their life. I will protect my family without hesitation. We chose to be a victim or not.

[Chasing Trials]

Originally Posted by cpaharley2008

Our large dog is an extra set of ears and eyes for our campsite......

Yes! Right now I have a aussie that WILL bite(old now), & one that is all mean bark, but no bite. & pup in training.

[Viajante]

Originally Posted by Dcboyd

Ditto. Well said my friend. I walk anywhere, anyplace camping, hiking or traveling without fear of looking for a pipe, bug spray or a phone, or scarecrows in chairs.
Makes no difference to me what other do, it’s their life. I will protect my family without hesitation. We chose to be a victim or not.

Blanket disregard for the situation or environment you are in, regardless of what you are carrying, doesn’t sound like a good recipe for protecting your family.

[Rockhead]

Time for a little chill time here

[Ooshkaboo]

Originally Posted by Viajante

Blanket disregard for the situation or environment you are in, regardless of what you are carrying, doesn’t sound like a good recipe for protecting your family.

I don’t think he’s implying he hasn’t awareness, just the fact he has a realistic answer.

I must say I am very happy for those who live in the lands of unicorns, I myself am not so fortunate. I live in a very nice spot that just happens to be surrounded by zombies. All the excitement that goes with fent and meth on one side and Ferguson on the other, clocks ticking on my paradise.

I will tell you if you think the zombies will relate on a unicorn level, it’s really not how it goes down. Zombies can sense unicorns, so stay far away from those areas.
With things getting tight for people, and it seems like its going to get much worse, a desperate zombie is the last thing you want to run into.

[sofmerc]

Originally Posted by Ooshkaboo

I don’t think he’s implying he hasn’t awareness, just the fact he has a realistic answer.

I must say I am very happy for those who live in the lands of unicorns, I myself am not so fortunate. I live in a very nice spot that just happens to be surrounded by zombies. All the excitement that goes with fent and meth on one side and Ferguson on the other, clocks ticking on my paradise.

I will tell you if you think the zombies will relate on a unicorn level, it’s really not how it goes down. Zombies can sense unicorns, so stay far away from those areas.
With things getting tight for people, and it seems like its going to get much worse, a desperate zombie is the last thing you want to run into.

Huh?....not sure what all this is