Car Break-Ins at Trailheads

Hello,

 

Not a pleasant subject to bring up, but with all I have invested in

photography equipment, it's certainly a concern.

 

I'm planning a trip to California's Del Norte and Humboldt County Redwood Parks at

a time when I expect there will be few other hiker/photographers in

the area.

 

I don't plan to leave any fancy equipment in plain sight, but I cannot

backpack it all, nor do I necessarily want to leave any at the hotel

room since I'm not sure it's safe there either.

 

Have any of you had or heard of problems with vandalism and theft when

parked at trailheads (or hotels) in that neck of the woods?

 

Since I plan to rent a vehicle for the trip, is it better to get a car

to be able to store extra gear in the trunk versus an SUV with its

more visible interior?

 

-Dan

Hi Dan, I guess I've been lucky and have (yet) to be ripped off. I'd absolutely put everything out of site (trunk versus in view) and most importantly, photograph your equipment, note the serial numbers and insure it. That way if the worst happens, you'll hopefully be re-imbursed. Good luck!

Twenty years in law enforcement and another four with the Forest Service tell me <i>never, ever, leave anything in a vehicle at a trailhead.</i> You'd be much better off leaving everything you won't carry in your hotel room because it's much more secure than any vehicle. I'd also check to make sure your homeowners/renters insurance covers loss and theft away from home.

Try the "out of sight" trick. We often park a camera filled vehicle at trailheads & in cities. I place camera bags & valuables on the floor, and cover them with a white cloth. So far Ive been lucky.

Insure your camera equipment under a personal effects floater policy or rider under your homeowners or renters policy. Its cost is nominal. I would leave any extra photo equipment back at the motel. If you leave it in the car, cover it up with a blanket or other junk. Joe Smith

(1) Insure everything.

(2) If I have to leave camera gear in the car at a trailhead -- and I often do -- I usually wrap it inside a plastic garbage bag, then place the whole thing inside a larger trash bag that is then filled the rest of the way with trash.

Most thieves don't have time or inclination to get past a decent layer of camouflage.

Motel/hotels are reasonably safe places ... Trailheads are dubious ...

I too will bury camera gear on the floor under a layer of Dorito bags etc., but only when I can't leave it someplace more secure. The closer I am to a population center or crowd, the more antsy I feel. The funny thing is that when I'm in my own region away from national parks I often leave my truck unlocked with keys in the ignition in case the farmer whose field drive I parked in needs to move it. I still put rifles, lenses, etc. out of sight though.

 

 

Kent in SD

an aside, but related to safety, end of summer is harvest time for the marijuana crop in northern california. stick to the state parks, especially in humbolt and mendocino counties.

 

If you do happen upon a crop, put your cameras AWAY and leave quickly.

 

cheers

I've done a fair bit of hiking and never had a problem. Perhaps it helps to be driving a 8-year-old Escort and not the latest $UV. Not that I left anything worthwhile in the car, either.

 

I have my doubts as to whether a trailhead is more or less safe for a vehicle than anywhere else- usually, people are the problem, and the fewer people, the better.

Everybody in Tennessee knows someone who was burglarized in the Smokie Mountains in a trail head parking area. It happens, and it happens a lot. The locals (and maybe free-lancers) are watching. I'm sure California is different ;-)

Seems like almost every trailhead I have parked at over the past few years has the shiny patina of automobile window glass. Sad to see, but denying the evidence is just naive.

 

Your best bet is to lock it up in a safe; however, most hotels/motels near trailheads do not have these or if they do their capacity is insufficent for photo equipment.

 

If I had to leave in the the room, I would have it in a locked Pelican case with a cable lock attaching it to at least one immovable object. I have heard that the toilet is immovable, but my college days indicate otherwise.

 

Keeping it in the car is not only inviting a break-in, but risking damage to the equipment as closed up automobiles get hot! When I do leave stuff in a vehicle I cable it down.

Get a good, locking hard case. Drive up on it so it's under one tire. It's like the monkey trap. Thieves will go nutz getting it. But they will. They get it home to crack the case and find it's a paint bomb. Your gear was in the trunk. :)

I've rented a lot of SUV's in the US. They usually have a load compartment cover or well-tinted windows at the rear or both. Frankly for most tourists, not leaving stuff in the car whilst you go for a walk or a coffee is not a practical proposition-about one day in two I'll spend driving from one hotel to another for example. So you need to be aware of any restrictions that are made by your travel/photo equipment, or household insurer regarding thefts from unattended vehicles. Certainly in the UK its usual for theft from cars to be covered only where "force and violence" are evident and for camera insurance not to cover unattended vehicle thefts after dark. Also there is often a higher excess on such claims.

My friends at work and I would often hike after work. We carpooled to the site but before we left the office we put our purses in the trunk of the car. When we parked at the trailhead, all of us would just get out, lock the car and begin our hike. We thought we were so clever. Well, any thief worth his/her salt knew that it took most hikers two hours to complete the round trip trek. Plenty of time to break into one or more cars. We didn't even know until the next day that each of us was missing one credit card from our wallets. We all immediately called our credit card companies and found out that the thief had already charged gas, clothes, food and toys - in less than 24 hours. I didn't notice that my trunk lock had been tampered with because I popped the trunk from the driver's seat when we returned from the hike.

 

You can try to be clever but if a thief wants something, they'll find a way to get it. All we can do is limit their opportunity to steal.

Ok, Dan, I would like to know what dates will you be at these parks? Which trailheads will you park at? What equipment are you going to leave behind? ;-)

 

 

Your extra photo gear will always be far safer in a hotel room than in your car, at a deserted trailhead.

 

Actually, if you're going to be at remote locations when few other people will be there, I'd imagine that's the safest time to stash your equipment. Someone with a criminal intent isn't going to visit an area when the pickin's are slim.

"Your extra photo gear will always be far safer in a hotel room than in your car, at a deserted trailhead" You got that right! The real pros are not faked out by covering up or camouflaging valuables and/or locking them in the trunk. Leave in your vehicle only those things that you can afford to get stolen. A pro can break into your car, pop the trunk and take what ever he wants in less than thirty seconds.

I have not lost any equipment to theft so far (crossing my fingers).

 

However I have all my equipment insured.

 

I try to be as inconspicious as possible. When I pick something out of trunk and leave the rest inside I do my best to avoid been seen by others and indicate there may be something left inside the truck. If I expect people to be present at the spot where I would need to leave the car, I move the stuff that I will carry on myself into the car beforehand, so the trunk does not get opened at the destination and does not suggest to others there may be something left in it.

 

Whenever I use SUV, I drape darkish cover over the stuff in the trunk.

 

If I know I am not going to need part of my equipment during particular day, I leave it in motel and lock it in an inconspiciously looking (scratched etc.) suitcase.

 

When moving stuff between motel room and the car I try not to draw any attention and wait for people to pass if practical.

 

Your best protection is to blend and avoid being identified as the target.

 

Last but not least be aware that it takes about 30 seconds to unlock a car, any car, without having a key for it. Car locks is not a protection against thief with minimal qualification.

As a former park ranger, who spent many hours filling out crime reports for car break-ins, I would advise the following:

1) Don't leave ANYTHING visible in your vehicle. And, yes, a car with a trunk is preferable to an SUV.

2) Get your gear ready before arriving at the trailhead. If you choose to leave equipment in your trunk, don't advertise it by placing it in the trunk just before leaving on your hike! Have your pack ready to go, so that you just grab your stuff, lock the car, and head off down the trail.

3) If possible, park in an area that is "busy," where your car isn't off by itself.

After having my trunk broken into twice, I had its lock removed and completely filled in. A thief couldn't tell where it was. The only way to open the trunk was with the internal electric solenoid lock which required the ignition to be on. Never lost another item!

Lots of great suggestions. I will heed your advice about storing nothing in the car and keeping extra equipment in a locked case in the motel room.

 

I'll have to make sure that the company I rent a car from has offices in the North Woods where I can get a replacement if someone/thing trashes the rental.

 

Thanks for everyone's input.

 

I'll post a trip report when I return.

 

-Dan

"I don't plan to leave any fancy equipment in plain sight, but I cannot backpack it all, nor

do I necessarily want to leave any at the hotel room since I'm not sure it's safe there

either."

 

If there's stuff in view you can expect theft. If you get away without losing any of your

stuff, you are lucky.

 

One solution would be to leave a car parked at a trailhead with the light on, and when the

local (usually teenaged kids) thieves show up just blast 'em with your hunting rifle. I bet

that would reduce local trailhead thefts, at least for a time.

"I will heed your advice about storing nothing in the car and keeping extra equipment in a

locked case in the motel room."

 

On a more serious note, in most states hotels are required to have a safe on premises in

which guests can store valuables. I would request a meeting with the manager once you

check in and deposit your valuables with him.

Where I live, hiking, boating, and recreation areas attract a lot of drug use and public drinking. Vandalism is common. I always try to becareful about what may be in the vehicle and who may be around.

 

Additionally, if I am parking in a secluded area I will take a quick shot of my car and any around it. Prefereably catching license plates. It there ever were a problem, that information might be useful.

No matter what you do, you are playing odds. The most important things are a good insurance policy for the gear and multiple records (in different places) of model and serial numbers. This week I am in

San Juan and staying in a national hotel chain. Two days ago I went out early in the morning, taking my gear(and my laptop) with me (stashing what wasn't needed right away in the car trunk). At about 8PM I returned to the hotel and found my room door wide open. It seems most probable a maid had not closed it properly after making the bed. I found nothing missing, but imagine what might have been missing if I had left the camea gear or the laptop in the room instead of just some old clothes. We take chances no matter what we do and often the variables are not under our control.