There is an old saying that "locks just keep honest people honest". Certainly a determined criminal is prepared to disable or bypass locked doors or chained and locked equipment, but proper locks can prevent crimes of opportunity. Leaving your $1200 mountain bike unprotected, leaning up against the back of your RV or a tree overnight or while you're away from camp is an invitation for someone to "acquire" it for themselves, if only for a short joy ride ,and it may come back damaged, if it comes back at all. Simply cabling or chaining and locking it up can discourage unauthorized use. Other, less expensive but easily transportable items, such as lanterns, camp stoves, camp chairs, sports equipment and portable entertainment equipment often tend to "grow feet and walk away" when you're not looking if they are left out and aren't secured or monitored. It isn't always intentional theft. Sometimes people mistake your belongings for theirs. Clearly label your items so someone won't mistake them for their own and so you can identify them if they do go missing. Law enforcement often suggests etching an ID number on items. For camping, I like to tag my chairs, coolers, etc with vinyl tape that matches the patriotic red-white-blue stripes on my motorhome and trailer. It makes it really easy for me to locate my coolers, shovels, and camp chairs around camp and makes it easy for others to see who they belong to. Securely locking your RV or vehicle when you're away is the first step in preventing theft and vandalism but it may not be enough. You may want to add a security system. Often the sounding of a loud alarm will attract enough attention to discourage would-be thieves. Make sure you are well practiced in disabling the alarm before entering your vehicle so you don't enrage your fellow campers when YOU return late at night. Sliding windows on RVs are fairly easy to force open but there are locking clamps that can be installed on the track to ensure they can't be opened. Or just lay a piece of dowel in the track. Some folks have furry security systems. You don't need a vicious, snarling, Rottweiler , even a yapping Pekinese may make enough noise to send would be thieves scurrying to find a target that will attract less attention.
Several RVers have suggested bringing their canine friends along to deter intruders. It is unlikely anyone is going to break into an RV with a pair of big growling Akitas or Rottweilers in the front seat! However, even a Chihuahua may make enough noise to send a would-be burglar looking for a quieter and less obvious target. You may not need to make your RV totally burglar proof, just harder to get into than others nearby. I heard the story of two hunters who encountered a bear. As they were running away, one said "We can't out run that bear." The other replied "I don't have to out run the bear, I just have to out run you!" Not a very considerate concept, but you get the idea. You don't have to make your RV 100% burglar proof, you just need to make it a less attractive target than others to reduce your chances of becoming the victim. Good locks, properly secured windows, and an alarm system (furry or electronic!) is a good start. Outdoor motion sensitive LED lights are relatively inexpensive these days and may also serve as a deterrent to would-be thieves as well as a convenience for you when you return after dark. Thieves like to work in the dark so it is difficult to see what they are doing and so they can't be easily recognized if they are seen.
Personal attacks in camp grounds are not very common, but have been known to happen. What can you do to prevent attacks or defend yourself is one does occur? Prevention often involves making sure you don't make yourself a likely target. Don't wander around lonely paths alone at night. If you have to make a late-night trip the the rest room alone, carry a large, heavy flashlight -- and be prepared to use it as a weapon if you're attacked. Many criminals rely heavily on a lack of defensive response from intended victims. Criminals are prepared and even planning to hurt you and to endure a certain amount of pain themselves, but most ordinary people are NOT prepared to hurt even someone who is attacking them. If you are attacked, make as much noise as you can and be committed to inflicting as much pain on your attacker as you can as quickly as possible. You want to disable or discourage them before they can harm you. Taking some classes in self defense techniques might be helpful. You don't have to become a black belt in Judo or Karate or some other esoteric martial art, just learn how to protect yourself if you are the victim of a personal attack. Good street fighting skills will be far more useful during an attack than the choreographed movements of some of the popular martial arts. LAPD (Los Angeles Police Department) officers advised downtown employees where I worked to always have their keys in their hand when they left the building and be prepared to gouge out an assailant's eye if they were attacked on the way to their car. That is a fairly easy maneuver and will put a serious kink in the plans of even the biggest and burliest attacker. Most "normal" people wouldn't think of inflicting that kind of injury on another human being so you have to prepare yourself mentally if you're going to be successful in protecting yourself and your family from "the bad guys".
Be polite. Just being polite to your neighbors and others you encounter while camping may help avoid confrontations. Keep your electronic entertainment systems at a reasonable sound level. If you are one of those people who need to feel the music as much as hear it, wear headphones so you don't disturb others within earshot. If you have kids or pets, keep them under control too.
Weapons. There are many laws governing possession and use of weapons, especially guns. Improper use of weapons can bring legal consequences for you that are far worse than your assailant faces for attacking you. If you feel you need a weapon to protect you and your family, make sure you check out the local laws where you are going. Laws vary a lot, even from city to city, so be sure to investigate the local rules so you don't find yourself in more trouble than the thug who attacks you! I had a friend who was charged with a weapons violation even though he had a concealed carry weapons permit when he pulled over to answer a cell phone call in a school zone and a curious police office found a tactical knife in the back seat of his car. Motorhome magazine published a good article on carrying weapons titled "Have Gun Will Travel" in their January 2011 issue. A good online reference for the United States is Handgun Law US. In most jurisdictions you must have a concealed carry weapons permit in order to carry a concealed weapon. That usually applies to mace and pepper spray as well as guns and knives. However, since laws change frequently, any published resource may be out of date so always double check with local authorities to be sure of the current law. A major factor in deciding whether to carry a weapon is whether you are sufficiently trained and motivated to use it. Too often, homeowners are killed with their own gun when an intruder takes it from them. Remember, you have every right to defend yourself and your family, but you may not have the right to use deadly force to defend your property. If you aren't confident in your ability and commitment to use a weapon, you are probably better off not to have one around. An intruder is unlikely to hesitate to use your weapon against you, yet many "honest citizens" will hesitate, often to their own disadvantage, even in the face of imminent danger to them or their loved ones. If you carry a weapon, you not only need to know how to use it (through appropriate training and regular practice) you should be mentally and emotionally prepared to use it and know under what circumstances you can do so without undesirable legal consequences. Be aware you may face criminal charges even when using your weapon in self defense. When choosing a weapon and ammunition, consider your environment. Any high-powered projectile is likely to pass through your intended target and through the walls of your home or RV. For that reason many gun owners choose hollow point ammunition for their hand guns for self defense. It transfers more of the force to the target (which is a good thing if you want to stop an attacker) and is less likely to pass through and strike innocent bystanders. Some people will choose shotguns for the same reasons. A lot of people think shotguns have such a wide spread that they don't require much skill or accuracy. In fact, that isn't true at most self-defense distances (5-20 feet). At that range the pattern from a shotgun is only a couple of inches so you still need pretty good aim. Shotgun pellets aren't as likely to pass through an assailant and penetrate walls and hit unintended targets. Many people are intimidated by just the sound of a 12-gauge shotgun being cocked so it may scare off some would-be intruders without the need to be fired. Likewise, staring down the gaping 12-guage barrel when one is pointed at you can quickly trigger a flight response. Even seasoned law enforcement professionals have been known to require a change of underwear after such an encounter. Mace and pepper sprays are a good non-lethal alternative to firearms but they still sometimes require training and licensing. In an emergency, a can of wasp spray can effectively deter most attackers. It has a range of 15-20 feet, compared to 5-6 feet for mace and pepper spray so you can keep potential attackers far enough away so they can't hurt you or your family. If you spray them in the eyes, it is almost as effective as pepper spray. And there are no laws against having a can of wasp spray in your RV. Did you know there is a "heat" rating for peppers? The green and red peppers we enjoy in our salads have "Scoville Heat Rating" (SHR) of zero. Jalepenos score around 5,000. Typical consumer pepper sprays are rated around 200,000; the latest professional, law enforcement pepper spray has an SHR rating of around 5,000,000 -- 1000 times as hot as jalepenos. I have personally observed someone sprayed with professional strength pepper spray and experienced some of the over spray during body guard training. It is VERY effective. My friend is a pretty tough guy, but he was pretty much out of commission for at least a couple of hours. By the way, if you should accidentally spray yourself, we found Dawn dish washing detergent the best way to remove it. Using it in your eyes is not a very appealing prospect, but it beats leaving the oily pepper spray there! Some recommend using baby shampoo, but we found that, while it is gentler on your eyes than Dawn, it is too gentle to be effective in removing the oily pepper spray. If you get sprayed, you can count on being at least partially disabled for an hour or more. It is very hard to focus on anything else when your eyes are burning and you cannot see. No matter how macho or tough you are you will not be able to open your eyes once they've been sprayed. By the way, as mentioned above, ordinary wasp spray makes a pretty good substitute for pepper spray and it requires no training or licensing. It also has the advantage of a much greater range. Pepper sprays are designed to be used at about 5'. Wasp spray will shoot 15-20'! How close to you want an attacker to get to you or your family?
Remote locations are attractive destinations for camping, RVing, and OHV activities. Most remote locations are pretty safe. However to ensure you won't become a target, camp in groups. A single RV way out by itself might invite a "crime of opportunity". We sometimes enjoy skeet shooting in the evening after a day of dirt biking in the desert. It is highly visible to any would-be intruders and lets them know we are an armed camp, and given the number of clay pigeons shot down, we're pretty good shots. We've never had any problems. I think it has more to do with the remote location and generally safe environment than it has to do with any show of weapons but making your strength known doesn't hurt. We've never even encountered any problems with theft of dirt bikes on any of our desert outings. Everyone pretty much cables or chains and locks their equipment at night to discourage any would-be scavengers, just in case.
Safety is a personal choice. Prevention is the best defense. Avoid giving would-be criminals an opportunity to take advantage of you or your family. Strength in numbers always beats becoming a lone and defenseless target. Try not to leave your camp site unattended. I am a licensed Personal Protection Specialist (Executive Bodyguard) and fully trained and certified in Monadnock police techniques, including batons, pepper spray, and defensive tactics as well as several tactical weapons. Even so, I consider prevention as the best approach to personal protection. If you choose to carry a weapon, make sure you know how and when -- and be prepared -- to use it. Learn a few basic self-defense techniques, practice the moves until you are comfortable with them, and prepare yourself mentally to use them when necessary. Never fear hurting an attacker -- they are fully prepared and have no qualms about injuring -- or even killing -- you! Most of us have been taught to avoid hurting other people and not to hit them in the head or face. Mentally prepare yourself to ignore that conditioning if you are attacked. Your goal should be to stop an attacker as quickly as possible. In professional terms is is called "neutralizing the threat". Your goal is not to kill, maim, or injure your attacker, only to neutralize the attack -- but often or even usually that may require hurting them. There may be consequences for defending yourself, but at least you may be around to do it! A friend of mine put it this way: "I'd rather be tried by 12 than carried by 6". You can't protect your family if you are out dead or otherwise out of commission. In any hostile situation, your immediate need is to discourage or disable the attack or neutralize the threat by discouraging or disabling the attacker(s) as quickly and safely as possible. Avoid confrontations if possible. I've always taught my kids to avoid a fight if possible, but if it can't be avoided, win it!
Safety First!
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