🚌 STEALTH CAMPING 101City • Suburban • Rural • Next-Level Nomad

🎭 CORE STEALTH RULES

(These apply everywhere)

GO LATE · LEAVE EARLYArrive after dark. Depart before morning routines start.

BLEND — DON’T ANNOUNCEYour rig should look like it belongs, not like it’s camping.

NO EXTERNAL SIGNALS

• No awnings

• No chairs

• No leveling blocks

• No visible cooking

LIGHT DISCIPLINE

• Red lights only inside

• Zero light leaks

• Blackout window shades

• Windshield cover

SILENCE MODE

• Engine off

• Generator off

• Fans on low

• Doors closed gently

SELF-CONTAINED

• Portable toilet

• No outside bathroom trips

• No dumping on site

🏙️ CITY STEALTH ZONES

(High density = high camouflage)

✔ Residential streets (mixed-use areas)✔ Condo complexes (overflow parking)✔ Strip malls (after hours)✔ Hotels (edge / overflow spaces)✔ 24-hour diners✔ 24-hour gyms✔ Hospitals (rotating zones only)✔ Commercial districts after business hours

Pro Tip:Big chains = less scrutiny than small local businesses.

🏭 INDUSTRIAL / LIMINAL ZONES

(Low attention, eerie but effective)

✔ Industrial parks✔ Warehouses✔ Junk yards✔ Large commercial backlots✔ City works yards (leave early)

Vibe: Quiet, liminal, slightly surreal — excellent stealth if you’re respectful.

🚐 HIGH-TRAFFIC SAFE BETS

(Expect noise, not knocks)

✔ Truck stops✔ Casinos (can be loud)✔ Large travel centers

Trade-off:Noise > security. Bring earplugs.

🌳 SUBURBAN & RURAL STEALTH

(Space replaces density)

✔ Empty commercial lots✔ Closed city / government buildings (especially summer & holidays)✔ End-of-the-road turnarounds✔ Trailhead overflow areas✔ Pastures & pull-ins✔ Construction sites (leave before 5am)✔ Parks with 24-hour boat ramps & toilets

Seasonal Hack:During vacations, many municipal lots sit unused for weeks.

🧰 REPAIR-FRIENDLY & LONGER STAYS

✔ BLM land (where permitted)✔ Makerspaces with repair access✔ Nomad-friendly compounds✔ Community repair hubs

Examples to research:

• Wanderlust Waypoints

• Nomad-run maker collectives

🔥 NEXT-LEVEL NOMAD MODES STEALTH CAMPING

(Not stealth — intentional freedom)

✔ Slab City✔ Burning Man

Note: These are opt-in worlds. Different rules. Different mindset.

⚠️ UNWRITTEN RULES STEALTH CAMPING (READ THIS)

• Never stay more than one night in the same spot

• Rotate zones

• Leave zero trace

• If questioned: be calm, respectful, brief

• If it feels wrong — move

🧭 STEALTH MINDSET

You are not hiding.You are harmonizing with the environment.