Motion sensor lights

Has anyone had a though about putting motion sensor lights around camp? I'm a super paranoid guy, I can't be the only one.... on here.... I'm a light sleeper sooo.


thanks

 

Lights for what? Bears and beasts?

 

Humans. Just had a first bad experiences camping. Felt like someone was watching my camp, went to bed heard "one foot step breaking leaves " then this consisted thumping noise for 3min straight. Maybe 3ft-4ft away from my tent.I wasn't packing.

 

Umm.. seriously?

If you need an electronic surveillance system to feel safe in the woods maybe camping isn't for you. Just sayin...

 

Nothing wrong with doing small things to make sure your family is taken care of. Some people might even say that's a smart thing to do. Some doctor just got shot on the side of a trail in California. Bad things can happen to anyone. Something like a motion light is likely to make someone with bad intentions move on. Nothing bad about that.

OP, I think ARLO offers some wireless cellular enabled cameras that might work depending on your area. I also saw some motion lights on Amazon. Google is probably a safer bet than TW on this one.

 

Without trying to sound like a smart-ass, either get used to it or find another hobby. There are all sorts of critters that wander around at night doing their thing, most folks just don't spend much if any time outdoors to see or hear them. Seriously, it just isn't for some people; they never feel comfortable in the woods and so it's just not a relaxing thing for them. I think that's one of the reasons roof top tents have become popular, they provide some weird sense of security. Different strokes and all that. The more time you spend doing it though, the more comfortable you'll get- think about how popular hammock camping has also become.

They make motion activated lights for RVs but if you really want to try a light why not get one of those inexpensive versions, stick it on a pole and try that. Depending on how sensitive it is you may be waking up a lot though.

 

You're 100 times more likely to get in a fatal car accident just driving up to go camping than dying from anything in the woods.

 

And you drive safely and pay attention to minimize the chances of that... right? Why not purchase an inexpensive light if it might deter someone with bad intentions?

I don't have one. I am just saying he isn't being unreasonable.

I like feeling like I am not in the middle of a neighborhood with lights everywhere... but my 90 pound German shepherd also sleeps in my tent annex so he is a pretty good alarm system.

 

I don't think Arlo as someone else mentioned would be a good fit since it requires cell reception to work and if you're out in the boonies it might not work consistently. We have Arlo at home and there is a consistent lag with notifications as well as lag on video streaming.

Motion detector lights, IMO, would just end up freaking you out and keep you awake all night as you'd be surprised on the amount of wildlife and movement around the campsite, even small birds can end up setting it off all night.

I'm trying to think and the first idea that pops into my head as a good idea is getting one of those switch pros or whatever that has a Bluetooth feature. You can turn on your truck lights from your tent to light up the campsite to serve as a distraction as you scramble out of the tent.

I think the recent event of that dude meeting a killer psycho out there has recent campers on edge. But at the same time it's easy to stumble onto someone else's campsite and I have done it myself going for a hike or walk. Almost sounds like somebody might have been looking for some firewood and didn't think anyone was around.

Pack heat if you can do so legally and without being a danger to yourself or others. At the very least get some bear spray that can reach out a bit and piss off man or beast

 

The California doctor getting killed really isn't a good example; from the sounds of it, that was a chance meeting with a psycho who shot him with no warning or provocation. Not much would have prevented that and the son's running was probably his smartest course of action, even if he'd been armed or if his dad had a gun in the Jeep. There have been some assaults and a couple of murders of campers over the years including on some popular trails such as the Appalachian but they are by far the exception rather than the norm. Animal attacks are even more rare. On the other hand, curious animals looking for food are common- keep a clean campsite, especially in bear territory. Looking at stats, the most dangerous camping areas are larger state/national parks where the law enforcement officers seem to stay fairly busy dealing with drunks and (generally) domestic issues and theft. The other areas that see more crime are trail heads where thieves break into vehicles while folks are away.

That said, I trust my instincts and avoid areas where I don't feel comfortable enough to sleep. When I've slept in the back of the truck on the side of the road or other area I considered somewhat sketchy (but still in the barely acceptable/will do in a pinch range) such as a truck stop, I just loop a piece of paracord over the locking bar on the rear window of my shell. Anyone trying to open it is going to make noise and I can react from there. I can't tell from the OP's picture but it doesn't look like he has a shell so I'm guessing this is all about camping in the woods. If it makes you feel better and gets you out in the woods, by all means, buy an inexpensive motion detector light and give it a shot. Amazon sells packs with two and three lights for under $30. Again, the more you get out, the more comfortable you'll become.

 

Totally agree. The doctor comment was just meant to point out that there are bad people in the outdoors just like everywhere else.

 

Yeah I really feel bad for that guy and everyone else affected by that psycho, sometimes you're just at the wrong place at the wrong time. It's a shame one of the earlier victims wasn't able to put him down like he deserved.

 

I have a soft topper. Most trips I'll sleep in the back of my bed.

I have never experience this, Its just something new. I wasn't the only person that heard the same noise. but he was trying to sleep it off than be alert.


Didn't some guy on the on this forum or the jeep FB page ran into a guy on the trail and got a gun pointed at him? few months back?

 

If you decide to put up motion lights don't be surprised if a nearby camper doesn't smash them in the night.

 

nothing wrong with putting up a motion sensor light at the foot of your tent entrance. on the other hand i have a 80lb malamute pitbull that will warn me if anyone uninvited shows up. the light is only there so i can see if the intruder needs to be dealt with 00 buck or a 1oz slug.

 

Idk if you've spent enough time in the woods but if you stay out in the wild for long, you would be a bit more aware of the dangers outside. You'll run into all sorts of dangerous animals that are designed to live out there but thrive. Us as humans, we're slow, weak, need sunblock, need to carry gallons of water on us, etc. we are not well equipped to stay outdoors for long. Bears, coyotes, and more have been several feet from my tent. What am I gonna do, shoot them with a gun? Ignore them and hope they go away with my family along side? That's not realistic at all.

Any motion sensor lights will be a huge help. Cameras to get a location on the beasts is worth it too. Lights, sounds, awareness is helpful in being a deterrent and staying safe out here - and comfortable.

 

What did you end up doing as a solution?

 

I just ended up sleeping!! HAHAHHA In my head if whatever was out there wanted to do something he would've done it already. I was up for a good hour.

 

Good! I've had a few hairy camping situations (moto & taco) where I slept with one eye open. No harm in investing in a little piece of mind. I was gonna add, that if you're a light sleeper, do yourself a favor and look into a weighted blanket: game changer.

 

I do own a weighted blanket but a cheap $90 one from costco... All the weight shifted to one side....