>>22391241. Don’t bring your own car, have a friend drop you off. It’s annoying but it’s the only way you can be completely anonymous.
2. Don’t camp an hour within a highway or heavily trafficked paved road. Here in Washington you are never really far away from people at any /out/ spot unless it’s late fall/winter. Behind locked logging road gates is my go to.
3. Practice bushwhacking. Just know it’s not as easy as you’d think and you need a GPS of some sort if you are going to go more than a few hundred yards off trail.
4. Invest in a dog if you are serious about solo camping. A dog chained to a tree in your camp is an invaluable tool.
I’ve been stalked several times while camping, from teenagers stealing from my cooler for beers to creepy old fucks in vans creeping by my camp with lights off at night. Forest tweakers are a very real thing at least here, they can be very dangerous and almost always have a gun. Thieves in camping areas are common. Your paranoia is healthy and ALWAYS listen to what your body is telling you. Once again ALWAYS listen to what your body is telling you.
