[Paddlewise] Commando Camping

Actually I agree with most of what Ralph says (below). I was still surprised
he put it into print in his book. I can imagine how a landowner, upset with
some kayakers, could use it in a hearing about controlling access to
kayakers in his area. "Look its not just a few bad apples doing this here it
is described in a well respected book on the subject.".

I disagree with Ralph about supporting paddle trails organizations though.
They sell the pipe dream of more camping areas but from what I have seen
locally that's not what actually happens. More likely they will find all the
existing camping areas and post them and charge a fee and advertise them
nationally to attract paddlers from all around to their new trail. They
justify these new fees by saying they need it so that new areas can be
purchased or developed but I've not seen much progress here either.

>>>>Date: Fri, 07 Jul 2000 17:44:37 -0700
From: ralph diaz <rdiaz_at_ix.netcom.com>
Subject: [Paddlewise] Commando Camping

Since I am responsible for starting this general thread I would like to
make clearer my position, which was both stated and implied in my book.
Here is what I practice based on my own experience and which are the
tenets of the conscientious commando camper:

Here is a pecking order of property I would camp on if I could not find
anything legal to stop at:

First, Railroad right of way property or utilities property.  Abandoned
factory land, wide expanses of undeveloped land, etc. are also a first
choice.  Your are traspassing but if your actions don't interfere with
the workings of the place, then what is the harm?  I would most
definitely stay away from range towers and on-land bouys where your
camping might interfere with its operation or be construed that way by
the Coast Guard (Think I am kidding.  Two guys got hit with some heavy
fines when they camped on Mill Rock, a stopover spot for round-Manhattan
paddlers.  There is an aid to navigation there steering ships through
the tricky Hell Gate area.  The Coast Guard nabbed them probably for
hanging their wash on the aid.)

Next or on the same order as the first above, would be parkland, off in
a corner somewhere or a bit of an island or isolated peninsula away from
paths and roads.  An amazing amount of such exists along the shores of
most bodies of water.  Again this is a violation but if you do no harm.
If you are being sensible in your camping practices and you do get found
by a ranger, your luck will likely be like mine.  They will say okay.

Next, if it had to be really private property, I would opt for one that
seemed owned by a local AND I would most definitely ask permission
regardless of what I expected they might say.  Locals tend to be aware
when you are around and so it is safest to ask them.  I stated all of
this in my book, i.e. locals being aware of you and going to ask them
permission.  They are also the most likely to say yes.  But if they say
no, then paddle on.  You should not defy them.

Lastly, I would opt for private property owned as vacation homes here in
the East.  This type of person is never going to give you permission,
believe me.  If that was all that was available, then I would do so
without asking.  This is a biased opinion of mine based on what I have
seen of such landowners, Mark Lane excepted who seems most generous with
his stretch of land on the Maine coast.

BUT surely one of the other categories presented above would lend itself
to camping and you could almost always find such before resorting to the
last type.

I apologize for the discussion focusing so much on the individual
private owner and the question of asking permission.  It is a rare
occasion that I and any sensible commando camper would choose such a
site.  We are not out there to defy authority and property rights.  We
are out there to get along with our surroundings and to be as
unobtrusive as we can.  You would have to be pretty desperate and
dog-tired or fleeing some nasty weather before being forced into the
position of camping on the land owned by an individual.

The real issue is that there is so little legal camping spots along some
of the best paddling waters.  So support water trail organizations to
see to it that more spots open up.

ralph diaz<<<<<<<<



Matt Broze
http://www.marinerkayaks.com

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