{"id":18687,"date":"2017-08-02T07:00:52","date_gmt":"2017-08-02T14:00:52","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/?p=18687"},"modified":"2019-07-16T16:09:19","modified_gmt":"2019-07-16T23:09:19","slug":"deter-trailhead-theft","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/hike\/deter-trailhead-theft","title":{"rendered":"10 Tips to Deter Trailhead Theft"},"content":{"rendered":"

Keep your possessions yours.<\/em><\/p>\n

You\u2019re tired and mile weary from a long weekend in the woods. You\u2019re looking forward to slipping on the cotton clothes and flip flops stashed in the trunk of your car and noshing on a burrito in town. Real coffee is in your future. But as you approach the parking lot, a sinking feeling creeps in\u2014something is not quite right. \u00a0Your window is broken, glass spread all over the ground, your possessions strewn about your car. Then it comes together: theft.<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve had that sinking feeling three times now. Once, I came back from a day hike to find the majority of the items that had traveled with me from Mexico to Canada on the Pacific Crest Trail stolen. My Arc\u2019teryx puffy with the rainbow duct tape patches that my hiking partner gave me; my pack, perfectly broken-in and customized with national park patches; and even my compression skirt, more tan than white and without any compression left. It was heartbreaking. In the hopes of preventing this from ever happening again, I did some research.<\/p>\n

For advice on how to help keep your stuff from getting stolen, I enlisted the help of REI Outdoor School<\/a> instructors in the highly-trafficked Bay Area and an REI product expert.<\/p>\n

1. Do your research: <\/strong>The best way to stop theft is prevention. There are some trailheads you just shouldn\u2019t park at. Look up trip reports, talk to locals, ask a ranger and check for broken window glass before you leave your car for long stretches of time.<\/p>\n

2. Empty your car:<\/strong> Outdoor School instructor Beth Mutchler, who teaches backpacking, night hiking and wilderness survival skills, stresses prevention: \u201cDon\u2019t leave things in your car, and you won\u2019t have anything stolen.\u201d That\u2019s pretty simple. It\u2019s a great idea to bring your wallet, phone and any other small valuables with you on the trail. It\u2019s better to have them on you than unmanaged in your car.<\/p>\n

3. Make it obvious:<\/strong> Remove a thief\u2019s temptation by making it very apparent there is nothing in your car. Outdoor School instructor Nina Gordon-Kirsch, who teaches hiking, backpacking, biking and kayaking, says, \u201cA few of my friends leave their glove compartments unlocked and totally flopped open so that people can see there are no valuables in it.\u201d Others go even further, leaving their entire car unlocked, in the hopes there won\u2019t be a broken window at the trailhead after a long hike.<\/p>\n

4. Hide your goods: <\/strong>Mutchler suggests if you do<\/em> have to leave things in your vehicle, \u201cdon\u2019t let them be visible\u2014put items in the trunk or under the seat.\u201d And, of course, \u201chide things like cords that would indicate you have electronics in the vehicle.\u201d Living in your van? You\u2019re going to want to hide the most important items and then take a look at tip #5 for the rest.<\/p>\n

5. Shield the view: <\/strong>If you\u2019re unable to hide all of your goodies, consider tinted windows, curtains or even sunshields. If would-be thieves can\u2019t get a good visual, they are less likely to break in.<\/p>\n

6. Lock it up: <\/strong>Deter theft by making it hard to break in. Lock your vehicle and set your alarm, if you have one. If your car has a separate trunk, \u201cthere’s [often] a setting to lock your trunk so that the trunk opener from inside the car no longer works. That way if someone breaks into your car, they still can’t break into your trunk. Check the car manual,\u201d says Gordon-Kirsch.<\/p>\n

7. Consider a roof box\u00a0with locking components:<\/strong> If you don\u2019t have a hidden trunk and need to leave gear in your car, it\u2019s worth investing in a roof box. \u201cBe sure to pay the extra money to get locking cores for your roof rack, roof box and hitch rack,\u201d REI staff member and product expert Derek Konzelman says. That way, a thief can\u2019t take the roof box\u00a0and all your gear in one go.<\/p>\n

8. Lock down gear outside your car: <\/strong>Konzelman keeps a few items in his open air truck bed, and he\u2019s careful to use a long locking cable<\/a> to strap down any noticeable, easily snatched items.<\/p>\n

9. Cover your bases with a good purchase history and insurance: <\/strong>\u201cAll locks and cables are designed to primarily deter theft, but they can\u2019t ultimately stop it altogether. Given enough time and opportunity, a thief can get into almost anything, which is why purchase history and insurance can be a good backup plan,\u201d Konzelman says. Save your receipts and online banking records for all of your gear, so you can recoup your costs in the case of theft. Did you know renter\u2019s or homeowner’s insurance policies typically cover your belongings, whether items are stolen from your home, car or even while you’re traveling? Just be sure to document your belongings before hitting the road.<\/p>\n

10. Save emergency contact numbers before leaving the trailhead:\u00a0<\/strong>Before hitting the trail, know who to call in case of an emergency. If you return to find broken glass and belongings missing, contact local law enforcement or the land management agency. If you\u2019re on public land, call the park authorities first. If you\u2019re on unmanaged lands, call the local police department. Unsure? Start with the local cops. And remember, don\u2019t call 911 unless you\u2019re in a situation that requires immediate assistance. Lastly, document the damage and call your insurance company.<\/p>\n<\/span>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Keep your possessions yours. You\u2019re tired and mile weary from a long weekend in the woods. You\u2019re looking forward to slipping on the cotton clothes and flip flops stashed in the trunk of your car and noshing on a burrito in town. Real coffee is in your future. But as you approach the parking lot, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":22,"featured_media":18689,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[387],"tags":[15,521,1023,727],"internal-tag":[],"class_list":["post-18687","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-hike","tag-backpacking","tag-hiking-tips","tag-hiking-trail","tag-latest-posts"],"parsely":{"version":"1.1.0","canonical_url":"https:\/\/rei.com\/blog\/hike\/deter-trailhead-theft","smart_links":{"inbound":0,"outbound":0},"traffic_boost_suggestions_count":0,"meta":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","headline":"10 Tips to Deter Trailhead Theft","url":"http:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/hike\/deter-trailhead-theft","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"http:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/hike\/deter-trailhead-theft"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2017\/07\/Content_112216_0019.png?resize=150%2C150","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2017\/07\/Content_112216_0019.png?fit=1100%2C733"},"articleSection":"Hike","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Aer Parris-Hoshour"}],"creator":["Aer Parris-Hoshour"],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Uncommon Path \u2013 An REI Co-op Publication","logo":""},"keywords":["backpacking","hiking tips","hiking trail","latest posts"],"dateCreated":"2017-08-02T14:00:52Z","datePublished":"2017-08-02T14:00:52Z","dateModified":"2019-07-16T23:09:19Z"},"rendered":"