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I'm sorry, but this is just flat out wrong. At least 35 states prohibit overnight parking in rest areas, let alone "hanging around for 24 hours." Look, I have done this, but I certainly wouldn't recommend it as a routine way/place to spend the night. Not only is it illegal far more often than not, but the sleep you get will be far from the best.Quote:
Originally Posted by morningland
AZBuck
It does not follow that just because "..There are ALWAYS people sleeping in their cars at rest areas.." that it is not wrong.Quote:
Originally Posted by morningland
A valid argument (point) cannot be based on a false premise, and the above is a false premise.
One may just as well say, there are always people stealing / killing, "so it is not flat wrong".
Bottom line is, that I too, have in an emergency slept in my car at a rest area, but would have to agree that the majority rest areas do not allow this.
Lifey who uses more secure ways to save money
The problem with your rest area theory is that even though you haven't been a victim of crime at a rest area, there is a documented record of it happening. People have been killed or seriously injured as victims of crime doing exactly the sort of thing that you are promoting. Just because you haven't been a victim (yet?) doesn't mean a problem doesn't exist.
Ironically, your premise that sleeping at a rest area is ok because you haven't been hassled by cops is exactly one of the reasons why they are not a safe spot to sleep. Rest Areas don't usually see a lot of patrol car traffic and they usually are in relatively remote locations which is why they can be a prime spot for a criminal to take advantage of an opportunity.
Again, no one is saying that sleeping in a car isn't possible or that it won't save money, but there are ways to do it that are much safer than stoping at a highway rest stop.This is another idea that I simply would not recommend. There is a reason Coleman puts for outdoor use only warning labels on camping stoves. A car seat just isn't the most stable place to put a burner element, thus creating a significant fire danger. There is also the real danger of Carbon Monoxide and other gases created by burning propane in a small, confined space like a car.Quote:
About cooking on a coleman stove. This can be done out of your car. You use the car doors as wind breaks and sit in your seat as you cook.
If you want to "suck up the dangers", no one here is telling you that you can not take risks and/or break the law. If you so choose, you certainly can take unnecessary risks in pursuit of your adventure, but there is a difference when you start recommending that people do things that carry significant and substantial risks and then tell them that they are safe because you haven't had any problems yet.
Overnight Parking is perfectly legal at a truck stops and other private parking lots, if you get permission from the management. You just need to ask first, its really that simple, and if it isn't allowed for some reason, then you will know that too. These are much safer places to sleep because there is always someone working and more people moving around to detract potential criminals. A place like a truck stop needs people to be safe at all hours of the night because they have a financial stake (criminals attacking customers doesn't make for good business, and opens the door for lawsuits), thus they are better lit and often will have security on hand to make sure customers are safe. They are also usually located closer to a populated area, with easier access to emergency services should there be a problem. There are more first hand details earlier in this thread and in the links that have already been provided.
National Forest Lands often offer the same free dispersed camping options that BLM lands do. However, as with BLM lands, you need to make sure that camping is allowed in those areas (dispersed camping is not universally allowed everywhere in either NF or BLM lands) and what the rules are for camping in the particular area.
If you are staying in an established campground in a National Forest, then, yes, you will likely pay a small fee. However, the same is true about campgrounds in BLM lands. Not all BLM land is available for camping, and not all camping in BLM lands is free. BLM has campsites that charge a fee, just like other public entities.Quote:
Originally Posted by morningland
What I am talking about is dispersed camping, in other words, camping away from established campgrounds. Sometimes there will be free sites available, but often times you will only have what you bring with you. This is where finding out what is allowed and where is key to making this kind of camping a success.