camping on the cheap

[rcacs]

I have travelled all over canada on my Wee (and other bikes in the past) and generally set my tent up at a Walmart. There is always several other campers/motorhomes set up for the night as well. Most Walmarts you can find a grassy area to set up on, but occassionally I have to use the paved lot.

About every 3rd night I will use a motel. You can find some great conversation, free coffee and a cold beverage from your fellow Walmart campees.

Cheers!

[KW-Ont-75]

wow, I have never seen that, I am temped to check out my local wally mart late at night to see this, I guess it does not work at the new 24hr ones

[DXDL]

There are always campers parked in the parking lot at the local Wally Worlds here, but have never seen a tent set up yet. Not a bad idea tho, to keep in mind.

[Warhammer]

Interesting idea. However, I would fear for my life if I slept in a tent at a DFW area Walmart. In a motorhome, no problem. But certainly not in a tent. Besides, if I'm camping, it's to get away from civilization, not camp smack dab in the middle of it.

[Judd]

I'm surprised the cops don't run you off. I've been asked to leave a rest area at something like 2am when I was sleep next to my bike in a bag. I asked if I could leave the bike where it was and move out to the woods sorta outta site and outta mind but he wasn't listening. And,,,, it was out in the middle of nowhere,,,,, Kansas or Nebraska maybe.

I have camped in many National and State parks in areas that were not really designed for camping. Basically,,, get off the road aways and set up the tent. No money there. I have camped on the side of the road up in BC on Hwy37 {rough night, cold and I was bugged about predators, both bears and humans} and next to a graveyard back behind an old church in the middle of nowhere somewhere in Louisiana. I have camped in the middle of small towns several times but it was in dedicated "RV/Camping" parks even though some of the parks looked like regular old parks. Most of the time,, they either don't ask for money or if they do have a sign up,,, there is no one to take and no place to put your money. There is just some sign that says it's something like 7$ to camp but it says nothing about where or who to give it to. I have never had anyone at those type places stop by and ask for money either.

[ozart]

Besides, if I'm camping, it's to get away from civilization, not camp smack dab in the middle of it.

That's right. I wouldn't think of camping near a walmart, much less on pavement.
The whole notion just makes me :confused:

[Judd]

Sometimes I will admit that I didn't care where I slept, just that I slept. I have to admit that Wally World might be quite a ways down on my list of places to sleep in a tent or in the open but if ya gotta do it,,, ya gotta do it. It's free and apparently the cops have never bugged him so what the hey.

[Chuck in Indiana]

Kansas used to allow free camping in the city parks. It was a good place because the swimming pool was generally close by with showers and facilities. I suspect some of the other nearby states -- IA, NE, CO -- would also allow it in the smaller cities with central city parks. Good place to ask would be the Police Station.

Ride safe.

[bwringer]

I've camped (in the grabbing-some-sleep sense, not getting-away-from-it-all sense) in a few small town parks and picnic areas in the midwest. A sleeping bag on top of a picnic table works out pretty well if you don't tend to roll around much.

If you pack up your sleeping bag before you start making breakfast, it won't look so much like you spent the night, and any fee collectors usually won't bother you. Or just bug out at dawn and grab breakfast elsewhere.

Larger cities specifically ban camping, fearing that armies of homeless people will invade immediately. Some city parks close at dusk, so you have to watch that as well or you'll get rousted at 3:00 am by the town clown.

If you can skip the tent, it's a lot easier to get away with free camping. :fineprint: