B190 Enthusiasts

I'm probably overthinking this issue but I foresee a problem and want to know how others handle the issue. If you're staying at a S.P., Corp of Engineer or similar park - where many allow you to choose your own site - what do you do, if anything, to show the site is occupied while you're away during the day? Typically there is a card you put on the post to show the site is occupied. Do you also leave your electric cord, water hose or some other obvious sign the site is occupied? I suspect this is not a problem often but I can imagine somebody driving by, finding a site they like and setting up their rig. Then you return to the campground to find somebody has taken your site.

Would a small orange construction cone be helpful? Or maybe something that folds up and takes less room in the van but serves the same purpose. I know most campers would not intentionally take a site but it's bound to happen at some point... intentional or not.

I searched the forum and did not see this matter addressed. I also didn't know if On The Road or Places To Camp was the right category for this question. Moderators, feel free to move this if needed.

Thanks, Lucius

Interesting that you should bring this up. I spend the summer out on the Oregon coast staying in Oregon state parks. Sometimes the only thing I will leave in my campsite is a blue storage tub containing my grill and miscellaneous grilling equipment, nothing else. On a couple of occasions I've returned from a day out exploring to find my tub and grill gone.

The first time this happened it was a a campground host who took it thinking I had accidentally left it behind when I was leaving the campground and moving on. No problem getting it back from them once I found out they had it.

After that I had these cards printed and laminated at Kinkos to put on the post as a deterrent.
This seems to work great. I haven't had a problem since when I use them. Since they are laminated I just use dry erase markers to change the information so they're reuseable. I do carry several of these just in case they blow away.

Just this last week I forgot to put this card out simply to return to a campground with a missing tub. This time I wasn't as fortunate to have a campground host grab it. After talking to a park ranger I decided I'd go trolling the campground to see if I could spot it. Low and behold I founded it a few loops away where the campsite occupant said they were borrowing it for the evening to grill some hamburgers and were going to turn it in to lost and found the next day. Yeah right!

You might give these cards a try they seem to work pretty well. I also carry a light weight bike cable and lock I sometimes use to chain chairs and grills to the picnic table if I think they might walk off.

Mike

Mike
Great idea with the laminated card. We had our hose disappear at a camp ground, so now are careful about when to leave stuff. But the card should at least tell honest people you did not forget the items when you left.

Phil