Date:         Mon, 17 Jan 2000 22:03:23 -0500
Reply-To:     Martin Jagersand <vwjag@HAMMER.CS.JHU.EDU>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Martin Jagersand <vwjag@HAMMER.CS.JHU.EDU>
Subject:      Stealth camping, Was: Re: Curtains and privacy...
Comments: To: yturn@HOTMAIL.COM

Sean wrote:
>I've lived in my van for the last year and half, parking on city streets and
>friends' driveways all across the USA.  I created "crude home made curtains"
:
>  Let me tell you, there's nothing worse than having to crash in your van
>and waking up to the police pounding on the sliding door.  The fact of the

I don't think you can totally block out signs of activity with
any kinds of practical curtains. The human eye is amazingly light,
sensitive and the smallest light flicker slipping through can
be detected. (Just one photon is needed to change the rhodopsin
in our foto-receptors from trans to cis form. A few more might be
needed to actually make the brain listen in (depending on prior
beer consumption).

In addition, not only light but also noise and rocking of the bus
will reveal activity within.

A better tip: Before dark seek out a good intended camping spot, but
don't linger there. Instead go do all activities somewhere else.
Only go back when it's time to turn in, and do it with a minimum
of stray light and noise. This tip is out of Lonely Planet for bike
camping in China. However, we found the Chinese to be friendly
towards us and never needed to use it there. It has served me well
in the US instead.

/Martin
--
Westy 1.9l Turbo Diesel
Quantum 1.6l Turbo Diesel

New and used parts for sale, gas and Diesel:

    http://www.cs.yale.edu/~jag/vw/forsale.html

Martin Jagersand                 email: vwjag@hammer.cs.jhu.edu
Computer Science Department
Johns Hopkins University

        Slow down and visit the VW diesel Westy page:
          WWW: http://www.cs.rochester.edu/u/jag/vw
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