Camping is an excellent way to escape the hustle and bustle of city life.
When you’re camping, it’s a great time to disconnect from work, school, and other distractions.
However, when you’re out in nature there are some new challenges that come up.
One thing that can be challenging is securing your bike while camping as often you’ll need to leave your bike out in the open while you sleep.
Fortunately, there are some things that you can do to keep your bike secure and as safe as possible when you camp.
The best strategy to adopt is out of sight out of mind, if people don’t know your bike is there then they won’t try to steal it. Try keeping your bike in the tent with you. Take off a wheel to make it fit inside. If you have a flysheet you can put your bike between the tent and flysheet too.
Table of Contents
Make your bike difficult to steal
Most thieves are cowardly opportunists and won’t hang around to risk getting caught.
By making it difficult to steal your bike you raise their risk of being caught and they are more likely to move onto easier pickings.
To make your bike more difficult to steal you can:
Lock it to something hard to move. Bikes have been stolen by being pulled away from blocks and objects they are locked too while people were sleeping inside tents.
Lock your wheels as well as the frame and fork.
Use the best quality locks that you can afford and also try a good, heavy steel chain with a padlock.
The more work that they have to do, the less risk you face of losing your bike.
- ✔️ DURABLE ALL-WEATHER PROTECTION – Via Velo bike U-lock with hexagonal PVC cover resists corrosion from water, dust and dirt to prolong the life of your lock. All-weather performance means peace of mind and better security
- ️ ✔️ EASY AND STRONG TO LOCK YOUR BIKE – The bike lock with thickness(including rubber casing):14mm,9.84 in (250mm) x 5.51 in (140mm) U shack to lock and go! Locking your bike and your wheels with 10mm x 180cm cable, fast and easy with our quick, no-hassle system. Great bike safety tool
- ✔️ AMAZING CONVENIENCE AND SECURITY – 2 keys for convenience! The bike U-lock comes with 2 keys. One of them you can take and use in daily life and the other you can leave at home in case the trouble when you lose one carelessly
- ✔️ SIMPLY INSTALLING BRACKET ON YOUR BIKE – Convenient high-quality mounting bracket means your lock goes with you, Our bracket is suitable for bike tube:20-42mm. Pls refer to our picture to install the bracket Value for your money
- ✔️ WARRANTY AND CUSTOMER SERVICE: 3-year warranty applies to U lock for US, CA, UK, EU Cyclists, 90-day money back policy, 24-hour online customer service. If you are not satisfied with it, you get a full refund unconditionally. Rest assured
Make your bike less attractive to thieves
It’s important that you do your best to make sure nobody can ride off on your bike and one thing that you can do is to remove parts when you secure your bike.
Chain your bike up securely and remove the saddle, a wheel or both, chain the frame too. If it doesn’t look worth stealing then a thief is unlikely to put the effort in to take it.
Register your bike
Many countries operate a bike registration scheme which involves etching the bike frame in several areas and registering the details online.
While this won’t prevent theft, it does act as a deterrent, a bit like an alarm on a building.
Keep your bike with you in your tent
If your bike is in the tent with you then it’s going to be less likely to get stolen than if it’s outside.
Keep your bike out of sight, try pulling your flysheet right down instead of just halfway and so on.
You can buy tents with vestibules where a bike can be stored.
- Easy Setup: Instant pop-up tent with pre-assembled poles sets up in seconds. Please see our video for detailed instructions on how to set up and fold back the tent!
- 2-layer Tent Reduces Condensation: Stay Dry! This camping tent 6 person is specially designed with 2 layers. There is a gap between the 2-layer tents, which can effectively prevent condensation and increase air circulation.
- Spacious Interior & Vestibule: This pop-up camping tent with vestibule offers a roomy interior, measuring 12.5 x 8.5 ft, which comfortably accommodates up to 4-6 adult sleeping bags or 3-5 people with plenty of luggage. The center height reaches 4.5 inches. Its unique vestibule design provides a separate space for camping gear, shoes, or even your pets.
- Good Ventilation: The upgraded 2 doors and 4 mesh windows of the camping tent pop up provide optimal airflow for ventilation while keeping bugs out. Ground vents offer additional ventilation, keeping you cool on summer evenings. The front and rear double doors allow for easy entry and exit from the Ayamaya 6 person camping tent.
- Water-resistant & Windproof: This pop up tent for camping waterproof is equipped with a waterproof-coated Oxford fabric floor and a PU3000 polyester roof. The seams of the fabric are heat-sealed to prevent water leakage.
Get a movement alarm for your bike
Get a movement alarm for your bike.
This will activate if your bike is moved and, if your bike is close to you, such as when you are sleeping, you’ll be able to respond quickly.
There are alarms available that in addition to motion sensors provide GPS tracking for extra security.
There is a great one available on Amazon that you can see here.
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Use appropriate locks for campsites
Many campsite will have a designated place where people leave their bikes.
Try to lock your bike to a heavy object, perhaps even the ground itself as this will help deter thieves.
You can purchase heavy duty ground anchors that screw into the ground which you can use to padlock your bike and other things to.
We recommend these P Locks on Amazon as a solid and reliable security solution.
Use a bike cover
A bike cover will help against the two biggest causes of bike theft, opportunist thieves and bad weather.
A good quality waterproof bicycle cover will protect your bike from rain as well as some light moisture that can contribute to rusting.
Bike covers are also hard for someone to lift and then move your bike out into the open without you noticing them in your campsite or on site at a festival.
- High-Performance Protection – Very strong and durable ‘ripstop’ 300D Oxford Fabric with ‘double stitching’ & ‘heat sealed’ TPU seams delivering Top-Class protection from adverse weather conditions – whether rain, snow, ice, wind, dust or sun! Includes high-quality drawstring bag for convenient storage.
- Dependable, Whatever The Weather – Waterproof and anti-UV material with PU coating ensures your bike stays protected, even against heavy rain or harsh sun. Also suitable for indoor usage whether in the home or garage for ‘side by side’ storage or for use with a storage rack or stand.
- Safe & Secure Fit – Front lock-hole design for either cable, chain or U/D-locks for extra security. Adjustable buckle strap and ‘toggle’ wheel/tire fit for a snug and secure fit, even on windy days! Reflective safety loops to locate handlebar ends and allow for cover to be easily removed from the bike.
- 3 Size Options For 1, 2 Or 3 Bikes – “Large” For 1 Bike 76.4 L x 45.3 H x 30.3 W inches (194 x 115 x 77 cm). X-large size for 2 bikes 81.5 L x 45.3 H x 30.3 W inches (207 x 115 x 77 cm). XXL size for 3 bikes – 81.5 L x 46.5 H x 45.3 W inches (207 x 118 x 115 cm). Bike covers are not designed or compatible with tricycles, recumbent bicycles, exercise bikes, motorcycles & scooters. Please measure bike-set up to match cover size.
- Note: Not Designed To Be Used For ‘Travel’, Please Use Our New Style ‘Travel’ Bike Covers. Please click on the Travel ‘Style’ option for the 3 size options for 1, 2 or 3 bikes. Travel options feature the addition of 3 ‘necking’ straps with ‘strong press clamps’ to reduce potential air getting under the cover when travelling.
Always lock your bike when it is unattended
We always lock our bikes and you should too.
Even if you’re just going to the toilet or getting food, lock your bike.
It takes seconds for a bike to be stolen and many are never recovered.
It may seem inconvenient to lock your bike when you are just popping into the toilet but it would be far more inconvenient and distressing to return to find that your bike has been stolen.
Final Words
Bike theft can happen to anyone and anywhere.
The best you can do is to make your bike as unattractive a target as possible.
We have listed the various ways that we keep our bikes secure and what works for us in an effort to help others enjoy their cycling adventures without worrying about theft.
Never forget that security should be layered, like good health insurance.
Having a good quality lock on your bike is important but then having it well hidden, not leaving it out of sight when you go into shop and making it as unattractive as possible, all play their part in keeping your bike safe and secure.
