My top 15 tips for Stealth Camping 

'Leave no trace' is right. Pi55es me off when people drop their shit everywhere along the beautiful countryside. Good vid.

Hands down the most informative video about stealth camping that I have seen yet,I go to our local regional park to spend a night when things are rough at the house and it took me a whole summer to figure out how to do all the things that you have shared with us ,before I even knew that it was stealth camping basically I learned the hard way.

Besides brightness on a device: turn it to "dark mode" making all your backgrounds black. Red LEDs are better, but the most urgent aspect of light discipline is to never point any light, red or no, to your x axis. Look straight ahead of you - never point a light that way. You can see even a low powered red LED for miles at night under good conditions. Keep your lights pointed straight down, read maps laying down, and never sway or move the light source while using it if possible. Throw a jacket over you while you do it, even better. Multiple people can circle their shelters in a "formation" which blocks visibility and some sound.

Learned some brand new tips on light and noise discipline. TY

Haha! That critter nearly ran over you, mate! I almost burst out laughing! Best scene! As always: thumbs up!

Stealth camping we always called a cold camp, as in we didn't have a fire going. Where I live there's an abundance of places you can get your basha up and a fire going. From the coast inwards it just gets wilder. So I'm very fortunate.

Good points all. I've in effect stealth camped for many years, because I just prefer not being seen. Good for a bit of 'impromptu' fishing too. This is likely to become increasingly important as we get regulated off the hills and other wild places. One tip of my own I would add - if you're somewhere a bit iffy, don't cook at camp, period. Do your site recce, then eat offsite before setting up, and pack away your camp completely before cooking that breakfast/coffee somewhere else. You rightly focus on visual and aural 'signature', but there's smell too! Your Pocket Rocket sounds like a blowtorch, btw (I used to use one) - a simple meths burner is silent and if you sit it inside a cone there's no visible flame either. Leaving No Trace is of course paramount, but (and I know this isn't popular) I wonder whether that should include leaving no digital trace as well? There are so many wildcamping videos out there of a type which simply hand the enemy evidence on a plate.

Carrying Secateurs is sensible - they are invaluable for tackling brambles.

Deer managers are trackers and they will notice you and find you, I cover several thousand acres, and even then the slightest thing out of place stands out like a beacon. Even the disturbed pattern of behaviour from wild life, like absent birds or bird noise. Mammals in unusual places at odd times e.t.c. It is fascinating to truly know and be passive in your environment, as a visitor you will have no concept of the familiarity of those who work the land, talk to them it is very rewarding with humility and a little charm.

EXCELLENT in every way…many thanks

Great video. Solid advice.

I've often thought having secateurs are useful camping tool. Glad someone else has thought of it!

Great video. I suspect many watching this already know but you can also get watch bands and covers the reflective face. Alternatively, you can just wear the watch on the inside of your wrist.

Well done - as Always Tom! Glück ab! Greetings from 🇩🇪

Hi. Great vid. I’m always off walking around our local woods, looking for places to set up for the night. Fallen trees like the one you are sat on are great, with a tarp over one side, like ‘half a tent’. Going back to noise, and being silent… one thing that some people can’t control, is SNORING, when they are asleep. Big giveaway! I wonder how many people have been found, because of it? All the best.👍🏾🇬🇧

Spring Hare dude, hey have nearly 360° panoramic vision, allowing them to detect predators from all directions. They can see everything behind them and only have a small blind-spot in front of their nose. Seems that blind spot was effecting that Jack. They are normally shy animals, hares change their behaviour in spring, when they can be seen in broad daylight chasing one another around.👌🏻

Great video as always mate 👍

Very nice video sir. I've learned a lot.

More info about stealth night sleeping is in ninjutsu useing natural elements, water,earth,wind,fire,and ku . Perfect video thanks. I use many years this system night sleeping.

Just found your channel Prep. Excellent experience based advice. Always appreciate people who’ve been there and done that. Sub’d now 👍

Brilliant information

Cheers for sharing your experience mate. Cowabunga.!

Good advice there. Thanks. I personally try to recce my camp area and then head off somewhere else to cook. I only return, as you advise, at last light. Means I can be dark and pretty quiet in that location.

Excellent video, thanks! I might use the black tape/pinhole trick on a string of fairylights I'll be taking out on my next camp. Should be fine!

Your video popped on my feed, gave it look. Excellent content and well presented. Liked and subscribed.

This is a really good and comprehensive guide to stealth camping. Subscribed and liked and all that malarkey. I generally find my spot for the night and then move off elsewhere to cook dinner etc. Moving back to the sleep spot after dark.

Cleaning up, as you go, while packing away your kit, after use, especially before going to sleep, then all that's required, should unexpected visitors arrive, is rolling up your bivy bag and basha, before fading, knowing your kit was already put where it should be, in it's usual place, in your knapsack, along with any rubbish you created, in a carrier bag, inside your knapsack. It's just as easy to develop good habits as it is bad ones. Thanks for uploading and subbed. 👍

Great tips and advice. Thanks

I’ve watched this one must be four or five times now, excellent information and presented well. You knows your onions friend 👍🏻

Excellent video Tom, with some excellent advice (wish I had seen it before I did mine!). Prior to mine I did see a well known septic doing a stealth camp......he definitely should have watched yours first!

Great new video, good to see ya back on the videos and great ideas - plus you have ruined the TABSCO packed :) - its now a part of the pack thanks to you brother!

A good video, very informative

Greetings from germany. Very good video

I found the quick set up videos useful. Said previously the 60 second tarp I always use when I am in woods. The bungees are quick and easy.

Thank you for your excellent advice, had a recent concern as couple people wondered off trail were the camp was currently using polish army camo poncho as basha was pleased was not spotted, was on higher ground concealed with evergreen holly.

Great tips... 🍻

Very good.

Very good video

Getting into your videos quite a lot recently. Could you do a video focused on some UK legal knives?

Reading the comments, someone said this was their favorite stealth camping vid. Yeah, I’d agree w that. You did a great job of covering a lot of details. It was very well presented as well. State side here. Thanks very much. I’am going to watch it a second time.

Great tips! While in the Rangers, we "stealth camped" all of the time! In my day pack, my shelter consists of a bug tent and a camo 10x10 tarp

All good mate, thanks for sharing your tips with us all. For noobs this is invaluable. I've been planning a "stealth camp" video for a week now. Just bogged down with family stuff etc lately. Praying a i get a chance to get out myself lol. Well done Tom 👏

Doctor do little himself 😂 great video and some top tips matey.

I love how modest Tom is. “I’m no expert” he says. Typical British military attitude. I’m a former bootneck but even I’d have to accept that the para reg pathfinders are the ‘experts’. Credit where it’s due. Let’s see who wins the rugby at a Exmouth though…….. ATB.

Thanks, I’m going to try stealth camp for as long as possible to stay off grid and save money. Trying to stay as mobile as possible I’ll be paying my mate £10 a week for clothes storage pay gym membership £39.99 for mainly showers. For every month I stealth camp works out around £900 in savings. I start work at 6am anyway so I’ll be packed and long gone before anyone even wakes up and every time I finish work I’ll be at my new location

Hey thanks for the video that was well cool and I would just add you can also put masking tape over your torch light to dim it a bit😊

what i usually do in an unfamiliar area, is just stop and sit for 10 or 15 minutes, then once camp is set up ... i move out 20m, 30m, 50m (depending on the ground) and just walk around my camp, just to see if its visible. ... i once set up behind a screen of bushes hidden from view of a track, only to discover a small footpath running parallel 20m to my rear which had a steady stream of dog walkers on it, (so lesson learnt)

Love it mate. I just made a video with tips for stealth camping and it was very different. Also I only came up with 10 tips.

A tip I got from a COP bloke was to carry light green string so you can tie back foliage to make a space / access etc without having to cut anything. Probably overkill, unless you are in a South Armagh field. Good video as ever Tom

Quality tips as always Tom. How did you train the hares to come out at the right time for demo lol Nate

We used to use a blue quality street wrapper ( before the days of torch filters ) taped over the lense, saves getting black nasty getting all gummed over everything, blue light best for detail especially for map reading. Plus if it was accidentally spotted by passers by or local doggers would scare the **** out of em thinking it might be 'old bill ' or better still Aliens 👽 looking to probe someone lol. ATB Rob 😊 👍

Enjoyed this and the previous vid. Your jacket intrigues me because the hood seems sufficiently large whilst still allowing left & right vision. Tip one didn't mention the brand

"Fuck me, a massive hare ran past"....obs skills level...master! Would 've been ultra amazing if you'd have snapped it up by the lugholes and turned it into a stir fry whilst still teaching us your invaluable experience and knowledge! Great video as usual, best regards from Rutland! Multum in Parvo.

I didn't get to join Marines, due to injury. So the stealth camping. Looks nice for camping while hunting. Less notice d.

It comes down to self discipline and respect for nature and integrity in my opinion is that is what a good father should teach his children bushcraft and the word of God. Well done and many thanks for your time and effort 👌🏻

Excellent presentation. We practice with our young troops for that once-in-a-lifetime event where we may have to burn shoe leather to our retreat 209 Klicks from home base. That will certainly not be a one-day, one-night trip with our three-year-old. We appreciate all your advice and tips.

Nice to see you back Tom. Great video. Have you turned off your shop? Cannot find it any longer.

I like the fish-hook approach tip! Gonna blow a bit of my own trumpet, and also hit bum notes and show I'm bad a trumpeting: I naturally have usually done something similar, in that I'd normally circle around a bit before settling on a site. If I'd been facing danger I guess I'd have just been leaving a wide swath of evidence of my presence, but I always like to scout around a site a bit, look out any paths etc., just in case there's a tigers' nest or a yeti behind the tree I curled up under. Gotta watch out for them nests of tigers in central England...

Here in South Africa, outside of a properly fenced in 'legal' campsite, you need to be VERY careful. There are some people you DO NOT want stumbling upon your camp - even less if you are 67 and female. I live in a nicely fenced farm garden and anywhere within hiking distance belongs to the people who own the garden. But that means nothing. So, videos like this are of extreme interest to me.

For a split second i thought you were going to nab the second rabbit for lunch😂😂another great presentation.

These are great tips for stealth camping! 👍 I will share them on our #stealthcampingalliance group

I was sawing a log when 2 deer came charging at me. "Gray man" certainly does work

And I ALWAYS carry secateurs. Very good for cutting holes in bushes to stick your camera lens through.

Quick thought: there are some brands & models of sleeping bags or sleep systems which incorporate the sleeping pad INTO the bottom of the bag. (This fact might be relevant when talking about keeping the pad inside of the bivvy bag.)

Many good recommendations. The Pocket Rocket stove generates substantial noise - not a good solution for silent heating/cooking, an alcohol stove is. The Laplander saw doesn't have a sharpened blade. I threw my away after testing it against my Corona saw. The Laplander bound up frequently and required far more cuts to provide a finish cut compared to the Corona saw.

1ST! Good morning, mate.... Have a great weekend.

Sin lugar a dudas el conejo (creo) te confundió con un árbol y se asustó cuando te movías. 🤣🤣🤣🤣👍👍. Aparte de eso muy buen vídeo. Saludos desde España.

Awesome AF SF bud

Awesome video! Definitely going to implement these. Got a place nearby that I've wanted to camp in for a while. Unrelated to stealth camping, what is your camera and mic set up? Quality is excellent and I'm wanting to start making more videos. Thanks!

Always good to get an endorsement from the local wildlife 😅

Excellent vid/points Tom, makes me want to go out & sh*t in clingfilm again & keep it in the wifes tupperware tubs ( she never did find out where they all went!!!!). On the light point, I was taught to always use green light, especially for reading maps &, did so for 12 years. I also heard whilst over the water, that certain units would use white light whilst out n about as thats what farmers used & that if 'the boys' saw red or green theyd know it was the sneaky beakys, dunno if thats true though. All the best mate from a former harry forward observer 🤣👍

Great video, lots of good ideas. What's your opinion on using a hammock while stealth camping? Here in the southern USA, we've got a lot of creepy-crawlies on the ground.

Great content as always. You are my go-to place. One question. You mention not having roll-mats etc on the outside of the pack. What sleeping pad do you recommend that is small and robust enough to fit inside a pack of day-pack dimensions?

It is March and he could be mad...lol. Yes gloves, scarves. I will be increasing my options in certain items soon. I find the waterproofing of some items is shiny so shawls and nets cut that down.

Be great to do a best of the best kit list in bushcraft and Mil kit etc eg this is the best survival knife this is best poncho money no object thermal anything that's aly kit for bushcraft and outdoor luxury

love it shame you didnt have a throwing club to hand, would have made a nice meal but remember garbage will help in a SHTF, esp frying pans! I saw two today at the same site in vienna

May I suggest thermal camouflage. Even I have a small thermal imaging device from Amazon. It will detect anything that is warmer than the surrounding environment.

Hi mate I’ve watched all your videos bloody amazing but is there any chance you could do a video doing a budget bug out bag maybe £300 or less for 3 days out as that would help me and other’s as we know a lot of us are limited on what we can spend now days cheers

I do alot of deer watching I take 2 camouflage ponchos I wear one that fully covers me from head to knees and set 1 up in pyramid shelter. Peg down all 4 corners then raise the hood parachord it to overhanging tree branch. Do you ever use ponchos yourself? They are extremely versatile 👍😎💪🌲🌲

Thanks Tom, great tips as always. Also - your website/webstore is down. ATB 👍🏻

some of these tips apply to stealth RV camping as well.....

As David Bellamy said "Only take photos & only leave foot prints"

"not going to the Ritz" - yes!

Hi m8 do you use 3/4 mats in winter? And what the condensation like in them m/e bivvybags ? Thx Tom

Rabbit is really tasty not seen much in stores in America. Are they in stores across the pond ?

What kind if Marker Panel do you carry in your kit? It seems bright and compact...thanks.

Lol brilliant. What size tarp would you recommend, 3x3 or smaller?

🤙🏻

You just need someone tapping you on the shoulder at 3 in the morning when it's cold and wet saying...........You're on stag!

hey whats the deal with the new wild camping rules ?

Have you seen shiey? He's got a channel on RU-vid called illegal freedom, I found it the other week, they train jump and mainly camp out all over the place

Hello Tom...what make/type is your Down doss bag please?

Wear clear plastic eye protection glasses in the woods when it gets dark

Wonder what spooked it

👋 👋 👋

Purchase a green mozzi head net and an olive green baseball cap to help tone down the face and head, from prying eyes

can you put some Amazon links ?

when our furry friend appeared, I had visions that the first point was going to be "bring a big pot"

Any tips for people who wear glasses?

Why don't you join the next grunt proof SERE challenge series