Leaving gear in vehicle while away?

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HB

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This thought kind of stemmed from the “leaving a gun in car” thread from the General Forum...

Do you worry about leaving a spare gun, bow, optics etc while away for the day? How about travel/hotels?

I built a decently secure rig in my camper shell a few years back when I was in Colorado but when I was a day’s walk away any teenager could have had my bow.
 

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Honest people wont mess with stuff whether its locked or not.
We leave our farm equipment in the fields overnight. Hundreds of dollars worth of tools, fuel, and radios. ....Occasionally a rifle.
Never had a problem. Most people are honest.
I'm more afraid of some boozed up boys taking a tractor for a joy ride. We hide the key on the dipstick.
 
And mostly honest people will leave a locked vehicle/other stuff alone.
I still don't usually leave anything I can't easily replace in my vehicle while hunting.
Some times it can't be helped, and for those occasions I have a tool box that fits the back of my truck. bolted down from the inside, and double locked. Still not in accessable, but it will take a while sans power tools. I also usually leave my fuel pump jumper disconnected, again won't slow down someone who knows what they are doing very long but it will for a little while.
 
my dad always said locks are to keep honest people out. like loonwulf said a place to lock up things that would take tools to open would be prefered, out off sight to. i hate leaving my truck, i use the rollover fuel pump shutoff. it's a old truck so not worth money, i worry about kids looking for fun. and the best modern day anti theft device out there, a manual transmission.
 
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If you hunt I don't see any real option but to leave stuff in there. The argument can be made that a handgun should be carried on your person if you're not in the vehicle, but carrying my hunting rifle or shotgun into a restaurant with me while on the road isn't practical. I keep stuff locked and out of sight. Dark tinted windows help too, and I have no bumper stickers identifying myself as a hunter or gun owner. Trying to pick well lighted areas in better neighborhoods is probably a good idea.

If I have to spend the night in a motel while traveling I really like one where I can park the truck right in front of the room. I've always used a cap that can be locked and when traveling try to back up to a wall, tree, or other object so close that it is impossible to open the cap or tailgate even if someone were to break in.

I've traveled from GA all over the western states on summer camping trips multiple times. I've been able to make 3 hunting trips and I've never had an issue with anyone bothering my gear or guns. And even here in GA I travel and camp while hunting quite a bit.
 
Once on a Wyoming hunting trip, two guys from Pennsylvania were staying at the same motel we were at.Their truck was broken into overnight and rifles were stolen. Pretty much wrecked the hunting trip they had planned for all year.

I never leave anything that might temp a thief or entice someone to take....don't make it easy for them. I also like quality hunting equipment, and don't want to have to buy it a second time.
 
I had some gear stolen out of the back of my pickup overnight on a hunting trip a couple of years ago. I'm 40 and that's the first time something like that ever happened to me. I'm now more diligent about chaining things down or locking them in the cab, although I know those things won't stop a determined thief. In terms of hunting I like leaving rifles in the truck rather than bringing them in the camper so the optics stay at ambient temperature.
 
While in Costa Rica years ago, we stopped at a "cabina". It was a motel with a side garage for each cabin. The door on the garage was also the entrance to the room. Once the corrugated rail car type door was slid shut,it was locked up tight.
Since then I wished that US motels would adopt such a layout. Thieves can't even see your vehicle, much less what's in it.
 
If staying at a hotel while on a hunting trip, I always bring my weapons into the room with me. No exceptions. One less thing to worry about.
Me and a few buddies would always make a 3hr trip for Ohio's week long deer gun season and decided to stay in a hotel. The holiday Inn we booked kicked us out because they goofed up and double booked the rooms for a conference. The holiday had separate doors and hallways for the rooms so bringing a rifle case into the lobby wasn't an issue. When they kicked us out we went across the road to a larger more expensive hotel you could only access the rooms via the lobby. Nothing like walking through the lobby with duffle bags and rifle cases. :)
 
I used to make a trip to a national forest for deer gun week and our camping spot was along a state route, tucked maybe 75 yards off the road on a pull off. I would take the cheapest tent I could find, cheap $20 stove, $5 pot and pan from the dollar store. Anything hunting related or worth $ was either put in a trunk or behind the truck seat and covered up. The bed would have a cooler and some tarps,etc. Clothes/boots would always be inside the truck. Guns always with us even when sleeping. I was always afraid of leaving boots and clothes out for fear of someone stealing them and then I am out. I was even so OCD about people stealing my stuff I almost wanted to take the tent down each morning before we headed into the woods. I wouldn't bring chairs or anything either for fear of it getting stolen. In the hotel if we left for lunch or dinner the rifles and handguns go right in the truck with us for fear the cleaning crew would steal them or worse accidently shoot themselves. I saw several truck windows busted while down there so we started taking my buddies car and joked if we ever got a deer we would have to throw half the gear away to fit the deer in the trunk!!

I have never been a camping person and more of a take the small things and make do but now the GF wants to go camping and she's not what you would say the outdoor type. I see a nice cabelas tent, stove, chairs and air mattress in my future. :(
 
Me and a few buddies would always make a 3hr trip for Ohio's week long deer gun season and decided to stay in a hotel. The holiday Inn we booked kicked us out because they goofed up and double booked the rooms for a conference. The holiday had separate doors and hallways for the rooms so bringing a rifle case into the lobby wasn't an issue. When they kicked us out we went across the road to a larger more expensive hotel you could only access the rooms via the lobby. Nothing like walking through the lobby with duffle bags and rifle cases. :)
nothing like buying a rifle in new york city with no case or sock lol, that's a stressful dash to the car.
 
I had some gear stolen out of the back of my pickup overnight on a hunting trip a couple of years ago. I'm 40 and that's the first time something like that ever happened to me. I'm now more diligent about chaining things down or locking them in the cab, although I know those things won't stop a determined thief. In terms of hunting I like leaving rifles in the truck rather than bringing them in the camper so the optics stay at ambient temperature.
Maybe do the truck box trick. It will keep your guns at ambient temperature, and more secure than the cab.

Keeping guns in it is actually what the box is my truck for, and with its internal lock AND padlock, it would take some time and a lot of noise to get it open

nothing like buying a rifle in new york city with no case or sock lol, that's a stressful dash to the car.

The gun stores out here keep cardbord shipping boxes laying around to send you home with if you buy a used gun. Then at least your not carrying a gun to the car openly...tho, ya know....I really dont think anyone would care here. Hell, The guy i sold my STW too pulled it out of the case and shouldered on the side of the road, right at the end of the airport runway.
He was wearing his security uniform, and had a side arm, but i had an....(in fluffy voice) "Imma gonna go to jail", moment.

Anyway, another option a friend of mine likes are the pop up, lockable, fiberglass bed covers. He sleeps under the thing and all when we camp.
 
Some years back a few FBI agents went for training and left some full auto AR's in their vehicle overnight at a motel. And the vehicle got stolen.

Had to have put a crimp in their careers.
 
Made this thing a while back. It “almost” fits under the rear seat of my truck but doesnt quite. I hunt with a sentimental shotgun and can’t imagine losing to anything but in an actual boating accident.
 

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The main thing is leave things out of sight. That stops most of the issues. I regularly go to the big Tulsa gun show and leave guns under my tonto cover overnight and have not had a problem.
 
@LoonWulf

Are you talking about the heavier steel ones like the Knaak, Klein, Rigids that contractors often have? You know, the ones that you need a fork lift to get in and out of the bed.
 
@LoonWulf

Are you talking about the heavier steel ones like the Knaak, Klein, Rigids that contractors often have? You know, the ones that you need a fork lift to get in and out of the bed.

Naw, not that chunky. Mine is a home despot husky. But bolted thru my bed rails you ain't getting that thing off without a torch or power tools.

I WISH I could afford a nice box like that those.....
 
Naw, not that chunky. Mine is a home despot husky. But bolted thru my bed rails you ain't getting that thing off without a torch or power tools.

I WISH I could afford a nice box like that those.....

Ok. So the pretty standard aluminum diamond plate deals. I have one of those too. Bought it on CL.

They are not the most secure but they do lock and if you have a single cab truck like me, it makes keeping your gun and ammo separate and inaccessible in a much less risky way while out on the public land I hunt.
 
I leave my keys in the cup holder. I've been blessed with everything I have. If someone feels the need to steal it, I hope they have a good day.
I paid 700 dollars for it and have put 35000 miles on it.
My guns are kept on me or at the house. I hate leaving them in a vehicle.
 
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