Saw this on another forum and thought a "heads up" for anyone going to do a camping trip. "After asking advice on a trip to Chinon, France recently in the ride/ touring reports section, n deciding to do the trip, how's this for cheek ending my hol half way through... Fell asleep in my tent, about 11.30. Be 12.30 me mates shouting me up we had been robbed n the tents slashed! True enough there was a gaping hole to the side, inches from where me head was whilst asleep. My wallet wi 300 notes gone, a satnav, other bits n my 500 quid mobile phone taken from the tents storage pocket... The lowlife/ lowlifes must of stuck there arm through after knifing a hole in my tent.... Same happened with 3 of my mates, with wallets, cards, cash (another grand or so) satnavs, clothes, n an IPhone all gone. Bloody disaster! Local police called who come with guns, but all too late. Think the were about a dozen tents done this evening. Think another campsite got done too. Can't fooking believe it. You might expect to come back to site one day on a camp trip n a stove or somerts been taken, but I never imagined the events that unfolded with me being actually in the tent would ever of happened. Gutted, n not afraid to admit its knock me confidence a bit... My mates av said the same too... Gobsmacked by it all!! Anyways after a shite night sleeps thereafter n ages spent at the French police station next day we made our 200 odd mile back to the ferry and paid the extra to get on board days early n go home.... To put the boot in my travel insurance was nowhere enough to cover my losses..." Forum rules forbid me to express my disgust at this.
That lot must be gutted.If they slashed your tent then they are armed and could be dangerous if approached.That must be one sharp knife not to make a noise. As a camper myself we always put our keys,wallets etc in the middle part of a kiddies swimming rubber ring with a bottom to it,blown up inside a pillow case. So you dont lay on anything.Learn't this from an ex special forces mate.He used to keep his knife etc in his.It looks like a pillow with a storage pocket.It is the last place they look even if your tent is unoccupied.If you make one turn your phone onto vibrate cos it will be loud by your lug holes.
Another tip for security is string black string across the stay strings around the tent.Just inches off the grass.They call it the web.If anything approaches at night they normally go between the flourescent strings and trip into your tent.This was used to alert you of animals as well as lowlifes.
Heard it happen at Mugello last year, wallet taken but just cash and rest of wallet left 50m from tent. As said you hope / never think it will happen to you. Other option is lock items under bike seat and keep key well hidden
Fek the Boy Scout thing, tiz Hotels all the way for me I'm afraid! Sorry to hear about ya Bad Luck OP, don't let it get you down, as is with all these things it's not personal so try not to let it effect you're confidence in having a good time in the future.
a few of us got robbed at oulton at the bsb in 2011. i got a bag took but it only had my dirty clothes in and my favourite sock. at bulldog a few years ago there were some polish chavs doing this, slashing tents... they were caught by some HE and got some instant justice. what was left of them was handed to the police outside the site! re france - i went backpacking there years ago with a couple of mates, sort of a gap year... we settled in carpentraz near orange and got work delivering leaflets to pay for beer... on a night we used to leave our stuff, passports and money etc and just take enough for the night. one mate (unluckiest basterd ever) took everything with him.... got chatting to some french girls so we left him and headed back to our digs.... early hour sof the morning they blew him out so he flagged down what he thought was a taxi - he got driven into the middle of nowhere, pistol whipped and robbed! passport, money, even his trainers! never trust a frog.
Got in a taxi in florida cos I left my family tickets to blizzard beach at the hotel.Got to hotel the taxi driver said $35 with no meter on.I asked him to wait and asked the girl how much to blizzard beach by taxi as $35 was steep she rang another taxi firm and they said $20.I went outside and gave the taxi driver $20, he said wheres the other $15? I told him to stick it up his arse.No meter no, no radio, no journey.Prove it!! He thought for a minute and drove off.They try allsorts on tourists.
oh thats a bummer... would love to catch someone doing this. i'd get me a mother FCUKing crossbow ( AND MAYBE QUICK LIME AND A HOLE) serious note its only money and pride, at least knowone was hurt
