Car camping and overlanding continue to grow in popularity & technology makes it so easy to take a photo of an epic campsite (or car camping platform!) and share it with our followers.
While there’s nothing wrong with this, the use of geotagging - sharing the exact location where your photo was taken - might not be in your best interests. It seems harmless, but geotagging has hidden risks that outdoor enthusiasts should consider before tagging their hidden gems.
At Hele Outdoors, we understand the joys of getting away from it all, but we also understand the importance of keeping your outdoor experiences safe and enjoyable.
In this article, we’ll share two risks that come with geotagging + provide you with helpful information to find your next epic car camping site without needing to track down an influencer's geo-tag.
1. Privacy
Man or bear? 7 out of 8 women in a viral video chose the bear. Likely because they did their research and knew bears don’t have access to smart phones or social media.
Jokes aside. In this new world of interconnectivity through social media, it is WAY too easy to find out where someone is at any given time.
Geotagging doesn’t help that cause.
For example, if you post a photo of your car camping setup, with a geotag marking a secluded, off-the-beaten-path spot, it could invite unwanted attention (and not from bears!)
The last thing anyone wants is the dreaded “knock” on their vehicle or camper in the middle of the night - especially if you are off the beaten path.
If privacy/safety is a top priority of yours - a vehicle sleeping platform is the best way to go. Sleeping inside your vehicle rather than in a tent or RTT, provides quick access to your driver seat in the event that you need to make a quick getaway.
If you are looking for a comfortable way to sleep in your vehicle without needing to build a custom car camping platform, check out the Hele Box! It’s a lightweight car sleeping platform and storage system that fits in most SUVs/Trucks.
When it comes to sharing your location, you should always share where you are going with a trusted friend or family member - especially when taking the road less traveled.
2. Traffic
Sharing geotagged locations will lead to a rise in visitors to that location. I know this from first hand experience.
Growing up on the North Shore of Oahu, our beaches used to be pristine. You’d have no issues finding a parking spot or place to lay your towel/umbrella for the day (unless there was a surf contest on).
With the rise of social media (and geotagging) these beaches quickly became overrun. The Hawaii I knew from my childhood is gone and the little town I grew up in is now grid locked with traffic Mon-Sun.
I’m sure this sounds familiar to many of you, and it’s for these reasons we should keep our hidden gems “hidden” (to an extent)
Now, this doesn’t mean they shouldn’t be shared.
We believe that the beauty of the outdoors and nature should be accessible to everyone, however, to get to the really awesome stuff, it should require more than a tap on your phone.
You need to earn it!
3. How to find epic spots without geotags
Hint - you’ll have a much better time at one of these spots than one you found with a geotag!
The first step in finding your next epic camping spot is to research a general area where you want to visit.
Example: Northern California Redwoods
Once you narrow down a general area it’s time to start researching potential spots! Use these apps to map out dispersed campsites/trails and save their coordinates.
These are our absolute favorites for finding a dispersed car camping site. The trails/spots mapped on these apps (usually) traverse through National Forests and BLM land.
We’ve dedicated an entire article to this topic, please read How to Find Dispersed Car Camping Sites for a full guide to finding awesome and unpopular vistas and campsites.
To sum it up, sharing your epic experiences on social media while car camping is perfectly acceptable and fun to do - just think twice about including the exact location via geotags.
If you’ve already got your next spot mapped, but are in need of a more comfortable way to camp in your car, check out the Hele Box car sleeping platform.
Wishing you uncrowded and epic adventures in 2025, now get out there!