24 Hour Fort challenge

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Mostly rolls of toilet paper in their packaging. You can see the rest of the store faded in the background, between some of the packages.
A view from the interior of a fort constructed out of packaged toilet paper rolls, built inside a Walmart branch.

The 24 Hour Fort challenge,[1] also known as the 24 hour challenge or Overnight challenge, is a challenge which originated in 2016 and reached the peak of its popularity in 2018.[2] During the challenge, participants must reach a location or venue before it closes for the evening and trespass on the property by hiding in a 'fort'. These forts are normally a quickly constructed hiding place made by moving products on shelves in such a way that the participants can hide behind them, although some participants have carried out the challenge simply by hiding in areas such as public toilets and staff-only areas. In the case of venues which stay open 24 hours a day, such as larger supermarkets and stores, an alternative goal is to simply stay within the building for as long as possible without being caught.

While the challenge's name implies that participants are to stay at their chosen location for a full day (24 hours), most videos of the challenge simply have those taking part attempt to remain in the building until morning. Once the location closes, the goal is to remain in the venue for as long as possible before the location reopens in the morning, or until the building's staff or security apprehend the participants. Several store chains and companies have spoken out against the challenge,[3] and participants risk being banned from stores or facing criminal charges for trespassing, criminal damage and breaking and entering.

The challenge can be traced back to August 2016, in which two Belgian teenagers remained inside an IKEA branch after closing time by hiding in wardrobes.[4] However, examples of people hiding and living in stores for extended periods of time precede the challenge. In 2014, a 14-year-old runaway lived inside a Texas Walmart branch for two days, consuming shoplifted food and changing his clothes to avoid detection while living inside a hiding place he set up behind boxed merchandise in the store's baby care section; he was apprehended and returned to his family after an employee noticed him and informed law enforcement.[5][6]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Viral 24-hour 'Fort Challenge' prompts warning from IKEA". The New Daily. 25 December 2016. Retrieved 24 November 2017.
  2. ^ "How to tell if your child is taking part in the 24-Hour Fort challenge". The Guardian. 9 February 2018. Retrieved 29 December 2019.
  3. ^ Boult, Adam (21 December 2016). "Ikea tells teens to stop holding illegal sleepovers in its stores". The Telegraph. Retrieved 24 November 2017.
  4. ^ "TWO IDIOTS AT NIGHT IN IKEA". YouTube. Bakuna Fatata. Retrieved 24 November 2017.
  5. ^ "Teen Lives Undetected at N. Texas Walmart for 2 Days". NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth. 13 August 2014. Retrieved 19 December 2020.
  6. ^ Bever, Lindsey. "How a 14-year-old lived in Wal-Mart for 2 days". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 19 December 2020.

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