Sleeping under the stars, on the place, waters of a lake, savoring the cool twilight breeze on a hill covered with vineyards, dining under the full moon enjoying the poetry of an endless horizon … Free camping is one of the most important things beautiful of the bicycle trip and we have been practicing it for more than fifteen years: from Australia to the Andes, from South East Asia to Italy. But what do you need to make camping free? And what do you need to know?
Why camp freely:
I never liked the idea of having to necessarily reach a place where you previously booked. During a bike trip every day is an absolute mystery: it can happen to meet interesting people with whom to share good moments and in the end pedal only 30 km or to have the wind in your face that repels our (attempted) advance or not to have any desire to leave a cooling waterfall encountered on the way. Having with you all the necessary equipment for the free bivouac, including accessories for cooking, will allow you to give us more time for any unexpected or wonderful discoveries, to decide our pace and our travel times directly on the road.
Legal or illegal? That is the question!
Free camping in Italy is subject to regional regulations and, as often happens, it is confusing to understand to what extent it is really illegal or simply not tolerated (especially in tourist places and during the high season!). Even in some European countries, free camping is prohibited, while in others it is possible and rather easy. From personal experience I can say that, in very crowded seaside towns during the summer, the bivouac is often tolerated during the low tourist season as long as you respect the places, the people and do not light fires (where not allowed!). In the high season instead I suggest not camping on beaches in tourist places or in places where tourism is an important resource because it would not be rightly accepted. Here is Camping tent List for the travelers you should try atleast once.
How to choose where to do free camping
Before choosing the place to set up the tent to spend a night under the stars and in nature, make sure it is the right place considering some factors.
The wind blows
The wind is one of those unexpected events that can irreparably affect your night in a tent. The wind can grow at any time and last hours before settling down so always remember to anchor the tent well on the ground and any trees in the immediate vicinity, but before that make sure that the place is more or less sheltered from plants, rocks and maybe exposed to the east (if it is winter) in order to wake up with the sunlight to warm you (vice versa, during the warmer months, try to place your home in a cooler place!). The woods, especially those thick with evergreens, are an excellent shelter from humidity.
The bare earth
The ground on which you will pitch the tent must be more or less flat (if you cannot mount your bivouac on a flat surface, at least be sure to sleep with your head higher than your legs!), Soft but not too much and without rocks or plants annoying thorny under the back. In your bike trips you will find these types of main terrains:
Land – red, yellow, brown … Land is the best solution for the camper with mattress and sleeping bag for its compactness and relative softness. Also excellent for securing tent pegs and tie rods well.
Grass – the first sensation that comes to mind when thinking about grass is that of softness and it is indeed true. Before camping in the grass, however, evaluate the position you are in and the state of the turf by asking yourself these questions: are they close to farms or pastures? Is the grass tall or well-groomed? Often in uncultivated fields and near areas where animals are present, ticks, fleas, scorpioncini nestle (if the area is also wet!), Armored with mosquitoes ready to launch their attack and maybe some snakes.
Sand – who hasn’t dreamed of waking up at least once in their life on the beach to admire the sunrise? Sleeping on the sand is possible but not always as comfortable as it may seem. First of all to see the sunrise you have to camp on a beach facing East (for the sunset it is West of course!), Secondly the sand is able to create uncomfortable humpbacks or holes under our towel, finally know that you will not get rid of annoying specks for at least ten days. In the high tourist season, sleeping on the beach is not easy at all. In the most popular places during the night, patrols are often carried out or you may be reported by people walking on the shoreline so if you are not absolutely sure of the place, better not to risk.
Mud / Wet Earth – we love adventure but we are not fools! Absolutely to avoid!
Concrete – hard and unsuitable for pitching a tent that is not self-supporting but if it is the only possibility, it can also be adapted with the help of any trees nearby.
Asphalt – it is difficult that you happen to sleep on the asphalt but nothing is impossible so, even in this case, those traveling with a self-supporting tent will have no problems … others, like us with the Vango Pulsar, will have to find some creative expedient to hoist the tent without stakes.
Sister Aqua
When you are camping freely, having a water source nearby is a great resource. After a day in the sun you will need to hydrate yourself, as well as having to cook. When you travel to remote places, fill your water bottles on each occasion because the next one may not be as close as you hope. Sleeping near streams or rivers may be a good idea, but not on all occasions. In the most humid seasons and near the mountains, the sudden rains could cause the water course to overflow with very dangerous consequences. Before camping (always in safety!) Near a water source, always evaluate: the period, the course flow rate, the humidity factor and the presence of insects. You can use (except in exceptional cases!) The water from the stream to cook after boiling and to drink, perhaps using one of the travel filters for water or disinfectant tablets.
Villages and private properties … in tents
Often, during a bike trip, it happens to be near villages with tired legs and little desire to continue pedaling … especially after a cold beer at the bar. From experience in the countries, especially in the mountains and countryside outside the usual tourist routes, it is easy to experience a great sense of hospitality in those who live there. In both Sardinia and Greece we happened to set up the tent in the garden of premises that opened the doors of their properties to us. If you are near inhabited places it is always a good idea to ask for permission to pitch your tent or even ask people directly where you can mount our bivouac. What if there is nobody around? If you find an uncultivated field to camp in, remember not to light fires or use the light for too long. Also in Sardinia we happened to reach a church that we thought was open, later discovering that a fence guarded the property. Taken aback, we set up the tent in an adjacent field and, given the beautiful view, I got up at night to take some photos. The light on the front panel alarmed a patrol stationed nearby and so in a few minutes we found ourselves face to face with two rural police boys who asked us for general information and kindly invited us to leave the next morning early.
Find a place that’s yours … almost
If you are traveling far from inhabited centers you will have to look for a safe place for the night where to make free camping sheltered from prying eyes. Some attackers or thieves can always go on the road looking for easy money. When choosing the place, be careful that no one sees you and, if you have the possibility, move away from the road you are traveling looking for shelter in some natural ravine or in a wood. If you feel safe, you will sleep peaceful dreams and you can resume your rested journey. At night you will be lulled only by the songs of birds of prey and the passage of some wild boar.
