FAO Free/wild campers

[ridetheworld]

Hi all,

Just quickly, I've never really camped much before beyond festivals, my outdoor skills are limited, but I don't mind roughing it and I have an appetite for adventure. In fact, being one of those outdoors types of people is something I really want to master

On my previous motorcycle trips, I always planned a route the night before, and slept in budget hotels, travelling light. But I want something more wild now, so I'm planning on buying a 125 and doing S.America. I've got my stove, pots, pans, compass, GPS, etc, etc, just need to get over there now!

However, I'm wondering this; do you guys who free/wild camp, just sort of have a rough idea of where you want to go? Do you plan a place before or just pull over when you get tired? How do you choose where to camp? Is there any important advice or tips you could give me?

Many thanks,

RTW

[Warin]

Don't

wait until you are tired - leads to crashes
wait for dark - leads to camping on top of ants nests

Do
google 'stealth camping'

Bicyclist are limited by speed and range so sometimes they are forced to stealth camp .. may good hints can be had from their web sites. e.g. Tips for Wild Camping | TravellingTwo: Bicycle Touring Around The World

[stephen.stallebrass]

If you fancy a real taste of the great outdoors - away from the mini suburbia of campsites then wild camping is the way forward... the views are much better and it won't cost you a penny and you'll genuinely feel part of the countryside, not removed from it.

I pretty much solo wild camped for 3 months from the UK to Mongolia & Siberia and back last summer. I just stopped when I felt like it. My general advice is:

1. Try to stay away from towns and villages: either everyone should know you are there or nobody. You don't want to be bothered by the local drunks.

2. Drop any paranoia as soon as possible, relax, no-one is after you. This will probably take a few nights but the sooner you do this the more you'll enjoy it. Don't listen to the horror stories and the naysayers. Use your common sense, if it doesn't feel right move on.

3. Stop early enough to be able to find somewhere else if the spot turns out to be a bad choice. You don't want to be looking for somewhere in the dark. If you do you might wake up to a glorious surprise view or you might find yourself somewhere very odd.

4. If you're on a highway, when you turn off try and take at least two more turns offs before you stop - this way you're well away from the main highway and anybody that might have spotted you turn off. Of course you might not be on a highway.

5. Camp in groups when you can. I came across an American couple doing the Mongol rally and we camped together for a bit until going our separate ways - it's good to have some company and security.

6. Don't be afraid of the locals: farmers/sherpherds might come across you. Be friendly and polite and if possible offer them a ciggie to break the ice. Expect curiosity in you, your bike, your gear and your trip. In my experience they'll make a little small talk and be on their way.

7. Leave the area as you find it. If you can't burn or bury your biodegradables take them with you. Don't contaminate water supplies, dig a latrine.

8. Be discreet: try to avoid loud music, bright lights, massive fires and engine revving. Cover your bike to avoid the shiny bits... shining. I stumbled across and camped with a local fisherman in Russia, after numerous vodkas we broke all these rules, LOL.

8. Try different places and find out what sort of place you like to camp. I found that I liked camping near water: lakes and rivers, so that I could have a swim at the end of the day. So I had a look at my map in the morning to find such places roughly where I wanted to stop for the night. Lakes surrounded by forests was my ideal spot.

9. If the legality of your camp site is questionable arrive late and leave early. If you can ask permission do so but you do obviously risk them saying no. Alternatively, if nobody knows you are there and you follow all the rules above then as far as I'm concerned what they don't know won't hurt them - but that's your call.

10. Be patient, recce a site, wait around for a bit before setting up. If it's not right move on. You'll find some beautiful places to camp but don't expect this every time. Sometimes you'll have to be satisfied with somewhere flat and dry.

11. Take ear plugs in case your campsite (wild or organised) turns out to be a noisey one.

12. Take advantages of opportunities. One time I was struggling to find a campsite when I stopped at a petrol station to get a drink and have a breather when a local told me that 1/2 a mile away was a bike meet with free camping - that was a noisy night but the spot by the Adriatic was idyllic.

13. Whatever shelter you use try to use subdued colours, you don't need military DPM, but a bright red or blue tarp/tent isn't exactly inconspicuous. They're great if you want to be spotted in an emergency but stealth is the name of the game when wild camping, especially when solo.

14. If you have nervous friends and relatives take a spot satellite tracker and send them an 'ok' message when you do stop for the night.

15. I've never been asked to move but if you are just plead ignorant, pack up your stuff and leave without argument - better safe than sorry.

16. Use the local knowledge: check out the HU communities. Some areas just might not be safe or appropriate for wild camping either because of the terrain, the weather or the people. Sometimes you might just be better off in an organised paying campsite, a hostel or on someones couch.

17. Have fun. Its a great way to travel and cheap too!


Mongolian Daisy Meadow


By a river somewhere in Austria


Arrive late...


Leave early... bloody trains!


Adriatic Coast off Croatia


The Black Forrest is certainly black


Dried river bed on the Mongol Steppe


I was lucky enough to find this same spot on my return leg... it's a very secluded but free public camping area in Siberia


There not idyllic this Siberian wild camp was only 200m from the main road, albeit a very quiet main road, behind a massive bush... it worked


I love the woodlands


Touristy public camping area that I blagged onto for free, noisy but...


...it had a pretty view and was the coolest clearest water I'd seen,I had a great sunrise swim to wash away the hangover.


Break the rules when you can...


Group camping has it's perks




Sometimes there are no highways...

[MT350]

Wow

Great post. Very useful...

[Jamie Z]

Originally Posted by stephen.stallebrass

If you fancy a real taste of the great outdoors - away from the mini suburbia of campsites then wild camping is the way forward... the views are much better and it won't cost you a penny and you'll genuinely feel part of the countryside, not removed from it.

I stealth camp frequently, and I agree almost 100% with this post. Very good information.

I generally start to look for a place to stop an hour or so before sunset. Sometimes I stop when I find a place, other times I just mark it on my GPS and come back later--perhaps after going into town for dinner or to buy a couple of s.

It's many times more difficult to find a good place after dark.

I almost never start a fire when I stealth camp. It's not conducive to Leave-No-Trace. However, a few times I've stopped where there was already a fire pit (and even a couple times where there was still the smoldering remains of a fire!) and so I took those opportunities to make a fire. For me, a fire is relaxing (and warm), but it also causes me to stay up a whole lot later than I usually do, so I plan to sleep later, too.

It does take some experience to learn to find a good place to stop. You can practice now, around your area, by looking for places where you could set up a tent for the night if you wanted. After some experience and practice, those places will start to pop out at you.

Jamie

[oldbmw]

Stephens post is good advice.

When I am on the road, I look out for somewhere suitable from about 4-4.30 in the late afternoon. Often it is good just to pull off and find somewhere then settle for a quiet 5-10 minutes to get the feel of the place before starting to unpack.

try to be as "invisible" as you can. this also means smoke and noise.

Be opportunistic, I have several times used "orphan" bits of disused road close to where new roads have been built and bits of the original route are now overgrown and out of sight from passing traffic.

A tent that is free standing helps as you can move it to exactly the spot you want.

[Samy]

Don't wait to get it darken. Then choosing a good camping spot will be difficult and you can feel tired. So I like to ride in spring/summer more, days are longer.

If you set up your camp before dark, you can have more time to enjoy the evening and have rest...

[ridetheworld]

Wow, couldn't have asked for a better response than that. Fantastic, thanks guys!!!

p.s.

Just wondering, what do you guys do for water? For camping, cooking, cleaning, etc, would 4lt be enough, or should I take 2x 4lt water bags in case?

[stephen.stallebrass]

Originally Posted by ridetheworld

Just wondering, what do you guys do for water? For camping, cooking, cleaning, etc, would 4lt be enough, or should I take 2x 4lt water bags in case?

My thoughts and advice:

I use a 4L MSR Dromedary. It's suitably sized for moto-ADVers (they do have larger and smaller sizes too), it's hard wearing, you can hang it up at camp and it's easy to clean. The 3in1 cap is a neat idea so filling, drinking and pouring is simplez - no spillage. I like the wide mouth as I can pack it with ice cubes in the summer to keep it cool. You can get hydration and shower attachments for it too if you want.

4L is usually enough water for me for 24 hours. I do carry a couple of empty 2L Nalgene Cantenes/Platypus' rolled up in my kit in case I want to carry extra. I try to avoid hard bottles as they take up room when they're empty. If the tap water is drinkable I just ask at gas stations, cafe's or shops etc to fill them up for me. I've never been refused yet. It tends to spark a conversation as most people are interested what you're doing. Don't waste money buying bottled water if the tap water is good and in most places it is.

I used to go with the don't put all your eggs in one basket approach so I started by carrying 2 or 3 different sized water bladders but it was a PITA when asking people to fill them up for me so now I just use the one 4L Dromedary. If I know I'm not going to be stopping all that much and its going to be hot day I'll put one of the spare 1 or 2L hydration bladders and hose in my tank bag and drink from that while on the move.

I also carry an MSR Hyperflow micro water filter, it's small, lightweight, very effective (down to 0.2microns - bacteria, protozoa & particulate is no problem), it's very easy to use and super quick (3L a minute). If you're unsure about the tap water just run it through the filter (here's where the spare bags come in useful - don't use your clean bag for suspect water). Of course you can use the filter in streams etc. I have some water sterilization tablets as a back up and you can always boil the water too if required.

[DougieB]

I was wild camping last night (pic), Isle of Mull. As said, cyclists don't often get the luxury of 'searching' for a nice spot. It takes a little bit of experience and practice, accepting that means you shouldn't get disheartened when you (as we all do) innevitabley screw up. To begin with, I think, most people see a nice spot and then a little worry sets in that it's not the perfect spot so you keep looking. Then it's dark, and finding some where gets a bit harder and a bit more desperate.

I tend not to do the cooking/fire thing, I just get down, get sleep and get out again. I would rather cook beforehand (late lunch) or afterwards (breakfast after a few miles), some way away from where camped.

Over the past weeks I've been testing winter sleeping arrangments. I've thrown out the inner of my tent, and now carry a bivvy bag in its place. I can use the bivvy normally, or throw up the tent outer in foul weather or where some walls feel a bit safer. I think this is, now, my ideal setup.

Woods are sheltered and easier to be discrete in. Having a small footprint helps, natural/dark coloured tent, consider how reflective your bike is to headlights (if near a road). And just don't worry, the worst that happens is someone tells you to move. A real pain, but not the end of the world.

[backofbeyond]

Originally Posted by Jamie Z

It's many times more difficult to find a good place after dark.

Jamie

I'll agree with that. Through leaving things too late I've ended up camping on a rat infested rubbish dump (seemed like an ideal flat area in the dark) and in someone's front garden (it was too dark to see the house).

My rules of thumb are to try and find somewhere where: I won't inconveniencing anyone, I won't be in any danger (that I can perceive), I'll be out of sight of curious (and possibly lightfingered) locals and I won't attract any official attention. If there's shelter (for cold and wet conditions) or a breeze (when it's hot and dry) all the better and I'll also consider what the morning might bring - will I be burnt out of the tent when the sun comes up at 5.00am for example.

You're only going to be there a few hours so it doesn't have to be perfect but neither do you want to pass the night in fear. I've had a few wild camps where I hardly slept at all because I was unhappy about the spot I'd chosen but was too tired to move.

A few pics -

First one in Western Sahara - a perfect example of paranoia. It was the middle of nowhere and I'd spent at least half an hour dismissing one spot after another until out of desperation as the sun was setting I rode 1/4 mile off the road and found this depression. It looked perfect for shelter / hiding away (from what - it was 100 miles to the nearest town) but was filled with soft powdery sand. As soon as I rode into it I knew I'd made a mistake and it was going to be tricky to get the bike out again.

Five minutes after I took the picture a car stopped just where my tyre tracks left the road, a couple of blokes got out and started looking around. I started getting very worried - what were the odds they'd stop exactly where I left the road on a 200 mile stretch of desert? It was just coincidence though; they'd stopped for evening prayers and were gone in ten minutes. Didn't do my heart rate much good though.




This one in Mauritania. Open desert, no paranoia and the best view of the night sky I've ever had.





And a couple from way back - Top one in France, second one in Greece.

[stephen.stallebrass]

This is turning out to be a right good thread... Lots of useful Moto-ADV wisdom and plenty of eye candy!

[Mark_Sassafras]

I'm enjoying this thread, with lots of good advice, especially find your spot before dark, and it brings back a lot of fond memories. My modus operandi is look for a spot out in the open (reduces paranoia), but out of sight of passing traffic, eg, behind some bushes, down over a bank, on top of a small plateau, whatever appeals. If you are having difficulty, knock on some doors, I recommend neat farmhouses, not junk yards and I don't bother with pretentious mansions, they most probably won't even answer the door, but you may get lucky.
I found this top spot on a headland just south of San Francisco. Just before I found this spot, I entered a property to ask permission to camp on another spot and half way across their yard I spotted 2 dobermans sitting up in the back of a pickup giving me the beady eye. They must have been expertly trained as they didn't move a muscle as I backtracked out of the yard. You just don't get that kind of adrenaline rush at your standard camp ground.

BikePics - 2009 Moto Guzzi Sport 1200

Regards,
Mark

[stephen.stallebrass]

Originally Posted by Mark_Sassafras

Now that's a peecarious wild camp... Beautiful view but a strong gust of wind, or a stumble and the party is over.

[Selous]

This is a very good thread, i agree re water I use a a day sack with a camelbak in it. At a ex serviceman I always carry puri tabs, taest like drinking swiming pool water but better than stopping every 10 /15 to go dig a hole!
I always found about an hour prior to sunset is a good time to set up so need to look for a location a few hourd after mid day, some times I do cook I carry a cooker other times will stop after mid day in a village / town have a hot meal.
Either way I may still make a brew prior to sleeping.
I carry a bivi bag but also a tent prefer the tent.

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