camping

[Eric1985]

Hi. Im walking the camino end of may this year. Just curious has any body on this that has done the camino before camped on it?


Cheers
Eric

 

[Anemone del Camino]

Hi. Im walking the camino end of may this year. Just curious has any body on this that has done the camino before camped on it? Cheers. Eric

Hi Eric, during the holidays there was a discussion on the topic, including links to various sites with rules and regulations. I think you will find a lot of pertinent information there. It's worth reading as camping is forbidden in many areas, plus, at least on the CF, you will be tempted to sleep on private land, and that may not be appreciated. BTW, "Coto de caza" means hunting ground - a polite way to say "please move on" perhaps ;0)

 

[allykat]

I haven't, but I walked with a few people who did. There was a Lithuanian brother and sister who were doing the Camino with only 200 Euros between them (I am still shocked at that!) So albergue's and pilgrims menu was never an option. A couple things:

1. It's risky business.
Most of the land is owned by farmers, businesses or the city. There are a few forests without any real claim to them, but for the most part, Spain is a developed country with pretty good ownership of lands. Ask permission if you even doubt if someone owns the land. The further you get away from any town, the better, but even still, there is always the chance you are sleeping on a farmers field, and that is a sure fire way to not make a friend. Most of the time, my Lithuanian friends were able to get permission, or they continued walking until the found a place that would. They walked longer, more tired days than most of us, but they camped out all but the one night I think (My fellows offered to pay for them a night at the Albergue to spend time with us).

2. Your tent is heavy
Even a light weight tent will take its toll. If you are used to carrying it on long trips (3-5 days) it gets even heavier on the Camino. My Lithuanians split it between them and they still said it was a burden. They didn't have any choice in the matter, but if you do, if you are choosing between the FUN of camping and an an Albergue, can I suggest you set the Tent at home and enjoy the camaraderie of an Albergue? Even an expert backpacker doesn't enjoy carrying more than they have to, and if your budget can have a few hundred more Euros thrown into it (I think most agree a 30 euro a day budget will get you along just fine) than you will be a lot happier and a lot more involved in the majesty of the Camino than those who camp.

3. You MIGHT be lonely
There were few people who camped the Camino when I went. If they chanced to find each other, they always attempted to camp in circles and break bread together. You get the benefit of sleeping in, and staying up late (I noticed the campers left each town a little later than the Albergue folks) but for the most part, it seemed pretty lonely. When we were all finished with our meals, we'd head back to the Albergue to drink and talk and prep for the next day... together. The campers often would trudge off alone to the outskirts of town. If you enjoy solitude, this is a great way to go about it. If you don't, be warned that camping the Camino is a slightly solitary experience.

4. You can get bugs
If you camp, be sure that you have Permethrined and anti bugged the stuffing out of your stuff. Ants, Bees, Bed Bugs, Mites, Ticks all the lovely critters of the wild enjoy the same space as you when you camp. Its even more prevalent if you are near the farmlands and the animals and fauna tend to encourage bugs, and so will your chorizo and cheese. If you GET bedbugs or ticks, get them taken care of, and don't spread them to others by sleeping in an Albergue without getting your things washed for bugs first. We all walk the road and we all have a chance of getting these extra passengers, but Campers have an even higher chance.

5. You cannot build a fire (especially in the summer)
Camp stoves I was told have limited approval, but since most of the land is owned by the local government or a private person, fires are going to get you in a lot more trouble than you'd want to be. The Lithuanians asked about this and were told outright that they could be fined or even jailed if caught making a camp fire on land where it wasn't permitted. Find places where it's permitted? I don't know about that. But Spain doesn't want forest fires, and Farmers don't want their crops to burn, so just use common sense.

These are my thoughts on the matter, it is still totally doable, and the Lithuanians totally did it and loved every minute of it... but if you don't want that fuss, best stick to the Albergues.

 

[alexwalker]

Much sense there, allycat...

"Trespassers wil be shot.
Survivors will be shot again."

But seriously, wild-camping is a difficult option.

 

[Eric1985]

I haven't, but I walked with a few people who did. There was a Lithuanian brother and sister who were doing the Camino with only 200 Euros between them (I am still shocked at that!) So albergue's and pilgrims menu was never an option. A couple things:

1. It's risky business.
Most of the land is owned by farmers, businesses or the city. There are a few forests without any real claim to them, but for the most part, Spain is a developed country with pretty good ownership of lands. Ask permission if you even doubt if someone owns the land. The further you get away from any town, the better, but even still, there is always the chance you are sleeping on a farmers field, and that is a sure fire way to not make a friend. Most of the time, my Lithuanian friends were able to get permission, or they continued walking until the found a place that would. They walked longer, more tired days than most of us, but they camped out all but the one night I think (My fellows offered to pay for them a night at the Albergue to spend time with us).

2. Your tent is heavy
Even a light weight tent will take its toll. If you are used to carrying it on long trips (3-5 days) it gets even heavier on the Camino. My Lithuanians split it between them and they still said it was a burden. They didn't have any choice in the matter, but if you do, if you are choosing between the FUN of camping and an an Albergue, can I suggest you set the Tent at home and enjoy the camaraderie of an Albergue? Even an expert backpacker doesn't enjoy carrying more than they have to, and if your budget can have a few hundred more Euros thrown into it (I think most agree a 30 euro a day budget will get you along just fine) than you will be a lot happier and a lot more involved in the majesty of the Camino than those who camp.

3. You MIGHT be lonely
There were few people who camped the Camino when I went. If they chanced to find each other, they always attempted to camp in circles and break bread together. You get the benefit of sleeping in, and staying up late (I noticed the campers left each town a little later than the Albergue folks) but for the most part, it seemed pretty lonely. When we were all finished with our meals, we'd head back to the Albergue to drink and talk and prep for the next day... together. The campers often would trudge off alone to the outskirts of town. If you enjoy solitude, this is a great way to go about it. If you don't, be warned that camping the Camino is a slightly solitary experience.

4. You can get bugs
If you camp, be sure that you have Permethrined and anti bugged the stuffing out of your stuff. Ants, Bees, Bed Bugs, Mites, Ticks all the lovely critters of the wild enjoy the same space as you when you camp. Its even more prevalent if you are near the farmlands and the animals and fauna tend to encourage bugs, and so will your chorizo and cheese. If you GET bedbugs or ticks, get them taken care of, and don't spread them to others by sleeping in an Albergue without getting your things washed for bugs first. We all walk the road and we all have a chance of getting these extra passengers, but Campers have an even higher chance.

5. You cannot build a fire (especially in the summer)
Camp stoves I was told have limited approval, but since most of the land is owned by the local government or a private person, fires are going to get you in a lot more trouble than you'd want to be. The Lithuanians asked about this and were told outright that they could be fined or even jailed if caught making a camp fire on land where it wasn't permitted. Find places where it's permitted? I don't know about that. But Spain doesn't want forest fires, and Farmers don't want their crops to burn, so just use common sense.

These are my thoughts on the matter, it is still totally doable, and the Lithuanians totally did it and loved every minute of it... but if you don't want that fuss, best stick to the Albergues.

Th

 

[Eric1985]

Thanks very much for your replies . I wasn't really thinking about camping but was curious. Im doing my first comino in may so as you know you would have a 100 questions.