Tenting

[jennylu]

I am planning my first Camino Frances in September with my travel partner and we would like to know what the experiences are with tenting. Are there rules about where to put up our tent? Easy to find places? Safety? and how about the weather in September?

 

[zammy]

The camino is a social happenning, you walk, talk, eat, sleep, share, suffer, enjoy it with many others, when you sleep in a tent you remove yourself from the other hikers and from the main event-sharing the accomodations, be it the municipal albergue be it a private albergue.
you will have to carry an extra weight of at least 3 kg, a tent, sleeping pads, sleeping bags, cooking gear.
You will find yourself sleeping outdoors in the rain and cold.
You won't be able to avoid the albergues even while using a tent-you need, showers, washing your clothes, internet, cooking and these are to be find in albergues.
I never saw tents on the camino, only bikers who couldn't find a sleeping place in full albergues.
I an not sure if there are any convinient camping grounds for tents.
Imagine yourself coming into a village, ok, you have set your tent, now you want to go do some sight seeing or buy food-nobody will watch your tent and gear or one of you will have to stay and guard.
The albergues are so cheap and comfortable, there's no reason to make this hike "extreme" and sleep in a tent.
if you want to "tent out" other trails fit better, the camino is a unique trail.
I don't recommend a tent at all.

 

[jennylu]

Hi Zammy..

I should maybe have written that we will be doing a travel of 5-6 month (where walking the Camino is the second month of our travel) and therefore are carrying a light weight tent already, and we also need to save money where we can. We are not planning on tenting every single night, but when the weather allows it. Also said, we both are people who love the outdoors and sleeping under the stars is a big part of it. For me there is nothing extreme about tenting, and we are not carrying cooking gear with us, we can still buy food like everybody else People also tell me it is normal to send your stuff along, which was my plan since i'm packed for a longer trip than just the Camino.

I was hoping to hear from other people who went with tent, because i know there are some. Your answer didn't help me much, but thanks for your opinion.

and last, it's not everybody who walks the Camino only for the social matter. For me it is a very personal business, although i can't wait to meet fellow pilgrims.

 

[Susannafromsweden]

It sounds fun to sleep under the stars, but I'm not so brave myself, especially as I'm travelling solo. So hope I won't have to do that! :wink:

But I was reading a blog a few weeks ago, about a man who was camping along the Camino.

Here is a link:
http://www.anotherlongwalk.com/2012/08/ ... uirks.html

It's fun to read, nice pics and maybe you can find some information there.

Buen camino

 

[newfydog]

I have stayed in every type of lodging on the Camino, from Paradores to tents. A tent is not for everyone, but I prefer it to many, perhaps most, of the albergues. Everyone will have their own preferences. You sound like the type who would enjoy the option of a tent, with the freedom and solitude it can offer. A discrete and considerate person will find many great places to put it up, from campgrounds, to the grass behind an albergue, to magical little hide-aways off the trail.

 

[Jochen-Schmidtke]

Re: Tenting --> List of campgrounds

Hello Jennylu.
Here you find a list of campgrounds along the Camino.
Buen Camino
Jochen

 

[jennylu]

Thank you guys so much, this is just the kinda links i was looking for

Buen Camino

 

[waveprof]

The camino is a social happenning, you walk, talk, eat, sleep, share, suffer, enjoy it with many others, when you sleep in a tent you remove yourself from the other hikers and from the main event-sharing the accomodations, be it the municipal albergue be it a private albergue.

The camino is a social happening for many.....actually most....people. For some people the socializing and insistence on a camino "family" is the biggest annoyance there is. For some, they would describe it as an annoyance that could jeopardize "their" camino. That perspective doesn't mean their camino is any less meaningful or fruitful.

Personally, I'm somewhere betweeen the two extremes......and I lean toward the socialization if I have to choose......but that is just me. And we don't know precisely where the OP's perspective is on socialization. But to assume that socialization is central to everyone's camino seems harsh, and wrong.

I am a very outgoing, sociable person in my real life. I plan to remain at least somewhat sociable on the camino. But it is important for all of us to remember that not all have the same goals for their camino, and they deserve their perspective to be respected as much as anyone else. More than anything, they deserve their space.

 

[Green Tortuga]

I am planning my first Camino Frances in September with my travel partner and we would like to know what the experiences are with tenting. Are there rules about where to put up our tent? Easy to find places? Safety? and how about the weather in September?

I carried a tarp from Le Puy to Finisterre and camped out about 50% of the time. Most of the time, I cowboy camped and didn't set up my tarp at all. I rather enjoy sleeping under the stars and waking up during the night to see how the stars have moved. Obviously, if I thought it might rain overnight (and I did check weather forecasts each day to see if it was likely), I'd set up my tarp. Or just go into an alburgue instead. (I'm not sure why people think you have to do either alburgues or camping, as if there's not room for both on such a long walk.)

I never used established campgrounds. Pay to stay in a crowded campground? No thank you.... But it's generally easy to find places to stealth camp along most of the trail. Obviously, IN town can be hard to find a place to camp, but why would you want to stealth camp in a noisy town to begin with? You usually don't have to walk far to find a respectable place to camp outside of town, though. I'd often try to end up in a town with a supermarket near the end of the day where I could buy food for dinner and breakfast the next morning, fill up with water, then walk for another hour out of town and set up camp perhaps an hour before sunset. (You don't really want to set up camp at 2:00 in the afternoon or anything--technically, I'm not sure how legal my campsites were, but there was absolutely no reason to draw attention to yourself by setting up a camp so early in the day!)

And.... it's nice. =) Larger cities like Pamplona and Leon you might have to walk for two or three hours to get out of the suburbs before you can really start looking for a good place to camp. On the other hand, I tended to want to explore these cities and rarely camped near them. I'd walk in and find lodging so I had all afternoon and night to explore the city.

On the Meseta, the wind can blow you off your feet which makes it difficult to camp--look for a haystack to camp behind if that's a problem. It's the only windbreaks you'll find out there! (Choose a haystack well off the trail, though--the ones near the trail are huge toilets!)

I've always been a little amused at people who said I was "missing out" on the social aspect of the alburgues by camping as often as I did, but in my opinion, they're missing out on a wonderful camping experience. =) Some sites you find will work better than others, but the wonderful thing is that you can always go into an alburgue if the weather is bad (so a tent isn't even really necessary) or for a little social action. You'll probably want to do that every few days anyhow if for no other reason than just to get a shower or wash your clothes.

And.... while almost nobody camps out, it's entirely possible you'll find a few that do. Ultimately, I ended up camping with two different groups of people along the Camino Frances that I met along the way. Well, okay, an individual from Poland, then a gaggle of girls from Australia who occupied their evenings reading 50 Shades of Grey aloud each night. Yeah, sorry, folks, but I didn't miss out on ANYTHING by camping out! ;o)

As for finding places to camp... like I said before, it's generally not hard to find something. A few more thoughts about camping, though:

* If you set up camp *before* a town, you generally don't have to worry about a lot of pilgrims walking past you and waking you up in the morning. If you set up camp within a few miles out of a town, they will wake you up if you're camped immediately alongside the trail. (If you walk five or ten minutes off trail, though, you can solve that problem.)
* Set up camp late in the afternoon--perhaps an hour before sunset.
* If there are "scenic alternate" paths rather than the main paths most pilgrims follow, you'll get a lot more solitude and find much better places to stealth camp.
* When I hiked the trail, there was often a "race" to get into the next town for available beds. They hated it. It's rather nice to take your time and not worry about if the town is out of beds. Camping is an easy way to get out of that rat race.
* And you won't be "missing out" on the social experience of the trail. It's not like you'll never stay in alburgues, and you'll still be walking the same path as lots of other people and eating lunch or drinking drinks with them in towns until its time to leave and set up camp.

September.... I did my hike during the entire month of September, and the weather was pretty kind to me. I could count on one hand the number of times it rained and the weather wasn't particularly cold. By October, it starts getting a little chillier and I had one night where the condensation on my froze, but that was October (or pretty close to it) and at a high altitude on the Dragonte route option. But September as a whole was a wonderful month for camping. Bugs were never a problem, it never got particularly cold, and the rain largely stayed away.

Buen camino!

-- Ryan

PS. Thanks to the person to plugged my Camino blog! =) http://www.AnotherLongWalk.com

 

[Sienna Moon]

Thankyou so much for this informative information. We wish to camp throughout Europe and for a section of our travels to walk the Camino, no pressure, walking in a relaxed style and camping as we feel tired or just for relaxing and having time along the trail to experience life and what it has to offer. I amsure many pilgrims slept under the stars as they tired, needed times of contemplation etc. great review. Will review your postings

 

[jennylu]

I carried a tarp from Le Puy to Finisterre and camped out about 50% of the time. Most of the time, I cowboy camped and didn't set up my tarp at all. I rather enjoy sleeping under the stars and waking up during the night to see how the stars have...

Ryan... Thank you for answering and making your blog. Your answers is really great for me/us and super useful. I am also reading your blog with much interest Your way of walking the Camino was exactly what we were hoping for, walking it in our own pace without it being a race or struggle for a place to sleep.
And you are very right about people not knowing what they are missing out on, there is nothing more wonderful than sleeping in fresh air, enjoying the scenery in the evening and morning and the feeling of freedom.
When we get closer to the date where we leave (30th of July, just bought my ticket to UK to travel around there 1 month before heading to France), i hope it will be ok if i contact you with some of my questions?

Jenny

 

[Green Tortuga]

And you are very right about people not knowing what they are missing out on, there is nothing more wonderful than sleeping in fresh air, enjoying the scenery in the evening and morning and the feeling of freedom.

As much as I love camping, I do recognize that it's not for everyone. Which is just as well in this case because while anyone could camp along the Camino, I'm a bit skeptical that there would be room for *everyone* to camp along the trail. For those who do like to camp, it's a lot easier to be stealthy when you're by yourself than when you're with one or two hundred of your closest friends. =) I'm not even sure I'd say camping is better or worse than albergues. It's just.... different. =) I happen to enjoy both types of experiences, but there's room for both.

For what it's worth, I just got a message from someone who said camping in France is legal but in Spain it's illegal. I don't really know if that's true or not--one Spanish guy I met on the trail who camped out a couple of times said it was fine. Depends on who you ask, I suppose. *shrug* Or maybe it's okay in some places and not others?

One thing I forgot to mention--besides setting up stealth camps to avoid drawing attention to yourself, I think it would be wise to practice "leave no trace" as well. Even after you leave camp, you don't want anyone to be able to recognize the site as a camp after you're gone. None of the locals who did catch me seemed to have a problem with my camping, but their attitudes might have been a lot different if camping pilgrims had left behind messes in the past. You just want to be a ninja in the night--unseen and unnoticed, as if you had never been there at all. =)

i hope it will be ok if i contact you with some of my questions?

Not a problem. =)

-- Ryan

 

[max44]

I have read on a few sites, by those who camp, that so long as you are a certain distance from water, main roads and not on private property, it's okay to camp.
I understand, low profile, "stealth" camping is the way to go.
I have also read that some pilgrims have burst crops due to letting a fire get out of hand in summer. I grew up on a farm, and could understand a rumor of not camping being spread.

We are going to camp when it's okay to do so. I have learned to snore just to get some payback in the albergues

 

[max44]

We are on the camino now, just got to Saria. We wish we had taken our tent in order to stop the daily rat race to find somewhere to stay. We passed so many great places and will be getting one while we are in town. The camino is spoiled by daily competition to find somewhere to stay. I am seeing a lot more sleeping mats for those who sleep outside.

 

[jennylu]

We are on the camino now, just got to Saria. We wish we had taken our tent in order to stop the daily rat race to find somewhere to stay. We passed so many great places and will be getting one while we are in town. The camino is spoiled by daily competition to find somewhere to stay. I am seeing a lot more sleeping mats for those who sleep outside.

Hi Max

I'm sad to hear it's become such a race, but also glad to hear that bringing a tent is not a bad idea. Maybe you can tell me about your experiences with camping? Hope to hear about it.

Buen Camino

 

[Yallah]

We carried our 1kg tarp tent on the Camino Francés and del Norte. We really hardly ever used it. We often talked about it, hmm maybe tonight... But then, the lure of a €5 bed, hot shower, place to wash clothes, and kitchen to make a big hot meal was too strong and we would go to an albergue. We used it along the Finisterre route back in 2009 because there were so few albergue back then.

We camped once on the Camino del Norte near Guernica, because the youth hostel was something like €15 per person.

I love camping, but I personally think the albergue system is one of the great achievements of the camino, and there are much better routes to walk if you want to camp. But, as previously mentioned, the two are not mutually exclusive and sleeping outside may be a necessity with the increasing numbers on the camino.

 

[max44]

Jennylu,
The 5e albergues are few and far between. Those that are that price have cold water, no sheets or pillow cases etc. if you don't mind sleeping on dirty mattresses, this is the place to stay. Most albergues are about 10e. Not many have cooking facilities and you have to get in quick to find a place to use one hot plate. For 1 or 2 euro you can get hot showers etc.
Washing clothes is by hand in most cases or 4/5e for the machine. Drying is the biggest problem. Drying clothes is a bigger problem. We have extra clothes so its not that big of a problem for us. Wear one wash one only works in summer or for those we sit next to that stink so much we move
There are plenty of private places to stay for an average of 40e
These are booked out in advance.
Bike riders get in quick as the 6pm restriction is not adhered to.
Please don't think I am being negative as we love the camino, we are just being honest about what the camino is like right now. I am told by regulars that the camino has changed a lot in recent times.
The common guide books have a lot of old information, old phone numbers etc.
I carry a gps, and have noticed the distance is not correct also. We feel much better now we have a tent as we no longer have to try and race or start walking at 5am.

 

[biloute]

For what it's worth, I just got a message from someone who said camping in France is legal but in Spain it's illegal.

Can anyone confirm this (with an actual rule/law stated somewhere)?

 

[RENSHAW]

Can anyone confirm this (with an actual rule/law stated somewhere)?

Lets bear in mind that the OP has alredy walked the Camino - perhaps she can tell us what it was like camping?

The regulations have been posted a dozen times , somewhere on the forum - it will be quicker to google the info.

Max44 mentions ' stealth' camping which is is good common sense - I can also add that I never pitched my tent in a cultivated field or Vineyard , nor did I ever light a campfire.

 

[Deleted member 3000]

Camping sauvage, camping in the wild in France

There is great confusion as to the legality or illegality or camping in the wild, and whether it is advisable to do so. Pitching a bivouac for the night on public land seems to be legal, as long as it is a dusk-till-dawn pitch; parking a camper van beside the road for the night, or on public land, also seems to be legal, unless it is prohibited by a local bylaw. Camping on private land, with the owner's consent, is legal. Leaving one's waste or emptying one's waste-water from a camper van, is not legal. Particular restrictions apply in national and regional, though responsible hikers, cyclists and campers who stop overnight in these areas do not usually have any problems, as long as they do not clearly flout the law. It is important to remember that laws and bylaws on camping in the wild are mainly there in order to protect the natural environment, to protect heritage areas, to defend the interests of local residents, or to prevent accidents – not to annoy campers.

That "leaving one's waste" part is problematical unless you can make it to the nearest bar in the morning!

Like hotels, regulated campings or campgrounds are classified according to a star-rating system, from one star to four stars, according to their amenities. Compared to a one-star site, a four-star camping is a very different experience indeed. Prices generally reflect the number of stars, the number of people per pitch, and vary according to the period. The average cost of a night's camping for four in the summer holiday peak season is about 28 Euros.

Most campings cater for tents, caravans or mobile homes (camping cars), though with smaller sites it may be advisable to check caravan access. All categories must provide showers, toilets and washing areas – but beyond that there are considerable differences.

Campgrounds are not particularly cheap.

 

[Funkyskier]

This is one of the better threads on Camping! Thank You for the great tips. My wife and I will be walking the CF from SJPdP. Many of the threads related to camping had me discouraged. I thought camping might give us a few more options. I've heard lots about trash and toilet paper and all sorts unsanitary conditions. Our tent is a GoLite Ultra-Light and is not much of a burden. Even if we only camp a few times, it sounds like it will be worth having a tent along with us. Thanks especially for the tip about camping before towns and not after. It sounds like taking short excursions off of the Camino will be worth the extra time and distance. If we are walking 500 Miles, what are a few more here and there to find a camp spot.

 

[Bajaracer]

If you go past the first row of trees in every forest of the Camino, you will find a forty-acre latrine! It is a problem that is partly hidden from view.

Here is my reason for not camping on the Camino Frances.

 

[CaminoJohn]

On two caminos, I camped. Campgrounds, when available, were clean, quiet, and equipped with wonderful bathrooms. Cost was the same as albergues. When no campgrounds were available, most albergues were happy to free up a bed and allow me to camp in the garden/yard with full use of bathroom facilities. I don't recall ever squating behind any trail side bushes! Why would I need too! Camping does not equal environmental befoulment

 

[RENSHAW]

Many of the threads related to camping had me discouraged. I thought camping might give us a few more options.

Search for a recent thread 'Camping in France & Spain' . I have uploaded pics of 3 wild camping spots that you will like.

 

[RENSHAW]

That "leaving one's waste" part is problematical unless you can make it to the nearest bar in the morning!

Quite right Falcon , it is a problem. When I had to , I walked a good few hundred metres away from my tent - away from the Camino. The majority of people who foul the camino path are non camping pilgrims. I have found the biggest culprits to be the 'day trippers' or 'bus tourers' with their day packs. One of the special places that I wanted to camp at this August 2013 , was at a picnic bench just before the Roman bridge after Cirauqui, unfortunately it had been crapped into oblivion - the bench itself was a toilet seat!I thought of taking a photo but I was retching too much. No camper would do this on their own doorstep

 

[Green Tortuga]

Even if we only camp a few times, it sounds like it will be worth having a tent along with us.

If you're only going to camp a few times, I'd suggest leaving the tent behind. I love camping, but I'm a fair-weather camper. =) I'll camp in bad weather if I have to, but the wonderful part about walking the Camino--you can just stay indoors in an albergue if the weather is bad!

So you may as well camp when the weather is nice--and if the weather is nice, you don't really need a tent at all. Sleep under stars. Enjoy the sky. =) And you'll save yourself the weight of a tent. (You'll still want a lightweight groundsheet, though.)

-- Ryan

 

[Deleted member 3000]

The majority of people who foul the camino path are non camping pilgrims

While that is true, sometimes it is useful to consider "what if everyone did it." If 200,000 pilgrims each year decided to camp instead of using albergues, hostales, pensiones, and hoteles, what would the trailside look like? Just because only a handful of pilgrims decided to save money by camping does not mean it is a responsible thing to do. One reason that camping is pretty much restricted to campsites is the lack of sanitary facilities. One reason pilgrims complain about 40-acre latrines is the lack of sanitary facilities. To set out to intentionally contribute to the problem is a bit like starting each day with a pocket of litter with a plan to distribute it along the path.

So I suggest examining everything you do as a pilgrim from the perspective "what if everyone did this?" If it is picking up litter, it might be a good thing. If it is defecating in the woods every morning, perhaps less so...

 

[jennylu]

WOW, I have been away from this thread for about 4 month, because of travelling (first the Camino 1 month and then USA 3 month), and I am excited to see all the posts. I can now tell you that I succeed walking the Camino in June/July with my boyfriend and we managed to sleep in tent most of the time. Only when we really needed a shower and desperately needed to feel spoiled, we then slept in Albergues or hostels. For me the Camino was a once in a lifetime experience and camping was the biggest part of it. I LOVED IT! However you have to remember to leave the place SPOTLESS clean and we advice people to "hide" where it is possible. For me, I loved when I in the morning woke up to the sound of pilgrims walking (walking sticks and small chatting) and these pillgrims having NO CLUE we were in a tent somewhere close.

I would love to help out with any questions. So please personal message me. I have lots of tips and tricks, do's and don'ts.

That said camping is probably not for everyone, but people thinking about it. Send me a message.

 

[obinjatoo@yahoo.com]

Just so you know: "Wild camping" is technically illegal in Spain... There are campgrounds but I only ever saw 1 and it was crowded. But I "wild camped" anyway and if you are walking during the busier seasons, camping is not a bad option as the albergues can fill up and be noisy. Many of the abergues will let you camp on the property if there is space. Many of them had gardens or open spaces that could accomodate a tent. I camped about a third and most of that was on my bike trip TO San Jean through France.
I enjoyed the company of the albergues and I found that much of the Pilrimage for me was the community of people all going in the same direction. Don't miss out on that part.

 

[k1ypp]

Another good thread on this topic, in this forum, is at: http://www.caminodesantiago.me/community/threads/camping-on-the-camino.10865/

 

[Nefeli]

wow ! zammy i can only imagine you are the proud owner of an gitte to react like that!