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How to Sleep Outside for Free |
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Backpacking Tips -
Your Travel Tips
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Written by Wade
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 “An uncomfortable bed free is better than a comfortable bed unfree.”
-Jack Kerouac
In
many circumstances, a traveler could find himself outside after
nightfall without a place to seek shelter and, in some cases, without
the monetary resources to rent a bed even if one was available. Or, if
you are traveling by bicycle, hitchhiking, or walking it would be
foolish to plan on entering into developed areas every night solely for
the purpose of finding shelter. In point, when on the tramp, it is
often necessary to sleep under the stars, and, in most instances, the
formal campground is not really an option- as I think they are a waste
of money. The way I see it, the entire world is one big campground ever
welcoming a clever traveler to set up a camp and stay a night- for
free. Parks, cemeteries, highway culverts, forests, strip mall roof
tops, agricultural fields, abandon beaches, the underside of bridges,
and caves usually have open vacancy for all travelers passing by. No
reservations are even required. But be careful, finding a place to camp
on the sly can be a slightly perilous pursuit, though always a true
adventure.
At
the start of this travel tip I would like to say that camping on the
sly has limited use in some countries, and in others it is not really
necessary. For example, if you are traveling by public transport, which
generally jumps from population center to population center and are in
a cheap country, the need to camp out is greatly diminished. If you can
get a nearby room for between $2-$5 then it is an unnecessary risk to
sleep outside. Travelers get robbed in Latin America. Travelers
disappear in Africa. The same can be said of many other regions of the
world. I remember reading a post by Andy the Hobo Traveler.com where he
wrote about travelers who disappear while camping on the sly in Africa,
and I must say that it is true:
“- A person has to be a Fou, has to be a NUT, and has to want to die to live in a tent and camp in West Africa. -
NOTE:
Just because you never heard of a person, dying when they are camping
does not mean it does not happen A missing traveler is only missed by
his family and friends, they just vanish.”
Andy the Hobotraveler.com, from his blog post I Was Once Lost But Now I Am Found
I
was traveling in the jungles of Peru in 2001, and I met a French girl
in Puculpa who was searching for her lost brother. Two years before
they were backpacking together in Peru, and one night her brother left
the hotel to go out and quickly grab something from a store. He never
returned. True story. He was never found. The girl went on with stories
about how she thinks that he may have ran off into the jungle and was
now living with some indigenous tribe; she showed me his photograph as
well as the area on a map that she figured he could be it. I did not
have the heart to say it, but I knew that her brother was probably
dead.
So I
must assert here that if you are traveling in a potentially dangerous
country where you can get a cheap room without too much difficulty
(Central and South America, Africa, parts of Asia), take it. I feel
that the risk to money ratio in these places directs one to err on the
side of safety. But if you are traveling an expensive country like
Europe, the USA, Canada, Japan, a somewhat benign country like China;
are riding a bike, walking, or hitch-hiking and cannot have regular
access to cheap accommodation, or you truly do not have any money, I
write this travel tip for you based off of my own experience.
Places to Sleep:
Under
ordinary circumstances a traveler would want to find an inconspicuous
place to sleep where there is little chance of detection; but be
warned, if you happen to be found in such a remote location it could
mean trouble. The very discreet nature of camping on the sly means that
if you are perchance detected by a group of drunks, thieves, or angry
landowners there will probably be nobody to come to your aid. It is
both safer and more dangerous to sleep in remote locations. Be careful,
choose your camp wisely.
Good places where I usually try to camp:
1. Forests or woods near highways far away from any city or town.
2.
In the bushes near expressway junctures or by on and off ramps. Usually
people, unless hitchhiking or weird, do not frequent areas near major
express ways.
3.
Along hiking trails in the mountains or forests. This is just like
formal camping only without paying. It is a good move to prepare in
advance to sleep in such places, as sometimes it takes a little time to
find trail heads or get to the nature area.
4.
Under bridges outside of the realm of urban influence. Get far away
from cities before sleeping under a bridge least you may have some
unexpected company.
5.
Hotel parking lots if you have a vehicle. In adjacent fields if you are
on foot or bike. Hotels often own mowed fields with trees and bushes
for shelter.
6.
If in Asia you can sleep in old shrines, monasteries, and temples.
These have long been the sleeping places for travelers in East Asia.
Old religious buildings provide for great nights of sleep.
7.
On hills that overlook small villages. Often times hill tops around
small villages are left vacant. Climbing up during the day will allow
you to find a good place to camp.
8. On beaches. Be sure to get into a part of the beach that will probably not be frequented by mid-night frolicers.
9.
Universities. If you are young looking, you can usually pull off being
on university campuses late at night. Just act like you belong there
and find yourself a sleeping place in advance during the day light
hours. If you are accosted by a security guard just act offended and
say that you are a student. If you are in a foreign country just speak
your native tongue and try to brush off your
Bad places that I usually try to avoid camping:
1. In or anywhere near cities.
2. Parks, unless nature reserves, very, very large, or you find a really good place to camp.
3.
Highly trafficked areas. Sometimes even rural areas attract a large
amount of early morning traffic. Get away from roads or paths. Just
because a place seems deserted at night, does not mean that it will be
in the morning.
4. Abandon buildings. You never know what you may find inside.
Things to consider:
1.
Is the location out of the zone of urban influence? Try to avoid
sleeping in cities or near them if you can help it. Large cities can
have a zone of influence of around 50 km; to camp on the sly within
this radius requires a good amount of diligence. Be careful, even if a
location outside of a city seems to be agricultural, it could still be
within the zone of urban influence. If you are hitchhiking, biking, or
walking as a means of traveling, think twice before entering into a
large urban area if you are not sure that you can get out before
nightfall.
2.
Will you be hidden? Opt out of an area that people my frequent after
nightfall. If you are on a beach, get away from any area that may
attract people partying in the night. In point, find somewhere that is
a little difficult to get to.
3.
Will you be detected as you get in and set up camp? If you have to walk
past populated areas to get to a possible place to camp, then you may
want to reconsider it. Try to find a place that people do not really
go.
4. Do
you think the police patrol the area? The police are a traveler’s
biggest danger in any country. If caught by the police, be honest about
everything. Usually they will just tell you to be careful and let you
camp out the night.
5.
What day of the week is it? Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights are
often blossom with drunks in many areas. Stay away from all potential
drinking areas- accessible beaches included.
When to go in and when to leave:
Get
in late and get out early. This is a general rule for camping on the
sly. But in some more remote areas, especially if you have a bicycle
and real camping equipment, setting up camp before sundown could be a
really good idea, and it is sometimes nice to have a nice restful
morning after waking up in the middle of a beautiful forest.
I just always have a paranoia about people noticing me going into a
place that I would like to sleep in. I want to have a clear mind to
enjoy a beautiful night outside; I do not want to be thinking about who
saw me preparing my camp and if they are going to surprise me in the
night.
What to do if you are caught:
1.
Act cool. I was once woken up by a crack addict in the middle of the
night once while sleeping in a hotel field near New York City. I acted
cool, and told the the guy where I thought he could buy some crack in
the hotel. I turned out to be right.
2.
Act like a lunatic. Seriously, I believe that most people in this world
think that people who sleep outside are potentially nuts. Act crazy. If
you have been camping on the sly for a while then you probably look a
little disheveled anyway. Run with it.
3.
Run. Just jump out of your sleeping bag and run away in your underroos.
I do not think that many people want to be chase naked people around in
the woods. Once the potential threat is gone you can go back and
collect whatever is left of your belongings.
4.
Fight. If your intruders are hostile, and you think that you are in
danger no matter what you do, fight. It is my feeling that you will
have a better chance fighting than meeting aggression with passiveness.
If you found a good secluded place to camp, then there will probably
not be anybody to come to your aid or any witnesses. I sleep with a
knife next to me at all times, though I think I do this just for
comfort, I do not plan on ever using it. Running is usually always a
better alternative than fighting. You never know what may happen in the
night.
5. Yell. Reprimand your potential assailant and act stronger than they are.
6.
Listen. The person waking you up may not always have negative
intentions. Gauge the situation before you decide on a course of
action. People still do nice things in this world; maybe someone is
just worried about you sleeping outside and wants to offer assistance.
I have had this happen repeatedly in Japan.
Equipment:
I
tend to not carry much of anything with me while traveling. I just have
a mid-size rucksack that is only scarcely larger than a school child’s
back pack and sometimes a supplemental smaller bag. But I do carry the
following articles in case I ever need to quickly make camp:
A plastic tarp
A lighter or waterproof matches
A lightweight sleeping bag
A headlamp or flashlight
A Swiss Army Knife
Some sort of weapon
A
plastic tarp, like the ones used on construction sites, is an extremely
useful addition to any traveler’s gear assemblage. They are
lightweight, durable, waterproof, and, on cold nights, even warm. These
tarps can be used for many different purposes while on the road. They
can be made into decent tents with a few lengths of rope, they are good
to lay down under your sleeping bag, and they can even be used to wrap
up in in a rain storm. From where I am standing, the tarp is
indespensible.
It
may seem a little odd for me to suggest carrying a weapon, but I would
not leave the front door of my parent’s farm without one. I carry a one
hand quick opening, preferably black bladed knife in my right hand
pocket, a sheathed hunting knife on the front of my belt (not the back
), and sometimes I have been known to travel with a large “walking”
stick. Up to now- 8 years- I have not had to use any of them. If I were
in a situation in which I needed to use any of these weapons it would
seriously need to be a life or death situation, and I honestly do not
know how I would fare. It would take a very dire situation to provoke
me to pull my knife, but I do know that if I ever have to do so, I had
better try my best to use it quickly. Because I know that if someone is
bold enough to threaten my life, they probably will not be intimidated
by my four inch hunting knife. I do believe that running away or
submitting to attacks is usually a better option than fighting back. In
eight years, I have been attacked three times- two times I fought back
just enough to get away, and once I completely submitted. I believe I
acted appropriately in each instance. My only advice here is to trust
your instincts . . . they usually know best.
In Conclusion:
If
you are traveling by bicycle, walking, or hitchhiking, then you should
prepare to sleep outside often, but if you are generally traveling by
public transport between population centers then it is rare that you
cannot find a room (the problem is if you can afford to sleep in it ).
In Europe and Japan the cost of a cheap place to stay is far beyond my
means, and I find myself seeking free accommodation or the woods almost
every night- and I plan accordingly. But in Latin America, the Indian
subcontinent, and Southeast Asia I find that am rarely ever financially
required to seek refuge outside. I usually spend between $5-$12 a day
in these places including a decent bed, and I live like a king- to
sleep outside in these places would only be for the fun and adventure
of doing so, or to get to really remote areas.
In all, camping on the sly is fun. It requires you use all of your senses and intuition, is always exciting, and sometimes even frightening.
In my opinion, this is what traveling is all about.
This travel tip is only backed by my own experience. my experience is all that I know. As always, take it or leave it.
Walk Slow,
Wade from:
Vagabond Journey.com
Wade
P. Shepard has
been on a continuous vagabond journey around the world for more
than eight years- over thirty countries on five continents. He has
wandered into the outback of Mongolia, lived in a monastery in Tibet,
ate a puppy in China, danced with mystics in India, thought he was a
gardener in Ireland, braved the souqs of North Africa, and got really
lost in Patagonia. Throughout all of this, he has been working
diligently on
his travel blog, Song of the Open Road, at: http://www.OpenRoadSong.com and his website Vagabond Journey, at: http://www.VagabondJourney.com, as well as pawning off various travel articles to unsuspecting magazines for food. |
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