[Closed] Bikepacking/Touring - Finding a place to bivi

Wales?

any uk trail center within a huge forest.
little tracks and paths shooting off everywhere in most of them.

So I should aim for wooded areas?

Woods. Or dips in the hills a bit away from roads / paths

Basically anywhere you can't see a path is fair game.

Or just pitch late and start early and you can go pretty much anywhere you please.

I've bivvied in deep woods about 20 metres from a busy path without anyone spotting me. Oh and just off the thames path, on an edge in the Peak District etc. Always been fine.

Unless it's somewhere with a lot of rangers / on a farmers field or whatever, it's unlikely anyone will care anyway.

You need this book:

http://tinyurl.com/cxh6zlr (The Book of The Bivvy)

Apart from been a damn fine read it will give you all sorts of advice, such as what to do if it rains (get wet) and great places to bivvy.

On a side note, woods are great, especially at this time of year as they give you shelter and the temperature will generally not fall as quickly. However you don't wake up to a cracking view like you can if you sleep on top of a mountain.

Even the top of Leith Hill near the tower was fine - lady comes and tells us we can't camp there, but only at 8am, so no problems.

joemarshall - Member
Or just pitch late and start early and you can go pretty much anywhere you please.

That was the strategy over summer where I didn't have to stop riding until 9/10, but looking to winter and setting up camp at 7pm is a bit daunting.

A couple of areas to avoid in winter are valley bottoms and anywhere close to water ... both will be cold. Trees will give you shelter and anything between you and the (clear) sky will hold the heat and limit condensation forming.

Just consider that if you can see habitation then they can also see you (or at least any light you have) 😉

The light thing is the worry. Would usually just set up camp, cook, read for a bit, sleep. But obviously doing it by headtorch etc. I'm quite visible.

Just take a bottle of whisky, and memorise some of the ghost stories from the earlier thread. You'll not need a book.

I have a petzl torch with a red led headlight option, useful when bivied in less-remote places where a bright light is seen a long way. Doesn't mess up your night vision as much either. Recommended.

I use an Alpkit one, sure that's got a red light. Green too.

Google stealth camping

The forestry commission sit in an office, they don't get up a 2am with a shotgun to check out the lights. Farmers do.

I have found beaches are good, just look like a night fisherman, or camp near the guys fishing.

Being told you can't bivi on a beach leads to a fun conversation. "so I am not allowed to lie down on this beach and sleep? But I can come back at 10am erect a beach tent, and sleep in the sun all day? "

You can bivi below the High Water Mark. That's owned by the Crown, not the owner of the adjacent land.

Beach camping could be a good shout, I've never tried it.

[i]You can bivi below the High Water Mark.[/i]

You might want to check the tide times first though...

I have found beaches are good, just look like a night fisherman, or camp near the guys fishing.

Have an evening beach barbecue and fire then when it gets dark look around the coast see how many people are doing the same thing!

In my experience, if you are up in the mountains you are unlikely to be bothered. Even RSRs are not averse to the idea, it ties in with their old skool attitude.

I like to look for a spot not too far from a ROW, near-ish some water and where the contours spread out a bit with an extra loop, [url= http://streetmap.co.uk/map.srf?x=265595&y=348220&z=120&sv=265595,348220&st=4&ar=y&mapp=map.srf&searchp=ids.srf&dn=637&ax=265595&ay=348220&lm=0 ]like say.. here.[/url]

Because it's next to a lake, I'd say that spot's pretty flat. There's running water nearby, and the stream comes straight off the hillside without going far so it's probably quite drinkable. It may be marshy though, you need to have a few backup options not too far away 🙂

molgrips - Member
I like to look for a spot not too far from a ROW, near-ish some water and where the contours spread out a bit with an extra loop, like say.. here.

molgrips - Member
and the stream comes straight off the hillside without going far so it's probably quite drinkable.