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Camping is easy. Practice putting your tent up in the garden/park then book yourself into campsites if you don't want to try wild camping which requires a tiny bit more knowledge.
Basic packing list:
- tent
- roll mat and sleeping bag
- some things to carry water, bottles are fine
- stove, gas, pans
- headtorch/torch
- earplugs (by far the best item I bring in terms of value-to-weight ratio)
- warm clothes for the evenings
Aside from that just normal stuff that you'd take anywhere if you were staying away from home (but be ruthless with excess weight).
Put your tent up in such a way that the big surfaces are not facing into the wind. Put it somewhere sheltered, flat and dry (consider where rain will pool if it's dry - don't pitch in a cleft that'll turn into a puddle).
It's really very easy
- tent
frankenbike-
Seen, maybe I have conflated wildcamping and camping here. I reckon I'd probably be okay at sites, and maybe I should do a few sites before trying to wildcamp it up.
Off the top of heads what are some tarmacy routes in france/spain/germany/italy (basically, can I get there with a ferry and my bike) good for a beginner at this?
I know asking a lot but ideal is: ferry, well travelled route so if my newbyness puts me in a predicament there will be places to go / people to ask for help, sunnier than this island.
citygent
Hey bikepackers and tourers. I'm looking for some halp...
This is something i've always wanted to get into more but I'm a very nervous person and would probably overplan the shit out of it; The amount of online material is overwhelming. But you're all nice and clever and trustworthy so I'm asking here...
I have some time between jobs, not tonnes of money, but tonnes of time... The problem is that begins in a week, I've done no planning or thinking, but I do have a fairly suitable bike (I have a Tokyo Wide Open - rear panniers only, 25c tyres).
Last year in a similar predicament but less time, I rode to amsterdam via harwich-hook ferry and had the time of my life. In fact, I left amsterdam early to cycle a bit more around netherlands on a long route back, however this was scuppered by not having place to stay or thinking about it much and ending up in an expensive B&B.
I am utterly clueless when it comes to camping. I've only been a handful of times and it was as a tagalong in a group of people who knew their shit and organised it all.
halp? Super open to thoughts and suggestions.