Wild camping represents a wonderful option to sleep closer to nature and travel freely at the pace of your desires. Before enjoying your freedom with your van or roof tent, however, good preparation is necessary to have the right equipment and know the rules to follow. To help you plan your next getaways, we suggest discover the regulations on wild camping in France and our advice to equip you well.
Know the regulations on wild camping in France
What does the law say about wild camping?
According to article R111-32, “camping is freely practiced, outside the limits of public roads and thoroughfares, with the agreement of the person who has use of the land, subject, where applicable, to opposition of the owner. » Generally speaking, the law therefore authorizes wild camping provided that authorization is requested from the owner places. However, many restrictions are added to this law. To spend nights with complete peace of mind and avoid heavy penalties in certain cases, we advise you to carefully identify the places where you cannot stay.
Places where wild camping is prohibited
Wild camping is prohibited on the sea shoreson the classified natural sites and on sites awaiting classification. Likewise, it is not allowed to sleep near the historical monuments. You must move far enough away from listed buildings or saved sectors so as not to be visible. Another restriction is that it is also prohibited to camp within 200 meters of a water point that is piped for consumption.
You should also know that many places are prohibited by specific municipal decrees. In this case, a sign must indicate this prohibition to warn travelers. Before installing your van or setting up your roof tent, we therefore recommend that you check that there are no restrictions that apply to your area.
Camping in national parks
For regional and national parks, the regulations are more complex since each park has its own rules. Depending on the location of your vacation, find out directly from the park where you wish to sleep or on the lecampingsauvage.fr website. In many national parks, be aware that bivouac is often permitted and stricter rules apply for wild camping. Bivouac consists of sleeping under the stars or pitching your light tent in nature for a single night. It is therefore very common for hikers who explore national parks and well tolerated. For its part, wild camping is carried out with a vehicle and travelers sleep directly in their van or often set up camp for several days. National parks may therefore be more resistant to this practice.
Tips for wild camping in France
Beyond choosing an authorized location, we advise you to take into account some logical advice to practice wild camping without problems in France. First of all, it is important to respect the environment. As a camper, you love nature. When leaving, you must therefore leave the place as you found it. We also recommend that you don't spread yourself out too much and put your things away before sleeping. It is also strategic toarrive late and leave early to be as accepted as possible. Finally, we suggest that you equip yourself well to practice wild camping in order to optimize your experience.
Be well equipped for wild camping
While wild camping allows you to experience a unique adventure in nature, it requires being well equipped. You will not have the facilities that you can find in a campsite and you must anticipate your needs to enjoy your evenings and nights with complete peace of mind. To help you equip yourself, we offer here some epic items that we believe are essential for wild camping. This list is not exhaustive and you can obviously adapt it by adding or removing elements depending on your vehicle and your type of trip.
In all cases, note that we systematically advise you to opt for quality material. For your roof tents, electric stations, electric coolers or even foldable furniture items, we suggest the Avendoor brand which offers quality equipment specially designed for wild camping. Also remember to select items that are as light as possible and to think about your personal needs before purchasing.
Equipment for sleeping
The main thing about wild camping is that you can get a good night's sleep. If you do not have a converted van, you must carefully select the roof tent with a size perfectly adapted to your vehicle but also to your need for space. Also equip yourself with sleeping bags, pillows, floor mats or even warm duvets.
Equipment to have energy
In nature, you must anticipate your energy needs for the devices in your van but also to charge your phones. Even for a weekend, we advise you to always have at least one external battery. For longer, we suggest you invest in a portable power station which will allow you to power all your devices.
Equipment for cooking
Cooking while wild camping is often an experience in its own right. To be best equipped, we advise you to purchase a stove where you can cook in complete freedom. Do not hesitate to also bet on a barbecue grill for your summer evenings. To preserve your food, there are electric coolers or portable refrigerators which will make you happy. In your auxiliary kitchen, we also advise you to install a water filter.
Equipment for peaceful camping
Finally, there is plenty of equipment that will allow you to deal with all situations but also to make the most of your experience. Therefore, we recommend, among other things, that you take with you a survival kita headlamp, lighters, a Swiss army knife or even laundry detergent. For your picnics or moments of relaxation, don't forget your folding tables and chairs.
Before you leave, all you have to do now is think about the practical organization of your equipment and decide where and when to go camping in France.
