Camping-out tips Book a room with a view

The answer to this question may vary from state to state in Germany because each state has its own envir­on­mental-protection and forestry laws. Germany takes a different approach to the great outdoors than Nordic countries do. The Scand­inavians employ a principle called “everyman’s rights” and permit all citizens to use nature. As a rule in Germany, you may not camp out in nature sanc­tuaries, on private property or in gardens. Areas that are otherwise considered to be public property and forests will vary from place to place. We therefore recommend that you determine just what is permitted in an area before you camp out there. Once you have found a location, you should make sure that it is not near any hunting blinds, feeding sites or bodies of water.

Keep one other thing in mind after you have selected your camp site: You should leave it as you found it!

Naturally, this rule applies to everything you do, not just camp-outs in nature. You should also take any rubbish that you produced with you when you leave the campsite in the morning. You should take along a rubbish bag for this purpose. As a rule, you should think carefully about the things that you really need and want to take along before you set off. By taking this approach, you can avoid producing any unne­cessary plastic waste or other rubbish from the very start. You will save yourself a lot of clean-up work as well.

It is hard to come up with a general answer to this question. It all boils down to your own personal pref­erences. Nonetheless, you should definitely check on conditions before you set out. And you should cancel your camping plans if snow, thun­der­storms or extremely hot weather is forecast. As a rule, the best time to camp out is when the temper­atures are moderate. If you are planning to make your very first camping adventure, it makes sense to find a campsite that is near home. By doing so, you can always spon­tan­eously decide to go home if you are not partic­ularly comfortable or the weather changes.

The same rule that applies to hiking also applies here: Take only the things that you will definitely need and forget the rest!

You should always have a warm sleeping bag and a sleeping pad. We also recommend that you use a small tent or a bivi sack. You will definitely need a mosquito net or something else that will keep away unwanted small animals and insects. Take some water and small snacks with you as well. A Thermos flask filled with tea or another warm beverage also makes good sense. Warm clothing is another must because the temperature can fall sharply at night. Your packing list should also include a torch or head torch and a small first-aid kit. And don’t forget your mobile. You want to be able to commu­nicate with the outside world at any time.

When you camp out in the woods, you certainly may run across an animal or two. But remember this: Wild boars, wolves and friends are frequently more afraid of people than people are afraid of them. It is highly unlikely that these generally shy animals will attack you. But it is a different story for things like spiders, beetles and flies. They are drawn to your body heat in the dark and seek it out at night. Watch out for ticks in particular during certain times of year. You should definitely look for any tick bites after you get up on the next morning.

Here are a few other rules to keep in mind as well:

When many people think about camping out, they think of campfires. You simply collect the wood you need during the day, and then you can build a warm, cosy fire in the evening. We certainly understand why you may think this way. But remember one thing: Most German states prohibit open-air campfires. Wet wood will quickly produce sparks that pose a major fire threat. The fire may also disturb animals in the woods. For these reasons, you should not build any fires when you camp out.