An increasingly fashionable mode of travel among lovers of adventure, nature and hiking, bivouacs are practiced all over the world. So why not in your country of expatriation? Be careful, the rules are not the same in all countries…
What is the bivouac?
Already, we must not confuse wild camping and bivouac: the first is a camp in the middle of nature often for several days and sometimes with a vehicle, while the second lasts only one night and remains minimalist (a canvas tent and that’s it), just allowing roaming hikers to rest.
While wild camping is very often prohibited, bivouacs can be tolerated in many countries. This is the case in France, for example, except in a few national parks which prohibit it, on roads, in classified natural sites, next to historical monuments, on the beach and less than 200 meters from water used for consumption according to LégiFrance.
The basic rules
Apart from official legislation, there are also some common sense rules, valid everywhere in the world, that every bivouacer must know:
- be as discreet as possible;
- pitch your tent at nightfall and leave at dawn;
- respect the environment and leave no trace of its passage;
- do not pitch your tent on private land, or else ask the owner for permission beforehand;
- if you want a short shower with soap or to relieve yourself, do not do it directly in the waterways to avoid polluting;
- avoid risky places to set up the tent (under a fragile tree, near water, near a herd, etc.).
And abroad ?
Each country has its own regulations. And even sometimes to each region or each national park. It is therefore advisable to be well informed before leaving for a specific place for a bivouac. Here is some info for some countries…
- Denmark. According to the website of the Danish Ministry of the Environment, it is allowed to bivouac on public land – however access is prohibited to vehicles – and to pick up fallen branches to make a fire on the place reserved for this. , but not to chop wood.
- New Zealand. The bivouac is generally allowed, with the same rules as elsewhere, such as leaving nature clean. For this, the Campermate application, adapted to New Zealand and Australia, allows you to find the appropriate places to bivouac or even the nearest public toilets. As in France, however, there are preserved sites where bivouacs are prohibited, which you can find on the New Zealand Ministry of Conservation website.
- Nordic countries. In Norway, Sweden and Finland, the bivouac is king! Thanks to the law General Court, which gives anyone the right to enjoy nature, bivouacs and even wild camping are authorized in these countries. But with some conditions all the same according to the official portal for travel in Norway: stay more than 150 meters from any dwelling and do not disturb the fauna and flora.