East Devon Trail

[rivers]

I'm planning on riding the East Dwvon Trail with friends in May. We're planning on wild camping, which none of us have much experience with. Can anyone recommend some areas that might be suitable along the route for wild camping, as well as any tips or hints? We all have plenty of camping experience, but at campsites.
Thanks

[whitestone]

Not specific to Devon or even the East Devon Trail but generally...

• Arrive late and leave early.
• Pick somewhere that you can't see any house lights - if you can't see them then it's less likely that they can see you.
• Don't flash your lights around, i.e. don't draw attention to yourself. The countryside is *very* dark at night and those of us who live in rural locations know where the neighbour's lights are so any light that appears in an unexpected spot raises attention.
• Similarly don't make lots of noise.
• No fires. Apart from causing damage, the smell draws attention to you.

Given sufficient cover you can be quite close to roads and paths and not be seen. Gorse is a good example, it's also a great windbreak.

Using the above list, have a wander around your local area and try and spot potential sites. Just sit there in daylight and see if anyone notices you. You should soon find out what works and what doesn't

[JackT]

Obviously some of us prefer the stealthy approach, but the current issue of Arrivée magazine (AudaxUK mag) has a great article on a wild camping tour around the UK. It contains probably the best step-by-step instructions I've ever read on how to ask for permission to camp on someone's land.

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/zt46qwok ... hzort&dl=0

[samwise]

We stayed at this campsite on the route which is 'nearly' wild camping, just a compost loo: https://www.komoot.com/highlight/3099497

Avoid the Woodbury common military training area

[RIP]

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/zt46qwok ... hzort&dl=0

What a fab article, thanks for pointing it out Jack. Bob Whitestone has of course given some expert tips about wild-wildcamping - having a local "test run" finding places without actually kipping there is an excellent idea - but as Emma has beautifully demonstrated wildcamping doesn't have to be wild to be a lot of fun.

Wherever you stop, as a "beginner" it's probably best to switch on what I call my "spot radar" well before dusk and start looking for your stopping spot. Faffing with gear and setting it up in the dark can be challenging if you're not used to it.

After getting into wildcamping it took me a little while to realise that existing shelter can give you an equally good, if somewhat different, experience to self-erected shelter. Emma has explained how you can approach a landowner and simply ask nicely if you can kip on their land. It can lead to some superb stories - getting fed, helping with jobs on their land, meeting new people etc.

Pubs are an obvious choice. Buy a drink, get chatting to the owner and customers. After a while say that you'd love to stay for loads more drinks and food but, oh dear, have nowhere to sleep and maybe you could kip in the garden or outhouse please? I've done this numerous times and not been refused once. One time I even ended up sleeping on the actual bar floor with all the drinks around me!

A "third way" is something I really enjoy - looking out for suitable old buildings (or, often, what's left of them!). I've kipped in old barns (supremely comfy in the hay), caves, churches, doorways, disused caravans, hen houses, industrial buildings, anything with a roof. Or part of a roof. We each have our own "morals", and my main one is never break anything to enter. If the door is open (or no door!), or even a window, it's fair game. Climbing a gate or fence is right at the edge of what I'm prepared to do in an emergency.

In Here, we tend not to offer advice on specific spots. Not being rude in the least, but firstly it's best not to draw attention to them publicly for obvious reasons, but also it's much more fun and satisfying to find them yourself .

To me, the shelter aspect of bikepacking is easily as interesting and entertaining as the biking part. Good luck on the journey!

[jameso]

A "third way" is something I really enjoy - looking out for suitable old buildings. I've kipped in old barns (supremely comfy in the hay!), caves, churches, doorways, disused caravans, hen houses, industrial buildings, anything with a roof. Or part of a roof. We each have our own "morals", and my main ones is never break anything to enter. If the door is open (or no door!) it's fair game. Climbing a gate is right at the edge of what I'm prepared to do in an emergency.

Love this one. I rode down through France N-S and did a week in Wales both travelling really light with just a minimal bag and bivi bag and aiming to use 'found shelter' along the way if the weather was less than perfect. Ended up in a few interesting places and some memorable spots, some offered by folks in a pub, some found that were either great or lesson-learningly daft decisions. I love the game it can create late in a day. I've taken a tarp on subsequent trips round Wales ; )

[RIP]

As Jack mentions, the stealthy approach is generally best, but some advanced practitioners of the art (or indeed game, as James says) even advocate "hiding in plain sight". I'm a big fan of that too. Obviously a more thorough set of pre-installation checks than with other methods needs to be carried out before you lay your gear out, but I've done village greens several times, graveyards, and pub car parks. Generally the Normals fall into two camps: a/ they'll give you a (very) wide berth, or b/ they'll come up and be really interested in what you're up to and you'll add a nice chat to the score sheet. Option c/ (being duffed up and chucked in the canal) is obviously a possibility if you haven't done your pre-checks properly . If people look a bit stroppy just tell them that you're Mike from Bromsgrove and you'll be fine!

I hugely recommend getting hold of a copy of this book, to see how much fun it is blagging a place to kip. Two guys attempt LEJOG by bike. Except they start without bikes. Or any plan at all. Or money. Or indeed clothes, apart from their shreddies.....

[fatbikephil]

Or Reg you could kip in a complete strangers garden shed

[RIP]

Sshh! I wasn't going to mention that one! They might be listening in... it was an honest mistake.. it could have happened to any of us.. honest...

[Bearbonesnorm]

I meant to mention 'plain sight' yesterday but Reg has now done so. I've found that sometimes the more public a place, the less chance you have of anyone questioning you. Maybe it's something to do with 'ownership' and no one feels like they own a park bench, bus stop or bandstand, so in most cases will simply give you a slightly odd look but walk on by.

[JackT]

I meant to mention 'plain sight' yesterday but Reg has now done so. I've found that sometimes the more public a place, the less chance you have of anyone questioning you. Maybe it's something to do with 'ownership' and no one feels like they own a park bench, bus stop or bandstand, so in most cases will simply give you a slightly odd look but walk on by.

And no matter how stealthy you think you're being, the 5am dog walkers will always find you.

[Lazarus]

no one feels like they own a park bench, bus stop or bandstand,

Agreed as I do a fair amount of bivvvging on canals* for that reason. Norway the " landowner" can challenge you

Numbers also help and IIMHO 3 of you are unlikely to get any issues / be challenged on " common" land

* also tend to feel quite rural in urban areas but zero chance of not being seen. Usually folk ask what you are up to in a frienfly enquiring manner and yet to be challenged ( some dog walkers clearly look down on you but don't speak)

[Bearbonesnorm]

And no matter how stealthy you think you're being, the 5am dog walkers will always find you.

Always. A few years ago on the IoM, a Lab' did its very best to gain entry to Chew's bivvy bag - the owner didn't approach but tried to get the dogs attention from a safe 100 yards with a loud and increasingly frustrated whisper. Happy days.

[rivers]

Thanks for the tips. Very informative. Also, I wasn't looking for exact spots, just kind of a general "in between these areas there are a few spots that are good"