24 Experience 24 Hours of Wild Camping in Germany 🏕️ – Epic Adventure Awaits!

The first 100 people to use code TOMTHORNTON at the link below will get 60% off of Incogni: https://incogni.com/tomthornton

A weekend where I challenge myself to quit scrolling on the internet and stay alive while camping out in the woods, in the Saxon Switzerland National Park, between Dresden and the Czech border :)

Germans seem to love camping, but as far as I can tell, it's almost always the big, loud, family version, with swimming pools and car parks... but I wanted to camp out in the wilderness as part of a longer hike out in nature.

Can you wild camp in Germany? The answer, pretty much everywhere, is no - BUT... there are a few spots that let you. I was in the Forststeig Elbsandstein, basically a piece of the Sächsische Schweiz. They have certain Biwakplätze and Trekkinghütten where you can camp out. Having a hut right next to you is not exactly *wild* wild, but definitely the closest thing available so that you can Wildcampen in Deutschland, imo. And it's nice to know that there's shelter/first aid/etc there, in an emergency.

subscribe & join the patreon for more https://www.patreon.com/tomthornton

*this is not a hiking guide* - I did a modified version of stages 4 and 5 here: https://www.komoot.com/collection/1284520/der-wilde-forststeig-in-sieben-etappen-durch-das-elbsandsteingebirge (modified to start from the bus stop in Rosenthal-Bielatal and end at the bus stop in Bielatal - I'm actually pretty sure I had the same driver drop me off on Saturday and pick me up on Sunday!) but you should always do your own research on safety, navigation, permits, weather forecasts, forest fires, avalanches, gear, etc, etc. Sequences in this video are drastically shortened (24h of hiking/camping in a 10-minute video), and shown out of order.

Bus travel I checked on the DB Navigator app... but best to double-check with the local services: https://www.rvsoe.de/fahrplan/fahrplaene/fahrradbus

More information on staying overnight in this particular place: https://www.forststeig.sachsen.de/walduebernachtung.html

Trekkingtickets cost 10 euros per person per night (at least, they did when I did it). I bought mine at Pirna, they don't actually sell them at the bus station anymore, but at a nearby office. But there is a list online of where you can buy them.

I also achieved the feat of overnight wild camping with a 30L backpack! I love my new Salomon Trailblazer 30L, I will probably make a short about how good it is, but I felt fine carrying it all weekend, with my tent, food, water etc on my back.

I hope that you're doing well and staying safe.
insta: https://www.instagram.com/tomth0rnton/

#germany #travel #camping

0:00 wild camping in Germany
0:42 planning a hiking and camping trip in Germany
4:10 hiking in the Saxon Switzerland National Park
6:00 camping and trekking huts in Germany
6:42 what I ate while camping and hiking
8:32 Sächsische Schweiz wandern
10:00 bus travel for camping in Germany

Camera: https://amzn.to/3bGGrb2
Microphone I use at home: https://amzn.to/2MtTGTF
My 40L travel backpack: https://amzn.to/3b3Ywkh
SSD I edit from: https://amzn.to/3syP7He