24 hours WILD CAMPING in Germany

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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.
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this is not a hiking guide - I did a modified version of stages 4 and 5 here: www.komoot.com/collection/128... (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: www.rvsoe.de/fahrplan/fahrpla...
More information on staying overnight in this particular place: www.forststeig.sachsen.de/wal...
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: / 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: amzn.to/3bGGrb2
Microphone I use at home: amzn.to/2MtTGTF
My 40L travel backpack: amzn.to/3b3Ywkh
SSD I edit from: amzn.to/3syP7He

Пікірлер: 97

  • @ChrisAurora
    @ChrisAurora11 ай бұрын

    As a norwegian, the thought of having to buy a permit to put up my tent in one of the countrys few pre-designated camping zones is bewildering and thoroughly foreign :)

  • @thornton

    @thornton

    11 ай бұрын

    Haha, you are one of the “other European countries” I meant right at the start 😅 what a country 🇳🇴🇳🇴🇳🇴🇳🇴

  • @hfb_blaacc2591

    @hfb_blaacc2591

    11 ай бұрын

    I'm from Germany and very much annoyed that this is the situation. I'd love to be able to just camp somewhere that is not a special zone, even more so because there are none close to me.

  • @miamitv7725

    @miamitv7725

    11 ай бұрын

    ​@@hfb_blaacc2591True, Norwegen is schon echt geil

  • @kylemore9142

    @kylemore9142

    11 ай бұрын

    The same here in Scotland where the right to wild camp (with a few sensible exceptions) is enshrined in law.

  • @Dschukis

    @Dschukis

    11 ай бұрын

    Norway is larger than Germany, but only has a population of 5 million people. Germany has a population of over 80 million people. Wild camping does not work in Germany.

  • @theProfessaurus
    @theProfessaurus11 ай бұрын

    you’re one of those youtubers you just click on immediately when you see a recent upload. awesome stuff man

  • @thornton

    @thornton

    11 ай бұрын

    😭 thank you

  • @StreetCarma
    @StreetCarma11 ай бұрын

    I grew up next to a forest in Germany, close to the french border. As a kid we camped in the woods from time to time, kept out tents hidden, cause it was our turf and we knew the safe spots. No one ever found out. 😅

  • @mikeschumacher
    @mikeschumacher11 ай бұрын

    Good story! I'd probably bring a book and a paper map for next time. Food-wise you'll figure it out, but a lot of dried foods have high salt content so you'd need more water to compensate.

  • @nigelmontague9931
    @nigelmontague993111 ай бұрын

    How do you always know what sort of video I want to watch. It's been super busy at work for the last 3 weeks. And your video is the perfect way to help me unwind. Cheers Tom. Like the sound of the Incognito as well. I'll probably give them a go. 👍👍

  • @thornton

    @thornton

    11 ай бұрын

    the forest is a mind reader 🌳🏕

  • @ChrisAurora
    @ChrisAurora11 ай бұрын

    Also: about the gold markers / gold coins: I use the same gamified strategy when walking on marked trails with the kids: When they start getting tired or their mood drops. I make it a game to locate the next trail marker, and suddenly, without them noticing, we've arrived at our destination :)

  • @thornton

    @thornton

    11 ай бұрын

    I always knew I had the brain of a child 🏃🏻

  • @TheOdderlbert

    @TheOdderlbert

    11 ай бұрын

    now that im reading that... my grandpa did that when hiking with my little brother and me. what a sneaky legend.

  • @user-lx1lu8qr7e
    @user-lx1lu8qr7eАй бұрын

    Sat here with a pint of Guinness doing some prep for my German hiking adventure next week, you are a man of good taste ;)

  • @gulden_lover
    @gulden_lover11 ай бұрын

    Great story! I enjoyed every minute of it.

  • @thornton

    @thornton

    11 ай бұрын

    Thank you 🙏🏽

  • @MonoToneGrayOutside
    @MonoToneGrayOutside11 ай бұрын

    The coins on the tree is an amazing idea, the adventure video game feel, very nostalgic

  • @Zuckerbrot78
    @Zuckerbrot7811 ай бұрын

    Glad to hear plenty of birds in the background. When I was camping in the Pfälzerwald last weekend, the woods were dead silent except for the occasional kestrel or buzzard.

  • @thornton

    @thornton

    11 ай бұрын

    oh boy they were loud in this forest. It was nice :)

  • @marnowsky107
    @marnowsky10711 ай бұрын

    How a 10 minutes video seems like 2 minutes. Can't wait for next video

  • @noname-gv3ct
    @noname-gv3ct11 ай бұрын

    It's understandable that you wanted to be on the safe side, but on the other hand... You can pretty easily wild camp everywhere in Germany if you are out of peoples sight, I never got cought :) Last weekend i slept right on the beach of the baltic sea only 100m from a free and clean public toilet, and that was actually legal^^

  • @thornton

    @thornton

    11 ай бұрын

    that's awesome, but last weekend ?? bro it was rainy everywhere, no? respect!

  • @noname-gv3ct

    @noname-gv3ct

    11 ай бұрын

    @@thornton there was only a little bit of rain on Saturday and I set up camp after it had passed at 11pm :) sleeping at a beach is definitely a great experience, you should try that for one of your next adventures. With the 49€ ticket its pretty easy to go to the Baltic sea, you already know the re3 from Lutherstadt Wittenberg

  • @TetraDax
    @TetraDax11 ай бұрын

    It's somewhat funny to hear you talk about having to make progress, all the while knowing for each shot you had to walk back to get the camera

  • @thornton

    @thornton

    11 ай бұрын

    🙈🙈

  • @MonoToneGrayOutside
    @MonoToneGrayOutside11 ай бұрын

    Been working on self shooting it takes so much patience, so hat off to you as the self shot content is always quality, great story telling as always 🏕️

  • @thornton

    @thornton

    11 ай бұрын

    Thanks!

  • @prosperouspsw
    @prosperouspsw11 ай бұрын

    Oh my, these are just getting better and better. The coffee, the hair, the hat the camping. You made this so pleasurable with how happy you made this feel. I get a sense of glee when I see your videos. You made me try and be a fast as you on the country naming video you made. I tried so many times. Such a good day to end it with your videos

  • @clint2814
    @clint281411 ай бұрын

    Beautiful. Nicely produced, as usual!

  • @kylemore9142
    @kylemore914211 ай бұрын

    Your lovely views of the dawnlight over the countryside reminds me of the work of my favourite German Artist David Casper Friedrich.

  • @driliz
    @driliz11 ай бұрын

    Thanks for another great video!

  • @Neil-ii3dp
    @Neil-ii3dp11 ай бұрын

    Tom Thornton channeling Kraig Adams

  • @SilverNightKyle
    @SilverNightKyle11 ай бұрын

    Tom’s Zeldaesque Adventure… ⛰️

  • @TheTravellingScotsman
    @TheTravellingScotsman11 ай бұрын

    great video, and happy to see you're getting sponsors!

  • @TrangleC
    @TrangleC7 ай бұрын

    Being a German with a very low opinion on German media, I don't envy people trying to learn German by listening to German podcasts and the such. Doing the same thing in the opposite direction was so much easier and more pleasant, I am sure. I learned more English from watching shows like South Park and from Hollywood movies back in the 1990s than I learned in school. When I got into English language podcasts I had good, entertaining stuff to chose from, like the stuff on Kevin Smith's podcast network or the Joe Rogan Experience. I don't know of any German podcasts that I would consider worth listening to. Learning the language that way must be just as much of a tedious chore as doing it the old fashioned way from textbooks and audio courses.

  • @skaterzhd3907
    @skaterzhd390711 ай бұрын

    Hi! I’m from dresden and I’m wildcamping quite often. The „sächsische Schweiz“ is not a good place for real wildcamping, because they are controlling these area a lot. In the rest of Germany it’s way easier - especially with hammocks. Maybe that’s something for you to try ;) great video as usual

  • @paddyheneghan9165

    @paddyheneghan9165

    11 ай бұрын

    hey any places in particular? i'm going on wednesday with little to no plan we were either going to head north (stralsund/rostock) or south of Munich to try stay, had a few friends told they had to leave late at night and they were put in a pretty bad position.

  • @europeroads
    @europeroads11 ай бұрын

    amazing video man

  • @JM.5387
    @JM.538711 ай бұрын

    Is this the culmination of having spent the pandemic watching Elina Osborne videos? 🙂Really lovely, congrats on pushing your limits and discovering new worlds.

  • @thornton

    @thornton

    11 ай бұрын

    That culmination comes later, when I do the PCT 👀👀👀👀👀 but well-remembered!

  • @JM.5387

    @JM.5387

    11 ай бұрын

    @@thorntonwe just hiked a section of the PCT in WA a few weeks ago, and it really is that beautiful. You'll get there 🙂

  • @thornton

    @thornton

    11 ай бұрын

    ah that's awesome, so jealous! Hope you were blessed with good weather :)

  • @iyams_
    @iyams_11 ай бұрын

    If hiking in BC has taught me anything, it's how to pack a good snack selection (off brand Percy pigs are a great shout though)

  • @thornton

    @thornton

    11 ай бұрын

    They have Percy pigs in Canada too?? ✈️🏃🏻

  • @iyams_

    @iyams_

    11 ай бұрын

    Not readily but sometimes I'll stumble on a pick 'n' mix selection that includes them!

  • @davidbro1775
    @davidbro177511 ай бұрын

    Loved the video 😊 I think I saw you on your bike in Leipzig a few weeks ago 😄

  • @bryanspringsteen761
    @bryanspringsteen76111 ай бұрын

    Thx again for a top notch video,Tom! 👋🏻 👋🏻 👋🏻......and the inspiration! I'll open a Guinness now! ☺️ ☺️ ☺️

  • @thornton

    @thornton

    11 ай бұрын

    Got a spare one? 🤓

  • @bryanspringsteen761

    @bryanspringsteen761

    11 ай бұрын

    @@thornton sorry....only Cider left.....🤷🏼‍♂️

  • @georgina1317
    @georgina131711 ай бұрын

    Bring a book next time! Being alone with your thoughts is great, but sometimes you need a buffer. 😛

  • @florianerber8041
    @florianerber804111 ай бұрын

    No cap i was waiting for vid like this i want to wild camp near the Eibsee in Bavaria, love your videos keep grinding

  • @thornton

    @thornton

    11 ай бұрын

    Thanks mate! Let me know how it goes, Eibsee is beauuuuutiful

  • @karmaoutlaw
    @karmaoutlaw11 ай бұрын

    Ahhh…! Love the spires! How do you reckon they were formed, geologically-speaking that is?

  • @jmitterii2
    @jmitterii211 ай бұрын

    Stuff you can do in Idaho anytime just about anywhere... with addition to lions... black bears are something you need to be aware of, which for safety carrying some rifle or small arms is normal; you're not to shoot these for any reason other than self defense unless it's hunting season in that area for that game and you've purchased an annual hunting license and tag for that particular animal and have that tag on hand to place on the animal. You can camp almost everywhere, place not camp-able are generally private land and places that are usually the exception that state, no overnight camping allowed. But you have to drive in and back out... typically you're not going to be able to walk to the woods and walk to some village somewhere, and even if you do find a town of some kind... there's not going to be any bus or any transit system. You're in the middle of nowhere... even when at some of these small towns in the middle of nowhere.

  • @wynja77
    @wynja7711 ай бұрын

    That seems like such a great experience! The only thing I would have changed is the food... If I don't get something good to eat, I'm miserable... ;)

  • @thornton
    @thornton11 ай бұрын

    So, which hiking snacks should I have brought instead of that? 🌞🏔🥪🍌

  • @althrox

    @althrox

    11 ай бұрын

    Since you were only out for one night, I would have brought a cold deli sandwich and a small flask of my favorite hard liquor.

  • @marianesantana9504

    @marianesantana9504

    11 ай бұрын

    Piginhosss 🐷

  • @rockangel1603
    @rockangel160311 ай бұрын

    I was also on vacation during the ucl final (and couldn't watch) and looking back it was a great choice

  • @thornton

    @thornton

    11 ай бұрын

    yep, I watched back the goal and Lukaku's miss and that was it

  • @tomtom9262
    @tomtom926211 ай бұрын

    2:00 haha, somehow I knew you would mention this in your video.... 🙂

  • @honestr
    @honestr11 ай бұрын

    Music reminds of playing life is strange. That also fits perfectly for this vid.

  • @nekeopi4149
    @nekeopi414911 ай бұрын

    Very cool trip. I like your explorer type of content. I just came back from a 4 day camping in Olsztyn, Poland myself. You should definitely visit Poland. Its much cheaper than Germany and the landscape of some small villages is breathtaking. I am sure you will like it :)

  • @ashishkulkarni9783
    @ashishkulkarni978311 ай бұрын

    Another lovely video, Tom! Just curious about the washroom facilities at the camp..were they inside the cabin ? Or you’ve to do it out in the woods ?😅

  • @thornton

    @thornton

    11 ай бұрын

    Check the website I linked in the comments, there are facilities at some of them :)

  • @horrorpodcast0707
    @horrorpodcast07072 ай бұрын

    Maybe our podcast next time would be interesting for you if you like horror films 😊

  • @Nexus24280
    @Nexus2428011 ай бұрын

    I had no Idea that camping is forbidden in most of Germany, is there a fine If you do?

  • @orbitforcreators
    @orbitforcreators9 ай бұрын

    The waiter 🤣

  • @anastasiiazdorikova
    @anastasiiazdorikova11 ай бұрын

    Wow! Stunning views! Btw can you maybe recommend German podcasts to listen? I'm on the lookout for some stuff, that is palatable for B2 level

  • @thornton

    @thornton

    11 ай бұрын

    Easy German is the starter pack… but I also like Wissen Weekly, Tierisch and “OK, America?”. 🇩🇪

  • @anastasiiazdorikova

    @anastasiiazdorikova

    11 ай бұрын

    @@thornton vielen Dank!✨ Easy German is indeed too easy, but I'm excited abiut the other ones, haven't tried them yet

  • @napoleonsdauphin
    @napoleonsdauphin11 ай бұрын

    There are a couple places in Austria where you can legally do this, too - not many, but some!

  • @CareraDrift
    @CareraDrift11 ай бұрын

    That Backpack is way to small Tom

  • @thornton

    @thornton

    11 ай бұрын

    30L overnight, perfect :)

  • @baconatorrodriguez4651
    @baconatorrodriguez465111 ай бұрын

    Awesome, dude. Too bad the gf didn't want to come, looks awesome.

  • @kevanhubbard9673
    @kevanhubbard967311 ай бұрын

    Only if you get caught which you won't be.

  • @prosperouspsw
    @prosperouspsw11 ай бұрын

    I am sorry, my suggestions are just so I can see your take on where I have been

  • @theblizzardsfc
    @theblizzardsfc11 ай бұрын

    Wait..so your telling me you are not the guy from foodwars?

  • @DaRealRobiiin
    @DaRealRobiiin11 ай бұрын

    Hi

  • @thornton

    @thornton

    11 ай бұрын

    hi hi

  • @ulfw
    @ulfw11 ай бұрын

    There's permits and regulations for any kind of shit in Germany. Pretty sad

  • @arthurberkley8528
    @arthurberkley85288 ай бұрын

    They have Percy Pigs in Germany???

  • @thornton

    @thornton

    8 ай бұрын

    the next best thing 🌞

  • @ivannknknk
    @ivannknknk11 ай бұрын

    it was totally "wild" lol 😂😂

  • @DK-ts3ij
    @DK-ts3ij11 ай бұрын

    I wonder how good your German actually is 🤔

  • @blueband8114
    @blueband811411 ай бұрын

    Having to pay to wild camp, is not my idea of wild camping.

  • @JimPanse2
    @JimPanse211 ай бұрын

    As someone from Dresden, just a heads up: Don't go there if you aren't cis straight white passing... unfortunately you will probably not feel very safe here =/

  • @Ross-ro1su
    @Ross-ro1su8 ай бұрын

    This isn’t wild camping. Thanks for wasting our time.

  • @jokerall
    @jokerall11 ай бұрын

    its 100% illegal