Cheap Travel

Any traveler worth their salts finds themselves making the Great outdoors their bed for a night every now and then. Be it a picturesque forest in the Loire valley or a concrete bridge under a Turkish motorway, it’s always an experience. The main thing is to be prepared. A trip to the army surplus store before you set out will make your nights warm and dry so that you might actually get some sleep.

The main danger is moisture. Falling dew or damp ground can give you pneumonia, aching joints and an embarrassing runny nose for days afterwards. A plastic groundsheet is a good start, or a waterproof poncho can do the job also. If you have a fancy waterproof sleeping bag then you’re set but you need all the insulation you can get – an incredible amount of body heat will be lost to the ground.

Always look for as much cover as you can from the elements. Inside a forest the ground is likely to be drier and the wind will be less also. Obviously there will then be wood for making fires and you’re less likely to be seen and annoyed by locals.

Beaches are a natural choice but the sand can steal a lot of heat. Check the extent of the tide beforehand or risk a rude awakening.

Deserts are absolutely freezing at night although the stunning display of stars partly make up for it.

Before bedding down anywhere do your best to work out who lives nearby. If you’re trespassing you might want to ask permission first and your host may endeavour to make things easier for you.

If you’re short of bedding at least try to cover head as most of your body heat is lost there. Keep your shoes on and wear all of your clothes unless they’re soaked.

If you catch bed bugs from sleeping outside lay your clothes and blankets in the sun for a couple of hours – for some reason this kills many kinds.

If you’re sleeping anywhere near bears or other carnivores, keep your food a hundred yard away from where you sleep, preferably suspended from the branch of a tree. If you’re in snake country be careful when you awake as some snakes like to warm themselves by you as you sleep.

A good defence against mosquitoes is lemongrass or lavender oil (a tiny bottle can last you ages) or if the flies are really bad then you can wet tobacco and smear the juice over you.

Always carry matches and a bottle of water. You won’t go far wrong with a bar of soap and a mirror either so that you can look presentable for when you return to society. You can bury your belongings or hide them in the undergrowth when you venture into town.

Sleeping in the countryside is great because you’re generally spared from being bothered by the most dangerous animal – humans – but remember that water, shelter and food may be harder to find.

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