My tent situation - please help.

Hello BP.net
I'm going to see how far I can travel from wednesday with around $1400.
I'm starting here where I live (Denmark), and I'll make my way down to Spain, then I'll see what happens. My question is regarding camping in a tent - I've bought a Agnes Lone Spring 1 (I think, that is what it is called), which is quite small and only 1.5kg and fits perfectly in my 70L backpack.
Now, my questions..

Do I need a sleeping mat / sleeping pad / something to lay on?
I feel like it'd take up quite a lot of space, but this will be my first time backpacking so I'm not sure at all.

Is it dangerous to camp in a tent alone?
I'm referring to humans here, I've seen my share of russian gore, where they go to the forest and smash homeless peoples head in with hammers.. I'm pretty paranoid about this, but I don't think stuff like ^ that usually happens - hopefully not.

I hope you'll answer my questions!
Thanks

We probably can't answer Europe specific questions about where it is safe to camp in Western Europe. You'd be better off consulting with the authorities (police/hiking guides) in the areas you wish to camp in.

In backcountry areas here in the United States, person vs. person crime is rare.

Technically, you'll want a foam sleeping pad to insulate yourself from the ground. Your sleeping bag will only keep you warm on the top because you compress the insulation under your body when you sleep.

Depends. A good pad will be more comfortable for most people but it kind of depends on the ground you'll be sleeping on, and the temperatures. Most of us here use them and you can get some pretty small ones, but a good, small, and lightweight mat can be a bit expensive. An inexpensive CCF (closed cell foam) mat can be tied to the outside of your pack though, and they don't weigh much.

As far as camping in a tent being dangerous goes, we don't have many Russian head smashers here in the U.S. but we do have our share of psychotic axe murderers. They mostly go after high schools kids who sneak off to their parents vacations cabins in the forest though, not so much for backpackers in tents.

Seriously, I've never heard of anyone being attacked by a stranger while they were backpacking here in the U.S. I suppose it has happened, but I can't recall ever hearing about it.

What you're doing is probably different than what we call "Backpacking" though. What we do is head off into a wilderness area where there aren't many (if any) roads or homes or stores at all nearby and the only people we generally see are other backpackers or day hikers. We'd call what you're doing a "Road Trip", which we mostly do by car, motorcycle, or bicycle, and rarely on foot.

Sure sounds like a lot of fun. I'd love to see a Trip Report from you and photos would be awesome!!

It seems like I have to go buy a pad. Are those JR gear mummy things any good?
And yeah, should be a lot of fun.
I haven't really considered walking boots, I have a pair of Nike flyknits lunar +1, and they're super lightweight and good when I get to the hot countries because my feet can breath through them.
Thanks all of you
The axe slaughtering made me laugh haha.

When we hear of this type of trip, we think of walking. You may be talking about using trains and other forms of transportation.

I don't use a pad. The best way to find out if you need one is to sleep outside without one and see what happens.

It's late in the planning to ask about sleeping outside. The only fear I would have in the United States is from law enforcement. To avoid detection, make camp after dark and break camp before sunrise. Don't use any lights.

Cross-country walkers often ask people if there is a place they can set up a tent for the night. In the United States, people often invite them to their homes. It's possible to cross the United States on foot with almost no money as people want to contribute to the adventure. With some practice I think a person could end up with more money than they started with.

Your trip seems to be a spur of the moment adventure. These are frequently successful, so enjoy the trip and have fun with whatever happens. Don't let anyone tell you it can't be done. It can be done because others have done it.

It's hard to know what advice to give for European travel, having never been there or researched it. However, I read a tip from an experienced stealth camper that in the States, it's good to ask the fire department for good inconspicuous camping spots. Take with a grain of salt. Is that a recognized saying in other countries? In other words, don't be overly trusting of this advice. It might not work very well, but try it out if you're inclined to.

I agree it is difficult to give advice for Europe. I've heard in Sweden it's legal to camp anywhere on public property, but hearing is different than experiencing.

I've heard the fire department tip before, but in many small towns it's hard to find the fire department. One hiker in the United States would call ahead to the police. This would mean having a smart phone or something to find the number. It would be helpful to have someone at home researching ahead for these things.

I'm reading another book where the guy just found a place where he stopped. There are plenty of shadows to sleep in. My opinion is a couple miles outside of town is best. I wouldn't camp in cities large enough to have an anti-camping ordinance.

Really, the way to find out is to go experience it on a practice trip. There is nothing like a short trip a week or so long to learn what works. Hikers talk about quickly getting over the fear of stealth camping. Nobody is going to look in the shadows of a random spot outside of town.

On a side note, the pack can be the same as backpacking, or it can be different. Many recommend having clean clothes to put on when entering a city with the purpose of finding a place to stay. Some travel with a cart and 100 pounds of gear. One guy did it with a pack that weighed less than 20 pounds including the tent. He discarded the tent along the way. Water is the biggest constraint along the way, and for some stretches it will be necessary to have a cart or support.

The final solution will be as varied as the number of people taking a road walk. All one can do is read as much as they can to get ideas and go. Another method is to go and learn on the fly. I prefer the "4evrplan" method and I have my entire route planned. It's loaded on my Kindle. I also have paper maps for each segment. I have them in files in my email and can print each segment as I get nearer to it.

As a moderator, I do have to warn you that this site is about backpacking as wilderness trekking, not "backpacking" as budget travel. In other words, you won't get the up-to-date info here that you'd get from a budget travel site such as Lonely Planet.

Last time I was in Europe (13 years ago), I found that "wild camping" had become pretty well forbidden--certainly in France and Germany. Places I'd camped wild in previous years and revisted all had big signs--"camping interdit" or "camping verboten." I ended up in regular campgrounds, generally a lot cheaper than hostels and featuring free showers and a truck from the local bakery arriving with morning coffee and croissants (not free, but the same as in the bakery--and in some cases the coffee, provided by the campground, was free). You can, of course, ask a local landowner for permission. Most Scandinavian countries (I don't know if that includes Denmark), I understand, still have the "camp wild anywhere" policy. I don't know about Spain because I didn't try to camp there.

At one campground (Colmar, France), the Bremen (Germany) motorcycle club arrived about midnight and camped right next to me and my daughter. We didn't even know about their arrival until the next morning, they were so quiet. Had this happened in the US, the whole campground (and the nearby neighborhood) would have been awakened by the racket!

I never had any problems, as a woman camping alone. Of course, things may have changed….

Enjoy your trip!