Eco-Friendly Bivouac Trip: Our 10 Tips

- Published on 17/11/2023 -

A bivouac trip means setting up a temporary camp out in nature, usually to experience life in the wild. This type of trip offers an outstanding experience, provided you prepare it well.

Find in this guide 10 essential tips for an eco-friendly campsite. They’ll help you avoid mishaps while spending the night under the stars, outside your comfort zone.

Know the rules of bivouacking in France

In France, bivouacking is defined as pitching a light tent at nightfall and taking it down at daybreak.

Bivouacking is banned in certain places: public roads, seashores, listed natural areas, protected woodland, the visual field of historic monuments, within a 200-metre radius of water points used for drinking water. On private land, a bivouac absolutely requires the landowner’s permission.

Bivouacking in national parks and regional nature parks must take place within a clearly defined perimeter and respect a clearly defined time window. In the Pyrenees National Park, for example, you can bivouac from 7pm to 9am, more than an hour’s walk from any motorised access. For more information, read a guide on the subject.

Prepare your equipment well

Gather, prepare and test your equipment before setting off on your adventure in nature. Travelling light doesn’t mean leaving behind certain essential gear for your trip.

A bivouac trip requires: a tent, lamps, sleeping gear, a stove, toiletries, utensils, etc. If you’re travelling with children, bring the accessories essential for them.

Adapt your travel gear according to the season, the location and the type of activities. For a winter night, a cold-weather sleeping bag is necessary. Hiking boots are recommended for a trek or mountain hike (the Pyrenees, the Alps, the Vercors massif…).

Choose meals suited to bivouacking

For your bivouac meals, favour light, easy-to-cook foods: tinned food, freeze-dried food, dry food (rice, pasta, quinoa, couscous, lentils…).

Take into account the calorie content of the food (information visible on the packaging) when preparing your meal. Good to know: when trekking or hiking, you need 2,500 to 6,000 kcal/day.

In terms of weight, you need around 0.6kg of food per person. Note that during a trek, a person can carry a backpack weighing 20% of their body weight.

Find an ideal spot for your tent

Before choosing your tent’s location, find the best spot for your bivouac trips. In France, the best places for a camp out in nature are: the Alps, the Ardèche, the Aveyron, the Landes, the Pyrenees, Savoie. These places lead you to discover extraordinary landscapes.

To pitch your tent, find a flat spot, away from wetlands and sheltered from the wind. From experience, opt for the adret, i.e. the valley side of a mountain slope that gets the longest sun exposure.

Set up your camp properly

Your tent should be set up an hour before sunset. This means, for example, that you shouldn’t set off on a hike that runs into nightfall.

Favour a westward orientation if possible, but also avoid facing your tent opening into the wind. The canvas should be well taut, the poles and hoops firmly planted, the ropes and straps well secured. A tent-pitching guide will be a great help here.

Relieve yourself in a suitable spot

On their first discovery of life out in nature, your children are bound to ask you where the toilets are.

If there aren’t any, the solution is to dig a hole about twenty centimetres deep in a hidden spot, away from the camp, springs, trails and animal tracks. Accompany your children there, close the hole again afterwards and keep the used toilet paper to throw away later in a bin.

Manage your water

Ideally, have a water point nearby to better meet your needs. Locate a spring or stream before settling in.

To collect this precious resource, use a water bag, as this accessory is lighter and easier to store and carry. To make the water drinkable, use suitable filters or purifying tablets. Whether in the mountains, on the coast, in the forest or deep in a valley, always carry water with you during your walk, hike or trek.

Control the campfire

During a family bivouac trip, only light a fire in cases of extreme necessity. Use a lamp for lighting and a stove for cooking.

If you must light one, isolate the fire zone by clearing all vegetation around it and building a low stone wall. Beware: an unintentional fire is punishable by a fine of €15,000 and one year’s imprisonment.

Sleep well while bivouacking

Make sure to cover your hands and feet well to sleep warmer during a bivouac. For a stay in a cold place like the Alps, adopt the foetal or curled-up position to retain as much warmth as possible.

Sleep on insulated ground and wear suitable clothing for the night. Staying hydrated and eating well will also help you sleep better.

Respect the environment

Packaging, toilet paper, food scraps… Clean up everything and leave nothing behind. Teach your children never to throw anything away in nature and always to pick up litter.

Don’t overuse natural resources: don’t waste water unnecessarily, don’t cut or pick plants, and avoid hunting or fishing if they’re prohibited.

A family bivouac trip in a wild, unspoilt place, such as in the mountains of the Alps or the Vercors massif, lets you enjoy unique experiences. Hiking in the heart of nature, discovering magnificent landscapes, a night under the stars… All this is within reach, provided you prepare your adventure well.