Mariusroxana said:
I read a lot about camping in North America tours. It is my impression that campgrounds are too far appart in most of cases.
Is it legal to put up a tent in public places, like parks, church or office hall backyard, under a bridge etc., as I read in this forum?
What about the dangers? Like "bad guys".......
I plan on touring NA, and any answer from experience will be appreciated.
I assume you are in England. I'll speak of my experiences in Canada.
Yes, it is true that often campgrounds are miles apart. They are made for people with cars and cater to them, offering electrical and sewage hook-ups. I wouldn't want to spend another sleepless night beside a Winnebago when the air conditioning unit goes off and on all night. That's not camping.
Usually I stealth camp, that is I camp out of sight on unmarked, unimproved and unfenced land. Usually in remote parts of Canada, it is Crown land. It belongs to the Queen officially and I'm sure she doesn't mind if I stay one night and leave no trace.
Under bridges is alright if you are caught out in the rain with a bivi sack, but bridges tend to concentrate noise and that makes for an uncomfortable night. I've heard cemeteries are good, but I've never tried.
From my experience it's not the bad guys but the fauna that cause the most trouble. If you are in bear country you shouldn't cook at your campsite and you should take precautions around storing food. Even raccoons (a badger-like nocturn) can do a lot of damage and disturb your sleep.
I use a Hennessy camping hammock so I'm not on the ground. Using a hammock means I don't have to worry about if the ground is uneven, rocky or wet. Also smaller animals can't access the hammock to disturb you.
You can understand why I tour in England. I've never met any wild animals in the woods and there is a pub every couple of kilometres. How civilized!