What is pole camping? Pole camping is an activity where people camp in dedicated “wild camping spots”. At these dedicated places there is usually a pole (= water crane) present to mark the spot. Pole camping is an activity that is mainly happening Belgium and the Netherlands. The dutch word for this concept is “paalkamperen”.
What is pole camping?
I already gave you the super short answer, but let’s take a look at a more detailed answer.
Pole camping is basically “wild camping”, except that it’s only allowed in dedicated spots and it’s completely legal. The concept is mainly a thing in Belgium and the Netherlands and there is a good reason for that. Both these countries are very small and very densely populated. A logical result is that authorities want to protect the little nature/wildlife that these countries have left. This results in wild camping being completely illegal and not tolerated either.
Btw. if you are interested in knowing the exact wild camping laws for every single country in Europe, you should take a look at this article: Wild camping in Europe: Laws per country.
The negative thing about this decision is that there are absolutely no options for people to go into the woods and sleep in a tent for a night. Also, this can be a problem for long distance hikers who are travelling through Belgium or the Netherlands. Because these people won’t always have opportunities to sleep somewhere.
Pole camping is -kind off- a solution for these problems. It’s not quite the same as actual wild camping, but it’s a whole lot better than having no options at all.
Where can you go pole camping?
As I already mentioned. This concept is currently active in Belgium and the Netherlands. It’s also not really a thing yet in the English language (pole camping), it’s currently only being used under the dutch name “paalkamperen”.
There are no other countries that apply this concept (that I know of). However, I would imagine there are a lot of countries in western Europe (or even across the globe) that apply similar -but not exactly the same- concepts.
For exact location of pole camping you should consult the following websites:
- For Belgium: http://www.bivakzone.be/
- For the Netherlands: https://www.kampeermeneer.nl/paalkamperen/ (look for a map at the bottom of the article).
There are 51 pole campings spread around Belgium and another 50 in the Netherlands. You should get pretty unlucky to meet other people at the same spot. However, it’s always a possibility.
What are the rules of pole camping?
Since both the Netherlands and Belgium are very protective of their last bits of nature, pole camping comes with some rules.
Generally, every pole camping has its own rules. These rules can be found on a board on that specific location (most of the time). However, some general rules are also in play.
There are some differences between the national pole camping rules of the Netherlands and Belgium so I will cover them separately.
The ground rules of pole camping in the Netherlands:
- Open fires are not allowed
- A maximum of 3 small tents are allowed in 1 pole camping
- You are not allowed to pitch your tent within 10 meters of the “pole” (= water crane)
- Even though there is supposed to be a water crane, this might not always work. Therefore, bringing water is your own responsibility.
- You are allowed to stay at the same place for a maximum of 72 hours.
The ground rules of pole camping in Belgium:
- A maximum of 3 tents are allowed in 1 pole camping
- A maximum of 10 people are allowed in 1 pole camping
- Every tent is only allowed to stay pitched for 48 hours
- You are not allowed to pitch your tent within 10 meters of the “pole”
The most notable difference -at least for me- is that an open fire is allowed in Belgium, unless otherwise stated at the camp ground. This is the main reason why I prefer pole camping in Belgium over the Netherlands.
Additionally, you should always respect your environment and leave no trace.
Does pole camping cost money?
One of the key points of pole camping is that it’s completely free.
One of the reasons for this is that wild camping doesn’t costs any money either. And simulating a wild camping experience is kind off what wild camping is and wild camping doesn’t costs money.
Additionally, if the main goal is to protect nature, it wouldn’t really make sense to ask money for pole camping. Not only would wild campers be more tempted to simply go wild camping instead of going to a pole camping, it would also be very hard to actually make the payment process work.
Anyway, pole camping is completely free and it is more than likely that it will stay like that!
Who is pole camping meant for?
Pole camping is meant for everybody.
There is absolutely nobody who should not be able to enjoy a free camping spot in complete solitude. Even if you think wild camping is nothing for you, a pole camping could be the best place to give it a try.
That being said, pole camping is mainly meant for people who really like to spend a night in nature. These people are usually relying on wild camping. So pole campings are definitely meant for people who occasionally go wild camping.
Additionally, pole campings are meant for people who are thru hiking a European long distance trail that runs through Belgium or the Netherlands. These thru hikers always need a place to sleep and they won’t always be able to find a camping or a guest house at the place where they end their day. Pole campings won’t solve this problem all together, but at least it will provide more options for these types of hikers.
Conclusion
Pole campings are awesome. Everybody can enjoy them and it’s completely free as well!
It’s not exactly the same as wild camping, but it’s the next best thing. Especially in densely populated areas like Belgium/the Netherlands, pole campings are the best you can hope for.