Taking a tent on a hike? Here’s how to find a garden to camp in

As a child, every summer meant waiting and waiting. We didn’t go on holiday until mid-August, so it always took a while before my holiday spirit bubbled up. Camping in the garden provided an excellent antidote to that endless wait. I pitched my tent in the backyard, but, or so I reasoned, away from parental control. Even if I had put my pegs into the ground in Yellowstone, I would not have felt one iota freer than in that garden in Mol-Ginderbuiten.

But camping in the garden does not only appeal to an impatient child. As an adult, I regularly bivouac in the yard of strangers, especially during multi-day hikes in densely populated areas like Flanders. Wild camping is illegal here, an official bivouac zone not always on the route. With some luck, you will find a campsite within stumbling distance of your trail. As a self-sufficient hiking camper, however, you’ll often end up sleeping between walls of mobile homes, white fridges towering so high that it feels like camping between New York apartment buildings. Not always the experience I look for on such a trek.

A small, cosy garden becomes a worthy alternative. But how do you find a suitable spot?

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Tips for a lighter backpack for long-distance hiking and camping

During a long-distance hike, the weight of your backpack can make the difference between an unforgettable experience and a journey from hell. Nothing puts a damper on the spirits than a heavy burden on your shoulders. A lighter backpack makes hiking more enjoyable. With fewer kilos, you can also walk further. But how to get a lighter backpack without sacrificing safety and comfort whilst hiking?

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Hikes, flamingos and a town called Carrot: Volcano Love’s travel highlights of 2019

Rather than one of taking off, 2019 was a year of landing, of arriving rather than departing. We returned to Europe after nine months of tramping around Belize, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras and Mexico, we visited our home countries and settled (temporarily, as ever) in Antwerp, Belgium. But just like we are writers even when we’re not writing, we are also travellers when we’re not travelling. And real wandering souls find wonders in their own backyard as well as on the other side of the world. In chronological order, these were our travel highlights of 2019:

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