On the go Sleeping in the mountains

Image photo with the MADDOX GTX LO,

Of course, multi-day tours mean you also have to sleep in the mountains. Some sleep in cabins, others decide to sleep outdoors. An awesome experience – but a few rules need to be followed:

  • Campfires only in designated areas
    You’ve set up camp, and a campfire seems like a great idea. Many people feel that way, partic­ularly in summer. But be careful: there is a risk of wildfires. Every year, Germany registers forest fires that can be traced back to campfires. Therefore, avoid open fires on dry meadows and close to forest and only light a campfire if it is expressly permitted. Ideally, only light a fire at estab­lished fire­places. Important: keep the fire small and evenly spread the ashes the next morning once they have cooled completely.

  • A few rules for the outdoor toilet
    Of course, when out and about for a few days, you’ll have to go to the toilet now and then. In general, a mountain hut would be the ideal place for this. If you do need to use an outdoor toilet, make sure that you are at least 60 meters away from water, that your toilet paper is 100% compostable and that you dig a hole at least 15 cm deep.

  • Hang up your hammock correctly
    If you don’t want to pitch camp on the ground, you can also sleep in a hammock. If you don’t have one, you can easily make one from fabric and rope. All you need is a sturdy piece of fabric (about 300 × 140 cm) and a long and elastic piece of rope (about 25 m long)
    Gather and fold together the narrow sides in a way that allows you to firmly attach a rope. You might consider including a stone or piece of wood to prevent the rope from slipping off again. Hang up your DIY hammock between two trees with the two ropes, and you’re done. When attaching the ropes a tree, you should make sure that the trees aren’t damaged. By placing an extra protective layer under the rope, you can ensure that the load is equally distributed and that no bark is rubbed off.