Camping

Cromulent

Cromulent

Cromulent

Soldato
Joined
1 Nov 2007
Posts
6,489
Location
England
Recently I've been watching wild camping videos on YouTube and I'm really interested in it. What I would like to do is pack up a big rucksack and then go out into a forest or wood somewhere for a few days without a phone or anything and just go off grid. Unfortunately I live in Surrey so there aren't that many places to set up a camp site without getting disturbed. Having said that I guess I could get a train somewhere.

Do any of you camp and if so do you have any advice? I'm not saying I'll definitely do it just that it is something I'd like to do in the future.
 
Wild camping is illegal in England, so if you do actually go ahead don't plan to spend more than one night in any single location (the only exception being Dartmoor)

The general idea for those that do it (myself included in the past) is move during the day and set up camp at dusk.
 
ci_newman said:
Wild camping is illegal in England, so if you do actually go ahead don't plan to spend more than one night in any single location (the only exception being Dartmoor)

The general idea for those that do it (myself included in the past) is move during the day and set up camp at dusk.
Click to expand...
Ive seen plenty of wild campers in Manchester city centre and they stay for weeks without any sort of fine so he should be ok.
 
Sitting indoors in a comfy chair and thinking about it is nice, but camping is a hard life:

Lots of time spent crawling around in the floor

Getting wet

Getting cold unless it's high summer

Lots of stuff to organise

The Mrs will only do one night max.
 
Lots of people wild camp in the UK with no problem, but just be sensible about things. I have wild camped for maybe 30+ years and never once been 'discovered' (touch wood).

Start off with cheap gear. If you find you do like camping you can then start buying the better (usually a lot lighter) gear.

Don't get a bright coloured tent!

Learn about Midgies and Ticks!
 
Have done a reasonable amount of it, for the first time, definitely pre-plan a spot and just do a one nighter.

There's not much to it if you've got some common sense, but finding a good spot away from any track can be more difficult than you'd first think.

Probably take your phone tho, even just a dumb phone in the bottom of your bag might save you a nightmare of a time if you need a pickup or miss a train...
 
Many people go for the hammock style setup, with tarps and liners and all that, but I never got on with them myself. Stick to small, low tents or make a bivvy.
Think about what you'll do in the evenings, as it's surprisingly easy to get very bored, very quickly. Perhaps take a friend?

Get out to Scotland if you can, as it's somewhat more legal there.
Otherwise, get your OS map out and pick small areas of woodland around farming fields, far away from any paved routes and ideally a little way off footpaths. You want to avoid random dog walkers happening on your camp. Also keep an eye on the ground as you get to site, and scout the immediate area, looking for any sign of human existence, especially food wrappers and alcoholic drinks containers that suggest it could be a popular place for young/mischevious people to visit. You definitely don't want them intruding on you!
Think about your method of fire/heat and choose something that doesn't put out a lot of light or smoke. You should have a lightweight folding shovel anyway, so consider digging a pit for your stove, or putting some kind of shroud around it. Similarly, get a torch with a low-lumen 'moonlight' mode and get used to working with that.

Get a couple of books on Escape & Evasion, especially the military manuals. You'll find plenty of useful tips on staying hidden in those... just skip the parts about covering yourself in mud and lashing your Rambo knife to a stick, while digging spike pits. You don't want to be that guy!!
 
ci_newman said:
Wild camping is illegal in England, so if you do actually go ahead don't plan to spend more than one night in any single location (the only exception being Dartmoor)

The general idea for those that do it (myself included in the past) is move during the day and set up camp at dusk.
Click to expand...
Ah, thank you.
bainbridge said:
Sitting indoors in a comfy chair and thinking about it is nice, but camping is a hard life:

Lots of time spent crawling around in the floor

Getting wet

Getting cold unless it's high summer

Lots of stuff to organise

The Mrs will only do one night max.
Click to expand...
My big concern is doing my "business".
ttaskmaster said:
Many people go for the hammock style setup, with tarps and liners and all that, but I never got on with them myself. Stick to small, low tents or make a bivvy.
Think about what you'll do in the evenings, as it's surprisingly easy to get very bored, very quickly. Perhaps take a friend?

Get out to Scotland if you can, as it's somewhat more legal there.
Otherwise, get your OS map out and pick small areas of woodland around farming fields, far away from any paved routes and ideally a little way off footpaths. You want to avoid random dog walkers happening on your camp. Also keep an eye on the ground as you get to site, and scout the immediate area, looking for any sign of human existence, especially food wrappers and alcoholic drinks containers that suggest it could be a popular place for young/mischevious people to visit. You definitely don't want them intruding on you!
Think about your method of fire/heat and choose something that doesn't put out a lot of light or smoke. You should have a lightweight folding shovel anyway, so consider digging a pit for your stove, or putting some kind of shroud around it. Similarly, get a torch with a low-lumen 'moonlight' mode and get used to working with that.

Get a couple of books on Escape & Evasion, especially the military manuals. You'll find plenty of useful tips on staying hidden in those... just skip the parts about covering yourself in mud and lashing your Rambo knife to a stick, while digging spike pits. You don't want to be that guy!!
Click to expand...
Thank you!
 
My dad was commenting on this recently - when he was young people wild camped a lot more regardless of the legal situation - they always seemed to end up camping somewhere right below where owls liked to sit and hoot for hours on end.
 
When did the terms wild camping and wild swimming come about? I grew up in Plymouth, down there they’re just known as camping and swimming, maybe because there is so much of the great outdoors available on your doorstep.

Camping | Dartmoor

_______________
www.dartmoor.gov.uk www.dartmoor.gov.uk
Catch a train to Okehampton and away you go.

I’ve been all over Dartmoor from my Scouting and DoE days. If you go up on the moors you need clothing to match the weather and be aware that the weather can change very quickly. Also take a map and compass, phone, puritabs, water bottle, stove, tent, torch, sleeping bag and mat, toilet roll etc or just use leaves and moss. Tick bites were common and food wise I bought ration packs from army surplus stores.
 
uvarvu said:
When did the terms wild camping and wild swimming come about? I grew up in Plymouth, down there they’re just known as camping and swimming, maybe because there is so much of the great outdoors available on your doorstep.
Click to expand...

Not the origins but a big part of it was when people started doing YouTube, especially "stealth" camping, away from regular camp sites. Especially as so many countries aren't accommodating of camping outside of approved land.
 
Last edited:
Honestly I'd just make the jump and go camping in France or the Netherlands. Far better infrastructure for it, friendlier, nice in summer.
 
Cromulent said:
Recently I've been watching wild camping videos on YouTube and I'm really interested in it. What I would like to do is pack up a big rucksack and then go out into a forest or wood somewhere for a few days without a phone or anything and just go off grid. Unfortunately I live in Surrey so there aren't that many places to set up a camp site without getting disturbed. Having said that I guess I could get a train somewhere.

Do any of you camp and if so do you have any advice? I'm not saying I'll definitely do it just that it is something I'd like to do in the future.
Click to expand...
earwigs and still will find its way into your tent.
When I was about 10 or so we used to camp in peoples front gardens and we always had them come inside :S
ci_newman said:
Wild camping is illegal in England, so if you do actually go ahead don't plan to spend more than one night in any single location (the only exception being Dartmoor)
Click to expand...
in reality no one is likely to report you if you camp along a river or whatever.


You could stick a tent in a park and I doubt anyone would care as long as its one night and your gone.
 
Last edited:
This guy wild camped on a walking trip from Scotland to Cornwall. Should give you an idea about it. It's a great video series and he wild camps most nights.

 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom