How to | Go (Almost) Wild Camping

Live a simpler life, closer to nature, even if it’s just for a night or two

If you fancy the idea of the simplest of existences for a week, sleeping under the stars and living entirely out in nature (but perhaps aren’t quite ready to forego a shower and running water yet) you might like to try Almost Wild camping.

In our April issue, James Warner Smith told us where to find some of the UK’s best almost wild camping spots. You can read all about them from page 18. Here are some of his tips for getting started if you’re feeling wild (but not THAT wild).

*Check the facilities Availability of toilets, showers and washing-up areas may vary so check before you book and you’ll know what to expect.

* Stock up Few campsites will have an onsite shop, or it may be very basic. Find the location of the nearest shops before you travel and bring adequate supplies, just in case.

* Cut the clutter Try not to pack the kitchen sink. Aim for being able to fit everything you need into a wheelbarrow (often provided) as you can rarely park by your pitch.

* Book early For the best spots, plan ahead and book early, especially in (this) summer. Check if children and dogs are allowed, too.

* The right pitch Practise putting up your tent at home and check you have all the necessary parts.

* Cook out Most sites let you have a campfire, which goes against the grain of the ‘Leave No Trace’ ethos of genuine wild camping. Ditch the camping stove and get creative.

* Slow down Switch off your phone, embrace the slower pace of life and just take time to enjoy where you are.

Almost Wild Camping: 50 British Campsites on the Wilder Side by James Warner Smith (Punk Publishing)

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More from our May issue…

More camping inspiration…

Wild camping | bedzones

Sailors, mountaineers, hikers, cyclists, canoeists and pilgrims have been wild camping for centuries . These are the four traditional ‘bedzones’ used by wild campers…

WILD ZONE Aka Scotland – from Cape Wrath to Gretna, every loch, trail and beach, the lowlands, the peaks and what’s left of the forest. Freedom to sleep and wild camp was restored as a right in 2003 under the Land Reform Act.

FORESHORE ZONE The coast is possibly the most important common ground in Britain and Ireland. Our law has enshrined the right to fish, dig bait and navigate, without having to pay. This means that while the tide is out, it’s perfectly reasonable to camp, eat, light a fire and rest on the foreshore (the area below the high-tide mark).

MIDDLE EARTH The area between the foreshore and the mountains – where we all, pretty much, live. It’s wrong to say camping here is illegal. It’s like saying it’s illegal to sit down at a table in a restaurant without asking. It’s not, but just polite to ask first.

MOUNTAIN ZONE Mountaineers and ramblers have been enjoying free sleep in the hills for ever. Today, there’s still no one up there collecting pitch fees. Many landowners consider the minimum necessary height for wild camping to be 450m – and hundreds of hills within the UK fall into that category.

If you fancy a bit of wild camping yourself, turn to page 21 of our August issue, where Stepehn Neale, author of Wild Camping: Exploring and Sleeping in the Wilds of the UK and Ireland (below) tells us how to wild camp safely and considerately.

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Wild Camping Book Reader Offer

To order at a discount of 20%, go to bloomsbury.com and use the code SIMPLE20 before 27 August. 



More from our August issue…

More camping inspiration…

Wild camping: the best places in Britain

Can you hear it? The unzipping of a sleeping bag, crackling fires and chirping crickets. It's the distinctive call of the wild. Telling us its time to dust of our tents and get out into the British countryside. Inspired by our wild camping feature inside issue 10, we've picked out five of our favourite sites in Britain for an adventure under canvas.

* Note Scotland and Dartmoor are the only places to legally wild camp in Britain. If you wish to set up tent anywhere else, always seek permission from the landowner first.

1. Dartmoor

Heather clad moorland, wide open spaces - Dartmoor is the perfect place for wild camping. The right to wild camping is actually enshrined in the National Parks & Access to the Countryside Act, and the local association even provide a guide on where to pitch up in the area. Just watch out for the army - who often use the park for fire practice.

2. The Scottish highlands

Remote, with high peaks and stunning views. The current access legislation is explicit about your right to wild camp on hill land as long as the camping rules are followed.

3. Lake District

The woodlands, the lakes, the fells, idyllic. Legally wherever you camp you must have the permission of a landowner to camp on their land, though there is a tradition of wild camping in the Lake District.

4. Berwyn Mountains

The Berwyn mountains, North Wales. Some absolutely spectacular views, not for the faint of heart though if you believe the rumours of the suspected UFO landing.

5. The South Downs

Easily accessible places like Springhead Hill make this is good beginner's territory as you won't be far from civilisation if things go tent-up.

Don't forget to pick up your copy of issue 10 for more tips on wild camping, including what to pack and eat, plus tips on the type of tent to take, and how to keep warm.