Top Tips for your First Wild Camp!

I’m no expert when it comes to wildcamping. I haven’t camped out in the harshest of UK weathers, nor slept on the highest summits or the most isolated or remotes landscapes. I’m just a guy who wanted to give his adventures an extra dimension – combining many of my favourite things; hiking, sunsets, hot chocolate, sleeping & sunrises!

For me, wildcamping is basically all of the above. It’s the epitome of getting outside and staying outside; getting off grid, re-engaging with nature & unwinding – reminding yourself how small you really are and forgetting all the problems & stresses of the big wide world.

#GetOutStayOut

My first wildcamp took me out into the local fells of my beloved Ribble Valley, on a beautiful summer solstice evening. Armed with not a lot; stuff to sleep in, stuff to entertain myself & stuff to make a brew!

So here are my Top Tips for your first wild camp!

• Stay local & don’t walk far

What if you don’t like it – you’ll need an easy escape. I drove 15 minutes from home & walked approximately 20 minutes, making sure I was out of sight from houses and any nearby trails.

• Restrict it to one night maximum

Don’t plan to overdo it. Don’t be that person who sets off on a weekend mega-adventure, having never wildcamped before – it might, but it’s unlikely to end with a big smile!

Make sure you leave a route card or some information with someone close, such that should the worst happen, someone knows where you are.

• Plan to entertain yourself

I’m not one for horror films at all – I had to keep myself busy to stop my mind worrying about potential ‘what if’s… monsters or axe wielding maniacs outside!

It can be lonely if you’re used to & thrive off other people’s company – Maybe take some headphones and music?

Personally, I thrive off quietness and being alone. So I took my notepad & laptop and set about some blogging; formulating plans & sketching out ideas – my productivity levels go through the roof when fuelled by adventure!

• Pack light

Any seasoned wildcamper will tell you to always pack minimalistic. At the end of the day, you’ve got to carry it! I’ll share what I packed in a separate article.

• Go when the weather is nice!

Don’t ruin the experience of your first wildcamp with a terrible night’s sleep due to bad weather. You’ll never want to go again!

• Organise your gear

I did not. I found myself emptying my pack to get my tent out, same for my brew stuff also. That’s fine when it’s not windy or wet. In future I will be organising my gear using miniature dry bags – Exped do a great range or sizes.

• Prep your food

I had initially planned to take pre-made meals (pasta based) and heat them up on the mountain, once camp was set up. However due to the shortness of this trip, I just ate before I went.

That said, I did organise my meals for the next day before I went – such that my daily routine was not affected.

• Check your kit, check it again & check once again before you set off!

This one goes without saying really, you can’t check your kit enough – it’s no good hiking 30mins only to find out you forgot an essential bit of kit, or that a certain bit of kit doesn’t work. The consequences could be pretty severe.

I will share my kit list in a separate article – but I’d highly recommend developing a list of your own, one which you run through each time you set out.

Last but not least…

• Have confidence in yourself and your kit!

At the end of the day, your going to have fun! Don’t worry about things going wrong, be in confident in what your doing and your plan, keep positive and keep smiling! Go enjoy yourself!

I’m someone who learns by doing, I feel I learn best from doing things myself – making mistakes & learning from them. For example, kayaking off 50 foot waterfalls has the potential to break your back – note to self, don’t do that again!

Its pretty simple, if you do something well, you remember the highlights. If it doesn’t go so well, you remember the reasons why. Either way, you learn from it; do the good bits again & try not to do the bad bits! So, same principle with wildcamping!

I’d actively encourage other people to go try it for themselves – the psychological benefits are incredible! Time outside is the best cure for anything. I get outside because I love the outdoors – adventures are what make me happy. They’re my escape; they’re my way of life; they keep my sanity in check!

I hope my beginners guide helps & I’d love to hear feedback from your experiences.

Side note, wildcamping in most parts of the UK is technically illegal – hence I have not disclosed my exact location. Making sure you’re off the trail and out of sight is basically the unwritten rule – you’re asking for trouble otherwise.

For more info, check out this woodland trust article which explains the exact rules for the different parts of the UK; https://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/blog/2016/06/wild-camping/

 

I hope my beginners guide helps & I’d love to hear feedback from your experiences.

Thanks for reading!