My question is prompted by someone asking on the forum for suggestions for wild camping spots for a walk he is planning. I'm not having a go at him, for his query is not the first I've seen like this on here, and there is also someone whose blog I follow who always seems to be mentally noting suitable spots he passes, for possible use in the future.
On my multiple-day walks I simply look out for somewhere suitable on my route, or close to it, in the late afternoon / early evening. I do tend to look at my map to see what might be ahead in the way of streams or a pool. My priorities are water close by, shelter, a flat and dry bit big enough for my tent, and privacy. As I always wild camp in north Wales, water is rarely a problem but 'flat' and 'dry' often are problematic, while shelter can sometimes be tricky to find.
What I don't do is walk to a pre-determined objective with the intention of camping there. The only reason for doing this that I can think of would be in areas where water isn't so easy to find. I am genuinely puzzled by this, I just don't get it. Am I missing something or what?