Author Topic: Wild Camping  (Read 8385 times)

gunwharfman

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Re: Wild Camping
« Reply #30 on: 11:48:25, 17/07/20 »
I've just tried to connect to the www.nearlywildcamping.org site, which doesn't seem to work on my PC. I'll try again later.

daniel22

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Re: Wild Camping
« Reply #31 on: 11:49:50, 17/07/20 »
Same here, page not responding. Probably a blip on their end

gunwharfman

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Re: Wild Camping
« Reply #32 on: 12:16:03, 17/07/20 »
During the last couple of mornings, after 6 am and before my wife gets up, I've been trying to work out how many layouts I can organise with my Alpkit 3.5 tarp. I wish I'd done this before because when I've just used my tarp when hiking I've never found the most ideal way to use it.

I have now worked out a series of movement flows, starting with the basic set up when I first erect the tarp and then by just taking out a tent peg or by just moving my tarp pole from one position to another how I can smoothly adapt it to the weather conditions at the time. For example, when it rains during the day can be one layout, when I want to sleep (and to adjust for a dry or a wet night) when its windy and so on it can be another layout. Also, I have practiced when in my bivi how to adjust the height and so on without having to get out and stand up to do it all.

I was rather surprised how many layout variations could be achieved with such a small area of waterproof material.

I also bought myself a proper bivi pole, cost £10, ordered yesterday, arrived today. The reason I did this was that I can now use the bivi pole as my default pole and can use one or both hiking poles if needed.

I've now got to decide how many strings I need and what length they need to be, another little lockdown interest for me! Later today I'm going to have a look at buying some smaller tent pegs. What fun!

Booga

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Re: Wild Camping
« Reply #33 on: 09:23:20, 18/07/20 »
Thanks Richard, Kielder certainly looks appealing! Couple of hours drive but would be worth it!
Just a heads up. Kielder forest park have announced that they are not allowing wild camping for the rest of 2020. This is not due to true wild campers but because of the mess caused by some folks abandoning cheap tents and leaving litter.  :-[ As usual it's the few selfish people that spoil it for the rest of us.
https://www.hexham-courant.co.uk/news/18574604.wild-camping-banned-kielder-increase-littering/

richardh1905

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Re: Wild Camping
« Reply #34 on: 09:27:36, 18/07/20 »
Can't understand the mentality of people who would go out into the wilds, and leave such a mess. Sad.
WildAboutWalking - Join me on my walks through the wilder parts of Britain

gunwharfman

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Re: Wild Camping
« Reply #35 on: 14:28:32, 18/07/20 »
That photo of the abandoned camp interests me, such a lot of stuff, tents as well. I'd love to know the story of how the trip started, were the tents already owned by someone or were they bought just for the trip, how many people were involved, where were they from, what age were they, why did they decide to go to that spot, how long were they there, was there a car park nearby or did they walk to it, etc, etc? So many questions but obviously we'll never know the answers.

My son is a journalist and he wonders if the photo was actually from Kielder, or was it 'borrowed' from another location to give the story more reader impact? How would we even know?

fernman

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Re: Wild Camping
« Reply #36 on: 10:16:04, 19/07/20 »
In today's Guardian:
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/jul/19/it-was-like-a-bomb-had-hit-an-off-licence-rise-in-wild-camping-hits-beauty-spots

It is interesting to note that "Both the National Trust and Cornwall Council are keen to distinguish between discreet wild campers – who pitch late in remote locations and go early without leaving any trace of their presence – and larger groups camping in inappropriate places and leaving behind rubbish", although Cornwall Council's environment cabinet member said “We don’t encourage it [wild camping] – but we live with it.”

Additionally, a Forestry England ranger at Kielder is quoted as saying,
"We were quite happy when the people coming to camp were proper backpackers, who leave no trace.”

vizzavona

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Re: Wild Camping
« Reply #37 on: 11:41:03, 19/07/20 »
All of this is happening in the part of the Highlands where I live. Local Folks coming back from Braeriach, close to the path to the high ground, with images of abandoned tent, portable BBQ kit and all the rest including cooking stove and pots.  The folks finding the debris gathered it up and carried it all back down to the valley.
On my visit to Glen Feshie this week at the upper bridge over the river there was a Large tent close to the big pool.  That was on Thursday ...my daughter who was in the area earlier in the week said that the tent was also in that position then and I spoke to folks at the coffee shop in Kincraig that they additionally found the scorching of a camp fire at the same location.
I was further into the glen above the Bothy and was aware of the small backpacker tents at the usual positions for an overnight or two  stop...all looked tidy and shipshape. There is a huge difference between those that care for the outdoors and of those with other motives.

 

eddycreative

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Re: Wild Camping
« Reply #38 on: 15:26:56, 03/12/20 »
So Wild Camping is basically "frowned upon", moreso than illegal in a real life situation anyway. There are very few documented cases of people out wild camping who have been arrested or moved on. Even on the Lake District website they have a section for wild camping with do's and dont's, so if it was truely 100% illegal and utterly frowned upon, they just wouldn't have that info available.


Dartmoor and Scotland are your best bets, as Scotland has some of the most liberal land laws in the whole of the UK, you can almost wild camp anywhere (within reason). Dartmoor is probably one of the best places to wild camp in England, but do your research before going as the Military often take their guys there to train, last thing you want to do is wild camp during a training session  ;D ;D


Crucially however, if you hike somewhere then wild camp when it gets dark, dont draw too much attention and then leave early in the morning, 99.9% of the time you'll be fine, and this is confirmed both by real life case studies of people who i know do a lot of wild/stealth camping, and also the popular youtubers who just vlog their experiences.

« Last Edit: 16:57:28, 03/12/20 by eddycreative »

pasbury

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Re: Wild Camping
« Reply #39 on: 16:52:28, 03/12/20 »
I am quite passionate on this subject.


If you are walking with a tent, mat and sleeping bag in your rucksack, and hopefully a wee stove, food and a pan then you are choosing to camp out.
No-one should ever feel guilty about leaving a small print on the grass in the morning. Whatever the law has to say about this is risible. It's about personal freedom, enjoying freedom, smelling the scent of morning frost, of autumn bracken. Being a free human.

gunwharfman

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Re: Wild Camping
« Reply #40 on: 17:44:00, 03/12/20 »
I never worry about it myself, if I have to camp I'll camp. I'll be discrete of course and more than likely no one will ever know I was there.

Ronin83

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Re: Wild Camping
« Reply #41 on: 12:22:29, 22/12/20 »
There's quite a few situation whereby you can wild camp.
I'd recommend the book 'wild camping' by Stephen Neale. He lists all the ways and which organisations unofficially support it when done the right way.


There's some about by the canal and by the sea as well as on the fells away from a path.


The upper classes in this country basically took the countryside for themselves, banned us peasants from it and turned most of it into farmland. Unfortunately that culture still goes on to a lesser extent. I'm sure this isn't exactly news to any of you, but it's important to remember and the statistics presented in the book are quite disturbing.


My point is don't feel guilty about discreet wild camping. Nature is ours.

gunwharfman

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Re: Wild Camping
« Reply #42 on: 20:27:55, 22/12/20 »
'to a lesser extent?' I wonder if that is correct or not?

If you have a read of some of the entries in 'whoownsengland.org' it may confirm your view but it could also change it?

Ronin83

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Re: Wild Camping
« Reply #43 on: 23:51:05, 22/12/20 »
Well yeh maybe it depends how you look at it. Atleast we have more rights to roam etc though.

windyrigg

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Re: Wild Camping
« Reply #44 on: 08:43:42, 23/12/20 »
For 'proper' wild campers there are a million places to set up in Kielder where no one would ever know you had been.

 

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