Wild Trails Wales Guide: Wild Camping

I have a love-hate relationship with wild camping. When I’m actually out there, at three AM needing a wee but not able to think of anything worse than getting out of my warm, well okay, freezing, sleeping bag, to go out into the even more freezing night air, I swear to myself I’ll never leave my comfy, warm, centrally heated house with flushing, indoor toilet ever again!

Why is it then, that as soon as I’m on the journey home, all I can think about is the next adventure, the next time I can spend a night shivering, sliding off my mattress and not sleeping a wink lest the sound of the wind through the grass is actually the sound of wolves prowling outside my tent? And yes, I know we don’t have wolves in Wales.

I believe it is because wild camping, sleeping in the ‘wild’ or at least in remote, quiet areas away from houses, roads and streetlights, flicks a primeval switch in us on, taking us closer to the state we evolved in, pushing us outside of a far-too-comfortable zone. Eating dinner as the sun sets, popping your head out of the tent to gaze at the stars, falling asleep to the sound of a trickling stream or grass swaying in the wind, and waking to a new dawn miles from civilization, takes us back to how we once may have lived, albeit with gas stoves and headtorches!

I decided to write this beginner’s guide to wild camping as I’m often asked by people who would like to try wild camping but aren’t sure where to start. Here are some of the questions I’m most commonly asked:

Is it legal to wild camp?

In England and Wales, technically, you do not have a legal right to wild camp, other than in Dartmoor where there is a bylaw. That said, outdoor loving folk have for years, and continue to respectfully wild camp in remote areas in Wales and England. Generally, if you were to choose a place that is far from the view of roads, houses and busy trails, you arrive late, keep noise and light down, pack up early in the morning and leave no trace (including a digital trace such as geotagging on instagram!), then no-one would know you were ever there. In Scotland, land access is far more generous and provided you follow the Access Code, wild camping is allowed. If you’re concerned about the legalities of wild camping, then a semi-wild campsite could be a good compromise. These strike the middle ground between the more manicured, busy and commercial campsites, and wild camping, in that facilities are often minimal if there at all, and camping areas are often remote, but you have landowner permission in exchange for a usually very small donation. These are the kind of places we use when running our expeditions and introduction to wild camping trips, to avoid the murky area of offering guided wild camping trips commercially.

Where are the best places to wild camp?

Have you seen a beautiful wild camping spot on instagram? Yeah, don’t go there. Chances are several others have seen the same spot and you’ll turn up to a mini campsite with half a dozen other tents already there, playing music and ripping down fences for their instagrammable camp fire.

Instead, put some work in yourself, that way the experience will be more meaningful to you. The best places are ones that you come across on a walk that you think ‘wow, I’d love to camp here’. Some key things to consider:

Is it out of sight of houses, buildings, roads and paths?
Is the ground dry underfoot?
Water source nearby
Level ground
Avoid sensitive areas such as Nature Reserves or Special Areas of Conservation.
Do you know which way the wind is going to be coming from, and does the spot offer shelter from wind?
Is there a great view to watch sunset or sunrise?

Which is the best tent for wild camping?

I’m asked this question a lot, and there is probably enough to write a whole separate guide. But here are some things to consider:

Tent size and weight - are you going solo or sharing a tent? If you can share the carrying then it’s worth taking a slightly bigger tent for comfort. If going solo, weigh up (pun not intended!) whether you want to carry less weight or have a bit more space.
The weather - while it’s never really safe to bank on there being no wind or rain in Wales, you can get away with lighter, less sturdy designs if the forecast is for little wind and rain. Do make sure though, that your tent is waterproof. Don’t take your trusty old tent out of the attic that you haven’t used for years and expect it not to flood during a downpour (can you tell I’m speaking from experience?!)
How easy is it to put up and take down? I am a big fan of a tent that pitches all in one, so that I don’t have to faff about with outers and inners and clipping them together while I’m inevitably being drenched by that special kind of sideways rain that only occurs in the mountains of Wales.
Price - wild camping tents can be prohibitively expensive. Not great if you use it once and decide wild camping isn’t for you! See if you can borrow one for your first outing, or look for second hand or ex demo models. Just remember to practise putting it up in your living room before you try it on a windy mountain!
Colour - red or orange tents may look great in your photos, but they’re an eyesore for other people and don’t help you blend in. Greens or yellows are good options.

What else do I need?

It’s important to be upfront and let you know that I pack everything except the kitchen sink when going off on an expedition, so if you’re looking for lightweight fastpacking advice you might want to head back to google. Here’s my fairly long list:

Tent (and spare pegs)
Sleeping mat and sleeping bag packed in a dry bag
Dry bags - lots of them. They can be pricey so plastic bags or bin bags can work as an alternative.
Warm jacket, hat, gloves, neck warmer and spare socks.
More spare socks.
Headtorch / spare batteries and a spare
Phone and battery pack
Stove for cooking (always cook outside your tent!)
Food - dinner, breakfast, snacks and a spare meal. Tea or coffee.
Plenty of water. A water bottle you can put boiled water in to use as a hot water bottle is ideal. I use a water bottle with technical filter which means I can drink water from streams and lakes without having to boil it.
Toothbrush, toilet paper, rubbish bag, mini trowel, sanitiser.
Usual kit - map, compass, spare layers, first aid kit etc.

What do you eat when you’re wild camping?

For me, this varies depending on how many nights I’m out, the temperature and how physical the day has been. Generally though, I want a warm dinner. If I’m going for one night I’ll often pre-cook a stew and put it in a food flask, ready to warm up in the evening using a stove. Always cook outside your tent - carbon monoxide released from gas stoves kills people inside tents! In the porch is ok if it’s raining as long as it is fully open and you take extra care to keep any flames away from the tent.

Dry food which can be rehydrated is the easiest and least messy option. Something balanced with plenty of protein, carbohydrates and fats and if out for a few days, plenty of fibre and vitamins is important. Specialist camping meals are great, but often quite expensive, so unless I’m on a long distance walk and needing to keep weight down I prefer to concoct my own meals. I’ll also usually pack items that won’t go off too much without being stored in a fridge. This is more challenging in summer.

Here are some of my go-to’s:

Dinner

Chorizo and bean tomato stew that I can re-warm
Beef stew with potatoes and carrots to re-warm
Veggie chilli to re-warm
Chickpea curry to rewarm

Breakfast

Porridge to be made up with water, with nuts, dried apple and in summer, a handful of bilberries from outside the tent!
Pre-boiled eggs, bread and dried fruit
Banana and almond cake pre-made at home
Coffee bags, cereal bars, dried fruit

Lunch

Pre-made carrot and avocado wraps
Pre-made spanish omelette and veg sticks
Falafels

Snacks

Chocolate
Nuts
Dried fruit
Biltong
Flapjacks

Although healthy choices and food that will keep you fuelled is important if you’re on a physically demanding trip, I really recommend packing something that will give you a moral boost if you need one!

What if I need to go to the loo?!

I have had so many conversations about this and it is ultimately the one issue that prevents most people from trying wild camping, which is a shame. Yes, you probably will need to go to the loo at some point, and if you’re out for more than one day then I’d be worried if you didn’t! Don’t avoid eating or drinking in fear of needing to go. That’s not sensible and may get you in a much worse situation. There are some golden rules, which we all need to follow to make sure we’re leaving no trace and looking after the places where we’re camping.

Choose a spot that is away from buildings, away from water sources and paths. At least 50 metres is a good rule.
Take a rubbish bag with you, and remove any toilet paper or sanitary waste. Don’t bury it or leave it there. Double or even triple bag it if you’re worried about smells.
Take a mini trowel or penknife and dig a hole 30cm (about a ruler or a boot deep) if you need to do anything ‘substantial’. Avoid rocky areas - soft ground is best. Cover the hole back in afterwards to make sure everything is buried well away.
Avoid using leaves to wipe - you don’t want a tick bite anywhere, let alone down there!

Still keen? If you’d like to give wild camping a try with some support, why not come along to one of our wild walking breaks or expeditions where we use semi-wild campsites and introduce you to wild camping ready for your own adventures. Get in touch if you’d like to find out more.