I’ve spent hundreds of nights camping wild and I’ve never had a problem. Not once have I been moved on or had anyone complain about where I’m camped. I stick to some simple rules:
1: respect
When I’m walking or camping, I respect the land I’m on. I remember that somebody else owns it and is probably trying to make a living from it.
2: permission
Ask for permission to camp. Often this is not possible because it’s not obvious who owns the land. Also, I wouldn’t want to be knocking on a remote farm house door, disturbing the owners late at night.
3: stealth
I try to camp away from the path, on land that is not farmed or used for livestock. I usually pitch my tent late, just before dark and take it down at first light.
4: return everything
When I take my tent down, I return everything to how it was before I got there. Even returning the sticks or stones that I moved the night before to make a flat area to sleep on. (and rule 5…)
5: leave no trace
Leave no trace. I don’t leave any rubbish at all, not even a match stick, plaster or banana skin. Some things take a long time to rot away and would be an eyesore for people passing by after I’ve gone.
6: no fires
I never light open fires. I stand my stove on an alloy base and keep it well away from anything that may catch fire. This also prevents scorching the ground, which would leave a trace that I had been there (breaking rule 5…)
7: go green
Be as unobtrusive as possible. I usually use green tents so they blend in with the surroundings. This means I’m also not an eyesore for any people that may pass by. You can read my review of some good tents to use wild camping here.
8: no camping means no camping
If there is a no camping sign, I respect it and move on to find somewhere else to camp.
9: quiet
Make as little noise as possible, as it’s surprising how far noise travels.
10: dark
I keep the light down as much as possible and don’t flash my torch around any more than is absolutely necessary. Light can be seen from a long distance away and may worry the land owner, who may think someone’s stealing farm machinery or sheep etc.
11: toilet issues
I always carry a trowel so I can bury my poo properly, well away from any water source. Left uncovered isn’t pleasant for people or animals to come across later, and it’s important to prevent the spread of disease. Landowners are already having trouble with all the dog mess that gets left on their land, spreading disease. There are now many light weight trowels available. I carry THE TENTLAB Duece 2 UL trowel which only weighs 17g.
The legal side
Please check for specific rules for where you intend to camp before wild camping, but as a very rough guide:
Wild camping in England and Wales is generally illegal. However, it is possible if you ask the landowner’s permission. Dartmoor in Devon has special rules where it’s legal to wild camp in designated areas. There is also a tradition of wild camping in the Lake District National Park. Many areas wild camping is tolerated.
Scotland benefits from freedom-to-roam rules and its own laws which allows wild camping, thanks to the Land Reform Scotland Act 2003. This allows the public to camp on most unenclosed land, including many of Scotland’s national parks, but be aware that there are some restrictions. Please make sure you follow the Scottish Access Code – rights and responsibilities, Land Reform Act and Camping.
A link to My Best Wild Camping Walks.
52 nights wild camping in my Tarptent Notch Li while walking from Dover to Cape Wrath in 2020
John O’Groats Trail wild camping in my Nordisk Telemark 1.
“Take nothing but pictures, leave nothing but footprints, kill nothing but time.” Leave No Trace.
Further reading
My Inov8 Roclite Mid boots review
Dover to Cape Wrath walk, wild camping every night
My favourite walks for wild camping
Best tents for stealth wild camping
My Scottish National Trail walk, wild camping every night
Scottish National Trail Gear List
My LEJOG and 3 Peaks walk. (short story)
How I plan a successful long distance walk
Wildwalkinguk is a blog run in my spare time, and I pay for its running costs myself. I do have some Amazon affiliate links and adverts on the site. If you click on these adverts or links and buy what you need (it doesn’t have to be the item we’ve linked to), the company will pay a small commission to me. This money goes towards the costs of hosting the blog. We would be extremely grateful if you could consider using our links when you next need to buy something. Thank you so much for your support. Mark.
Hi Mark, I really enjoyed reading your reviews and walking stories, especially the LeJog wild camping. I am pondering the notion of walking LeJog. My aim would be to camp where appropriate but spend at least one night a week in a hostel or B&B to wash and clean everything properly. I had at first thought to use a bivvy rather than a tent and wondered if you had any experience with this and which you felt was more suitable for the walk. Like you, if I do commit to doing the walk, I plan to do it without extensive route planning as I think part of the excitement of this form of walking is making decisions on the fly and seeing where the path takes you (always north-ish though would probably be wise).
Thanks for sharing your experiences. I’ve enjoyed finding your page and reading about your adventures.
Alastair
Hello Alastair
Sounds like you’ve a good plan, not too plan too much. I’d have planned numerous different routes prior to leaving so you had general ideas. I’d look at walking main trails if I was you. The Severn, Offa’s Dyke type routes as they’re more likely to be passable and easily followed, with minimal road walking. Condensation from a bivvy bag (or small enclosed tent) will be the biggest problem, making the sleeping gear wet and then cold, over multiple nights. It’s also handy to be able to cook inside a tent porch when it’s raining or windy. Or just space to sit out bad weather and rest.
Best of luck with your walk.
Mark