Wild camping tent and wild camping

[hyperblue]

Hello everyone,

I'm looking to escape the rent trap and make significant savings for a while by wild camping for several months, I live in an expensive area of Wiltshire and work a low-medium paid job with no prospect of being able to save money. I've never been wild camping before though (I intend to build up to this by having several wild camping weekends and weeks). I was hoping someone could advise me on tents... Currently I am rocking a coleman cobra 2 which would not suffice if nothing else because I can't stand up in it. As I understand it a canvas tent is best for long term, but if you are wild camping you ideally need to set up late and pack up early which does not bode well with a heavy, large canvas tent, nor does relocating regularly. Can anyone advise on a sturdy, lightweight tent that has room to stand in, preferably in a inconspicuous colour.

I understand some people contact farmers to rent a corner of their land, I feel like that would be awkward though unless they are willing to give toilet access... Otherwise I'm ****ting in their field?

Has anyone on here ever wild camped long term? Any advice? I am concerned about the amount of things I will potentially need to live long term in a tent and how that may effect my ability to relocate every few days as well.

Regards

David

 

[Squidders]

My advice would be to buy a cheap transit van and convert it to a stealth camper. You can then park on the roadside to sleep, not worry about your kit during the day and be a bit more comfortable long-term. Plenty of my climbing friends do just this and are very comfortable.

 

[hyperblue]

Alas, I cannot drive, otherwise it would have been my first choice!

 

[Bazooka Joe]

If it were me, I think I'd follow Squidders' advice. Maybe something like this?

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/a...ing-minivan-home-travel-world-rescue-dog.html

 

[Bazooka Joe]

Alas, I cannot drive, otherwise it would have been my first choice!

Sorry didn't see this before I posted. That does make it a bit more of a challenge.

Wild camping on a semi permanent basis, and holding down a job at the same time, might be a bit harder than I'd like.

What about a caravan?

 

[Toddy]

Firstly, welcome to BcUK

Secondly, correct me if I'm wrong….but does this mean that you will carry every single thing you own with you all the time ?

Thirdly, BcUK will not, can not, encourage, condone or advocate illegal activity. Too many people in England and Wales work too damned hard to gain permissions to camp, that for folks to say just go and do it, for months on end is like a slap in the face.

I can applaud your intent to live very simply and save some money, but you'd almost be better off in a backpacking hostel….or do campsites down your way not have dead seasons in late Autumn/ Winter/ early Spring when a quiet long term resident might be appreciated ?

If you can't drive then you're limited to areas where you can access reliable public transport, and those are usually places with lots of people, not exactly the best places to stealth camp anyway.

Best of luck with your endeavours, I think you need a long hard think about them though.

cheers,
Toddy

 

[scarfell]

Honestly sounds like a bad idea tbh.

I can understand the appeal when money is tight, and perhaps the romantic notion of such a life, but, living like this is far from romantic; a few days camping is one thing, but long term will bring you into contact with some very nasty people, who will see you as a "tramp" and will treat you the way our society (disgustingly) treats homeless people.

I'd suggest going to your local council for help, housing benefit and housing help is there for everyone who may need it, and unfortunetly in a contry where so many are paid less than thwy need to live, you are not alone in this.

Regardless of what certain people may say in the media, we all need to look out for one another, and that includes making sure our social system can provide everyone with the oppertunity to live, not just exist.

Good luck

 

[Janne]

I suggest you walk around and ask the local land owners for permission to camp for a few months on their land - maybe in exchange of some work?

Longterm camping is not easy. It is difficult to keep your clothes clean and washed, it is difficult to keep your body clean. You have no fridge to keep your food fresh so no cheap bulk buys.
Everything takes longer.

It is better you try and room share.

 

[hyperblue]

Hmmm, some very interesting thoughts there, I think I'll have a go at the odd bit oof wild camping anyway, just for fun, but it sounds like a some form of van might be the way to go.... I'm in the process of taking driving lessons now (having sucessfully failed my test three times haha) so perhaps a little bit of patience and a van will go a long way. Does anyone have any good links/ advice on suitable vehicles and how to adapt them?

Regards

David

 

[Janne]

What you plan to do is illegal.

Note that people like you makes our ( legal abiding guys) pursuit of a hobby more difficult.
You seem to live by a different set of rules than the rest of us here. It is not funny to fail a driving test three times. A crap driver is a danger to all other motorists and pedestrians around him/her.

Do you also plan to drive the van uninsured and untaxed? A vehicle costs money as you know?

 

[hyperblue]

What you plan to do is illegal.

Note that people like you makes our ( legal abiding guys) pursuit of a hobby more difficult.
You seem to live by a different set of rules than the rest of us here. It is not funny to fail a driving test three times. A crap driver is a danger to all other motorists and pedestrians around him/her.

Do you also plan to drive the van uninsured and untaxed? A vehicle costs money as you know?

Hi Janne,

Yes, I guess in some ways I do live by a different set of rules then. I personally will not be told that I cannot sleep unless I have paid someone to do so. I do believe it is any man or womans god given right to sleep where they damn well please when out in the open countryside, as long as you leave it as you found it I see no problem and therefore care not for laws prohibiting it. Does it stop you from visiting an over priced camp site? Nope. Camp sites are lovely, you have a shower, toilet, perhaps elec. hook up, that's what I pay for when I go to a camp site, not the right to lay down and take a nap. From what I understand neither the authorities or, in most cases, land owners seem to care as long as you are respectful, the most you might get is being asked to move on. Sounds reasonable to me.

When replying to someone you should avoid making judgement on anything that you don't have the facts on, such as my driving test, (it is a rather funny situation, but, at the same time, none of your god damn business). Good drivers can fail their test, bad drivers can fail their test, practice, then become good drivers (practice makes perfect).

My income and ability to afford a vehicle is another example of the aforementioned "none of your business". I do not plan to drive the vehicle uninsured or untaxed. I am aware that cars are not given away for free and that they cost money to keep, not mearly as much as I pay in rent though!

Regards

David

 

[Janne]

David, you can pursue your life style only because the rest of us follow the law.
If I reasoned the same way as you do, (doing what I personally think is correct) then, if you trespassed on my land, I would shoot you. Simple as that. But it is illegal, so of course I would only politely tell you to go somewhere else.
Not because I do not want anybody enjoying themselves on my land, but because of fear of being robbed. You break one rule ( and respass) then you are more likely to break other rules.

As I wrote earlier, just ask the land owner. He/she might tell you to take a hike, but more likely, specially if you offer to help him/her out, might allow you to use the farms amenities.
It is called being civilized.

Yes, practice makes perfect. Mostly. I hope your three practice driving tests bear fruit and you pass the fourth time!

Just a question: when you plan to wild camp, what do you plan to do with your waste? Both body and other.

 

[Brynglas]

Access and trespass issues aside, and they shouldn't be be ignored, to think of yourself in terms of being outside the law is naiive and a selfish.

Camping for more than a few days at a time requires a real consideration of attitute, resilience and equipment, particularly in our generally damp temperate climate. It doesn't take long for clothes and equipment to get chronically damp and start to degrade, cold and damp has a similarly debilitating effect upon your body, making it more difficult over time to work productively. If you need a fire to warm you and dry your kit, you expose your location and put yourself at risk of irate landowners or others that you'd rather avoid.

A van/ stealth camper is a better alternative, but still no substitute for a secure bricks and mortar home in the long term. If the driving test is a problem, persevere and get a better instructor, I failed my test the first time, and I ended up as a Grade 1 advanced Police driver. Driving is a skill that can be taught and learnt.

Good luck

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[hyperblue]

I see your point, although I'm not sure of the validity, if camping and murdering as you please did become legal I still don't think you or anyone else would feel the need to shoot someone who is sleeping in a tent, if they are climbing through your window then by all means blast away. I dont think sleeping in the countryside leads to a life of crime, to break the rules and have the psychological knock on effect of breaking more rules, you must first be of the opinion that wild camping is truly an illegal pursuit. Many people happily wild camp without murdering or robbing anybody at all.

I may well ask a farmer, with regards to toilets my job is way out in the countryside and has showers etc so I am vaguely thinking I might just use them... Depends if I can find a farmer in the area I guess. For other waste I will use bins... Probably again at work.

 

[hyperblue]

I don't see myself as outside the law, and it's fairly evident wild camping for months is a no go, it just wouldn't work (which is why I asked) but I do think that a few nights here are not of concern to the authorities.

Looks like a camper van is the way to go, I would love a nice secure house, but houses cost a lot more and if you are renting and not in the higher pay brackets you really are signing up to a viscious circle of rent and/or debt. Funnily enough the reason I am doing this is so I can pay for a year long course in South Africa next year, in the hope of getting a far better job at the end and earning enough money to move up in the world. Having just finished uni I can frankly say that if you are young prospects are slim if you are not willing to push a few boundaries, it matters little what degree's you have, or how many thousands you spent getting it. Anyway that's another topic in itself.

 

[tom.moran]

What you plan to do is illegal.

Note that people like you makes our ( legal abiding guys) pursuit of a hobby more difficult.
You seem to live by a different set of rules than the rest of us here. It is not funny to fail a driving test three times. A crap driver is a danger to all other motorists and pedestrians around him/her.

Do you also plan to drive the van uninsured and untaxed? A vehicle costs money as you know?

Take it easy

Sent from my E6853 using Tapatalk

 

[bopdude]

with regards to toilets my job is way out in the countryside and has showers etc so I am vaguely thinking I might just use them... For other waste I will use bins... Probably again at work.

If you have the facilities at work and you're way out in the countryside anyway, why not pitch there as a kind of night-watchman, you then have power, shower and bins........... ?

 

[hyperblue]

I have in fact just contacted a farmer nearby my work about renting some of their land, unfortunately I work at a high security military site, if I set up a tent on site I would probably be gunned down by the security team that patrols around. Still if I can get nearby I can go onsite as and when I please and use the shower/toilets/washing and dryer machines so it certainly has potential.

 

[bopdude]

I have in fact just contacted a farmer nearby my work about renting some of their land, unfortunately I work at a high security military site, if I set up a tent on site I would probably be gunned down by the security team that patrols around. Still if I can get nearby I can go onsite as and when I please and use the shower/toilets/washing and dryer machines so it certainly has potential.

So you have money to possibly rent land but no money to rent a flat or room, you have facilities at work where you can come and go at will with all amenities, how do you get to work, what route, do you have any commercial campsites there abouts ?

 

[tom.moran]

So you have money to possibly rent land but no money to rent a flat or room, you have facilities at work where you can come and go at will with all amenities, how do you get to work, what route, do you have any commercial campsites there abouts ?

Of course he does have money and is currently renting accommodation, he said so in his posts.

Imo you lot are being a bit harsh here. I sympathise with David as I and I'm sure others have been stuck where they only just earn enough to live, believe me it's not a nice place to be.

David, how close to passing your test are you? That's the real key here.

You won't like living in a tent long term, even when you don't have to move constantly, it gets very difficult

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