wild camping. what do you want?

[honisoitquimalypense]

Im new to this forum and read with interest all the posts on wild camping. what actually do people here want. To get out of their car and walk twenty mins or less to some woods where there is no toilet and then put up a basha, build a stupid big fire in summer, late spring or early autumn. scare away any possible wildlife with your bonfire , draw attention to yourselves and leave a scar that your big fire cannot erase.
Posters inform about laws and good practice but National parks where there is real wild camping are clear along with the MLTB. Dartmoor actively encourages wild camping if you follow guidelines. some simple rules include no fires. Snowdonia in a similar way although does not promote does nothing to stop people putting up a tent in the mountains if on open access land. Plas y Brenin where i did my summer MLTB still takes groups out on the Carneddau and south of Snowdon even to Cadair Idris and beyond. I personally have camped wild all over Snowdonia without a problem. The same can be said for the Lakes. I fully accept these are all far from southern cities but if you want real wild locations get to these places, pack a rucksack and walk. Read National Park advice and guidelines to the extent of shopping locally for some food rather than dragging it from your local supermarket. Unless you are chopping live trees, polluting rivers, building fires and generally being an idiot you will be made most welcome by the Ranger service.
yes i do use a fire. In winter for heat and cooking. So am not anti fire at all. But judging by the clowns posting on YouTube some actually like camping in lowland woods so they can nip back to the car and grab a beer. Thats not wild camping!!!

 

[mick91]

I'm pretty certain those types are in the minority here. The extent to which fire frightens wildlife is questionable, any experienced hunter will tell you animals do not associate fire with humans, smoke etc doesn't put them off. in my experience it certainly scares them less than your average gaggle of birdwatchers or armchair conservationists that think they have the right to trudge across private or arable land uprooting traps, complaining about gunfire and generally causing disturbances, and have no idea about how the countryside works. I share your disdain for people leaving collossal fire scars, it takes nothing to arrange a few rocks and make a small fire pit. Again no problem with taking a couple of beers with you camping, I do it myself regularly, but take your litter home leave your pitch as you would like to find it. To me wild camping is camping outside of a capsite with amenities. But it means other things to other people. Horses for courses and all that within reason I say if you aren't bothering other people or damaging property/environment then crack on

 

[sunndog]

PLANNING?......planning to have a rant?

 

[mick91]

PLANNING?......planning to have a rant?

In all fairness a good rant does require planning. I like to plan several every time I buy new kit, and when being forced to go shopping. And literally every time I buy new cartridges, latest being eley grand prix PAPER CASED! that have plastic cases. I digress, but then I usually do

 

[dewi]

Not sure I quite understand the angle from the OP... am I being asked a question or being told how I should enjoy the outdoors or informed on what I should call it?

 

[John Fenna]

Hmm ... what do I want from Wild Camping?
I want a wooded site, preferably with a good water source (or not too far to carry in water from a good water source) that only I have access to and where I have permission to cut wood for "projects" and fires and to go to when I feel like it!
I have two such sites near me, which I share with friends.
I used to Wild Camp all over England and Wales, sometimes with, sometimes without, permission and the nearest I ever got to having any "issues" was on the Ridgeway LDP when I nearly got run over by a tractor (accidentally) as my site for the night was very unobtrusive. I like to think that I left no trace of my passing over the country (at least none that were readily visible and soon melted into the earth) and that I caused no upset to landowners or other countryside users, while contributing to the local ecconomies at hostelries and shops when I passed through civilization
My body does not allow long backpacking trips these days so I stick to easy to reach pitches but still try to avoid commercial camp sites when I do get out and about....
To me Wild Camping is not Outlaw Camping but camping away from commercial campsites...

 

[honisoitquimalypense]

John. u prob put it the way most feel. part of the problem we all know is most people out there doing the bushcraft woodsman stuff need woods. with the limited access with 70% of woodland in the private sector and forestry commission who generally dont want people doing stuff in their forests making up most of the rest it leaves very little. As we know wood is a precious commodity and we import much more than we produce. the 2060 aim to increase forests to 12% min 15% max apparently is on target. none of this helps us. i suspect many like me have found or know little treasures hidden away from footpaths and dog walkers etc that we quietly and sometimes illegally sit, put up a shelter, cook, whittle away, spend the night , clear up leaving no mess doing what us britons have done for centuries. stay safe.

 

[mick91]

I personally spent some time getting to know the warden/ranger/custodian whatever you want to call him and helped out while he was felling trees, used to collect bags of litter and leave them at his hut etc. He offered outright for me to use the wood to camp etc and often joins me for a cuppa and marks trees he wants me to cut. If nothing I'm a poacher deterrent for him

 

[honisoitquimalypense]

how i wish the FC ranger or wardens round here in Oxon were like that. little adolfs very quick to get their phone out and vid what you are doing if all goes pear shaped.

 

[John Fenna]

how i wish the FC ranger or wardens round here in Oxon were like that. little adolfs very quick to get their phone out and vid what you are doing if all goes pear shaped.

It seems to me that if the Rangers/Wardens get to making video of your exploits - in a negative kind of way - then you have gone wrong somewhere...
if you are doing to do it illegally nono then you should probably best avoid any possibility of your activities attracting attention ...
Work hard at gaining permission to be where you are wanting to play or pay for your pleasures
My Mother always told me "You can do anything you like in this life - as long as you are prepared to pay the costs of so doing"...