If you don’t feel the need to camp in absolute luxury or go glamping with everything including the kitchen sink, then wild camping could be for you. For so many campers basic wild camping is the most rewarding type of trip outdoors, but sadly all too rare these days. Past history of many taking advantage of this humble past time has resulted in landowners getting very twitchy when they find camper vans, caravans or tents seeking solitude in a quiet part of their forest, field or quiet country lane.
It’s not nice for the camper either when they are kindly asked to move on, especially when they’ve just settled in for the night, and having the constant threat of this possibility always feels a bit uncomfortable. However, there are some things you can do to ensure your wild camping experience goes without a hitch and you get to peacefully enjoy the campfire and stargaze in the evening, as well as listen to the bird song in the morning.
- If you can, find out who the landowner is and ask if you can use their land for a short wild camping experience. Offer to help them with something to repay them for the pleasure. This can be anything from clearing an area full of overgrown weeds, mending signs, fences or gates or offering for them to join you for dinner and a glass of wine when you’ve pitched up;
- If the land is owned by a public organisation or Trust then they will have rules about wild camping on their land, which you can usually find by visiting their websites;
- Only light a fire if you have permission or there’s a fire pit already in use. As an alternative to a campfire you could use a portable campfire kit;
- Always clear up your rubbish and never pollute;
- Be careful and respectful of livestock and crops as any damage affects someone’s livelihood;
- Be especially considerate about any noise, as you will have neighbours in trees and houses nearby;
- If you don’t have toilet facilities make sure you dig a deep hole and cover it before you leave your camping site;
- When you leave give yourself the challenge of making it look like you were never there. That’s the best evidence of a successful wild camping trip.
But for those who don’t wish to do this type of raw wild camping, but still want the experience of going off-grid without any of the usual services, then there are other alternatives. One is to visit a farm that already offers a frugal and wild camping experience, helping you to enjoy your time in the wild with no interruptions.
Wild Camping On Christmas Farm
Christmas Farm in Northumberland is one such place, and offers a field with glorious views of the countryside for a wild camping experience. For many people the view, fresh water, a compost toilet and unlimited firewood are all they need to get back to basics, unwind and recharge.
The idea for this came after a night we spent on the farm camping with friends. Campfire breakfasts just seem to taste better and it was just like I remember camping from when I was young. The kids were exhausted after running around in the fresh air and we all had an incredibly relaxing time. We decided to offer wild camping and let others enjoy a bit of real country life.
So if you like a bit of wild camping without any of the pitfalls you can get in touch with Christmas Farm through their website.
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Inspired Camping
Picture Credits: Christmas Farm
