Wild Camping Etiquette and Rules of the…Countryside
One of the pleasures of Wild Camping is hunting for that perfect remote spot, away from civilisation, noise and light pollution. Giving you that feeling of being at one with nature more so than regular camping. Though you’d be surprised just how difficult it is in our great outdoors to find a place to pitch that is not a regular dog walk or escape for somebody. Not to mention the wildlife around you. We must follow the simple rules so as not to impact on the landscape and disturb the environment for others to enjoy and for the animals that call it home.
Basic Rules of Wild Camping Code and Etiquette
It makes sense to draw attention to the rules where Wild Camping is acceptable, that being Scotland, The Lake District, Dartmoor and European countries such as Sweden.
- Camp away from Towns and Villages – In countries where Wild Camping is accepted, the rule is usually 100 metres. To get a real sense of the wilderness, you wouldn’t want to pick a spot any closer.
- Leave no trace – Which sums up, leave the campsite as you would want to find it and Carry out everything you carried in. Probably the most important rule and at the heart of not disrupting nature. Go one step further and remove anything you find from other users, especially that which could endanger wildlife.
- Don’t light fires – Unless you have the land owners permission or on designated camping grounds lighting a fire is acceptable.
- Do not bury personal items – Tampons and Sanitary towels will be dug up by animals.
- Stealth! – Try to be as inconspicuous as possible. Keep group numbers small and stay just one night. Arrive late and leave early before other walkers!
- When you got to go, you got to go! – Goes without saying that you’d keep this away from camp but also keep it 100 feet / 30 metres away from water and dig a foot down to bury the result.
Many of these rules are common sense. We learned the basics at cub scouts or on D of E programs but it’s always to keep them front of mind as we strive to make Wild Camping a more accepted activity and allow us to stay connected to nature.