Guide to Beginning Wild Camping

Since I went on my first wild camp in June 2021, I have had fairly mixed reactions from people when it comes up in conversation. The most common queries/responses that I get are maybe what you might expect, and are along the lines of "is that legal?" or "where do you go to the toilet?" and in the later months of the year "you must be mad - it's freezing!". Of course, if you've never been wild camping before and maybe aren't what some would describe as an "outdoorsy" person, then these are all completely valid concerns. But every now and then, I'll get a different response entirely, leading more down the lines of "how could I do that?". This is always really refreshing, and of course like most people, I always find it fun to start a conversation about one of my number one passions.

I recently had this conversation with someone at work, discussing the basics of what you need and how much some basic kit is etc. and that is what inspired this post. So, here is my basic guide to what equipment you'd need to try* wild camping for the first time, where you could find it, and how much it would cost. 

*Try is the important word here. If you've not tried wild camping before, then it would be a risky decision to go and spend hundreds plus on gear that may never be used again, so I will be looking at the bare minimum amount of equipment needed, at a cost low enough to not totally impair quality, but at the same time ensuring that you don't overspend on your first go. If you try wild camping and decide to go again, you can always upgrade and buy different equipment at that time. So without further ado...

Camping and Outdoors Chronicle: Guide to Beginning Wild Camping

Depending on what time of year you intend to try your first wild camp will definitely have an impact on how much gear you will need, and how much money you will need to spend. For example, in good summer conditions, you may only need a one/two season sleeping bag and a tarpaulin to sleep under, where as in a cold winter, you will require a much warmer sleeping bag as well as a good tent, bivvy bag, or hammock. So keep this in mind whilst reading this guide.

1. Rucksack - Of course, if you're wild camping in the UK, you will most likely be on foot, and therefore, you will need to carry your gear, and you will need something to carry it in! For a one nighter, in reasonable conditions, a 65 litre pack will definitely be large enough to fit your basic essentials and probably a little more. Some people will decide to go for a lower capacity bag to save on weight, and some may go higher to bring a few more items to make the trip more comfortable, but 65L is a good midpoint.

Big chain outdoors stores like Go Outdoors will sell a basic 65 litre pack for around £30 upwards as a starting point. Don't expect overly high quality for this price, or even longevity with high frequency use, but as a first pack something like this should last for a few years at least.

Example - Eurohike Nepal 65, £30.00 with Go Outdoors members card

2. Tent - Although you could choose to make a tarp shelter, use a bivvy bag, or even a hammock, going for a tent will make sense for most first timers. Tents can be used in both forests and moorlands, provide warmth and weather resistance, and are (usually) easy and quick to pitch. Another benefit over hammocks and bivvy bags is that you can stow your gear in the tent with you, to ensure that it is also kept out of the elements.

This will probably be the most expensive purchase that you will have to make initially, but again, there are many cost effective tents that will be good enough to get you into wild camping, and may even last a good many years. Searching for 'backpacking tents' on Amazon, you will even see some for as low as £40/£50, but I personally would be wary of the quality. Going back to old reliable Go Outdoors we can see the OEX Hyena II Tunnel tent, for £65 - not bad! However, this tent does claim to have a pack weight of 3kg, which is quite a lot for a backpacking tent and more expensive tents will offer lighter solutions.

Example - OEX Hyena II Tunnel tent, £65.00 with Go Outdoors members card

3. Sleeping mat - Whether you're sleeping in a tent or under a tarp, if you want more comfort than what the bare ground can provide, you will need some kind of sleeping mat. I've known people use the thin foam roll up mats for wild camping many times without complaint, but personally I favour the self inflating kind. These can be purchased in compact, packable sizes, for not much more money than the cheap foam mats. I also believe that they keep you warmer. I've seen them relatively cheap, both online, and in stores like Go Outdoors, but I've only used the Vango Compact myself, so I cannot speak to how long cheaper options would last with repeated use. Keeping with the spirit of trying to keep the cost down, I have selected this option seen below from Eurohike at Go Outdoors. 

Example - Eurohike Camper Compact Self Inflating Mat, £15.00 with Go Outdoors members card

4. Sleeping bag - Regardless of the season, the temperature will always drop much lower sleeping outside when compared with your cosy bedroom, which is why I think your sleeping bag should be an essential piece of kit. As you'll be packing it into your rucksack it's important that it's compact and packable as well as suitably sized for you and the right season. Sleeping bag warmth is measured in seasons with a one season bag only being suitable for the warmest months of the year, and a four season bag being suitable for winter temperatures. If you are planning on trying your hand at wild camping during the warmer months of the year, which for a first time is definitely recommended, then a two season bag should provide you with sufficient warmth and they tend to be cheaper to buy also. As shown below, Eurohike sell a two season sleeping bag at Go Outdoors for just under £30.00 which looks like it can compress small enough to make it a viable option. 

Example - Eurohike Adventurer 200 Sleeping Bag £29.00 with Go Outdoors members card

At this point I just want to make it clear that I am definitely not sponsored by Go Outdoors! Although the gear that I have chosen for the examples in this article is all from their store/website, this is mostly because they have low prices, and a reasonable reputation for quality in even their lower costing products. That is not to say that there is not a compromise in quality compared with items four times the cost - this is virtually impossible - however, when compared to some of the questionably cheap products sold on certain large international e-commerce sites, these brands do tend to hold up better in most cases. In addition to Go Outdoors, I would also recommend Mountain Warehouse, who sell good quality gear, although it can be a little more expensive - you get what you pay for!

So, we have looked into rucksacks, tents, and sleeping arrangements, which is enough to be able to carry your home somewhere and set it all up, but this is only one component of any camping trip. You will also need to consider food - cold food is all well and good, but if you're looking into cooking and/or making hot beverages on your trip then you will also need a compact gas stove, some kind of cooking pot, and suitable utensils. Furthermore, something you will definitely need is water! Whether you bring some bottled stuff from the shop or a more specialised walking bottle/canteen, this is of course a must have, and how much you bring will depend on how long you're out for, the temperature, and if you will find an opportunity to refill during your trip. The list below includes other must haves to put in your rucksack:

• Torch/head torch
• Pocket knife/multi-tool
• First aid kit
• Spare batteries for torches
• Power bank for tech
• Spare clothing (base layers)
• A dry bag (bin bags work)
• Toilet roll and a light shovel (garden trowels work)

I haven't gone into clothing in this list above, as that could and probably will be an entire post on it's own! Again, your clothing will depend on the weather, season, and personal preference - all I would recommend here is good walking shoes/boots, along with walking socks (Merino wool where possible), and a decent waterproof jacket. 

To conclude this brief guide, lets take a look at the total cost of the example gear, to get a rough 'ballpark' figure of how much you can start wild camping for:

Rucksack       - £30.00

Tent              - £65.00

Sleeping mat - £15.00

Sleeping bag - £29.00

Total            - £139.00

If we assume that you already have suitable walking clothing, the only remaining purchases will be from the short list above. These items could probably be acquired from outdoors shops or online for something like £20-£30, dependant on the exact items that you buy. This puts the grand total somewhere between £160 and £170, which means that you can definitely try wild camping for less than £200! If you were to shop around, find sales, or purchase second hand, you could whittle this figure down even further.

Hopefully the main take-away from this post will be that, will a bag full of camping gear, and the desire to get out into the woods, valleys, or moorlands, wild camping is well within reach for most of us. If you're a fan of camping, but want to try something more 'back to basics' or even if you've never camped before, I'd definitely recommend finding somewhere beautiful, and going exploring! Just remember the number one rule:

LEAVE NO TRACE