Wild Camping - Thriving not surviving
I wonder if there is some secret equation for most miserable walker multiplied by who can have the most miserable time equals winner!?!
Wild camping is an amazing experience, swimming in a remote stream or loch, empty mountains with endless views, waking up on the side of a mountain with an early morning mist, putting on your coffee, make your porridge and enjoying the silence.
Wild camping doesn’t have to be a survival ordeal, you are allowed to have type one fun, you don't have to be eaten alive by midges, soaked to the skin and foraging for your food, you are allowed to enjoy it, I would recommend that you actively plan to enjoy it.
Ambitious first pitch without the top sheet on….
I remember an hour into a walk, after I set off at 4pm, it started raining, the fog came down and I was off the path wading through long grass and up hill some where on Bampton Common and heading to High Street, I hadn't seen a soul and the visibility was rubbish, I was hungry, wet and ready to stop and then all of a sudden at 8pm the rain stopped at pockets of visibility appeared in the clouds and I was treated to some stunning views made extra special by the framing of the clouds, I set up my tent and ten minutes later it was bucketing down again. In my tent I made my dinner and then slept like a baby. It rained the next day as well but it still ranks as one of my most memorable walks.
Pack the thing you love most, hip flask of whisky, dark chocolate covered nuts, glass of red wine or maybe even a steak that has been defrosting since you left home. I remember sitting on Esk Pike drinking red wine and eating dark chocolate watching an amazing sunset over Scafell Pike. Thriving not surviving.
The gear you take will depend on the length of your trip, the time of year and where you are going, here are some lists of my various top five things
Gear Essentials
MSR Hubba Hubba tent
Exped sleeping mat
Robens 3 Season sleeping bag
Walking poles
Head Torch
Food Treats
Pack of granola bars
Shortbread
Tin of mackerel fillets
Tin of all day breakfast
Peanut butter
Luxuries
Stove top coffee pot
Something to read
Chocolate
Wine/Whiskey
Luxury non essential clothes
Extra pair of socks
Cap
Merino base layer
Packing mistakes
Too many clothes
Missing trowel
Wrong map
Blanket for picnic
Banana at the bottom of my bag
A good idea is every time you come back from a trip, either make a list or mental note of all the items you take out of your rucksack that you didn't use. We have all been guilty of that, hiking through the Dolomites one year I carried my girlfriend’s yoga mat and laptop, neither of which did she use at all, what an ass.
Some items you need to carry for safety, I always take a medical kit, water filter, survival bag, spare laces and spare batteries among other things that I sometimes never use but it is always a good idea to have with you.
Everyone will pack differently, have different opinions and obviously be right, some people will want to endure a horrible time and come bag feeling a hero having only taken a survival bracelet and Swiss army knife, other people will come back bent over double having carried a chair, pillow, camping bed and 5 litres of water, each will have enjoyed the experience equally and differently, the trick is to find out where you fit on this scale.
I am definitely further along the scale toward taking too much. I enjoy the physical challenge and I enjoy the rewards I am able to carry, I remember one nutter I had met carried 20kg of coal to a Bothy, unable to use it all he had buried but was unable to remember where.
Many people will agree getting ready for a trip is an art form and you can see many instagram post of people with all their gear laid out. In my opinion packing is the easy bit, the real art is getting back from your trip exhausted, hungry and missing netflix but first looking after your gear and putting it away. Here are some more trip tips …
Pre trip tips
Take a black sack or two, one to line your bag and another for any wet stuff
Once you have packed your bag, empty it and repack try to discard as many items as you can
Once your bag is packed weigh it. Percentage guidelines vary from 12% of your body weight unto 20%, keep this in mind.
Think about packing your bag so that snacks, drinks, maps etc are accessible and items you will need later are at the bottom of your bag i.e. tent, sleeping bag etc
Check your laces are in good condition
Post trip tips
Empty your rucksack completely, too many times i have gone back to my bag after some weeks and put my finger through some mouldy fruit
Hang out your sleeping bag, mat and tent
Wash your rucksack if it needs it.
Make a note of your trip, distance covered, where you camped, your highlights, things you didn't use. (This may be useful one day)
Clean your boots!
Remember wild camping doesn't have to be extreme and it doesn't have to be difficult, you can set your own goals, my only advice would be get out there and be determined to thrive.
Check out our trips
If it’s your first time wild camping or you just want to come and enjoy the Scottish highlands the we have some great guided trips you can join.
