This penultimate article in the wild camping series discusses the practicalities and permissions you need to minimise problems. Find out more about free camping in the introduction or find about the best free camping locations in the world at; Extreme Environmental Experiences in the UK, Short Wilderness Breaks, Suntastic Sensations and Bivouacking Basics and what to do to prepare. Read on to learn more….
While the thrill of feeling close to nature is a driver, risks that aren’t essential to that thrill can be avoided. This includes the risks of arrest, of prosecution and of suffering unnecessarily from mishaps. Asking permission means that if the environment turns bad, you have an accident or are unable to return for some other reason you have a chance of being found. Locals can notify others of your presence, which could prevent unnecessary aggression and could also mean that they think to tell you of other local hazards about which you might not otherwise be aware. It is no fun to be arrested for criminal trespass, get sprayed with hazardous poisons or to be shot for game and if there’s a bog, new landslide or other recent local danger it’s best that you know in advance.
Even if seeking permission is not practical it’s still vital to be aware of local regulations and constraints. Take lighting a fire; it’s always lower-impact and friendlier to the wildlife if you don’t, but you need to know if it’s safe to do so as well. Is local flora particularly flammable? How would a fire affect the ground and the area around you? Consider how you would react to a house-guest building a fire in your living room or spare bedroom and act accordingly. Learn whether the land you are visiting is home to endangered or protected species and make sure you do not impact their environment or food cycle. Some regulations are especially strict in wetlands, coastal areas and dry moors – for good reasons too – so be sure to do your research.
Scotland has passed laws establishing the rights of wild campers, but England and Wales have a much stricter approach. The Forestry Commission and the National Parks Service are particularly unforgiving. In Northern Ireland, camping is allowed by permit in certain parts of Forest Service areas, but it is usually the weather and the terrain itself that may turn you to decide on elsewhere. Camping is certainly tolerated in the more remote and beautiful areas, but remember: the more picturesque the scene the more vertical and precipitous the drops. Also mosquitoes and midges exact their own brand of fees and taxes.
Dusk in Antioquia, Colombia
It’s also very important to research the legalities of wild camping in countries where you might not speak enough of the language to be able to sweet-talk your way past authorities. In the United States camping regulations can vary from state to state, but welcome centres near the borders of each state along the major highways cheerfully provide camping information, with maps and directions to suitable public parks and private camp sites that either have facilities or are “unimproved”. In remote portions of Australia you are more likely to run into members of the country’s extensive catalogue of venomous animals than any human being who would care about your presence, so consider the importance of obtaining an armoured spacesuit to sleep in rather than permissions from people so far away they’ll not care.
