A big man in a small tent on Dartmoor

Social distancing for the spirit? There’s still time to squeeze in a solo camping adventure before it turns cold, says Chris Moss

It’s not the rising sun you look to at dawn when you’re camping on Dartmoor. It’s west, to the place where that day’s weather will come from. Popping my head around the tent flap on a Sunday morning, I was relieved to see a thick band of blue beneath the clouds heaping in the heavens. There was a chill in the air, a reminder that autumn was already arriving in the uplands. But a meadow pipit was twittering in the gorse, and a buzzard was mewing out of sight, so I set about making coffee with a smile on my face.

I’d been thinking about this for several weeks: taking off to the moor alone for a weekend with a tent and a few provisions. The reputation of wild camping on Dartmoor was recently tarnished by a spate of festival-style partying, with all the attendant litter. It led to a 27-day ban at Bellever Forest, which was only lifted last week on Sept 2.

But this has been a strange summer and I was not after barbecues and beats. My plans were to go solo, make no noise, leave no trace.

I live in Totnes, and come to the moor most weeks. As lockdown eased I’d done lots of day walks with my partner, Kathryn, and we’d camped twice. But I wanted a weekend on my own, something different from the enforced isolations and separations of the pandemic. Packing presented a minor challenge: lugging a rucksack, there was no space for a pillow, extra blanket, treats. I needed extra water, 1. Pack light: essentials include a one-person tent, waterproofs, good footwear, sun protection, a hat, warm clothes for the evening, a decent rucksack (with a waterproof liner or bin bag inside), a three or fourseason sleeping bag with an inner sheet, a tiny stove and cooking implements, spare gas, flip-flops, lots of water and plenty of snacks and energy-rich treats, a lighter/ matches and a trowel (see 4). 2. Take an OS Explorer or Harvey map with a scale suited to navigating: 1:25,000.

3. Find a sheltered spot for camping. Gorse, broom and stone walls are ideal. The sun sets early on the eastern slopes, but you get an early dawn. Camp high and you benefit from the views and also the weather.

4. Dig a six-inch hole if you need the loo. Don’t leave loo paper behind.

5. Be quiet. Noise travels far in the countryside and a radio can bother animals at night and other campers. 6. Leave no trace. Check the Countryside Code (gov.uk/ government/publications/ the-countryside-code); no litter and no fires are the two cardinal rules.

7. Wild camping is allowed in some areas of Dartmoor (dartmoor.gov.uk/enjoydartmoor/outdooractivities/camping), away from roads and settlements. Scotland also allows wild camping (visitscotland.com/ accommodation/caravancamping/wild-camping/). It is tacitly permitted in upland areas of our national parks and the Cumbrian fells (nationaltrust.org.uk/ features/wild-camping-inthe-lake-district), but the whole idea is to pitch late and break early – so you are basically invisible.