GOING LIGHT
Your ultimate guide to lightweight and wild camping
Packing a rucksack with camping kit, heading out into the British countryside for a few days and sleeping under the stars, is a great way to escape the stresses of day-to-day life.
Lightweight camping can include anything that doesn't involve you travelling by car. So whether you are backpacking on foot, cycle camping or travelling by canoe or kayak, the important thing is that you strip out the non-essentials and only pack what you will definitely need.
By its very nature, lightweight camping means getting back to basics. So leave the kitchen unit, camp bed, wardrobe and tent carpet behind and focus on the essentials.
You should choose products that are light and compact but are reliable enough to keep you warm and dry when you set up camp at night.
When it comes down to it, all you really need for an overnight stay is a small tent, a sleeping bag or quilt, a self-inflating mat, cooking gear, food and a water bottle.
But camping is not supposed to be an endurance test, and to enjoy yourself you need to be comfortable. So, unless you are planning an ultralight camping trip, you can take advantage of all the other gear that's out there to make your adventures more comfortable. As long as you can handle the weight, then go for it.
The simple pleasures of waking deep in the hills or by the sea after a sound night in a cosy sleeping bag are priceless. Travelling through the country on foot, two wheels or by paddle-power, with all you need to hand, allows you to follow impulses, explore and just have fun. You can enjoy your own place in the country without the ties of a fixed holiday home.
BACKPACKING
A successful backpacking jaunt needs a little advance planning. Not a lot if you want to retain a footloose feel to your trip, but even the most relaxed trekker must have, at least, a start point and initial direction.
You should plan where to go, how long it might take and where to pitch your tent safely, legally, and with respect for the outdoor environment. Plus, it makes sense to leave details of your proposed route and alternatives with family or friends.
Then there is your own experience and fitness – and the weather. There is a world of difference between backpacking in Scotland in the depths of a snowy winter and a balmy summer in Devon, particularly with regard to the ground you are likely to cover each day.
You might fancy a theme to your trip; summits, valleys, historical sites and rivers are obvious, but the opportunities are really only limited by your imagination.
Many of us tend to overestimate the distances we can tuck under our belts day after day, especially on early trips, resulting in long, exhausting days. Bear in mind that backpacking is about leisure and recreation, so try to be realistic when working out daily mileage, overnight stops and resupply.
As we have no right to camp where we like in most of the UK, leaving overnight pitches to chance is not recommended. If you are following the route of a long-distance footpath, check its website for details of campsites and find out whether you will need to book a pitch in advance.
WILD CAMPING
For a more free-and-easy approach, you could give wild camping a go. The romance of pitching your tent in the countryside at the end
of a day on the trail, is something many people would like to try, but are put off somewhat by the legal situation.
Outside of Scotland, there is no legal right to camp wild in the UK, but that doesn’t mean that wild camping is ‘illegal’. In England and Wales, you can set up camp with the permission of landowners to camp on their land. And in many hilly areas, such as the
Lake District, responsible wild camping away from roads and cultivated land is tolerated. A tent that blends in with the colours of the terrain will help to ensure that you will enjoy undisturbed nights.
You can also enjoy lightweight camping legally on Dartmoor for up to two nights on most of the unenclosed common land.
The situation in Scotland is very different as there is a legal right to camp almost anywhere, constrained by some guidelines based on common sense, consideration and best environmental practice. Permits are required to camp in some areas around Loch Lomond – check with the Loch Lomond & The Trossachs National Park authority for more details.
Wherever you pitch your tent off-site, aim to be non-intrusive, considerate, responsible and environmentally friendly. This means leaving no trace and not disturbing people, animals or vegetation.
BIKEPACKING
Bikepacking adventures are two-wheeled, overnight forays into the countryside or wilderness on tracks and ancient byways. You don’t need lots of fancy kit; a growing number of mountain bikers, hikers and wild campers are discovering that, with as little as an old mountain bike, a sleeping mat, sleeping bag and a bivvy bag, a whole new world begins to open up.
Spending a night in the woods close to home can lend a whole new perspective to a route that you ride often. Continuing along a trail you’ve always meant to explore further, camping en route, can lead you into wonderful uncharted territory just a day’s ride from your front door.
At the other end of the spectrum, with a little planning, you can cover huge distances on multiday rides.
Don’t think that you’ll need to spend big to get into bikepacking. If you already own a bike that can be ridden off-road, then you are ready to head for the hills. If you go camping, the chances are you already own much of the equipment you’ll need, and you really don’t need very much.
There is a vast network of paths, tracks and forest trails criss-crossing our countryside. Britain has one of the highest densities of bridleways and byways in the world, so it’s easier to plan an off-road ride than you might think. There are several National Trails you can cycle, such as the Ridgeway, South Downs Way and the Peddars Way), as well as numerous other long-distance paths.
The New Forest in Dorset, Nottinghamshire’s Sherwood Pines and Thetford Forest in East Anglia are great for riders of all abilities, while the more experienced could look to Kielder in Northumberland or Gloucestershire’s Forest of Dean for some truly memorable adventures on two wheels.
Perhaps the most important thing to consider is your environmental impact. Stick to single track and try to avoid riding on saturated
trails, which will minimise damage. Leave the wild places as you found them or, better still, clear up after any messy people who may have been before you.
CANOE CAMPING
Canoe camping is exactly what the name suggests – camping using a canoe.
With a canoe you can head off into the wild, but still take everything to ensure a comfortable night out.
Although it still falls under the category of lightweight camping, travelling by canoe allows you to increase the amount of kit you take.
Pack your kit in dry bags and waterproof containers and load your canoe with all the heavy stuff as low as possible. Lighter items, such as groundsheets or bedding rolls, are fine stowed higher up. Your craft will usually be easier to handle if heavier pieces of equipment, such as your tent and stove, are stashed just behind the centre. Before setting off, tie everything down tight.
A canoe is a fairly big investment, so if you would rather try before you buy, you could take advantage of one of the growing number of hire outlets. These can provide you with a canoe, paddles, personal floatation devices (what you might call life jackets) and weatherproof storage kit – everything you’ll need for your expedition.
Before setting out, you should learn some simple water skills and there are companies around the country that will provide essential basic training. If you want help in planning, they can also prepare you an itinerary and
route and even guides to accompany you on your journey.
We have a host of waterways, lakes and stretches of coast here in Britain but, unfortunately, not all are accessible.
In Scotland, the Land Reform Act allows you to explore hundreds of lochs and rivers but, if you are canoeing on rivers and canals in England, then you will more than likely need a licence. The cost-effective way of obtaining a licence would be to join British Canoeing, the national governing body. Membership entitles you to navigate more than 3,500 miles of waterways in Britain, as well as cover for civil liability insurance.
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