NIGHTS TO REMEMBER
I took this photo with my creaky old phone camera, on what turned out to be my final wild camp of last summer. That’s my mate Stu lounging between the two tents, sipping whisky from a hipflask and watching the sun sink over the western Lake District. Earlier that day we’d jumped into a rock pool, scrambled a ridge and found a secret cave. Then after pitching our tents we’d enjoyed a quick swim in Tarn at Leaves, conveniently positioned about 100m behind where the pic was taken. And here’s the best thing about that day – Stu had never wild camped before, or scrambled before, or swum in mountain water before. He also hasn’t stopped talking it since we got home around 9 months ago, so we’re currently hatching a plan to go and do something equally memorable at the first whisper of a decent weekend forecast this summer. Sleeping out in the hills is an unforgettable experience, and if you’ve never done it before then this is the summer to change that. So read through some of the stories of wild camps and backpacking trails in this issue, pick out a new tent (p70) and sleeping mat (p77), and start planning your own wild night out. I was a late convert to wild camping and still get annoyed thinking about all the years I wasted. Don’t make the same mistake! Oli Reed, editor
(Instagram @the_outdoordad)