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5 Things – Choosing Your Wild Camping Spot…

By Dave Roberts   

on October 10, 2011    4/5 (1)

5 Things – Choosing Your Wild Camping Spot…

I’ve just come across this file on my mapping software. Intriguingly, it’s all the spots at which I’ve wild camped in Snowdonia and it certainly shows that I need to get south a little more!

The striking thing about this is that of all the times I’ve walked along Nantlle and Mynydd Mawr, I’ve never managed to camp there. I know i tried once, but it was one of those hot summers and by the time I’d found water (aka Llyn Cwm Dulyn) I decided I was too low down to camp anyway.

Wild Camps in Snowdonia[maptype=G_PHYSICAL_MAP;gpxview=all;gpxlineopacity=0;gpxelevation=hide;urldisplaymode=none]

While the above does give you an idea of where I’ve wild camped, it doesn’t mean that they’re actually any good! Some of these have been stinkers, but necessary due to the conditions that day. Some of them are in amazing positions, but otherwise not ideal. Here’s 5 things to look for in an ideal wild camping spot…

1 – Supply of water nearby – Otherwise you need to lug it up to the camping spot.

2 – Dry Pitch – Ensure that the water supply isn’t too nearby! A nice dry pitch is essential.

3 – Flat Pitch – Any lumps and bumps will make for an uncomfortable night’s sleep.

4 – Pitch with your head uphill! Even if you’ve got the best sleeping mat in the world and can overcome a bumpy pitch, make sure your head isn’t downhill if you have to use a sloping pitch. Pitching sideways on to the slope will guarantee you’ll be rolling off the sleeping mat at regular intervals.

5 – Sheltered – Any sort of breeze makes lightweight tents sound like  a  load of crisp packets.

6 -View – Camp as high as possible in order to enjoy the view. Failing that, you should try and pitch where you catch the evening rays or if you’re a morning person, facing east in order to enjoy the sun in the morning. Pitches with views more often than not pose problems with points 1 through to 5!

Of course, you’ve also got the rules of where you should be wild camping (e.g. High enough and away from habitation). Remember that technically wild camping is tolerated if done in suitable locations but it isn’t a right. In Scotland however, they have countryside access laws that enshrine the right to wild camp in law, where the watered down legislation south of the border does not.

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Dave Roberts

Dave Roberts founded Walk Eryri in 2004, with the aim of providing routes that are off the beaten track. Walk Eryri is now part of Mud and Routes which continues to provide more off beat routes and walks in Snowdonia and beyond. Dave has been exploring the hills of Eryri for over thirty years, and is a qualified Mountain Leader. Dave also established Walk up Snowdon, Walk up Scafell Pike and Walk up Ben Nevis just to mention a few.

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1 thought on “5 Things – Choosing Your Wild Camping Spot…”

  1. “Some of these have been stinkers, but necessary due to the conditions that day.”

    I take it that one of those would be the one IN Llyn Gwynant?

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