If you’re reading this as somebody who has never wild camped, then you may be feeling rather nervous about trying it. You might be even questioning your own sanity. This is especially true if like me you have family who believe wild camping sounds like a death wish. My dad still believes I will meet a mad man on the moors every time I head out and warns me of this fact. These fears you have are normal, but hopefully this article will give you the ten best reasons why you need to go wild camping and tackle them.

You might on the other hand be a semi-professional, able to pitch a tent in under fifteen minutes even in gale force winds. I’ve met such people on my adventures and they’re amazing. Well done if you’re one of them. Not only do you have skills I envy ( it took me forty minutes on my last windy camp ), but you also know how enjoyable wild camping is. This piece will hopefully still be a good read though. I’m sure you’ll be nodding in agreement most of the way through. You could even use it for that last piece of bargaining power in showing a friend or partner why they should go wild camping.

The Legal Issue

Before I give you ten good reasons why you need to go wild camping, it is important I put you right in terms of legalities. If pitching up in most of Scotland and Dartmoor, then it is legal to enjoy this hobby. You should still employ the leave no trace principal, but you aren’t doing anything wrong if you’re found wild camping in the hills.

Most of England and Wales have different rules altogether. I shan’t go into too much detail here, but this article provides all of the information you should need. In short, if you keep a low profile and leave if found by a land owner, then you’ll be fine.

Now that you’ve probably established which type of camper you are and we’ve addressed the small issue of the law, I shall now move onto what you’ve come here for. Here are the ten best reasons ( in no particular order ) why I believe you need to go wild camping.

Anybody Can Do It

Some people probably believe that wild camping best belongs to people like Bear Grylls. These are real adventurers, who own a collection of bush craft knives and will drink their own urine to survive if necessary. Don’t worry. You don’t needn’t be this extreme. If you have a shelter of some kind and a willingness to explore, then you can wild camp. The world is a big old place and there is a spot to suit everybody no matter what sort of environment you’re drawn towards.

It may still be a good idea to head off with a more experienced camper at the start though. It will give you peace of mind and they’ll be able to step in and help should something go wrong. I recently took a non- camping mate ‘almost wild camping’ and he loved it. Click here if you’d like to know why this could be a good option for you if just starting out.

1) It Is Good For The Soul

Life seems busier than ever these days. Most of us work long hours and all the other adult things we must do can take their toll. My girlfriend Lou is a mental health nurse and would be the first to agree that our mental health has never been poorer. All the more reason then to do things that combat this.

I have always suffered with social anxiety to the point where it has been quite debilitating on occasion. Life has seemed very mundane at times and I felt I was existing rather than living life to the full. Everybody is different, but I feel that wild camping has given me a new lease of life. It makes me feel alive as my senses are heightened in a number of ways. I can feel totally relaxed just being surrounded by the sounds and sights of nature. There is nothing to judge you or request your time or focus. You are free in your surroundings. Practices like Forest Bathing are now growing in popularity for this very reason. It is amazing how good nature can be for our well being.

2) It’s Safe

Contrary to what my dad might tell me, I can confidently assure you that wild camping is safe. A night out in the wild is probably far safer than a night out in town. It’s people you need to be worried about and not nature. That isn’t to say that wild camping is all plain sailing. It isn’t. I can almost guarantee that you’ll feel fear at different points.

When you hear the sounds of an unknown animal outside your tent in the middle of the night, it can be rather frightening. This is especially true if you’re new to it. It will probably only be a rabbit, but huddled in your tent you may well picture it as a rabbit with an axe. This chap’s video is well worth watching if you want to see what fear can look like on a wild camp if new to it.

Then there is the darkness. If you’re like me and are used to urban living, then being in a proper dark environment can also be pretty scary. As you lose your sense of sight in the darkness, so your other senses are heightened. I remember being pretty unnerved stepping out of Claerddu Bothy in The Cambrian Mountains when the sun had gone down. I could hardly see my hand in front of my face and I started picturing devils and demons on the empty moor.

These fears are of course all irrational. If you are camping in the UK and many other countries, then dangerous wildlife simply doesn’t exist. Mad men with chainsaws aren’t likely to be wondering the forests or the moors either. Surely they’d head to a town, where there are other people to target? I think I need to take my own advice on board. I still can’t bring myself to camp in a forest, such are my irrational fears. I’ve written a piece about it here and maintain that I’ll tackle this phobia at some point.

But Are There Any Genuine Risks?

Yes there are. These don’t come from the wild life or possible insane people wondering the landscape. Your greatest dangers come from the land itself and the sky above you. Weather in many parts of the word like Britain can be very changeable and you need to be prepared for this.

Wild places can also be quite easy to get lost in if you’re unfamiliar with it. Make sure you’re properly prepared and you’ll have a safe and enjoyable trip.

3) It Is Free

OK you could argue that the camping gear you need to buy first means this statement isn’t true. Yes you’ll need to spend a little money, but it isn’t very much and I’d like to see it more as an investment. Once you have some basic equipment, you can go and stay in some of the most beautiful spots for free. Better still is you can do it time and time again for hardly any expense. A standard campsite could be as much as £30.00 for two and an Air B and B considerably more than that. This knowledgeable chap has done a great review of all the budget equipment he has purchased. Well worth the watch.

4) It Offers Total Freedom

I’m not suggesting you pitch up at the end of somebody’s garden or take to a roundabout like this mad person did. This is risky and not worth it in my opinion. What I’m getting at is that you have so much freedom in where you pitch your tent.

I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve been walking and just stumbled across a spot with an incredible view. If you have your tent with you, then you can stop right there. Even if you have a destination in mind, you can still hunt around for the perfect little pitch offering comfort, protection from the wind of course a fine view.

If you decide to use only a bivvy bag, then your freedom increases even more. You can bed down practically anywhere you like and in hardly any time at all. It’s a light and convenient way to travel if completing a route that is physically demanding.

5) You’ll Learn New Skills.

When I first went wild camping, I had no real idea how to put my tent up properly. Poles went in the wrong way and I used just about every expletive in the book. I’m still not brilliant ( especially in the wind ) but getting the tent up is now a stress free and enjoyable experience. It’s amazing how quickly you perfect this skill when it’s your only shelter for the night.

Those who enjoy using hammocks and tarps when camping will also soon learn how to tie a range of knots and probably perfect a range of other bush craft skills too. Check out this chap’s You Tube channel if you want some real inspiration.

You’ll also perfect other skills like map reading, general orienteering and outdoor cooking. There us something really satisfying about cooking your meal over an open fire you’ve made yourself. I guess it’s how our ancestors used to live, so I believe that this way of living is still instinctive in all of us. You may completely disagree of course. Try it if you haven’t already and see what you think. The main takeaway is that you’ll learn how to be totally self-sufficient. Life is so convenient now for most of us, so I feel this skill is more important now than ever.

6) You’ll Have New Stories To Tell

Speak to any keen wild camper and I can guarantee they’ll have some brilliant stories to tell. For me personally, I can put this down to the fact that things often don’t go the way you expect them to. There could be a change in the weather and you might wake to find your tent half buried in snow. You might even find a mouse having a midnight snack outside your tent if you were silly enough to leave your rubbish bag there. I’ve been there and had that alarm call!

Then there are the incredible views you’ll get to enjoy. Many of these you’ll never forget. I find them very helpful if a day isn’t going very well too. My job as a teacher can be stressful at times, but if a day is particularly hard, then I find myself imagining the wild Cambrian Mountains or that peaceful bothy I stayed in. It’s the perfect form of escapism.

I have also found that others who enjoy the outdoors, love to hear my stories. It’s hard not to tell them without passion as they were so memorable. It isn’t until I see their reactions that I realise how lucky I am to enjoy this hobby.

7) You’ll grow as a person

This links in a way to learning new skills. Wild camping can be challenging no matter how much experience you have. It’s only through challenge and learning new skills that we develop as people. Our age doesn’t matter.

I feel that taking up wild camping has really allowed me to flourish. Not only have I found something that I love to do, but it’s given me a thirst for life that was missing for a while. Facing challenges and dealing with them has also shown me how resilient I can be. I had a habit of doubting myself in many settings, but wild camping has provided me with an inner confidence. I’m doing something that many simply wouldn’t have the confidence to try. That makes me feel pretty good about myself if I’m honest.

8) You’ll Meet Interesting People From All walks Of Life

This might seem like an odd detail to include, when you may well see wild camping as a way of escaping people altogether. You can of course do this if you wish and it is easy to accomplish. You never know who you’ll share a path or mountain summit with though.

I’ve met everybody from single female campers, grandfathers, grandmothers, same sex couples and even whole families. Each have very different stories to tell and can inspire you in ways you perhaps weren’t expecting. One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned from those I’ve met is that age is only a number. It is amazing meeting people in their sixties and seventies, who still have a keen sense of adventure. I hope I’m lucky enough to follow in their footsteps.

9) It Can Be Done With Your Friends and Family

If they share your interest or are at least willing to give it a try, then wild camping can be enjoyed with those who are closest to you. I’ve now wild camped with my girlfriend on more than one occasion and a close friend as well. It is possible to wild camp with younger children too. There are many articles and videos online showcasing this.

I’m sure you’d agree that getting children out into nature and enjoying experiences like camping are extremely valuable. It offers great bonding time as a family and takes the children away from the technology they’ve become so dependent on. I hope to take my eight year old niece wild camping in the near future if my sister allows it. Watch this space!

10) It Helps You Appreciate Our Natural World

You will almost always wild camp in the more wild and remote parts of the countryside. These just so happen to often be some of the most beautiful places too. You can’t help but marvel at the majesty of the landscape that surrounds you. It doesn’t matter if it’s a stunning mountain glacial lake, near vertical wall of rock or even an expansive moorland.

When wild camping you get about as close with nature as is possible. You feel the changes in temperature as darkness falls, you see and hear the wild life around you and you feel the Earth below you as you sleep. It’s beautiful and it makes you appreciate how these places must be cared and looked after for future generations.