CAMPING

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A night spent under canvas can be an unforgettable experience. 

It’s an incredibly cheap and fun way to access places you might not otherwise be able to visit. More than that it’s about the satisfaction you can get by simplifying life down to the essentials and experiencing nature first hand. 

Whether you want to be completely self-sufficient and cook on your own camp fire in the wilds of Scotland, transport the whole family to a busy campsite by the beach in Devon or take in a festival you simply can’t beat sitting outside a tent and watching the sun set over the beautiful British countryside. 

First steps to organising a camping trip

To ensure a magical camping experience there are some important basic essentials you need to bear in mind – especially given the unpredictable nature of our great British weather! 

The key to a fun trip is to get organized before you go, so you can relax and enjoy yourself when you arrive – so here’s our checklist for warm, dry nights sleep. 

Where will you pitch up?

See our list of websites below for official campsites in the UK and bear in mind that truly wild camping is only legal in Scotland. In England and Wales you can only camp on open access land in certain limited areas so make sure you contact the landowner first or find a legal campsite which offers the wild camping experience.

Plan your route

Be aware that some campsites have quiet time each evening, a time by which you need to have pitched your tent. It’s much easier to pitch a tent in the daylight anyway!

Try putting your tent up before you go

It’s a good idea to put your tent up for the first time in the comfort of your own home and make sure that everything is there, modern tents are much easier to erect but no one wants to have to read instructions after a long journey or worse still find the tent pegs are missing!

If you are travelling by car

It’s a good idea to transport stuff in strong plastic boxes, which you can then use to keep things organized in the tent.

Check in

Report to the campsite reception/farmers kitchen etc. when you arrive and they will show you where to pitch your tent and where the showers are.

Check the ground

For large or sharp stones and think carefully about the direction of the tent door, unless the ground is absolutely flat you need to be sleeping with your head at the top of a slope.

Check the weather on the day you leave

And try to take your tent down when it’s dry, if this isn’t possible just bundle it up and make sure you take it out on the first sunny day when you get home then pack it away dry for the next time.

Basic kit to get you started

If you’re travelling by car or bike bear in mind the space available and consider using a top box or trailer with a car for more ambitious family trips

  • Tent/gazebo/awning

  • Roll mats or airbeds and pump or camp beds

  • Sleeping bags/pillows (consider inflatable ones if space is tight)

  • Folding camping chairs

  • Folding table

  • Camping lantern/torches/head torches are great because they leave your hands free

  • Cool box/camping fridge

  • Water carrier

  • Picnic basket /rucksack for day trips (optional!)

  • Stove/kettle/pans/plates/mugs/cutlery and matches or a lighter

  • Bin liners

  • Warm clothes/shoes for the evening (even a bright sunny day can be cool at night)

  • If you have children with you take some fun things like cards/games,

  • Customise your tent with bunting, a flag or fairy lights to make it feel more like home (and help you find your way back on a large campsite!)

  • First aid kit

If you’re on foot...

It is perfectly possible to carry everything you need to camp overnight in a large backpack, just think light and essential!

You will need…

  • Rucksack to carry at least 50 litres

  • Small, lightweight, tent

  • Roll mat

  • Sleeping bag

  • Stove, pans, cutlery, matches or flint

  • Water container

  • Map and compass

  • Torch/head torches are great as they leave your hands free

  • Small first aid kit

  • Plastic bag to take away any rubbish

UK activity providers

The British Mountaineering Council

www.mountaineering.scot/activities/hillwalking/camping
The Camping and Caravanning Club