Are there any real wild campers on here?

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Bushtrekker

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Some real campers turned up on the site at the weekend and one of them had an Australian swag bag, which is really easy to use as the bedding is in a waterproof roll. I pointed it out to Marie and she told me that one of the members has a hammock with a built in tarp and mosquito net, which made me wonder how many more genuine wild campers are on here. I've got a mountain tent and a couple of spare tarps, so maybe we could organise an Arctic meet in this Country, timed for when the first snow falls and we can't get the motorhomes off the drive. Instead of soft activities such as going to the pub we could build igloos and go ice fishing...:)
 
I've got a Bivvy and a Tarp but not sure I want to use it in the Snow:D

Richard
 
That pesky snow

I wouldn't describe anyone as much of a wild camper or a motorhomer if they can't manage to get their van off the drive in British snow ;)
 
I'm the one with the camping hammock with built in tarp and mozzy net - all no bigger than a large sliced loaf. I've used it in trees, mostly in Sweden, for the last 10 years. Can also trap support straps in a car door if only one tree available. Wonderful sleep! Also used a bivi bag (about the same size) for many years before hard ground hurt me as much as it does now - you could bed down on bracken or moss and stay dry even in a puddle. I'm now in a nice comfy MH but always look at the POIs en route with a view to checking out possible hammock sites. You have to get to where you want to be with your hammock, so finding convenient wild parking is really useful.

Try it ;)
 
A Hammock? ...... sheer luxury. :rolleyes2:

Travelled all over with just a sleeping bag and plastic sheet for when it rained or snowed.

Nowadays I insist on central heating, a high tog duvet and breakfast in bed. :lol-049:
 
I have to admit it's comfortable in the van.

I wouldn't get rid of my camping kit though, because I can use it where the van can't reach and the Discovery will also get me to the bits the van won't reach. Apart from restricted cooking facilities, lack of instant hot water and toilets, there isn't really that much difference.:lol-053: Only an idiot is uncomfortable in a tent though, if you pitch on a three foot pile of bracken squashed down and have a decent sleeping bag it's no different from sleeping on a mattress. I have to agree with Jo Jo that the novelty of sleeping on hard ground wears off with age, but there are times when it's necessary, or you can't get to where you want to.
 
Yes, we wildcamp using a 4x4 pickup to get where we want to go off the beaten track. Variety of tents depending on what we are doing and how long we are looking to stay in one place. We also carry enough equipment to ensure we have a decent level of comfort if required - gas shower/hot water generator, charcoal smoker/cooker, open fire basket, lighting etc.

I had a look at the Aussie style swag, and felt it didn't offer anything over what we already have with a smallish mountain tent other than being able to roll it up with the sleeping kit inside. Not enough to convince me to part with the thick end of £500 for it though! ARB SkyDome Swag | ARB 4x4 Accessories

Here's what we use for showering in conjunction with a Decathalon pop-up cubicle - doesn't take up much room and is automatic in use: Geyser Hot Water System | Kampa UK
 
Do we all have to sleep under the stars, and carry a bow and arrow to be a wildcamper then... or am I missing the point here?
 
I don't believe we 'all' have to do anything in a set way to call it wildcamping - you just do it the way you want to do it, don't you?
 
We have Bivvy bags which we have used for overnight sorties away from the van, We most recently used them at Sprinkling Tarn one magical night, it was June time though so no snow... left at first light next day (around 4.00'ish !!!) and were the first two to top Scafell Pike that day! We also have an MSR mountain tent but I prefer the bivvy - lighter to carry for a start and smaller, so can get one of those self-inflating mattresses on board too.

now if someone could invent a self inflating motor home that weighs less than 2kg packed...

K ;)
 
I have a Bivvi and Tarp, I also have a hammock with mosquito net (Very comfortable). It's a fantastic way of camping and I am quite happy to use either Bivvi bag or Hammock in the snow (with Rab 900 Summit sleeping bag).
 
There is nothing quite like it.

Waking up to a low mist with the sun breaking through, walking in the woods and watching deer as the mist lifts, seeing spiders webs festooning the gorse like jewelled necklaces as the low Autumn sun catches them, or watching trout rise for hatching insects as the summer sun sets. Whether you are in a camper, or camping in a tent doesn't really matter as long as the surroundings are magical and make you feel better. I feel ill today after returning from the Peak District and I'm sure it's being back in the house when I've got used to being in the camper for most of the summer.

A few years ago I ran a project which involved training a group of volunteers to live as Mesolithic hunter gathers. After a week on a diet of food cooked on and under an open fire, everyone said how well they felt, including a Chrohns sufferer. A couple of weeks late there was something on TV about someone in the states advocating a Stone Age diet. I'm sure we were never intended to live in houses with central heating and dust collecting carpets, but instead intended to live outdoors most of the time.
 
I remember years ago someone complaining about this site as being nothing to do with wildcamping, even people on here can sometimes disagree with what constitutes wildcamping. To some it can mean not having electric hook uk to the extreme of sleeping out under the stars.
The way I look at it is I could really wildcamp as I did in my younger days, sleeping in barns or under the sky etc.. but choose not to. I will park up my motorhome in a nice location, have the heating on & watch something on TV if I want, if I'm not at home then I'm off camping wild or luxurious as the mood takes me. Probably somebody who truly wildcamps doesn't have the option to do it in a nice motorhome.:D
 
" I'm sure we were never intended to live in houses with central heating and dust collecting carpets, but instead intended to live outdoors most of the time.": Bushtrekker.

---

I happen to agree with you there, Bush, though I would expect many on this forum don't believe we were "intended" to do anything. They would prefer to say that living in bricks and mortar is some sort of evolutionary step forward that everybody should be forced to take.

Certainly, this kind of viewpoint was shared by many of the supporters of Basildon Council. In fact, council leader, Tony Balls, seemed quite put out by the fact that folk didn't want to trade their own trailer homes for his poxy council flats!
Those on his huge housing list should be grateful that not everyone is clamouring for bricks and mortar.

Returning more to the point of where and how folk sleep, I can honestly say that I haven't slept in a bed for more than twenty years now. Luckily, I can still manage to get up and down without too much bother.

That said, perhaps it should be noted that, in the colder climes, all true, historical, nomadic, travelling peoples tended to park up or settle at camp for winter.
Little shanties would often be built for this purpose. Their durability and functionality cannot be sanely challenged. When winter was done, 'twas time to move on again.

On the other hand, the sense of freedom that comes from sleeping out - cowboy-style - in the warmer times takes some beating, imo.

Good luck to all!

sean rua.
 
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