Forum menu
Saw a mention of this website which is interesting
Basically you pay a £20 annual subscription which lets you access the details of landowners happy to ‘rent’ you their wild space at 10-20 for a night to wild camp in.
Currently I use pitch up to find a cheapo basic site near where I’m looking to ride but these usually have a mixture of visitors and isn’t exactly ‘wild’. I’m wondering if this is a brilliant idea or just air bnb for woods?
Not a huge amount down south in Hampshire where I am but the surrounding counties have a few.
There is a "site" that lists all the pub fields you can camp in for free, so long as you eat or drink in there. We were bike packing last week and stayed on a pub's field for free. We managed a few drinks, but no food as we arrived quite late. Landlord was fine with that.
We just googled camping near our 'destination point'.
LDNP was thinking of squeezing the last few quid they could out of the tourists a couple of years ago by allowing people to book and pay for wild camping spots in the fells, but even they didn't have the brass neck to actually go through with it.
Sounds similar to a site I’ve used:
https://www.greenercamping.org/
this was to gain access to a particular camp site we wanted. £12 for the year on top of the pitch fees. Quite happy with the deal and the low-key semi-wild camping vibe with running water and a compost loo was just right for us.
It's all part of the monetisation of 'wild' for the Instagram generation IMO.
We're finding that 'eco' or 'wild' or 'off-grid' or 'natural' on any campsite description = overpriced and an excuse for poor/cheap/non-existent facilities.
But that (greenercamping.org) is a campsite directory. Facilities etc.
Correct, as I say, “low-key semi-wild”. But you’re right, perhaps not relevant to the OP.
Well, I suppose it is similar. The OP's website is a directory of campsites with no facilities.
their wild space at 10-20 for a night to wild camp in.
I've just done a car camping tent tour of Skye / West Coast including a few campsites that were on the NC500 route.
The most expensive site was £19 but the rest were ~£12. As a result I didn't have to shit in a lay-by and annoy the locals.
The most expensive site was £19 but the rest were ~£12. As a result I didn’t have to shit in a lay-by and annoy the locals.
Good point. We've found most campsites are under £30 with a bit of looking around.
Any charging more because of bar, entertainment, kids play areas etc aren't really the sites for us anyway.
lol, some great replies.
The interest for me is that I get few opportunities to get out and do something like this that the thought of being turfed off in the early hours etc I’d quite off putting. Round here you have so many farmed or busy areas that doggers/walkers/farmers etc etc all add to the risk of discovery. Also with the SDW being a cycle bikepacking motorway the locals are aware of the spots.
It does stick in the throat a bit that you pay the same and a subscription to camp with no facilities but the prospect of having it all to yourself sort of offsets that. I dunno, very on the fence and wish I had the time to get to Scotland/dartmoor etc.
Just make sure you don’t get mixed up with the doggers otherwise it may well stick in the throat a bit…
Fair point @Lummox. I am fortunate to have chosen Scotland as my home, and that I can head to very rural places with ease...
Fair enough Lummox. I got turfed off by a farmer before, well it's more he drove his tractor close to us so we woke up, but we took the hint.
Probably worth the effort to get down to Dartmoor though. Easy on public transport too with rail stations at north and south edges.
I’m so glad I live near Dartmoor where wild camping is allowed (at the moment). For £20 a night you could probably camp somewhere with a toilet and shower
On the KAW, we paid £25 for 3 at a site with a shower and loo. Zero at a pub field (only a toilet), and £45 for 3 near Butser Hill, but we had private per pitch shower/loo/changing area, which was nice after two days riding and no shower.
I'd rather pay than hiss off some locals TBH. The site we stay at often, has fairly basic facilities but it's just £19 a night for two (showers/loo/hot pot wash).
Britstops.com is the site I've seen for listing farm shops/pubs where you can camp for free.
Not heard of the britstops site, thanks for the suggestion
Wild camping has already been monetised in Loch Lomond and the Trossachs at £4.50 per tent per night for some peak areas in peak months.
The informal camping spots the park charges for aren’t really ‘wild’ camping, and quite a few of them come with at least basic facilities. Lots of places you can wild camp for free, as long as you’re happy to walk/bike to get there.
The informal camping spots the park charges for aren’t really ‘wild’ camping, and quite a few of them come with at least basic facilities. Lots of places you can wild camp for free, as long as you’re happy to walk/bike to get there.
100m from the shoreline is it not?
Plenty of campsites do have a back packer/bike packer policy and will fit you in. Only really getting into camping this year, usually in the car with loads of shizzle, but done my first bike packing this last week. Probably moving to getting a people carrier van, to carry bikes etc in the vehicle, but also be able to convert for a night here or there in the vehicle - don't want a camper as won't have space for bikes/paddle boards, but a shower/loo is nice (we take a porta potty camping for nights).
Must say, the pub we were at were perfectly happy for us to pitch up in the large beer garden - there was no-one there, was a Sunday evening, very few locals in, so they got say £50 of beer sales between the 3 of us (three rounds) (bar closed early unfortunately) that they wouldn't have had.