Wild camping

[sv4me]

Whos done it? Any funny/horror stories?

Was weighing up a trip up the west coast of Scotland (pre/post GM) on the bike for next year. Mentioned to the people at work I'd be up for a couple of nights wild camping, especially when I got north of Ullapool. The looks on their faces .......not exactly an adventerous bunch!

Not after advice as such, I've read all this bumph http://www.outdooraccess-scotland.co...d-advice/soac/ so have a rough idea of the dos and donts. It's just I've found myself more and more disenchanted with regular campsites, complete with shops, arcades and fecking kids everywhere. The thought of roughing it and waking up to nature. The mountains, the water, the sheep nibbling on your guy ropes

Best piece of advice i've had so far, whatever I do, don't forget to take immodium, loo roll and a spade for you know what

[yorkie_chris]

FFS stay away from water, get up high somewhere. We wild camped at the falls of falloch and the midges were thick enough to walk on. Looked lovely during the (sunny, slightly breezy...) day. Big mistake come the evening of humid drizzle...

[sv4me]

I think it was Ewan McGregor who said after Long Way Down, you think you've sprayed yourself all over with mozzie spray. Then you go for a pi$$ in the bushes......and realise you didnt spray EVERYWHERE

Go somewhere with a stiff breeze, and stay away from the sides of the lochs, not because of the mozzies, because of another form of parasite. The pikeys like to holiday along the sides of the lochs and set up big tented bivouacs between their dodgy transit vans and let their dirty kids and scabby dags run around, whilst the adults trash the place with rubbish, beer cans and open fires. Camp too close there's a good chance your bike will disappear, whilst one of heir kids sneaks into your tent and rifles your luggage.

Generally, if it's somewhere away from the main drags, where you couldn't take a transit and a caravan, you will have a great time.

Originally Posted by sv4me

The thought of roughing it and waking up to nature. The mountains, the water, the sheep nibbling on your chuckies, while the local farm labourer is standing with just his wellies on and his hands full while the deliverance theme tune plays in the back ground-god i love Brokeback mountain

Perv

[Jayneflakes]

Watch out where you camp. I was wild camping on Dartmoor on the push bike years ago, the whole bivvy bag and bike in a bush thing, feeling all alone when nature called. After which I curled up in my bivvy bag with a copy of Chris Bonningtons second autobiography and finally fell asleep in the cool evening air. I was woken up a short while later by a man with a gun!

It was an Army Instructor, warning me that a load of new recruits were going to be going past my position in the early hours, he also told me that they had seen me "set up"...

As regards insects, take a bottle of DEET and use it. The midges will drink you dry if you don't! Mosquito coils work, but are nasty smelling. Remember also to be careful with streams, just because it looks clean where you are camped does not mean that another camper is not peeing in the water just around a bend! Dead sheep can make it taste funny too. Always boil water, cheap puritabs can make it taste like you are drinking from a swimming pool.

If you want a great book for tips on wild camping, have a look at Langmuir's Mountain Craft and Leadership. This is the standard book for MLA/MIA and D of E instructors. Not sure what edition it is on now, but it is a great read.

best thing ever !! no rules no nothing !! only thing is in crappy brittain is they don't really like the old camp fires but long as ya sensible about it its fantastic !!!! jsut take baby wipes a plenty !!! and water !!! lots of !! enjoy !

Love it. I was practically wild camping on Rum except in a tin shed instead of a tent, same difference. That was for a week with a stream for water and washing, and a trowel and a lighter for the business. One learns to get used to the fact people may well be training their bins on you from anywhere, you can't be shy after a week anyroad!

And yes, the midges next to water in Scotland...aaaargh! We've also wild camped in the Lakes, absolutely beautiful, sunset, stream, stove and a snoring bloke, what more could one wish for?

Must be a man thing generally, I'd like to do a weekend like this at some point, all the cooking etc, so no buying from the on site chippie etc

Roughing it is appealing but only for a short time

[Mr Speirs]

I knew a bloke once who was coming to join us for a weeks holiday in Cornwall. He decided to leave a week before us and cycle from his house in Manchester to Sennen in Cornwall (almost lands end)!

He slept under bridges and on the other side of the hedge in farmers fields and alsorts!! Said he had a great time.

If you like all the adventure sleeping rough not knowing where your guna end up at the end of the day you should read a book call 'The Moonshine Mule' by Tom Fremantle. Great read.