There’s nothing more freeing than heading off into the wilderness with everything you need on your back (or in your vehicle), food and fuel to make a warm dinner and a sleeping bag to snuggle down into, but where do you pitch your tent or park your vehicle? This question is packed with intricacies, both practical and legal; a campsite would be the most straightforward option but where do you go if you want to get completely off the grid? 

Wild camping opens up the vast tracts of wild landscapes we have here in the UK, multi day hikes into the high fells of the Lake District or the untouched and rugged wildernesses of Scotland become possible when you're not confined to sleeping under a roof but depending on where you are in the UK, the question of legality has different answers. 

Generally in the UK, wild camping is illegal and is considered to be trespass; there are a number of caveats to this though. Scotland has the Outdoor Access Code, more commonly known as the ‘Right to Roam’ which enables access to the majority of Scotland’s privately owned land but even this has restrictions. In particular, the Loch Lomond Nation Park has introduced a permit system to ensure numbers are managed but these can be easily applied for and are very affordable. This system seems to target more casual campers who are vehicle based rather than those heading deep into the hills. The Outdoor Access Code only applies to non motorised transport, so you’re free to hike, cycle and paddle to your hearts content, but cars and motorbikes are forbidden on private land. 

The Right to Roam unfortunately did not make it south of the border so in England and Wales it is illegal to wild camp and if caught you could be fined. The only exception to this is Dartmoor where there are specific areas where wild camping is permitted but even this has been under scrutiny in recent years with a large landowner seeking to restrict access. If you find yourself in the Lake District, Peak District or mountainous areas of Wales, wild camping is more accepted than if you were to pitch up in the New Forest for example.

In these mountainous areas in England and Wales, wild camping is generally tolerated given a few basic rules are followed:

• Arrive late, leave early. Ideally pitch after dark and take your tent down first thing in the morning. 
• Leave no trace. Take all your rubbish back out with you and don't light fires. Flattened grass where your tent has been is fine but it should be impossible to tell that you’ve stayed the night in a spot when you’ve left. 
• Pitch far from civilisation. A guideline that I use is that if I can see houses, then I’m too close to pitch my tent. The same applies to camping near paths, aim to be a good distance from them, if nothing else, it means you're unlikely to be disturbed by an early morning walker.

In the Lake District, it’s advised to camp above the highest fell wall which means you're less likely to interfere with farming activities, no one wants a flock of sheep and an angry farmer charging through their tent. 

With the recent boom in interest in the outdoors in general, many folks are looking to get out and experience wild camping but don't know where to start and it can be daunting, especially if travelling to an area or don't have someone that can show them the ropes. Luckily, there are a number of platforms that are opening up land previously off limits to wild camping by working with land owners to create mutually beneficial agreements that mean we can get as close to wild camping as possible without breaking any laws. 

Wild With Consent (https://wildwithconsent.com/) is one platform that works with landowners to enable access to tracts of land that would otherwise be off limits for responsible wild campers and also benefiting rural communities. There are sites all across the country that all offer something unique, whether it’s a site that is only suitable for 4x4’s or it’s nestled in an ancient forest that's perfect for a tent, there's a great range.

If you’re looking for a camp spot that is more overlander friendly, then Off Grid Camp (https://www.offgridcamp.co.uk/campsite/103-2/)  might be the one for you. Again, the platform works with landowners to enable access to land to camp. Off Grid Camp is vehicle specific, with some of the pitches requiring river crossings and technical driving to access. Scotland has some huge estates with gravel tracks crossing the hills which is an absolute playground for overlanders, giving the feeling of being truly remote whilst being completely legal. 

There are other platforms just like Wild With Consent and Off Grid Camp and they all form a wider network of resources to make wild camping more accessible, both to seasoned campers and those looking for their first taste of adventure. Wild camping in the hills of the Lake District or Scotland can be an incredibly daunting thought so anything to enable people to experience nature in a way they are comfortable with is a huge win in my book.