Sipping cocktails on golden beaches abroad seems like a distant dream as summer approaches. Travel restrictions are leaving everyone uncertain about whether they are going to be able to jet off on holiday this year. This is encouraging people to holiday closer to home, which is great for several reasons, mainly supporting local tourism and giving people an appreciation of exactly what is on our doorstep. But with limited campsite space, we are already seeing a rise in people out wild camping in national parks and green spaces. However, the rise of fly camping (camping and fly-tipping everything after) and wildfires have come with it.
I started this blog to encourage people to go outside more. So I would be a hypocrite to criticize people for doing that just that now. I want people to explore, go on more adventures, appreciate nature. Yet, for us all to be able to do that, we must use some common sense and some common courtesy.
If your setting out for a night of camping then perhaps consider a few things beforehand.
Pick up your rubbish (Leave No Trace)
If you can carry everything in a backpack out into nature for the night, then you can carry it back out again in the morning. I’ve seen a fair few posts online of fly camping where tents have been left full of beer bottles and rubbish. If your going out with a couple of friends for a night camping then there is nothing wrong with taking some drinks, but once you’ve drunk them all it should be easier for you to bring them home or to the nearest bin. Last week I camped with a couple of friends and we crushed our beer cans and put all of our rubbish into a single carrier bag which was easy enough to carry.
No Fires
In most of Britain’s national parks, there will be signs forbidding fires and BBQ’s to prevent wildfires. If your insistent you’re going to have a fire then at least do your research and learn to do so safely and in what conditions are appropriate, including ensuring it is out and no marks have been left. Best case scenario, just give it a miss. Save the BBQs for the beer gardens.
Being Eco-conscious
Buying a cheap plastic tent for a one-off camp isn’t the best for the environment, and will only encourage people to dispose of them without thought afterwards. Also, that cheap plastic tent is going to end up in a landfill somewhere for a long time. If you’re going to give camping a try then do some research, ask around online and find something 2nd hand that’s functionable. Not only will it likely be better quality, but its reusing materials which are better for the environment.
Go out a enjoy the British summer, but make sure everyone one else can once you have finished.
Get Up Go Outside 
Please, please don’t conflate Leave No Trace with merely picking up rubbish after yourself. Camping consciously and commitment to “leaving no trace” is SO much more than that. There are a lot of good directives and advice on the Leave No Trace website, and we should all be encouraged to do more than just what’s convenient or easy.
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Thank you for this post. What I’ve seen out around the last few weeks has been really upsetting in regards to the rubbish people have left behind. I’m personally opting out of wild camping for the immediate future, as it feels like the ethos and value of it is in jeopardy and rangers are, understandably, far more vigilant.
I also want to show support to the small hospitality business along my routes that will have suffered over the last year.
Hopefully by next year, most taking a flippant approach to their new found novelty of wild camping will have got bored and moved on. I also hope as summer progresses that this issue doesn’t worsen.
I am optimistically blaming ignorance rather than intention here, as many popular TV shows such as ‘Hunted’ where wild camping is shown don’t go into the mindfulness around it at all.
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