Planning a wild camping trip in the great outdoors? While the draw of wild camping is the freedom to pitch up in remote rural landscapes without the constraints of a campsite, the lack of usual amenities and navigating wild camping UK laws does mean it requires some careful planning.

To help you ensure you’re prepared for your trip, here at NorthShore Watersports we’ve created a guide with our wild camping tips, including a full wild camping checklist to refer to as you pack. From the wild camping equipment and kit to the utensils and food, we’ve listed all the wild camping essentials you’ll need for a safe and comfortable trip.

Before we get to the wild camping checklist, an important part of planning a wild camping trip is ensuring the suitability of your location in accordance with wild camping UK laws.

Wild Camping UK Laws

Wild camping UK laws vary somewhat depending on your location. Due to right-to-roam laws, wild camping is legal in most of Scotland, providing you are sensible about where you pitch up. When it comes to England and Wales, however, wild camping is illegal in most areas, bar a few designated spots in some National Parks (such as Dartmoor) where this rule is lifted.

However, though these wild camping UK laws are in place, some locations are less strict about it than others. In some areas, there is an unspoken agreement that wild camping is permitted if you do so respectfully and responsibly and, where possible, seek the permission of the landowner. Because of these stipulations, prior planning is crucial before your trip to ensure you’re camping in a suitable spot. (If you’re looking for inspiration, check out our top 5 wild camping UK locations!)

As the leniency of these laws is dependent on trust and respect, it’s very important to ensure you honour this by wild camping courteously and in accordance with the understood guidelines. The main thing to remember is to ensure you’re leaving no trace of your camp and don’t cause disturbance to the surrounding landscape or wildlife.

We’ve listed our top wild camping tips below to help you keep to this unspoken code:

Wild Camping Tips

1. Never pitch up too close to private roads, homes or farmland and always seek the permission of the landowner beforehand.
2. Leave the land as you found it. This includes taking any rubbish with you and tidying up the area if you’ve made any mess.
3. Keep your noise level to a minimum to avoid disturbing wildlife.
4. Never light an open fire. If you cook, always use a camping stove very carefully.
5. Find a suitable place to use as a toilet away from streams and rivers to avoid polluting them and always bury personal waste with soil.

Wild Camping Equipment List

Ready to get packing? When it comes to a wild camping checklist, the balance is ensuring you have all the kit you need while keeping your pack as light as possible. With that in mind, our wild camping equipment list is as follows:

1. A comfortable backpack with enough capacity for the length of your stay
2. A lightweight and weather-proof tent
3. A high-quality sleeping bag suitable for the season
4. A sleeping mat for comfort and insulation
5. Sturdy walking boots
6. Warm and waterproof clothing, including a thermal top
7. and thermal trousers
8. Dry bags for keeping your clothing, maps and technology waterproof and protected
9. A compact camping stove for cooking hot meals
10. One or two lightweight cooking pots
11. A basic cutlery set
12. A couple of light bowls
13. Suitable wild camping food, including snacks and freeze-dried food for main meals
14. A camping mug for hot drinks
15. A water bottle and water filter to purify water from streams
16. A small first aid kit with essentials including plasters and bandages.

The most important thing when packing is to ensure you’ve included enough layers to keep warm the sun goes down and that you have a means of storing water to keep hydrated. Remember, you won’t have the amenities or safety of a campsite to rely on, so packing well is imperative.

Follow our tips for wild camping and tick off our wild camping equipment list as you pack and you can ensure you’re sufficiently prepared for a safe and enjoyable trip. For more handy tools and kit, explore our full range of wild camping essentials here at NorthShore Watersports.