Author Topic: Nearly Wild Camping  (Read 4950 times)

Oscar's dad

  • aka Septimus Fitzwilliam Beauregard Partridge
Nearly Wild Camping
« on: 21 December, 2020, 08:46:51 am »
Is anyone a member of or has any experience of Nearly Wild Camping?

Cudzoziemiec

  • Ride adventurously and stop for a brew.
Re: Nearly Wild Camping
« Reply #1 on: 21 December, 2020, 11:58:31 am »
No direct experience but I think it's been discussed here before. Though I wouldn't like to have to find the thread...
Riding a concrete path through the nebulous and chaotic future.

Re: Nearly Wild Camping
« Reply #2 on: 23 December, 2020, 08:45:10 pm »
Interesting idea, might be better than real wild camping on those occasions that I’m out with little Joe.

Wowbagger

  • Former Sylph
    • Stuff mostly about weather
Re: Nearly Wild Camping
« Reply #3 on: 23 March, 2021, 11:21:38 pm »
I think "Semi-housetrained camping" is much more evocative as a title...
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Re: Nearly Wild Camping
« Reply #4 on: 24 March, 2021, 07:32:31 am »
I did join as I would like to wild camp but am very law abiding and conflict averse.  Not a particularly large selection of places

Re: Nearly Wild Camping
« Reply #5 on: 24 March, 2021, 07:40:47 am »
Is this just for land owners who can’t be bothered with adding any campsite facilities?

Re: Nearly Wild Camping
« Reply #6 on: 24 March, 2021, 08:01:31 am »
I did join as I would like to wild camp but am very law abiding and conflict averse.  Not a particularly large selection of places
Does the choice look interesting in the south? Particularly from the point of view of a solo cyclist with a bivvi who isn’t going to be carrying a load of wood for a camp fire :)

I think paying £20 to find out if there’s anywhere of interest is going to be a hard model for them to make work. The table of contents is free for most things now. Or have I missed something?

Re: Nearly Wild Camping
« Reply #7 on: 24 March, 2021, 01:10:00 pm »
This an example of nearly wild camping in Scotland. Kingshouse Glen Coe, free camping with a nearby hotel for food etc. A modern version of the Clachaig inn down the glen.

Re: Nearly Wild Camping
« Reply #8 on: 27 March, 2021, 02:24:47 pm »
I did join as I would like to wild camp but am very law abiding and conflict averse.  Not a particularly large selection of places
Does the choice look interesting in the south? Particularly from the point of view of a solo cyclist with a bivvi who isn’t going to be carrying a load of wood for a camp fire :)

I think paying £20 to find out if there’s anywhere of interest is going to be a hard model for them to make work. The table of contents is free for most things now. Or have I missed something?

This should be a screenshot over the lower half of the country. Hopefully it will give you an idea of the spread without breaching contracts


Re: Nearly Wild Camping
« Reply #9 on: 27 March, 2021, 04:13:07 pm »
Would it not be better to join the Backpackers Club http://www.backpackersclub.co.uk/ and get their Farm Pitch and Long Distance Paths campsite list? Plus there are other membership benefits included in their membership fee.
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Re: Nearly Wild Camping
« Reply #10 on: 28 March, 2021, 01:35:35 pm »
I did join as I would like to wild camp but am very law abiding and conflict averse.  Not a particularly large selection of places
Does the choice look interesting in the south? Particularly from the point of view of a solo cyclist with a bivvi who isn’t going to be carrying a load of wood for a camp fire :)

I think paying £20 to find out if there’s anywhere of interest is going to be a hard model for them to make work. The table of contents is free for most things now. Or have I missed something?

This should be a screenshot over the lower half of the country. Hopefully it will give you an idea of the spread without breaching contracts


Thank you! That's a much more useful marker size than on their front page :) I'm not seeing anything I'd rush to find out about there, so probably won't sign up.

Cudzoziemiec

  • Ride adventurously and stop for a brew.
Re: Nearly Wild Camping
« Reply #11 on: 29 March, 2021, 02:22:17 pm »
Would it not be better to join the Backpackers Club http://www.backpackersclub.co.uk/ and get their Farm Pitch and Long Distance Paths campsite list? Plus there are other membership benefits included in their membership fee.
If you're going to pay £20 for that you might as well pay £30 (I think, maybe it's gone up?) to join the Caravan and Camping Club and get access to their farm pitches, which, judging by the frequency with which I see their signs, are more numerous. Though I suspect the outlook of the clubs is fairly different.
Riding a concrete path through the nebulous and chaotic future.

Kim

  • Timelord
    • Fediverse
Re: Nearly Wild Camping
« Reply #12 on: 29 March, 2021, 05:01:09 pm »
Would it not be better to join the Backpackers Club http://www.backpackersclub.co.uk/ and get their Farm Pitch and Long Distance Paths campsite list? Plus there are other membership benefits included in their membership fee.
If you're going to pay £20 for that you might as well pay £30 (I think, maybe it's gone up?) to join the Caravan and Camping Club and get access to their farm pitches, which, judging by the frequency with which I see their signs, are more numerous. Though I suspect the outlook of the clubs is fairly different.

Quite.  The ones with minimal facilities tend towards "field with some caravans" rather than "wild camping".  There are a lot of Certified Sites with facilities in useful locations, thobut, so it can be handy if you're cycle touring.

Oscar's dad

  • aka Septimus Fitzwilliam Beauregard Partridge
Re: Nearly Wild Camping
« Reply #13 on: 29 March, 2021, 05:25:20 pm »
Would it not be better to join the Backpackers Club http://www.backpackersclub.co.uk/ and get their Farm Pitch and Long Distance Paths campsite list? Plus there are other membership benefits included in their membership fee.
If you're going to pay £20 for that you might as well pay £30 (I think, maybe it's gone up?) to join the Caravan and Camping Club and get access to their farm pitches, which, judging by the frequency with which I see their signs, are more numerous. Though I suspect the outlook of the clubs is fairly different.

The problem with many of the club certified locations (and we’ve stayed on a few with our caravan) is they assume you have something to wee in which is then disposed of at the designated disposal point, many don’t have a loo or loo block. When I wild camp with my bike I go equipped with my trusty trowel, digging at a club CL would be frowned on I fancy.

Cudzoziemiec

  • Ride adventurously and stop for a brew.
Re: Nearly Wild Camping
« Reply #14 on: 30 March, 2021, 02:38:36 pm »
Good point about the loos. In fact now you point it out, I remember I've encountered that problem before – can't remember if it was a C&CC site, but it was just a field and owner, otherwise very friendly, said he couldn't let me camp there cos he'd risk losing his licence or certification or something.

Which leads to the question of whether the Backpackers Clue sites have facilities and if not, do they allow digging (and is there even a suitable place to dig)? Presumably they're set up for backpackers so would have at least a primitive toilet block.
Riding a concrete path through the nebulous and chaotic future.

Oscar's dad

  • aka Septimus Fitzwilliam Beauregard Partridge
Re: Nearly Wild Camping
« Reply #15 on: 30 March, 2021, 03:00:59 pm »
Good point about the loos. In fact now you point it out, I remember I've encountered that problem before – can't remember if it was a C&CC site, but it was just a field and owner, otherwise very friendly, said he couldn't let me camp there cos he'd risk losing his licence or certification or something.

Which leads to the question of whether the Backpackers Clue sites have facilities and if not, do they allow digging (and is there even a suitable place to dig)? Presumably they're set up for backpackers so would have at least a primitive toilet block.

The C&CC have a Lightweight Campers section, I think Butterfly is an active member, and as such the likes of us would be welcomed onto their proper club sites where full facilities are available.  Obviously this ain't wild camping but comfy nonetheless.

Re: Nearly Wild Camping
« Reply #16 on: 30 March, 2021, 05:09:40 pm »
Good point about the loos. In fact now you point it out, I remember I've encountered that problem before – can't remember if it was a C&CC site, but it was just a field and owner, otherwise very friendly, said he couldn't let me camp there cos he'd risk losing his licence or certification or something.

Which leads to the question of whether the Backpackers Clue sites have facilities and if not, do they allow digging (and is there even a suitable place to dig)? Presumably they're set up for backpackers so would have at least a primitive toilet block.

Most of them I have camped at all had some facility. A few have only had a toilet and a cold water tap but then they didn't charge anything for a nights camping.
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Kim

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    • Fediverse
Re: Nearly Wild Camping
« Reply #17 on: 30 March, 2021, 05:35:21 pm »
Good point about the loos. In fact now you point it out, I remember I've encountered that problem before – can't remember if it was a C&CC site, but it was just a field and owner, otherwise very friendly, said he couldn't let me camp there cos he'd risk losing his licence or certification or something.

Which leads to the question of whether the Backpackers Clue sites have facilities and if not, do they allow digging (and is there even a suitable place to dig)? Presumably they're set up for backpackers so would have at least a primitive toilet block.

The C&CC have a Lightweight Campers section, I think Butterfly is an active member, and as such the likes of us would be welcomed onto their proper club sites where full facilities are available.  Obviously this ain't wild camping but comfy nonetheless.

I'm also an active ALC member, as are several other forumites.  As I said above, Certified Sites (ie. the small ones run by a farmer or pub or similar that you have to be a member to use) may or may not have toilet or shower facilities (you can filter by this when you search the database).  The bigger Club Sites (open to all, members get a discount) have full facilities.  Either way, the club has a policy of not turning away backpackers/cyclists arriving under their own steam, which is a Good Thing™.

Re: Nearly Wild Camping
« Reply #18 on: 31 March, 2021, 08:27:10 pm »
Always wondered aout the Backpackers club. I do a fair ammount of walking but last time I looked it was very heavily oriented to the north both in terms of meets and Farmers pitching sites. Does anyone know about anything in the south at all? I ask as I'm considering walking the South Downs way soonish.
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Re: Nearly Wild Camping
« Reply #19 on: 01 April, 2021, 09:11:56 am »
The only copy of their campsite list I have is about 10 years old so some could have changed. There are sites listed for the South Downs Way, it seems a mixture of Farms, Campsite and Wild Camp pitches.
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Re: Nearly Wild Camping
« Reply #20 on: 01 April, 2021, 02:34:33 pm »
The only copy of their campsite list I have is about 10 years old so some could have changed. There are sites listed for the South Downs Way, it seems a mixture of Farms, Campsite and Wild Camp pitches.

Thanks, I'll give it a whirl then.
Reine de la Fauche