tent advice

[mark]

I'm interested as to why everyone thinks a tent should blend into the background for wild camping.
Is it for:
aesthetic reasons?

Yes. If I walk or cycle into a remote spot, I want to see the scenery, not somebody's tent. I use an unobtrusive tent so that others can enjoy the scenery more, and I appreciate others doing the same. Reflective guy lines and trim on the tent will help with finding it at night without being nearly as obtrusive as a garishly colored tent.

[hellymedic]

I have a jetpacker plus with the A-pole, I am 6' and 100kg and it is quite roomy for me. I have shared it with a 6'3" burly policeman and two sets of climbing kit, that did require us to take it in turns to move.

I had a jetpacker plus, which I found to be compact, though never got on with the A-pole, which I bought to retro-fit.

Cooking in the porch would be very risky, to say the least. I loved my little jetpacker and passed it on to juliet,  sometime of this parish, when I could use it no longer. I believe she was happy with it.

[fuaran]

Which leads me to:
What is the law about wild camping in the UK?

Its legal in most places in Scotland (so long as you are responsible).

[Kim]

Okay, I have to ask, what's an A-pole?

[hellymedic]

Okay, I have to ask, what's an A-pole?

A /\ shaped pole which holds the front of the tent up/apart.

Replaces the central vertical pole of the jetpacker. Having a central pole makes getting in and out of a small tent more awkward.

[Butterfly]

I'm interested as to why everyone thinks a tent should blend into the background for wild camping.
Is it for:
aesthetic reasons? -yes

to avoid the attention of landowners who may not welcome your presence/local yobs/officious authorities? -yes

something I haven't thought of?

Which leads me to:
What is the law about wild camping in the UK? It isn't legal in England to wild camp, but it is in Scotland.
I know it's not allowed on National Trust property, and presumably on private land you have to ask the owner's permission - if the correct person can be identified and located. That would seem to leave just common land - rather subject to the drunken attention of yobbish locals (and their cows), roadside verges - the same, but replace cows with cars, and beaches between high and low water lines - obvious hazard.

[Cudzoziemiec]

Two votes for aesthetics and one for discretion. Makes sense, but hasn't anyone got a reason I didn't think of? 

Surprised about it being legal in Scotland, as I thought there were no legal rights of way there other than roads - so how do you legally get to wherever you camp? Guess I'm out of date or just wrong!

[mike]

Surprised about it being legal in Scotland, as I thought there were no legal rights of way there other than roads - so how do you legally get to wherever you camp? Guess I'm out of date or just wrong!

from the most excellent site on camping here:http://v-g.me.uk/index.htm


Scotland: the general right to wild camp is established in law along with the right of open access, and is allowed provided you keep well away from the curtilage of any dwellings and roads.

Dartmoor: To quote from the MOD (Ministry of Defence) site: "There is a presumption in favour of public access wherever this is compatible with operational and military training use, public safety, security, conservation and the interests of tenants". This includes camping, but it is essential to check the Public Access page and the Dartmoor Training Area Firing Notices page for the latest information.

England and Wales: For most upland and countryside areas there are two answers: the lawful one which is "nowhere" and the practical real one which is "almost anywhere", see below.

[fuaran]

Surprised about it being legal in Scotland, as I thought there were no legal rights of way there other than roads - so how do you legally get to wherever you camp? Guess I'm out of date or just wrong!

You can legally walk or cycle just about anywhere in Scotland, whether there is a right of way or not (except for the obvious exceptions of the curtilage of houses, or sports fields in use, or airfields, or across fields of crops etc).
The official website has all of the details: Scottish Outdoor Access Code - Home

And for what its worth, there are some rights of ways in Scotland. Its just they are not usually marked on maps or signposted.

[thing1]

Interesting note about Dartmoor. We wild camped there with a group organized through my college back waay back when. Hadn't realized that was specifically allowed. Useful to know, as we may want to do a practice cycle tour wild camp sometime.


Re tent, if you want to borrow a Nallo 2 GT for comparison, drop me a PM. (But this one is in South / Central London).

[mike]

Re tent, if you want to borrow a Nallo 2 GT for comparison, drop me a PM. (But this one is in South / Central London).

very kind, thankyou!! But I may have had a credit card related accident yesterday and shoudl be getting one of my own any day now