Wild camping, spending a night on the hill with nothing but your pack, is a different order of experience to a day walk. The mountains at dusk have a quality that walkers who always return to the car before dark never see. Waking at dawn above a sea of cloud in the valleys below, with the peaks emerging as islands in the mist, is one of the reasons people keep coming back to the hills.

It requires more planning than a day hike and more kit. But it’s not as complicated as it can seem from the outside. This guide covers the practical essentials for planning your first overnight wild camp in the UK.

Scotland

Wild camping is a legal right under the Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2003, subject to the conditions of the Scottish Outdoor Access Code. You must exercise this right responsibly, camping in reasonable numbers, moving on after a few nights in the same spot, following Leave No Trace principles, and behaving considerately towards landowners and other users.

Scotland is the natural home of British wild camping, and the Highland camping experience is unmatched anywhere in the UK.

England and Wales

No right to wild camp exists in law. In practice, responsible wild camping on open moorland and mountain land is widely tolerated, particularly in national parks. The general principle is: pitch late, leave early, leave no trace. Many landowners are indifferent to discreet hillwalkers who leave no evidence of their stay.

Dartmoor has historically permitted wild camping in specific areas, check current status before planning a trip as the legal situation has changed.

Planning Your Route

Choosing Your Camp Spot Before You Go

Use OS maps to identify potential camping locations before setting out. You’re looking for:

  • Flat or gently sloping ground, a surprising number of hillside spots look flat on a map but slope significantly
  • Shelter from wind, just below the ridgeline rather than on it; behind a knoll or rock feature
  • Proximity to water, a stream or loch within reasonable walking distance, but not so close that flooding is a risk or ground insects are a problem
  • Away from paths, both for Leave No Trace reasons and for your own undisturbed sleep

Contour features that often make good camp spots: corries (glacial cirques), loch shores, sheltered cols below ridge lines, forestry edges on moorland.

Planning Your Day

For a first overnight, aim for a modest objective, 8–15km to your camp spot, with time to arrive while daylight remains. Setting up a tent in failing light on unfamiliar ground adds unnecessary difficulty. Plan your route carefully, including an escape option if conditions change.

Essential Kit

Shelter

Tent: For most beginners, a single-skin or semi-geodesic tent rated for three seasons is the right choice. Look for:

  • A tent with a footprint smaller than most standard two-man tents (easier to pitch on uneven ground)
  • Good ventilation to reduce condensation, single-skin tents notoriously condensate
  • Wind resistance: geodesic or tunnel designs outperform dome tents in strong winds
  • A packed weight under 2kg is achievable at reasonable cost; ultralight options under 1kg exist but cost more

Good options include tents from Terra Nova, MSR, Hilleberg, and Wild Country. For a first purchase, the Terra Nova Solar Photon or Vango Helium UL are popular starter recommendations.

Bivy: A bivy bag (waterproof sleeping bag cover) is the lightest shelter option, but the condensation and claustrophobia factors make it a specialist choice. Start with a tent.

Sleeping System

Sleeping bag: The most important comfort item. Underestimate the low temperature and you’ll have a cold, miserable night. For UK wild camping:

  • Summer (June–August, valleys/low hills): comfort to +5°C
  • Spring/autumn or any altitude above 700m: comfort to -5°C
  • Winter: comfort to -10°C or lower

Down bags offer the best warmth-to-weight ratio; synthetic bags are warmer when wet. For UK use, a quality down bag in a waterproof stuff sack is the standard choice.

Sleeping mat: Often underestimated. The ground draws heat from your body faster than cold air, an insulating mat between you and the ground is essential, not optional. Self-inflating mats (Thermarest, Exped) are the practical standard. Check the R-value: 2+ for summer, 4+ for autumn and winter.

Water and Food

Water: - Carry enough for the walk in (typically 1.5–2L) - Bring a water filter (Sawyer Squeeze, Katadyn BeFree, or similar) or chemical purification tablets for refilling from streams at camp - UK hill water from running streams is generally clean but should be filtered, cattle and sheep pasture above can contaminate water

Food: - Calorie-dense, light, non-perishable: freeze-dried meals (Firepot, Wayfayrer), instant porridge, nuts, jerky, chocolate - A small lightweight stove (MSR PocketRocket, Jetboil Flash) and fuel canister makes hot meals straightforward - Bring more food than you think you need

Tent Craft: Pitching Well

Site Assessment

Before you pitch: 1. Walk the area. What looks flat from distance often has slope or rocks hidden by vegetation. 2. Check drainage: stand for a moment and feel whether the ground is firm or spongy. Avoid hollow ground that could pool water in overnight rain. 3. Note wind direction and check your shelter angle. The tent should present its lowest-drag profile to the expected wind.

Pitching Technique

  • Peg the windward end first to prevent the tent blowing away during pitching
  • Tension guy lines, a tent with slack guylines vibrates noisily and stresses the poles in wind
  • Use all peg points, even on calm evenings; conditions change overnight
  • In rocky ground where standard pegs won’t penetrate: use rock anchors or bury pegs horizontally under turf

Leave No Trace

  • Camp on ground that doesn’t show your presence: grass, bare rock, heather
  • Never cut vegetation or clear ground to make a camp spot
  • Remove all waste, including food scraps that could attract animals and food packaging
  • Check the area carefully before leaving: litter, tent peg holes, and any disturbed ground should be addressed

Weather and Safety

Checking the Forecast

Before any overnight, check:

  • MWIS (Mountain Weather Information Service): The specialist UK mountain weather forecast, area by area
  • Met Office Mountain Forecast: Summit and valley temperature, wind, and precipitation
  • Clear Outside: Excellent for cloud and visibility forecasting

For Scotland and northern England, check wind speed at your planned altitude, ridge camping in 50mph wind is unpleasant and potentially dangerous. Have a bail option if the forecast deteriorates overnight.

Overnight Safety Basics

  • Tell someone your route plan and expected return time
  • Carry a charged phone and a backup power bank
  • A small emergency bivvy bag weighs almost nothing and could save your life in an unexpected emergency
  • Know the mountain distress signal: six whistle blasts per minute, pause, repeat