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An escape into the wilderness has merits beyond a break from the turbulence of the 24-hour news cycle (though that’s not to be sniffed at). With UK campsites officially allowed top open from July 4th, it’s time that you realised the myriad holistic benefits of staying outdoors.
The quiet of nature can bring about significant improvements in your mental health. Woodland air raises your immunity, while the chemicals released when revelling amid breathtaking scenery can curb harmful inflammation. Switching off from artificial light will hit reset on your disrupted sleep cycles, and the mere scent and sound of a campfire ignites your body’s primal relaxation mechanisms. These responses are hard-wired in us by evolution. Nature is the time-honoured antidote to the stresses of our daily lives.
The best bit of all? There’s really no need to splash out on far-flung coastal bootcamps, “rewilding” courses or bucolic yoga retreats. Entry to the outdoors is not ticketed. To experience what the wilds truly have to offer, your smartest move is to bank your pay cheque, pack your rucksack and do things on your own terms. And you can start by refreshing your rusty equipment.
Camping in the UK: What to Take
Curating a kit list that’s compact enough to take in a backpack, but will keep you covered all weekend is tricky. Luckily, it’s a skill that Thom Hunt – founder of the 7th Rise outdoor courses in Cornwall – has in the bag…
Camping in the UK: Where to Go
There are easier ways to escape urban life than paying out for a juice retreat in the Himalayas. James Warner Smith, editor of the Cool Camping guidebooks, shares his go-to staycation spots.
Ace Hideaways, Moray
Paintballing, kayaking, canyoning and cliff jumping are all at hand in this forest campsite, paired with an award-winning activity centre next door. There’s frisbee golf in the woods near the campsite – frequented by red squirrels and deer – and shepherd huts are available for those without a tent.
Two miles downstream from the literature hot spot Hay-on-Wye, this riverside campsite has room for 100 tents, with a pebble beach ideal for campfires. Canoe down to the pub in Glasbury, which has cask ales on tap, and get a lift if you don’t want to battle back upstream.
Lee Valley Almost Wild Campsite, Hertfordshire
On the banks of the River Lee, this campfire-friendly patch of “wilderness” is, in fact, within cycling distance of London and an Oyster card’s tap from the City. Some campers even arrive by kayak. Only open at weekends.
Wild Camping Cornwall, Cornwall
This tiny campsite on the Penwith Peninsula is less than a mile from Portheras Cove and half
a mile from the South West Coast Path. Each camper has the run of the place, with just four
grass pitches and a caravan available, and there’s a 12-acre wood to explore.
Smugglers Cove Boatyard, Gwynedd
Park in the old boatyard and walk along the shores of the Dyfi Estuary in Snowdonia to find these three secret camping pitches. Opposite a protected bird reserve, there’s plenty of wildlife, and the sunsets are sublime. The facilities are minimal and you have to hike back to the yard – but it’s worth it.
Camping in the UK: What Kind of Camper Are You?
Whether you prefer hardwood flooring in your “tent”, or you camp so hard you make Bear Grylls look soft, find your niche with our guide to outdoor tribes.
Luxe Camping: Despite the marketing, staying in a treehouse with a private wood-fired hot tub is not camping.But it is possibly the most pleasant way to enjoy nature’s stress-relieving promises. Find a spot to suit your budget at canopyandstars.co.uk. Just leave your Victorinox Huntsman knife at home.
Glamping: This term encompasses any site populated by yurts, tipis, or domes– or anywhere you can expect the tent to be pre-pitched. If you have none of the gear and no idea, this can be a smart place to start. A night in a yurt is more economical than a grand’s worth of kit that may enjoy a single bank holiday’s use.
#VanLife: The social media trend – propagated by young adventurers posting images of sunsets from the back of their Auto-Sleepers – has rekindled the popularity of camper vans. Not all sites will accept vans, so be certain to check in advance, but there are plenty of designated spots around the UK. Hire one, if you’re not ready to make it a lifestyle.
On Site: The Camping and CaravanningClub has more than 100 UK sites –plus many quieter, more secluded spots for paid-up members –most with shower facilities and all monitored for cleanliness. There’s nothing inherently noble about washing your hair in a stream.
Wild Camping: Silence. Seclusion. A Wi-Fi blackspot. There are benefits to camping off-piste – but there are also considerations. Never head out without sharing your location, be cautious about weather and, for God’s sake, do not set anything alight unless you know what you’re doing
Survivalism: Finally, you could make things difficult for yourself by embarking with less equipment than you require: a sleeping bag but no floor mat, for example. You can make that out of leaves. Undeterred? Start with a bushcraft course with a group such as woodland-ways.co.uk.
Camping in the UK: Discover Wilderness Therapy
Spending time among nature has an immediately beneficial effect on your brain.It calms you and can take you out of a defensive position. When we’re away from our homes, away from our routines and responsibilities, it’s easier to find a new perspective on issues that you might have felt were too overwhelming to address before.
People attend our camps for all sorts of reasons, from depression and anxiety to addiction. Each day starts with a group check-in, in which people have a chance to discus show they’re doing, followed by the day’s activities. We make a point of choosing the most beautiful locations: Dartmoor,Scotland, north Wales.
One simple thing that can be great for the mind is half an hour of silent walking. It offers an opportunity for quiet reflection, which we rarely get in our ordinary lives. However, wilderness therapy isn’t all meditative. It can be uncomfortable, too. Trekking, climbing, canoeing– it’s all part of the therapeutic process. You can learn to love something that is challenging, or love the feeling of relief afterwards. It’s those moments when you push yourself harder than you thought you could that are the most transformative.
There are benefits to “safe” fear. If you’re climbing a rock face but you’re strapped into a harness, you’re very unlikely to come to any harm.But the experience gives you a chance to confront feelings of anxiety in an ultimately non-threatening context. Something happens to people in the wild. They rediscover their sense of fun – their sense of play. It’s very levelling. Roberts is a psychotherapeutic counsellor with a background in anthropology.
Camping in the UK: Staying on the Grid
Some head to the wilds to get away from it all. But if you’re a man who enjoys his creature comforts, there are ways to take it all with you.
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