Wild camping is it safe ?

[Defender90]

Just watched a YouTube video wizard in the wild a lovely couple who stopped in a park for night near Manchester they got woken at 1 in the morning by people throwing house bricks at their van absolutely terrible they could have been so easily hit.The side door window was smashed the front windscreen was cracked and the side panel was damaged.Things like this really do make you think.

 

[rod_vw]

Don't believe all that you see, read and hear in the media including YouTube.

Park sensibly, keep well away from habitation so as to inconvenience no one and use your own judgement about the place you are stopping. With a little experience you will soon learn how to assess the 'feeling' of a place.

 

[Vanhalla Dreams]

We wild camped the first time a week ago. It went well. Not sure I would wild camp in a city park though.

 

[Amarillo]

We wild camped here for one night earlier this year.

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I didn’t feel comfortable.

Teenagers around and shouting until about 2am.

 

[Lambeth Cali]

I doubt I would ever feel 100% safe which would stop me relaxing. But with young kids and no loo I’m unlikely to attempt it.

There is clearly some risk but others seem to enjoy it. Waking up in the wilderness seems an attractive idea.

 

[dspuk]

Wow. A 44 minute video. Why say what you need to in 10 minutes if you can stretch your content and "engagement numbers" with a pretty dull 44.

Illegally "wild" camping Manchester, what could go wrong...

Pretty hot and cold on "wild camping" TBH. The romance of van life vs the reality for us - quite happy to pay 20 quid and have a proper safe site and facilities. Not as if anyone is busy this time of year.

Not convinced either that camping in a carpark is that wild. Reminds me of a not the 9 o'clock news sketch.

Wild? I was livid.

 

[SpuffingtonMe]

Personally prefer "wild camping" in a van to any other form of camping. Hate campsites and prefer to be away in the wilderness. That said, I would never park up and overnight in a town or city.

For me, it's finding somewhere that is nice balance between being reasonably remote from where people live, but also somewhere which may attract other vans to overnight too (safety in numbers). Key thing is trying to avoid places where undesireables may hang out after dark - so I'm careful about parks/laybys/smaller nature reserves on the edges of big towns.

I've been camping like this in big motorhomes and the Cali for the last 5+yrs and never had an issue. If I don't like the feel of a place, I move on.

With the Cali, I tend to wild camp solo. When doing so, I leave the driver seat in place, don't chock if I can avoid it, tend to use the downstairs bed rather than the pop top and use internal blinds rather than external, so that if there is an issue, I'm gone fairly lively. It's also much more discreet too, which is important also. Having said that, I've never had an issue.

 

[kurienp]

Wild camped many times, but as others have said, in places away from civilization and well hidden from possible prying eyes. Also, when wild camping, it is always the lower bed to ensure that we are able to move if needed.

 

[WelshGas]

As far as I am concerned Wild Camping = Wilderness Camping, and a city park is not wilderness by any stretch of the imagination.

 

[couplands]

While we were in Glencoe last month, we asked the owners of a very nice hotel if we could stay overnight in their car park (needed for specific logistical reasons).

They agreed and we were all “legal” from the perspective of permissions and we weren’t exactly wild camping, however during the night every time someone walked past the van I was wide awake. I’ve no idea how I’d cope in a true wild camp situation, I’d be a nervous wreck.

 

[SpuffingtonMe]

While we were in Glencoe last month, we asked the owners of a very nice hotel if we could stay overnight in their car park (needed for specific logistical reasons).

They agreed and we were all “legal” from the perspective of permissions and we weren’t exactly wild camping, however during the night every time someone walked past the van I was wide awake. I’ve no idea how I’d cope in a true wild camp situation, I’d be a nervous wreck.

I've done that a fair bit when touring the Highlands. It's a nice quid pro quo for both. I enjoy mixing up a nice pub/restaurant meal every night or two, with cooking in the van on other nights. Not yet found a pub or hotel owner not up for me kipping in their car park after having had a meal and a few drinks (providing I'm up front about it when I arrive).

Pubs can be a bit sniffier about it in S England, but in the Highlands, never been turned away.

 

[WelshGas]

While we were in Glencoe last month, we asked the owners of a very nice hotel if we could stay overnight in their car park (needed for specific logistical reasons).

They agreed and we were all “legal” from the perspective of permissions and we weren’t exactly wild camping, however during the night every time someone walked past the van I was wide awake. I’ve no idea how I’d cope in a true wild camp situation, I’d be a nervous wreck.

If proper wilderness camping then there wouldn't be anyone wandering around in the middle of the night.

 

[rod_vw]

For those who want something close to wild camping but with the knowledge of others who have used the spot before try the Searchforsites website / app . Many of the locations in the UK shown on that site are pub stops, some good and some not so good. Use the knowledge of others and your own intuition and almost always you will be OK.

Those of us who wander Europe, especially France and Germany will confirm that things are very different across the channel so don't despair at the lack of understanding here in the UK.

This was the experience on a German Stellplatz (free or very cheap open motorhome parking)...

We parked at Vorenbach just for one night. Around mid evening a few youths came into the park with the makings of a BBQ & Beers etc. Before they set-up one of them came over to us and asked if we minded them having their BBQ close to us (30m away). Next morning the only evidence of their visit was a scorched spot in the grass where the BBQ had been!
Where in the UK would you get that sort of behaviour?

And yes the T6 shown in that site review is ours.

 

[Webbah_in_Switzerland]

I wild camp almost exclusively. I use Park4Night to find locations and do my best to avoid being near homes, apartments, etc. I haven't had any bad experiences so far with the exception of another camper with a roof tent complaining about my diesel heater. ;-)

 

[SusiBus]

The journey driving as many back roads as possible, avoiding motorways. Then finding a secluded spot, away from civilisation to spend the night, is what ownership of a California is all about to us.
Yes it can be a little bit diffucult at times to find that perfect spot, but very rewarding at others. We've traveled around the whole coastline of the UK without any problems. Well Cornwall was a bit diffucult l must admit!
One tip l would give is use OS Maps inconjuction with your Satnav. You library will have a near pristine set now people rely on their phones.
Stealth camping for us, but l can understand it's not for everyone thankfully.

 

[GrannyJen]

I've spent hundreds of nights as a single woman wild/permissive camping and rarely felt threatened. At the end of the day my camper, locked up, is probably more secure than my house and I don't feel threatened or unsafe in that.

A few tips. Make sure you always have an exit, difficult to be blocked in, reverse back against a wall for example leaving a gap so you can manoeuvre but not big enough for another vehicle to get behind.

Don't park where you can be obviously seen from a main road. In fact, for aesthetic purposes, don't park where you are likely to be seen, full stop.

No external blinds at the windscreen, only interior so you can drive off without getting out, and drivers seat facing the right way, not swivelled.

Keys where you can find them: something to make a lot of noise:: Phone to hand.

There is nothing more magical than waking up with no sign of human life other than your own and to go leaving no sign of human life ever having been there.

 

[The Blue Merle]

If you want to park up stealth park, I would avoid apps like park4night and find your own one van spots in the middle of nowhere.
You will pretty much be sharing somewhere with them apps and the local yobs know where to find you, and probably get sent there by the parents to scare you off!
Plenty out there in wales/lakes/Scotland the o/s walking/hike app is good to find secret stops, please don’t add anything you find though to the lazy campers apps!!!!!
Way more fun exploring and stumbling across a gems.

 

[Lambeth Cali]

I've spent hundreds of nights as a single woman wild/permissive camping and rarely felt threatened. At the end of the day my camper, locked up, is probably more secure than my house and I don't feel threatened or unsafe in that.

A few tips. Make sure you always have an exit, difficult to be blocked in, reverse back against a wall for example leaving a gap so you can manoeuvre but not big enough for another vehicle to get behind.

Don't park where you can be obviously seen from a main road. In fact, for aesthetic purposes, don't park where you are likely to be seen, full stop.

No external blinds at the windscreen, only interior so you can drive off without getting out, and drivers seat facing the right way, not swivelled.

Keys where you can find them: something to make a lot of noise:: Phone to hand.

There is nothing more magical than waking up with no sign of human life other than your own and to go leaving no sign of human life ever having been there.

Granny Jen’s rules reminded me of this bit of dialogue -

Jason Bourne:
I can tell you the license plate numbers of all six cars outside. I can tell you that our waitress is left-handed and the guy sitting up at the counter weighs two hundred and fifteen pounds and knows how to handle himself. I know the best place to look for a gun is the cab of the gray truck outside, and at this altitude, I can run flat out for a half mile before my hands start shaking. Now why would I know that? How can I know that and not know who I am?

 

[Vagophile]

One tip l would give is use OS Maps inconjuction with your Satnav.

If you want to park up stealth park, I would avoid apps like park4night and find your own one van spots in the middle of nowhere.

O.S maps give an overview which can usually be confirmed by Google Earth.
There is a satisfaction in finding one's own locations.
I've had a couple of frights; once a few sheep decided that under the van was a good place to shelter, but it was a tight squeeze; once some wild horses decided the van would make a good dawn scratching post. Never had trouble from humans (in the U.K. at least).

 

[couplands]

If proper wilderness camping then there wouldn't be anyone wandering around in the middle of the night.

I guess that's the catch 22 question though. If you're really in the wilderness, but you are confronted by a bunch of wayward folk - there is unlikely to be anyone else around to help...;-) But if your nearer civilisation then the chances of more wayward folk increases but also the likelihood of people around to help.

I still think a campsite is my preferred sleeping spot, but understand others like the choice of free camping.

PS the nearest I have come to wild camping (in my Land Rover) was at CoCos farm in mid-Wales. Truly wonderful and very spacious - but not free...

 

[michelevismara]

I did that last month in Italy with wife 3 kids and the dog.
I used an app (park4night) to pick a place where others have stayed before and reported as safe/quiet. It was a parking outside a small seaside village in Liguria that allowed campers overnight.
Aside the total lack of services and a bit of noise we slept perfectly and i never felt unsafe.
I guess as others said, you need to pick the spot appropriately

 

[Azteccamper]

I’ve looked at all the park4night suggestions within 30/40 miles of where we live. Wouldn’t stay in any of them. There are plenty where I would stay, but not on any app.

 

[sbmcd]

I wild camp almost exclusively. I use Park4Night to find locations and do my best to avoid being near homes, apartments, etc. I haven't had any bad experiences so far with the exception of another camper with a roof tent complaining about my diesel heater. ;-)

We also use park4night mostly when travelling in europe, it has a useful filter so you can select what type of location you want to stay at, e.g. Surrounded by nature or by climbing, kayaking, mountain bike tracks.

You can also search for sites with waste disposal / water ect.

There is a free version but the paying one is very cheap and you get access to the reviews which soon tell you if it's likely to suit you.

The photo shows a spot we stayed at in Germany, car park by nature with mountain biking tracks, no facilities, we were the only ones there overnight. We found another next to a lake which was great for a wild swim.

We would never stay in a built up area.

Generally use campsites once we get to our destination.

 

[sbmcd]

I’ve looked at all the park4night suggestions within 30/40 miles of where we live. Wouldn’t stay in any of them. There are plenty where I would stay, but not on any app.

They key to using park4night to find a place that suits you is to use the filter then read the reviews, you can't do that on the free version.

 

[peregrinus]

I saw the video the OP mentions and they were just unlucky. Having said that I know that part of the world very well and I wouldn’t have stayed there. Park4night will show you somewhere you can park however it relies on reviews to point out the hazards. E.g. one parking spot I know very well used to be OK however it is right next to a hotel which is currently housing dozens of newly arrived channel migrants which may effect the risk of parking overnight. I have stealth camped in all kinds of places in England, France and Spain and never had a problem.