Free Camping on Dartmoor?
Jul
1
Hi All,
I’m thinking about free camping on Dartmoor near Bovey Tracey/Widdicombe-in-the-Moor soon. I went to a basic campsite there last year but love the idea of going freestyle out on the beautiful rockey moor this year 🙂
Does anyone have any advice about practicalities etc?
I’m thinking about:
“Conveniences” (dig a pit and take some sawdust? How deep to dig is reasonable? There are v. few trees on the moor to shelter/hide by. Or bother with some kind of chemical affair? Not that happy about the idea of chemicals, but open to suggestions
Showering at campsites/youth hostels you’re not staying at – try to ask if anyone’s there, then just do it ands see what happens? They all cost $ anyway.
Tips on how to drive a peg into a hard surface (a hammer and determination alone?)
Anything I might not have thought about particular to camping on a moor – silver bullets, dog food, etc. (obviously I’ll find out where the boggy bits are and avoid).
Cheers,
Julia W
Hi Julia,
Having had a lot of experience in this area, i thought i would chip in.
Dartmoor is a great place to wild camp in the uk as it is the only place in England and Wales where you can do it legally without asking permission.
Conveniences – Recognised practise is to go at least 60 metres away from any water source. Dig down a few inches and refil the hole again when finished. Sawdust isn’t necessary, apart from anything else this would be really heavy to carry!
Driving a peg into a hard surface is a difficult one, but when you choose a place to camp you should test the ground before pitching your tent to see if it is soft enough. I wouldn’t advise carrying a hammer, alot of weight for something you might not need. If you have a free standing tent – one that doesn’t depend on pegs to stay upright then this reduces this issue somewhat. You could find some loose rocks around and tie your guy ropes around them. Ive done this a few times and it works a treat. You could also use some heavier rocks as a hammer to drive in pegs and then get some more heavier rocks and lay them on top of pegs for added security, or wedge a peg in between two heavy rocks. Of course if it isn’t that windy you don’t need to worry too much.
Showering – this would all come down to the owner of the campsite, and if they are nice or not. I’ve come across some pretty grumpy campsite owners in my time, and have also come across some lovely ones. If you have a shower without asking and they stop you afterwards, well you got your shower right?! Offer to pay then….
Alternatively – this is wild camping part of the fun is to be skanky for a few days!!!
This is great website for general advise about wild camping… http://v-g.me.uk/WildCamp/WildCamp.htm
Hope you enjoy, there is nothing quite like waking up in the middle of nowhere with nothing but a sunrise to keep you company!!
Adam
Excellent! Thanks Adam, all really helpful advice. I’d not thought of tying guy ropes around rocks – of course, great idea!
Hope you get some hearty camping in this summer too.
Cheers 🙂
J