So you want to go camping with the Snugpak® Stratosphere tent?
Wild camping can be an unparalleled pleasure but requires a number of essential techniques when it comes to venturing into a remote environment across various dangerous and difficult terrains, regardless of the weather or time of year. Knowing how to wild camp is an unconditional skill in mountaineering, adventure racing, or any other expedition where the threat of nightfall is a real possibility.
Here are Snugpak's top ten tips for wild camping with the Lightweight Stratosphere tent
- Always keep in mind our 1,2,3,4 System
- Know the legislation
- Plan ahead: set up tents at sunset, take them down at dawn
- Use the right tent pegs
- Bring an absorbent cloth or a small kitchen sponge
- Don't leave home without...
- Invest in a quality synthetic sleeping system
- Practice, practice, practice!
- Find the balance between comfort and weight
- Spend a weekend in Dartmoor
1. The 1,2,3,4 System
Developed by Snugpak as a mnemonic for wild campers, the 1,2,3,4 system will help you have a good night's sleep:
- A good night's sleep is mandatory
- Two access points
- Three workspaces
- Four-dimensional safety
Whether it's occasional wild camping, setting up an emergency bivouac, or simply doing your best when caught by nightfall, being prepared and planning ahead ensures you have a good night's sleep regardless of the environment, terrain, and weather. Once the camp is set up, make sure you are not in a corner or area from which you cannot escape in an emergency. Have two access points, usually in the direction of travel. This is particularly important if you are camping in a valley or on mountainous terrain. In an emergency, can you exit your campsite in more than one direction?
Remember to avoid areas near water sources, and if you can't take solid waste with you, bury it far enough away not to disturb other users, at least 50m from where you camp, no one likes the smell of excrement in the morning! Finally, think about the safety of your campsite in four dimensions. During the winter period, you may spend a lot of time in the tent from dawn to dusk. Look up and down, right and left, front and back, to ensure your camping spot is safe. Remember to think about duration as well, will your tent, once pitched, be safe in an hour, overnight? What happens if the weather changes? Even if your campsite is safe at one point, while you are preparing to sleep, don't forget what could happen during the night.
2. Know the legislation
Some national parks allow wild camping, others prohibit it seasonally or entirely. Ultimately, wild camping can be banned as it is considered illegal entry onto private property, or tolerated if the land is respected in parks and trails. Dartmoor National Park is unique for wild campers, providing a map showing where it is possible to camp on common land, and Brecon Beacons National Park, a list of farms welcoming campers. Forced and emergency bivouacs when caught by nightfall are unlikely to get you arrested; however, still be aware of the standards on how to set up a camp properly. In the Cairngorms, Loch Lomond, and Trossachs National Parks, the Scottish Outdoor Access Code grants everyone the right to wild camp as long as the guidelines are followed.
Always check before you go!
3. Plan ahead: set up the tent at sunset, take it down at dawn
No one wants to be caught off guard, so plan and schedule an important time when you arrive at the chosen campsite, so you can eat well and enjoy the sensations that the outdoors offers. Set up your camp just before nightfall and break camp as soon as the sun rises. In the summer, your camp will likely be set up for only a few hours, while in winter you can enjoy 14 hours of sleep in a sleeping bag! Your camp should not be visible from the surroundings unless it is an emergency bivouac. This is why most tents used for wild camping are olive or forest green in color.
4. Use the right tent pegs
Make sure you have the tent pegs that match the terrain you are camping on. Standard models are suitable for natural grass, but X-design models will be more suitable for intermediate terrains. Larger pegs, including twisted ones, can be used in peaty or sandy areas. Lightweight carbon or titanium pegs are optional but do not have the same strength as conventional models.
5. Bring an absorbent cloth or a small kitchen sponge
Most of the condensation that appears at night is moisture coming from YOU. An absorbent cloth is ESSENTIAL to remove as much as possible from your equipment before you close the tent for the night, as well as to dry your gear before packing it up the next day.
6. Don't leave without
The essentials for repair! Always make sure you have, just in case:
- Medium-sized cables
- Small rolls of duct tape
- Spare parts or invest in a Paracord 550D
- A 3-4mm wide bungee cord
- Super glue
- A small pocket knife
- A small repair kit (if provided)
7. Your sleeping system
Regardless of the weather, whether you are camping in a tent or under a tarp, make sure your sleeping system is effective. Remember, it consists of 3 elements (not counting the shelter):
- Sleeping bag
- Sleeping mat
- Bivouac bag (water-resistant) if necessary
- The Snugpack Softie AR sleeping system is ideal for summer wild camping, with a sleeping bag easily packed in a water-resistant bag. Use a bivouac bag only inside a tent if really necessary; during cold and dry nights, it keeps the warm air creating an extra layer of insulation.
8. Practice, practice, practice!
Before facing your first nights of wild camping, have you set up all your equipment and brought everything you need? Have you tried setting up your shelter and spent the night in your garden? You should not test your equipment on your first night in the wild! Try your camping techniques before you go; if you don't have a good night in your garden, it's unlikely to improve several kilometers from home!
9. Find the balance between comfort and weight
The environment, terrain, and weather, as well as the time of year, will have a significant impact on the warmth of your sleep. Sacrificing comfort to save weight may seem like a good idea, but unless you are an international athlete, do those 200g for a warmer sleep really make a difference? Find your balance between what you need and what you want to bring. If you only take the essentials, you'll be surprised at the weight you can save without sacrificing warmth and comfort. Do you really need to bring all those pegs? All those conservation kit bags? If you don't NEED it, leave it at home!
10. Visit Dartmoor Park
Some of the best wild camping in the UK can be done in relative safety and close to Princetown in case of emergency. Wild camping next to the road in appropriate areas, close to your car. It seems like a good idea. With time, training, and experience, your adventures will take you further than urban jungles, into the heart of the tranquility of the outdoors.
For more information on Dartmoor Park, click here.
Wild camping is a practice that allows you to get off the beaten path.
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