This page is a collection for all my wild camping related information. Wild camping is camping away from designated camp sites, typically in mountain areas. Provided you follow the code wild camping is allowed in most areas of the Scottish countryside. This page covers my camping equipment, planned camping routes and sites, and a report of previous trips out with the tent.
The image above shows my Tarptent Scarp 1 tent besides the River Feshie on the second night of a three day trip through the Grampian Mountains in March 2012.
My list of lightweight camping gear which I took on my last backpacking trip into the Scottish mountains can be viewed as a PDF by clicking this link (or view the spreadsheet directly). My overall 3 season gear list is a work in progress, with tweaks and alterations before and after each trip.
I am currently operating with a rough base load of 7kg/15.5lb which is fairly respectable considering I carry a double-skinned tent and low rating sleeping bag. There are areas I can improve on but my main aim in 2011 is to get out a good few times with this gear, find out what works and what doesn't, and then tune it to minimise weight without compromising safety or enjoyment.
I am currently using both Expedition Foods and Fuizion dehydrated meals which are supplied in tough, plastic pouches. They simply require the addition of hot water. The Expedition Foods are higher calorie (roughly 800kcal per meal) whilst the Fuizion meals are slightly lower calorie (~500-600kcal) but are very, very tasty. So far favourites are the Expedition Foods Chicken Tikka Masala and the Fuizion Lamb Stew with Pearl Barley.
Other People's Wild Camping Pages
Geoff over at V-G has put together an excellent series of pages on wild camping, covering everything from legality and pitches through food, equipment, water and hygiene. It is definitely worth a read if you are just starting off.
Wild Camp Ideas
I've read quite a few inspirational trip reports involving a wild camp high on a mountain and want to use this approach to get even further into the wilderness. Here are a few of my ideas for forthcoming trips:
Gleann an t'Slugain before the ruin
Loch Etchachan
Below Stuic Buttress
Glen Affric - Sgurr Gaorsic lochan camp
Glen Cononish for Ben Lui Group or Corrie on Ben Oss at around nn292256