Wild camping

[Gretchen]

RammyMP said:

Last week I was on the early bus from Windermere to Keswick. The bus goes past a few car parks next to Thirlmere, in one of them there was two young ladies who had obviously just got up from sleeping in their Skoda Octavia. I didn t think kipping in your car overnight was allowed in the Lake District? If it was me I d park on a quieter road for a start!

I see so much car camping when we ‘wild camp’ in our vans. I think it’s easier as more stealthy and no height barriers / no no ‘campervan’ signs in most car parks. Many sites I’ve seen from the forums are now clamping down on it and stipulating ‘microcampers/cars’ need proper ventilation - not just wind deflectors/window guards/open.
I actually picked up a front seat inflatable car mattress from Lidl a while back for a tenner. Not used it but keep as a back up in my car.
I’m off on a solo (with dogs) tomorrow for a few days in my van. Place I’ve been numerous times but a few weeks ago some stuff had changed and I have a feeling there may be new signs… any freedom is diminishing quickly.

As for my tent wild camps I’ve driven past a farm tonight where I’ve camped in an adjacent woodland regularly and seen signs for work commencing on a solar farm these and the data centres are taking so much of the countryside.

[POIDH]

RammyMP said:

If it was me I d park on a quieter road for a start!
]

I don't think some people can read maps well enough to work out quieter roads.
I think some folk are used to city noises - I was on a Scottish island campsite this week and a couple were quite freaked out that it was properly silent.
And finally, I think local residents and landowners are increasingly blocking and signing camp spots that 5 or 10 years ago were quietly used a few times a week in the season. They are now used for 8 months a year, regularly most nights, commonly more than one car/van, and we have numpties who leave filth, play music, light fires etc.

[P675]

RammyMP said:

Last week I was on the early bus from Windermere to Keswick. The bus goes past a few car parks next to Thirlmere, in one of them there was two young ladies who had obviously just got up from sleeping in their Skoda Octavia. I didn t think kipping in your car overnight was allowed in the Lake District?

I'm in a Facebook group for car camping although I've not done it myself yet. People want to either sleep in the car with a huge mattress or attach a tent to the boot so they can get out the boot to a tent.

I don't really understand it myself other than for late night kip on the way to somewhere, like if I was doing Midlands to Scotland just for a weekend and couldnt cover good distance within camp site check in hours, but I'd pay parking for a services so I'm near a toilet etc.

For actual camping I'd much rather pay the £15 for a site, 10 mins tent is pitched and there's a toilet and shower. Many sites don't want you sleeping in the car it seems.