Waking up to the birds singing and the fresh air and a beautiful landscape can be brilliant, but get it wrong and you can find yourself freezing cold with a poor nights sleep, soaked and ready to go home. 

I owe two things to my friend Jason Rhodes, the first is his approach to Wild Camping and the second is his army sleeping bag that I am trying hard to never give back.  

This blog draws on my experiences wild and stealth camping over the last few years in the USA and UK and as far and wide as the Sahara Desert at plus 50C and Mongolian Tundra at minus 47C.

This guide will give you a good start to the information, skills and kit choices for you to have the best experience possible when wild camping and avoid sheltering in a telephone box trying to sleep (this happened). In the first part I’ll explain how you can let nature work with you not against you and in the second part I’ll explain what gear I use to augment what nature already has.

Although this guide is mainly written with a slant for Multi Day Adventure Runners the skills and tactics here are easily applicable for walkers and backpackers too as a good start to the skills you need.

This blog will show you the best and cheapest places to get the right gear, some ‘hacks’ to save weight and costs and some handy tricks on using nature to your advantage.

So What is Stealth Camping ?

Stealth or Wild Camping usually involves spending a few hours or more sleeping in a place that may not necessarily be strictly ‘allowed’ for sleeping. Some good examples are in a bivvy bag or shelter  ( more on these later), Under a tree in the woods, In a bus shelter or church entrance in more urban environments or in the USA using caves or natural rock formations to your advantage.

Wild camping can be truly wonderful (I’ve woken up in the middle of no where in the Cotswolds and watched the sun rise) they can also simply be a shelter necessity during terrible weather (I’ve spent 6 hours in a telephone box in a small village in the UK and used The Old Leatherman Cave in Watertown in Connecticut to get out of a storm.

Let Nature do the Work for You

Before you get any gear out to camp its best to let nature work to your advantage as much as possible. I’ll keep an eye on the weather with my phone on an hourly forecast setting so I have a good idea if and when any overnight rain may occur. I’ll also have a good idea of the speed I’m moving and therefore where I am most likely to be on the map when I may want to sleep. 

If I’m moving through the night I’ll often adjust my plan if I see there is a high chance of rain during a certain time, and plan to be set up and ready to sleep in a dry location before the rain is due to hit.

Another tip when wild camping is to go to sleep tired, really tired, drop asleep tired because this means you get a good nights sleep. If you opt to go to sleep the moment the sun goes down and you aren’t too tired you’ll spend much of the night waking up. 

Things to consider or look for in a natural shelter when Wild or Stealth Camping

When it comes to looking for natural shelter in places you may not be technically allowed to sleep in I find I fall back on a set of rules or guidelines where you try and tick as many boxes as possible.

I look for signs of streams or rivers in the area, I’m happy to have water fairly nearby for my own use but too close to water and you risk getting damp generally and can have a nightmare from insects in the summer and flooding in the rain, and predators will tend to be found near water sources at night.

I make sure I am not too close to a nearby farm so I don’t set dogs off barking.

In the USA in the New England area there are a lot of rocky overhangs that create small caves you can use for shelter just like The Old Leatherman did.

If possible a location that is only a few miles to the next town or village makes breakfast the next day really easy.

I’m often looking for a location that is sheltered from wind and rain and flat, against a hedgerow or behind or under a dense tree, in particular dense pine forests have generally dry floors and dense canopy to keep out the rain.

In the UK Churchs in villages  represent a great wild camp opportunity. I even use google images to see in advance if they have an entrance alcove with no door to shelter in. In the USA churches tend to be much more locked up.

In rural areas barns can make superb shelter from the wet provided they aren’t too close to a farmhouse.  If you need to take immediate shelter from huge downpours and you are near a farmhouse make yourself VERY visible to the farmer so its obvious you are sheltering from the rain and not doing anything suspicious.

I find being out of sight makes you much much safer in most situations. Of all the places I’ve been in the world its humans that always seem to represent the biggest potential threat.

If you are camping on a path on a slope then camp off the path ABOVE the path. People walking past are less likely to look up rather than down.

Urban areas generally represent poor places to sleep for noise and safety and legally you are far more likely to be seen as well. Wherever possible I keep moving through them until I get to open countryside again.

When setting up or even beginning to think about your wild camp place lower your headtorch light intensity, I put my buff round it to minimise light being used, this draws less attention to you as you set up if anyone is watching from a distance.  I do the same when approaching a church to potentially sleep in the alcove of.

Be Resourceful ! I once used  a horse coat that was hanging on a fence and used it as a huge warm blanket. I put it back where I left it in the morning.

Fires or Stoves

I do not recommend starting any fire to keep warm or cook.  Not only will it attract attention but it may also start a forest or park fire in the summer months. If you need to cook with a stove or to help you keep warm I suggest using the Solo Stove Lite as its light at onlly 9oz and burns twigs you can find around you. The wind shield on it also keeps the flames from being visible from a distance.

Unusual Wild Camping Opportunities

My good friend Jason Rhodes has taught me a valuable lesson in being opportunistic. Sometimes you can be so focused on your planned camping area ahead of you that you miss out on surprise easy opportunities that come by. As an example once he dragged me to a warm and dry hay barn when I stood on the pouring rain trying to convince him that just 5 more miles down the trail was a ‘sort of suitable place in the woods that might be ok’.

Now when I’m out on the trails and wild camping Ill think ‘What would Jason Rhodes do here ?

You may also ‘get lucky’ and find a remote barn, church entrance or remote abandoned building. I’ve even slid under a cricket pitch cover once in the UK on a multi day race to get a few hours emergency sleep without the need to set any tent or shelter up.

The South of England for example is covered in thousands of  WW2 pillboxes that are so well made that they still exist in key locations along the North Downs Way today.  New England in the USA has lots of opportunities for rock overhang and cave shelters.

Part 2 – Wild Stealth Camping Gear Guide

I keep my stealth camping set up as light,simple and fleible as possible. This is because I’m usually only sleeping for a few hours at a time when I’m doing a Fastest Known Time or a multi day race. By using nature to its best advantage I minimize the amount of gear I need. Also just because you are carrying something doesn’t mean you have to use it!

In this next section I’m going to show you various set ups from simple through to a more traditional tent, but all of these options come in at less than 3lbs.

Bivvi Bag

I opt for the Snugpak Special Forces Bivvi Bag when I’m in the Europe/ North America and want to save the most weight possible in my pack. This is super lightweight and gives you a thin breathable bag to basically climb in to . There are no luxuries here, but it’ll just about keep out the water and rain and you can usually just about get your bag in there too. There is no insulation so you’ll need to think separately what you will use to keep warm once inside.

A bivvy bag is like a sleeping bag made out of breathable but waterproof material like a tent. There are other cheaper Bivvi bags available but the cheaper ones are waterproof but not breathable. With a Breathable and waterproof bag like the Snugpak you can place your sleeping bag inside it even on damp ground and stay dry without getting too clammy. I suggest opting for black or green so you are not easily spotted.

USA and Hotter Climates Sleeping Solution

I have a few possible setups for wild camping in the USA or where it is warm. If I know I’m not going to be too close to water and biting insects I will opt for just a tarp, and if I think I’ll be near water or biting insects I’ll opt for a mesh shelter, hammock or lightweight tent.

MSR Thru Hiker 100 Wing Tarp

A tarp has lots of configurations from simply tying it between 2 trees to using my trekking poles to act like tent poles and hold it up. If I’m very tired/lazy Ill even just roll up in it without even setting it up. The MSR Thru Hiker 100 Wing Tarp is my favourite for this because its very lightweight and large. This means I can use it to make a waterproof floor as well as a top and sides.

More and more I’m opting to use a Tarp to quickly give me cover from the rain and wind. I do an in depth review of the MSR Thru Hiker 100 Wing here .

Mesh Tent

If I know I’m going to be near biting insects or water in the summer I opt for the MSR Thru-Hiker Mesh House. Its quick and easy to set up and you can even use a trekking pole to set it up as well as the guide lines included to get support from a nearby tree.

This mesh tent is super lightweight and although only designed for one person can house 2 at a push. Its easy to put up as well. If you suspect rain you can combine it with the MSR Tarp to get the shelter you need. This makes this set up lighter and more versatile than a tent of a similar price and quality.

Hammock

When it comes to hiking or trail running in the Summer in the USA I haven’t used a tent now for 2 years. The hammock option for camping gives me a much more modular set up to allow me to keep weight and pack size down whilst tailoring only what I need for that overnight stay.

In the height of the summer with no rain I can be minimalist and take only the bug net and hammock, and in bad or colder weather opt for an additional tarp and outer insulation too. I do a more in depth review here.

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Lightweight Tent Option

Finally if its cold and I want more comfort over a longer period of days I’ll opt for a lightweight tent.

The Outdoor Vitals Dominion Tent offers no compromises on quality, weight and value for a backpacker or multi day trail runner looking to save weight without compromizing too much comfort. The Dominion tent is quick and easy to pitch, well made and configurable in two different weight set ups allowing it to be as light as 2lbs in the pack. With taped seams, YKK zips and ripstop fabric this feels like a tent worth twice the price. I do a more in depth review here.

Thermarest

An inflatable mat can be essential if its colder when outside sleeping at night if you aren’t using a hammock. Ill usually even use when with the bivvy bag, as well as a mesh house or when just sleeping out under a tarp, or in a tent.

I opt for a very lightweight thermarest inflatable small roll mat. I literally opt for one that supports my hips and shoulders only. Its called the Thermarest Pro Lite X Small.  A thermarest serves 2 purposes, firstly increases comfort and secondly it acts as a good insulator against the ground so you stay warmer.  I opt for one that weighs 9 oz but you can get very very comfortable ones for more weight.  On most FKTs I don’t take one to save weight.  I’ve had my one about 5 years and only needed to repair a small hole once with glue.

I don’t use these so much for comfort but for insulation from a cold floor. I’ve even used it once on a deep river crossing to float my gear across to keep it dry !

Sleeping bag 

In the summer I opt for the British Army Sleeping Bag . I ‘procured’ mine from my friend Jason Rhodes who is in the army (Sorry Jason) . Again its dark green, unzips into a large square blanket which is useful and has a mosquito mesh that can go over your face to keep insect bites etc at bay. In the USA I’ve found that Snugpak make an equivalent Jungle Bag with the all important face mesh which means you may not need to opt for the mesh tent shelter.

You can use any sleeping bag you fancy depending on your budget, comfort requirement and budget and space in your rucksack.  I would suggest only opting for down over synthetic filling if the down has been hydrophobically treated to repel moisture so that if the bag gets wet the sleeping bag dries quickly and retains some thermal qualities.

Outdoor Vitals Storm Loft 15F Quilt

In the winter I’ll use an Outdoor Vitals Quilt but simply go to bed with ALL of my clothes on. This would include every base layer I have, leggings socks, waterproof jacket and down jacket and hat and gloves. I’ve wild camped down to minus 1C with this set up. In extreme cold Ill opt for the all season army ‘Bouncing Bomb’ sleeping bag but these are bulky and heavy.

Pillow– I usually don’t have one. I usually use one of the flexible water bottles. I’ve covered this in more depth in my best bottles for trail guide here.

Trekmates PAK Poncho

Headlamp

I’m a big fan of the Petzl Nao + because you can change the brightness to your own custom low setting to avoid easy detection by others. I’ve done a full review here 

Water

I have a much more in depth review of all your water bottle options on trail here.

I recently did a review of the Katadyn BeFree bottles which come with a built in water filter so that you can fill up from streams and water sources with confidence with the minimum of fuss. I do an in depth review in a separate blog here.

Wildlife and Wild Camping

When I’m wild camping in Europe there isn’t a lot of threat from wildlife, but Wild Camping in the USA means not only treating the outdoors with respect, but also making sure you don’t get bitten, stung or eaten.

When there is snow or frost on the ground and its winter you are unlikely to encounter any wildlife that is a threat while camping. In the Spring onwards though when wild camping you need to take some precautions. When setting up an area to camp make sure you bash about the area gently with a trekking pole to make sure there are no snakes nearby, and by sleeping inside a mesh tent, having a sleeping bag with a face mesh or using a bivvi bag you will keep out any insects or snakes you don’t want on or near you.

In the USA you may also need to take precautions against bears and other ‘inquisitive predators’. The usual rules apply, leave ALL your food and anything that smells) including toothpaste, deodorant bug spray etc) in a bag and hang it high in the trees about 300 ft or more away from where you plan to sleep.

Wild / Stealth Camping and the Law

The USA laws vary state to state but overall they are pretty onerous on anyone camping outside a designated camp site. Its usually illegal to camp/sleep in a public place and in State Parks or Nature Reserves without permission. Know the laws in your state and always be respectful to the

Strictly all land in the UK is owned so you must gain permission before camping, There are exceptions such as Dartmoor, Snowdonia and the Lake District. In reality provided you are generally out of sight and follow the usual rules of camping with regard to cleaning up after yourself, leaving no trace etc you will rarely find any issue. Use common sense too, avoid military training land for example !

Wild Camping Guide

In the UK Its important to be armed with the knowledge that although trespass is against the law its a civil matter unless there is damage or threat to property or livestock so the police are unlikely and unwilling to be involved. Any landowner that challenges you has the legal right to ask you to move on and you should comply. The standard rule ‘pitch late – leave early’ is especially useful here as it also helps avoid you ever being noticed.

Summary

Do it right and wild camping will reward you with an experience far greater than anything you can get at a conventional campsite. Get Wild camping wrong and it may well ruin your weekend, or worse your FKT or running race.

Practice is key so if you plan to do some wild camping perhaps do a dummy run in your garden first, or on a walk close to home……. stay clear of telephone boxes and be flexible with your plans like Jason Rhodes, just don’t ever lend me a sleeping bag, you might not get it back.

The Telephone Box in Broadwindsor that I got zero sleep in on the Monarch’s Way