Sleeping Wild

Q. Hi - I've seen a few posts asking about wild camping and they all have the same answer "Wild Camping and The Law in England, Scotland and Wales. Tents cannot be pitched just anywhere because every piece of Britain is owned by some individual or some organisation and according to the strict letter...... blah blah My question is - if I choose to sleep in a hammock under a tarp - does it make any difference legally? Does this count as camping as there is no tent involved? I realise I should't camp on private land without prior permission etc but is anyone really going to get hot under the collar about a hammock and tarp?

Bill Bradshaw, Langport, Somerset

A. Hi Bill. In terms of the law there is no differential between a tent and hammock and tarp, you would still be trespassing! Even on public access land where you are permitted to walk, camping without permission is illegal. However in my 40+ years of wild camping I have never encountered any problems. I put this down to selecting a quiet spot away from roads and footpaths, being quiet, very rarely lighting a fire and leaving the site as natural as I found it. I cant tell you its ok to break the law. I do it knowing that I may get prosecuted if found by the landowner. But after all these years I must be doing it ok. Jez

Jeremy Manning, Blackwood

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