Camping in the wild is defined as camping anywhere other than a designated campsite. It may be pitching your tent on a mountainside in preparation for a daybreak summit, setting up your hammock in your local woods, or going on a weekend bike excursion.

Sleeping under the stars, awakening to the scent of fresh air, and getting away from it all – the allure of wild camping is unmistakable. Wild camping, also known as dry, free, or freedom camping, is the practice of spending the night away from established campgrounds with their noise and crowds to pitch up camp amid the wilds of nature.

It may seem that wild camping is as simple as walking into the closest woods. Don’t be duped. It may be risky, if not illegal since the regulations governing where you can and cannot camp differ from nation to country. Here everything from Christian camps in Wisconsin you need to know before pitching your tent in the wide outdoors.

What to Think About Before Going Wild Camping

Make a general plan of where you’re going, map out your route, and notify someone of where you’ll be and how long you’ll be gone. It’s always a good idea to let friends know where you are if you need assistance in an emergency.

Is Wild Camping Safe?

Wild camping is entirely risk-free compared to driving, going out on the town, and most other activities. Take the appropriate measures, such as informing people where you’re going and when you anticipate returning, as well as essential first aid items and a power pack for phones and electronic navigation.

Christian Conference Center Wisconsin Highly Recommend Everyone before Going, Make Sure You’re Prepared for the Following:

Fire: While sitting around a blazing fire and swapping campfire tales may seem to be part of the wild camping trip experience, never start an open fire. If you’re camping in an area where wildfires are a possibility, take additional precautions, pay attention to local weather predictions, and prepare a safe escape route from your camp if you have to leave it.

Water: Unlike campgrounds, nature does not provide a conveniently accessible water supply. Pitch your tents at least 150 feet away and designate a 200-foot-away space for taking care of nature’s business to prevent waste and trash contamination. In addition, never drink from calm, motionless water.

Weather: it may change fast and pose genuine hazards. Check the weather forecast before you go and prepare appropriately. Along with clothes, you should consider food: if it’s cold, a flask would be an excellent addition, but if it’s hot, you might need to bring additional water.

Animals: While humans are the most dangerous, they are not only on a camping vacation. Before you go, find out whether any local animals or reptiles, such as bears or snakes, pose a threat to you. You’ll be able to prevent blunders like putting food out where it’s likely to attract undesirable guests.

Local laws: Even if everything else is in order, you still need to make sure you won’t be awakened up at 3 a.m. by an angry farmer — or worse, a park ranger — demanding you to pack up and go.

How Do You Poop while you’re out in the Wilderness?

What everyone wants to know but no one wants to ask. When you need to use the restroom, please choose a location at least 50 meters away from rushing water (streams and rivers), dig a hole, leave your business, and fill it with soil when completed. It is highly recommended by Christian retreat centers WI to bring toilet paper and wipes with you.

What Food Should You Pack For A Wild Camping Trip?

Dehydrated meals may save your life. They’re light, filled with calories, and some of them don’t even taste awful. If you’re genuinely limiting calories, freeze-dried meals are even more delicate, but you typically sacrifice flavor for weight.

Of course, how many calories you need to ingest is determined by how many calories you burn during the day. Will you be walking across fields or riding your bike over mountain passes?

Calculate How Many Calories You’ll Expend and Carry Appropriately

Although a hot dinner at the end of a hard day is incredibly satisfying, we often need snacks to get us through the day.

Bananas, almonds, and dried fruits are high-energy foods perfect for keeping spirits up and legs working. When you need a pick-me-up, energy bars take up little room but are worth their weight in gold.

How to Pick a Wild Camping Location

Examine the surroundings and the ground conditions. Consider the possibility of floods or waterlogging; are you far enough away from the route, and are the trees safe to hide under? If you don’t have a specific location in mind, keep an eye out long before dusk.

Knowing what to look for might be the difference between a delicious supper and a restful night’s sleep or wandering about in the dark, cold, exhausted, and hungry for hours.

Before You Go, Research Your Wild Camping Spot

The regulations governing the legality of wild camping vary so much from one region to the next that you need to start from scratch with each new site where you wish to pitch your tent. There are exceptions even in Scotland, where wild camping is authorized. In 2017, a rule was passed that made whole sections of Loch Lomond’s west side off-limits to wild campers due to trash and “anti-social behavior.” Even if you believe you’ll be OK, it’s always a good idea to double-check.

Seeing Wildlife Is a Huge Check, but Being Annoyed By It Is a Big, Big Red Cross

You may land yourself in a lot of trouble if you pitch where it’s not permitted, or you can receive a fine from the police or local authorities. However, a short Google search should show whether or not wild camping is allowed in the location you’re interested in, and you’ll almost certainly pick up some other valuable suggestions from local experts while you’re there. Another fantastic method suggested by Christian retreat center Wisconsin is to accomplish this is to discover a local Facebook group focused on the outdoors in the region you’re going to, or to phone a local outdoor center, as they’ll be able to tell you not just the legality of it all. Still, they’ll also be able to offer you unique local wild camping recommendations.