Wild Camping This Summer? Here's How to Plan, Pack, and Track Every Detail

There's nothing quite like pitching up on a quiet hillside as the sun dips below the ridge, your pack neatly stowed and a flask of something warm in hand. Wild camping is one of the most rewarding ways to experience the outdoors — but it does take a bit more preparation than booking a campsite. Whether you're heading for the Scottish Highlands, the Lake District fells, or the peaks of Snowdonia, getting your planning and packing right can make the difference between an unforgettable night under the stars and a soggy, miserable retreat.

In this guide, we'll walk through how to plan a wild camping trip from start to finish — and show you how Trailwise can help you manage the details that other apps overlook.

Know the Rules Before You Go

Wild camping rules vary across the UK. In Scotland, the Land Reform Act gives you a broad right to camp responsibly on most unenclosed land. In England and Wales, the picture is more nuanced — technically you need the landowner's permission, though lightweight, overnight camps above the fell wall in mountainous areas are widely tolerated. Dartmoor has its own specific bylaws worth checking before you set off.

Wherever you camp, the golden rule stays the same: leave no trace. Pack out everything you bring in, avoid lighting fires, and pitch late, leave early. The wild camping community thrives on respect for the land — and when we get it right, access stays open for everyone.

Planning Your Route with Trailwise

Apps like AllTrails and Komoot are great for finding popular day hikes, but wild camping trips need a different kind of planning. You need to think about water sources, sheltered pitching spots, and which fells or summits you can bag along the way.

Trailwise's trip and route planning tools let you sketch out multi-day routes and tie them to specific hill-bagging goals. Heading for the Wainwrights? Plan a route that ticks off three or four fells in a single overnighter and watch your completion percentage climb. If you sync your Strava account, completed fells are logged automatically — no manual ticking required.

Building Your Gear List (and Actually Knowing What It Weighs)

Ask any experienced wild camper what they wish they'd known earlier, and most will say the same thing: pack lighter. Every extra gram matters when you're hauling everything up a 900-metre ascent. But knowing what to cut requires knowing what everything weighs in the first place.

This is where Trailwise's gear management really shines. Add your kit to the app — tent, sleeping bag, stove, layers, the lot — and log each item's weight. Build gear lists for different trip types: a lightweight summer overnighter, a full winter wild camp, a day-hike essentials kit. You'll quickly spot where the weight is hiding and where you can make savings.

For a summer wild camp, here are the essentials to get on your list:

• Lightweight tent or bivvy bag — shelters under 1.5kg are ideal for solo trips

• Sleeping bag rated to at least 5°C (mountain temperatures drop fast after sunset)

• Sleeping mat — insulation from the ground matters more than you think

• Stove and fuel — a compact gas stove keeps things simple

• Water filter or purification tablets

• Dry bags for clothes and electronics

• Head torch with spare batteries

• Spare warm layer and woolly hat — even in summer, ridgeline winds bite

Once your list is built in Trailwise, you can share it with friends heading on the same trip — or with the wider Trailwise community so others can learn from your setup.

Track Your Progress, Earn Awards

One of the things that sets Trailwise apart from general-purpose fitness trackers like Strava is the focus on progression. Strava will tell you how far and fast you went. Trailwise tells you how far along your hill-bagging journey you are.

Every fell you summit gets logged against recognised lists — Wainwrights, Munros, Hewitts, Nuttalls, and more. As you tick them off, you earn awards based on your progression. It turns every wild camping trip into more than just a night out: it becomes a chapter in a bigger story.

And because Trailwise syncs with Strava, your existing activities can count. Walked up Helvellyn last year but never logged it as a fell? Connect your Strava account and Trailwise will pick it up automatically.

Share Your Trip with the Community

After your trip, share it on Trailwise. Post your route, your gear list, and your summit log so other hikers and campers can learn from your experience. Wondering what shelter someone used on that exposed Cairngorms pitch? Check their gear list. Curious which route they took to avoid the boggy ground? It's all there.

This kind of real, practical knowledge-sharing is what makes outdoor communities stronger. It's not just about the photo at the top — it's about helping the next person have a better time out there.

Get Started for Free

Trailwise's free tier gets you started with fell tracking, Strava sync, and basic gear management right away. If you want the full experience — advanced route planning, complete gear weight tracking, full award progression, and social sharing — it's just 99p per month.

Sign up at trailwise.io/register or download the app from the App Store. Your next wild camp is waiting — Trailwise will help you make the most of it.