WILDCAMPINGGUIDE
PPitch
Flatgroundis a wildcamper’snirvana,
butit mayalsobetheworstplace
tocamp.I wasin NewZealand,off-
trackin CowSaddlein MountAspiring
NationalPark,whenI thoughtI’dfound
a fantasticflatspot.I spentthenext 60
hoursstuckinsidemytentin a monster
storm.It quicklybecameobviouswhen
myawningfloodedthatI’dcampedon
a floodplain.I wasforcedtomovemid-
stormtouneventussockgrass.Ideally,
you’dcampona gentleslopethat’s
almostflat—onethathasa slightrun-
offsoyouwon’tgetbogged.Alsobe
awareofcampingbeneathtrees,gums
especially.Lookforanybranchesthat
couldpotentiallyspearyourtent.QQuietNight’sSleep
Thiswon’talwaysbepossible if high winds are berating or
strongrainis pummelling the tent. Finding sheltered sites isn’t
alwayspossibleeither.Take earplugs. They won’t cut out that
much,buttheycanmuffle things enough to drop off to sleep.Roaming in the
Uncomfortable
Convenience can dull the senses.
Walking in torrential rain can be
invigorating. In wild climes, away
from taps and flushing toilets, a
survival gene seems reactivated,
one that highlights aspects of
ourselves not usually tapped
into amidst the candyfloss
of everyday convenience.
Who are we when things get
uncomfortable? Wild camping
will show you.Seclusion
Tositin silence away from everything
andeveryone is nourishing for the soul.
It’sa totalpsychological reset.Tracking
Keepaneyeoutforanimaltrailswhen
thegoinggetsscrubby.Theycanprovide
aneasierrouteandsavevaluabletimeif
thegoingis slow.Don’tfollowa tracktoo
farif it startsdeviatingfromthedirection
in whichyou’resupposedtobeheading.
Knowwhentogetoff.Chancesarethey’ll
beanothertrailnearbygoingin theright
direction.
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72 / Outdoor