How easy is solo camping for novices?

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I went camping for the first time last year in the Canadian Rockies, and loved it. We went for a week, and the campsite had all the basic amenities (toilets, showers, etc). Furthermore, one of my group was a real /out/doorsman and basically just looked after the rest of us - he helped us pitch the tents, he started the fires, he did the cooking, he told us where and how to store our stuff, and so on. For the second half of the week we left, and I took over (making far more mistakes than him, but still getting a bit of experience).

Anyways, I loved that, and wanted to do it again in the UK. Trouble is, literally none of my friends are interested in it. We don't really have much of a camping culture here at all, and my friends just want to go on lad's holidays to Ayia Napa. So I thought what the hell, I'll try solo camping, could be fun. I plan to borrow equipment (most likely cheap/old) from relatives, drive out to one of these national parks, and spend 2-3 nights wild camping. I figure it could be fun to learn by experience. During the day, I'd spend my time hiking, and would certainly like to reach the peaks of Snowdon/Ben Nevis/Scafell Pike (using my running trainers probably, rather than hiking boots). However, when browsing WikiTravel I noticed a few warnings like 'Underestimating the terrain can be fatal. Make sure you know how to use a compass and read a map, and invest in good-quality hiking equipment'. Is that really necessary for somewhere that's relatively tame, like the UK? Would I be ok so long as I stayed within, say, 5 miles of my car?

All comments/advice greatly appreciated.

>five miles in
>Shit gear

I don't think you can carry your gear five miles.

> Compass and map

Completely unnecessary

>Good quality hiking equipment

Your shoes are probably fine, appropriate clothes are totally necessary, you ain't backpacking 5 miles with heavy tent, sleeping bag etc.

>>811134
Cont,.

Lay out all your gear and food and water and see how much it weighs (too much) and if it fits in your backpack (it doesn't)

If you can carry it, great. If not choose wisely or get lighter gear. If it's too heavy and you go for it anyway (you should) you can just burn all your shit gear on your last day and have a nice stroll back to your car.

Overall it seems like you are on the right track and solo isn't dangerous unless you are a retard. Have fun m8 lad fag smoker rent boy from Manchester innit

>>811134
>>811142
I don't actually have any of the gear yet, it's all in the hypothetical stage right now. I imagine that all I'd take with me is a 1-2 man tent, a sleeping bag, a torch, and a couple of books. Not 100% on whether to attempt cooking on the first trip yet, or to just survive on pre-prepared non-cooked meals and snacks seeing as it'll only be for 2-3 days. I could keep a cooler in my car, and just carry what I'd need for that day. Maybe takes a little bit of the fun out of it, but might be more sensible for a novice. So I'm not really envisaging having any problems with the weight of the bag, if it's under 15kg then I already know I can carry it comfortably.

>>811158
Actually, thinking about it, 15kg wouldn't be too comfortable if I was hiking. Only said that because I'm used to lugging bags weighing 25kg 2 miles across town whenever I came home from uni, but I guess walking across town and hiking up a mountain are very different. Maybe I'd be ok with 15kg, but if I'm being honest then I don't really know, as I haven't tried it before.

>>811134
>>811142
if the guys is reasoble, not even good, shape, he can do 5 miles carrying shit equipment.
Easily.
Girls do it.
hiked 90km over a few days with a girl who had a big school pack and have of her shit was just strapped on the outside. Must have been hell for her... Not that my backpack was much better back then in the teens.

it's not much fun carrying a 30+ kg pack a round, but can be done no problem.

>>811113
>WikiTravel I noticed a few warnings like 'Underestimating the terrain can be fatal.
That's generic as fuck and true to 90% of the places where people go /out/.
Stick to the trails, don't go to close to a cliff etc and it'll be fine.

>Make sure you know how to use a compass and read a map
Never hiked in the UK nor the specific regions you mentioned. But it's almost always advisable to have these skills. Even in places where you can do without a map it'x useful to be able to gauge the distance you have left and most importantly provide you with enough knowledge of your area to make informed decisions in emergencies/no standard situations.
Running out of water? Where is the best place to turn to?
trail disappeared?Fog and you lost the trails? aggressive dogs drove you off trail? trail is blocked by an avalanche?...

If the trail is clear you should be able to do fine even if you're not an expert in reading maps etc, but I'd still bring one and practice using it.

>>811113
> invest in good-quality hiking equipment'.
Probably just generic bullshit.
What's "good quality" a tent needs to not leak and not to get flattened by wind. But many shit tents are good enough for that in normal UK weather.
etc for the rest of the gear.

One thing I would invest in is rain gear, shit quality one would get you as wet as if you're standing in the rain just from your own sweat, or would not hold much rain and the water would start getting through.

>Would I be ok so long as I stayed within, say, 5 miles of my car?

That's a trick question. If you fall off a cliff it hardly matters how far you are from your car, if your tent gets flattered in a rain storm it's a big help to be near a car...
You're more likely to be ok near your car as some dangers are eliminated. But it's not a guarantee...

>>811142
>solo isn't dangerous unless you are a retard.

To some extent there is some danger in all /out/ activity. obviously it's not very high walking down a well hiked trail in the UK.
But crossing rivers, going to more remote locations, more rugged, deserts... presents dangers to all /out/men, be they solo or not. Being solo amplifies some of the risks.

> and a couple of books.
Why more than 1 book?

>Not 100% on whether to attempt cooking on the first trip yet
Why not?
The only small difference is weight. But you'll enjoy yourself so much more with a warm meal, some coffee/tea in the eve in front of a fire :)

>I could keep a cooler in my car, and just carry what I'd need for that day. Maybe takes a little bit of the fun out of it, but might be more sensible for a novice.

Nothing to do with being a novice, the only difference is weight.
You can store some extra food and water in the car for emergencies though.

Unless you want to bring non hiking food and weights a lot. That's about luxury then, not about being a novice.

>>811163
> 15kg wouldn't be too comfortable if I was hiking.

You'll get used to it. And you'll get used to 20/25kg as well if you need to.

>>811158
>>811163
15kg is easily doable if you dont intend to do 2000m (1.3miles) in height with it (Just hide your bag/tent somewhere if you go up a mountain). And if you are reasonably fit 5 miles is not that long.
Cooking isnt hard and you can make simple alcohol stoves yourself for maybe 1€/pound.
http://www.bikepacking.com/gear/hop-can-stoves-how-to-make-5-ultralight-bikepacking-stoves/ I made myself something like the #2, its inefficient but easy to start with.
Books are heavy, but might be worth it for you.
Dont overthink it, its not as hard as you'd think and if you make mistakes, you wont make them the next time around

>>811169
>Get used to it

Explain how you get used to 50 pounds or even 30 pounds on a 2-3 day trip. Body conditioning doesn't work like in a montage scene Mr basement dweller

>>811173
Have you ever hiked with 15kg+?
I had to carry 25kg for a 4 day trip once, while I was quite fat and unfit. The heightmeters were terrible but on the third day I had no problems anymore. Nowadays 15 is no problem at all

>>811178

>I had to carry 25kg for a 4 day trip once

Why should anyone take advice from a fool?

>>811166
Yeah I'm happy to take the most well-travelled route to the top when hiking, and then just set up camp in some cosy quiet place in the evening. I'm not looking for a full-throttle adrenaline trip just yet, just something to ease me into the camping scene a little bit. I can't imagine anywhere in the UK being wild enough to pose any serious threats to someone being sensible - the most dangerous animals we have here are cows after all - but I wanted to be extra certain, just in case. I'd most likely carry spare reserves of water in my car, which I'd never be too far from, and re-fill bottles whenever I can. The only real danger I can think of is getting lost - but I really don't think the area is wild enough for it to be too much of a problem even if I did. I'd just keep walking until I hit civilisation. Hell, the internet and GPS on my phone would probably work fine there.

>>811168
Yeah having a meal you cooked yourself, on a fire you made yourself, is a great feeling. If I can add cooking utensils and food to my pack without it getting too heavy, I'll be happy to give it a go. Also I'll be going in August, so shit weather and rainstorms shouldn't be a problem (although the UK summer is hardly the most reliable). And as I say - when hiking I'll be sticking to clear trails in what will probably be peak tourist season, so if I fall off any cliffs I don't think I'm likely to be stranded with no one to help me. When it comes to actually setting up camp I just want to find a nice flat quiet area, although wild camping isn't technically legal there so I'm not sure how easy it will be.

>>811173
I don't see it being a problem either way. I don't want to make unsubstantiated claims due to my lack of experience, but I've played sports all my life and have been doing military fitness at the gym for 5-6 times p/w over the last couple of years. I'm not an elite athlete by any means, but I'm in good shape and shouldn't struggle with the physical side of things.

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Novice here as well, looking to innawoods but don't have any friends who would come with me. How difficult is it to avoid ending up like pic related? I haven't read too much into his experience but from my understanding the worst thing he did was not have a good understanding of the land he was camping? Was he just not prepared well enough?

>>811111
>checked

Its easy.
TILL THE FEAR SETS IN

>>811113
Dunno if it was said before, but I went on Ben Nevis and while it was certainly not easy, the path was similar to a rocky backyard track. Just make sure your boots have good grip when it's wet and slippery. Otherwise don't worry about Nevis.

>>811173
>Explain how you get used to 50 pounds or even 30 pounds on a 2-3 day trip.

Based on my experience there are two kinds of getting used to a weight.
First kind is what most hikers know and sets in about on the third or 4th day of the hike when the weight seems much more natural, feels natural to have it.
Perhaps he would feel this in the 3rd day of the trip, but for some it takes longer, depends on weight and fitness as well.
Probably won't happen in time if he doesn't carry the weight for at least 6-7h a day.

Second kind of getting used to is with weights that strain you much further. When putting on backpacks with such weight that you feel there is no way you'll be able to carry this for an hour, when even standing still with the weight feels like a workout and is a strain.
Happened to me with 40-60kg packs in the army, but if the guy is really out of shape perhaps it could happen to him with 15kg lol idk.
This is the kind of getting used to I was referring to. Even though it seems impossible at first you could go on with such weight, after a while you just get used to the strain and the constant effort. Unlike with the first kind, you don't get used to the weight in the sense that it stops bothering you, but you get used to tolerating it.
This kind of getting used to happens much faster, matter of minutes to hours.

>>811393
I actually hiked a mountain in the Rockies that was taller than Ben Nevis, and that was the first time I'd hiked a proper mountain. I did it in running shoes and no special equipment - I even saw an Aussie guy do it in flip flops. Again, don't want to arrogantly assume I'll be fine regardless, but I imagine I'd be able to handle a well-travelled path up Snowdonia or Ben Nevis.