Leave No Trace Principles for Wild Camping

Wild camping on the fells: a privilege, not a right

There are few better feelings than pitching a tent high on a Lakeland fell, watching the light fade over a tarn, and knowing you have earned your sleep. But wild camping is not a free-for-all. In the Lake District, it is generally tolerated on high, open fell ground away from roads, walls and buildings, but it is not a legal right across the whole national park. That means your conduct matters. Leave No Trace is not a badge or a slogan; it is a set of practical habits that keep the fells wild for everyone who comes after you.

The principles are straightforward: choose durable ground, deal with human waste properly, carry out all litter, and avoid fires in fragile upland places. The details are where most people come unstuck. Get them right and you will leave a place that looks as though you were never there.

Choose ground that can bear your weight

A tent, even a small one, presses down on whatever is beneath it. Some ground recovers overnight. Some does not recover in your lifetime. Aim for rock, gravel, dry grass or an established pitch that has clearly been used before. Avoid heather, bilberry, moss, lichen, cushion plants and bare peat. On the high fells, arctic-alpine plants cling on in tiny pockets; a single night's camping can crush decades of growth.

In the Lake District, the thin soils and heavy rainfall make many spots more fragile than they look. A patch of green above a tarn might be sphagnum moss, which grows less than a millimetre a year. Pitch late, leave early, and keep your footprint small. Do not dig drainage trenches around your tent, move stones to make a level bed, or cut vegetation. If the only flat spot is on fragile ground, move on. There is always another pitch.

Bury human waste, carry out the rest

Human waste is the issue that trips up many wild campers. The rule is simple: bury it in a hole 30cm deep, at least 30 metres from water, paths and pitches. Use a small trowel, not a boot heel. Choose soil, not peat. If the ground is too thin or too stony to dig a proper hole, you should carry your waste out in a sealed bag. That may sound unpleasant, but it is far better than leaving it on the surface for others to find.

Toilet paper should never be buried. It takes months to break down and is often dug up by animals. Put it in a bag and carry it out, along with sanitary products and wet wipes. Urine is less harmful, but it still attracts animals and damages plants. Drink plenty of water to dilute it, and urinate well away from your pitch, paths and water sources. Wash your hands with hand sanitiser afterwards.

Carry out everything you bring

Litter is not just crisp packets and bottles. It is also tea bags, orange peel, apple cores, nut shells, foil, bottle tops, hair ties and microtrash. None of it belongs on the fells. Orange peel can take years to break down; tea bags often contain plastic; food waste attracts sheep, foxes, crows and rats, which then become a problem for the next camper. Assume that if you brought it in, you carry it out.

• Pack a dedicated rubbish bag and a separate bag for food waste.
• Double-bag anything smelly or wet to keep your rucksack clean.
• Check your pitch before you leave, including under your tent and around the guy lines.
• Take out litter you find, even if it is not yours.

If you cook, use a stove and keep it clean. Do not leave food caches or buried scraps. In the Lake District, sheep and wildlife will find them, and a fed animal is often a dead animal. Leave the place better than you found it, and the next walker will never know you were there.

Fires: best avoided in fragile uplands

Almost every wild camping article says the same thing, and for good reason: avoid fires in fragile upland environments. The Lake District's peat, heather, bracken and tree roots burn easily, even when the surface feels damp. A fire scar can last for decades. A stray spark can start a wildfire that destroys habitat and threatens lives. Stone rings are not a solution; they leave a permanent mark and encourage others to do the same.

Use a small gas stove for cooking and a torch for light. Do not gather deadwood, even from the ground; it is part of the ecosystem. If you truly need a fire, go to an established campsite with a proper fire pit and permission. Otherwise, leave the flames at home. In dry spells, check local signs and guidance before you set out. A no-fire rule is not an inconvenience; it is common sense.

Water, wildlife and the quiet art of leaving no trace

Washing is another hidden impact. Soap, toothpaste and food scraps all pollute water. Wash yourself and your dishes at least 30 metres from any tarn, stream or spring. Carry water away in a container, use as little soap as possible, and pour the dirty water onto ground away from water sources. Do not wash in a tarn, and do not spit toothpaste into it. If you drink from streams, treat the water or boil it.

Keep noise low, especially at dawn and dusk. Do not disturb nesting birds, deer, sheep or adders. Keep dogs under control and clean up after them. Leave gates as you find them. Take photographs, not flowers or rocks. And if the weather turns or the ground is too fragile, be willing to change your plan. The fells will still be there tomorrow. Leave No Trace is not about being perfect; it is about paying attention.