Flinn

Above: the fireplace and the oven (left) that we built some years ago in the place we usually camp at

A due introduction: this is not about survivalism, but about how to make yourself comfortable and fully enjoy wild camping. It's gonna be a sort of guide, where I'll share with you my 25 years old experience in this, in the hope that this will stimulate you to try it and of course enjoy it.

What is wild camping, then? Basically, you camp in wild areas, what else? But so you can ask me, what qualifies as a "wild area", then? Well, any area which is not directly civilized or close to civilization, in general. One does not need to go in the middle of Alaska or in central Sahara, you can find wild areas just a few km afar for where you live, depending on where you live, of course. As for me, because I live in the center of Italy, I've plenty of wild places some 45-60 minutes from me (by car), all along the central mountain chain known as Appennini. Precisely where I live and close to here, there are many nice spots in the mountains, and though one cannot claim for those areas to be particularly dangerous, you ought no know what you are doing, if you don't want to find yourself in trouble.

Let's list now what are the basic elements that defines wild camping:

- proximity to civilization; in few words, if you need car or another mean of transport to get to a civilized are in a reasonable time, then you are in a wild area. This is particularly important when you have emergencies, like that if you need a car and a hour driving before you can get to a hospital, you are likely going to be in trouble if you have just your feet...
- potable water: in wild areas potable water might be available, but it has to be natural and not disinfected. In wild areas most of the times water is not directly potable and you need a mean to disinfect it yourself (boiling is the easiest way of doing that). One can still bring potable water in bottles, though..
- shelter: there shouldn't be any shelter other than the ones you'll assemble/build up yourself. The presence of lodges/refuges for emergency reasons is still acceptable, but you should not be using them as your main shelter.
- modern comforts: electricity, phone/internet, toilets, first-aid, and similar stuff.. in wild areas all these things aren't available and you ought to find your way for providing yourself with them... sometimes it's easy, sometimes it's not, depending on what you are actually looking to provide yourself with and where you are doing that.
- wild dangerous animals: you don't need lions, and even wasps can kill you if you are not well prepared. The presence of wild, aggressive animals, it's an indication that you are in a wild area, as limited as this presence can be. Wolves, bears, boars, snakes, spiders, wasps.. can be found almost everywhere and they are all dangerous animals in their own fashion.

You are probably thinking, what's the logic of doing wild camping? Why not going for a regular, equipped, camping? Well, there are multiple reasons for that:

- first, you supposedly pick the people that are camping with you; no noisy neighbors, no pesky children (unless they are yours, of course ), no annoying music, etc.
- second, you can pick exactly the place where you camp, rather than having to sit where someone else tells you.
- third, it's an intellectual challenge to organize everything in advance, so that you will have everything with you once camping and you won't need to leave unless there's a real emergency.
- fourth, it's entertaining and satisfying to do things with your own hands and then enjoy them; it also helps to build up brotherly spirit, either with friends or family or both.
- fifth, wild nature gives special feelings, everybody has a different preferred moments/situations (I love the absolute quite of early morning and the silence of woods when there's no wind) and in general those feelings are very regenerating.

As the title itself implies, wild camping is something that helps me abide a lot (together with working on my vineyard, that is) and even if I can do that for only 5-10 days per year (summer time basically), it is still my holiday; no matter how many other places I could be going for resting or enjoying time with my family, my main vacation is wild camping.

That's all for now, I hope you enjoyed reading it! In the next chapter(s) I'll tell you about how to organize yourself for wild camping, what tools and equipment will be necessary, how to pick the correct place, how to build up a camp and so on and on..