Scared of SOLO Wild Camping? Tips for conquering the fear of Wild Camping ALONE in the UK 

My first wild Camp I was sure I'd picked the perfect spot. Then in the night I heard a banging against my tent. My mind started racing. Was it the landowner telling me to get off his land? Was it an axe murderer? Was it a cow come to trample me to death? I gingerly got out my tent to be faced with a sheep headbutting my tent. Backing up, then headbutting it again. I shone my torch at it (which didn't faze the sheep one bit) and I waited for it get bored and walk on. It took me a while to get back to sleep that night. Fun memories though.

The full moon tip is actually a very good one. I decided to make my first solo camp a full moon trip mostly because it was Halloween night but, the full moon was a nice bonus. When I crawled out for the 2am pee my sleep muddled brain thought it was morning. It was so clear and bright I ended up sitting outside for 20 minutes soaking in the beauty. It was a truly magical moment that erased any thought of being nervous or afraid.

You have something unique with your channel in this wild camping genre - humour. Everyone else is so gear pushing obsessed and earnest but have little to say about where they are. I think your subscription may just escalate.

My top tip is 'become the axe murderer.' I wear a bank robber style balaclava and carry an axe while camping in the woods. Problem solved.

I was actually scared to death on my first solo camp. Now I find it the most peaceful experience ever. Its good for the soul.

Such a brilliant video! Love the humour. I totally understand people being scared going solo camping if you are not not used to it. I am a former para ranger (a small military unit if you don’t know what it is) and done hiking for over 30 years, most of the time solo hiking. For me there is three things that can scare you and two of them is actually nothing to be scared for (depending where in the world you live, I have to add). 1 people 2 wild animals and the third I get to in the end. So people, is that something to be scared of? How likely is that that someone sits at home, feeling an urge to kill someone, and goes out in completely darkness in the forest walking around hour after hour day after day to hope to stumble upon a tent to find someone to kill? I think if I was them I take someone on their way home after a late night out in a city instead. So, darkness is your friend.. if you can’t see them, they can’t see you. So what about wild animals. I live in an area (in sweden) with bears, wolves and lynx just on my backyard. My biggest wish is to see some of them in the wild when I am out. After 30 years in the forest I have seen them…. zero times.. they are more afraid if you then you are of them and they will notice you long time before you notice them and they will avoid you. So what have I been afraid of then? Well, being bad prepared, bad equipment facing bad weather. Most times rescue operations has to be carried out is not because there is a crazy murderer out looking for people in the night or wild animal attacks.. it is people poorly prepared and with wrong equipment getting caught in bad weather. I did a hiking in the north if sweden (kungsleden) in the winter, 400km skiing out in no mans land.. was cought in a snowstorm and even if I was trained thats the only time I had a real reason to be scared. So, get educated, be prepared, tell people about your plans and where you are supposed to be and listen to Sarahs advices and enjoy hiking ❤️

Love the editing! First time I wild camped alone I was convinced there was a huge human-eating animal right next to my tent; woke up in the morning and where the noise had been there were a load of fluffy white feathers on the ground - it was a duck. 🙃🦆

I’m watching this absolutely baked, giggling my ass off! This chick is hilarious!

A big Sarah carrying a mini Sarah in her rucksack while she’s inside the tent packed up? I have to applaud you because that is next level creative imagination :’)

The only thing I ever worry about is other people. Animals don’t bother me because they behave rationally. People don’t. The more remote I am the safer I actually feel. For a first time I agree with camping within reach of your vehicle just as a reassurance thing. It helps to know you could run away if you freak out. By the way, I really loved your humor and editing!

I'm a 60 something male and this video randomly appeared onto my youtube feed. I have to admit that I presumed most of the younger generation simply sat at home with their videos and playstations and I'd never even heard of "wild camping". This video was done with style and humor and a joy to watch. The fact that there are young people with a sense of adventure and a love of nature gives me hope for the future. Great stuff.

Wow, you did an AMAZING job on this. I LOVED it. I did two weeks before and now I'm heading out again in 6 days.....whoop whoop. Being scared makes me feel ALIVE. I LOVED your tips. I want to mention that I take a safety whistle, some spray and a knife and a flashlight bright enough to blind someone for a few minutes, while I run away, lol. It makes me feel quite secure.

Great video and some very useful tips. I'd like to add that staying through the night if you do get scared is far better than packing up and heading home. If you pack up and go then you're basically telling your subconscious that there was something to be afraid of and the evidence is that you left. It will be hard to recover from that the next time you're out so always try and stay through the night.

During a winter camping trip in the woods, I thought during the night that someone was walking around my tent in the snow for minutes. Freaked me out as it was in the middle of nowhere. Turned out it was so exceptionally quite that night (no wind, nothing else that made any noises) that I started hearing my own heartbeat, which sounded like steps…

The scariest thing I've heard in the night, I learnt later was deer barking. Freaked the hell out of me - and that was just laid in a bivvy bag - no tent to hide away in.

Tip: If you're camping in a new area, find out what wildlife there is. It can be fun trying to identify the calls/sounds you hear and it helps relieve the anxiety of strange noises.

As a 6'2 bloke who lives with a lot of social anxiety I'm completely comfortable sleeping alone in nature but utterly terrified of being caught and shouted at by angry landowners. Can't wait to get out of the Southeast where there is essentially no open access land at all :(

Great video. Well done Real Sarah. For anyone who’s still not convinced that solo wild camping at night is safe, remember that any person out there in the dark is going to have some sort of light. So, no light, no person so nothing to worry about.

Hi Sarah! Really loving your videos and particularly like this one as it deals with fear, (of the dark / being alone.) My life has taken a unexpected turn recently, leaving me homeless and although I have had the support of some amazing people who have supported me, being on my own, (in field / in my car on my own, at night etc,) it has been very scary and overwhelming at times. Your videos always bring a smile to my face and your approach to life's anxieties with the use of humor and openness is very refreshing. Your humor is just brilliant and your energy and passion for what you do is so inspiring. You clearly enjoy what you do and thank you so much for sharing what you do I'm Looking forward to seeing more of your adventures in the future. Much love, Ash. x

This video helped me understand that I'm not the only one with these thoughts and I'll probably be okay camping solo ! Thank you 😊

for years I would solo camp, never afraid, then I joined the US Army Infantry....after my service (4 yrs) went solo camping, the anxiety and fear, and panic drove me to leave my gear behind, and drive 1 hour to get cell service to talk to my wife for an hour, went back and slept OK. Since then I've solo camped dozens of time and started a youtube channel to help others with solo camping and survival. LOVE it now, the most peace Ive ever felt was while solo camping!

Thank you for your really helpful video. I used to camp a lot when I was younger, but then life started happening. Now I'm 63 years old, and I really really want to start camping again. But between then and now I have watched way too many Bigfoot, dogman, and crazy killer videos. But wish me luck. I am going to try to solo camp this spring. Again thank you for your input and video.

Just watched this, it came up on my RU-vid feed because I've been watching similar videos recently. I'm new to solo wild camping and recently bought all the gear (I went mad and am as prepared as an SAS operative so my backpack weighs a million tons lol), anyway, this video was informative, lighthearted and brilliantly presented even though it is based on a subject of facing fear, if I had a hat on I'd take it off in respect to you Sarah, well done and thank you. Looking forward to watching your other videos now 🙂

A fun video! The best way to deal with irrational fear is to face it. Just like you do. Exposure therapy. It works. I have been wild camping alone since I was a boy and still am (I'm now 65). I have never ever experienced anything scary (maybe except for my tent full of mosquitoes or ants, that's kind of scary...but there's tricks for handling that too). Happy solo camping! You're lucky to have all those wild camping years in front of you!

Commenting again 3 years later just to say the tip about the tent flapping sounding like footsteps is SO GOOD. I have shared this a number of times with pals, and it is so so true.

Love your idea about the moon! But even as a seasoned wild camper, I've had at least one night where I went to sleep with clear skies, then got woken up by the moon rising, which sends you into a waking panic that somebody has a torch pointed at your tent!

Don't stop making videos!!! This was amazing and great advice. I've been camping for 10+ years and this video is one of the best I've seen for beginers getting into wild camping or camping in general. WELL DONE!!!

Brilliant video. I'm planning my first solo and you've covered so many of my questions, the getting out and making a mental picture of my direct surroundings is God tier tip. Plus you're very funny too, glad to find your channel, ty.

Fantastic video and lots to think about Sarah. I have my tent, sleeping bag, mat and Brukit now all ready to go. Just need a bit of confidence........you are a real inspiration 🙂

Love this! Funny, interesting, keeps you hooked in with your filming/production technique and very real. Thank you🙂

I am addicted to your channel Great editing. Beautiful locations. You are hilarious and such a beautiful soul!

OMG I have just found your channel and I am so glad I did you are so amusing, so inventive and so easy to watch. The information you provide and the way you relay it is brilliant... I was in stitches but also found myself nodding in agreeable with some of your tips.You’ve got yourself another follower 👍🏕🌅🏔

So helpful and you are absolutely delightful in humor and soul!! Just found you today and subscribed after 30 seconds of watching! ❤❤❤

I use a hammock when I wild camp and on one of my first solo camps I was woken by what sounded like a heard of elephants charging through my camp. Didn’t sleep the rest of that night. Found out when I got light that it was badgers 🦡. I always check for signs of animal dens now as it scared the shit out of me (I’m 6’2 and 18 stone so we all get scared)

Is now the correct time to mention, i’m a fully grown 14st male that practices the majority of these tactics?

You are an absolute hoot! Love the effort and video quality 🤯. Look forward to seeing you again! 👍

You are genuinely so funny, I love it 😭 great video!

You are so cheerful. Thank you for admiting to your fears and tips.

You are a riot! I've been dying to go camping but none of my family will go. Then I started watching those videos about the missing people who went camping...now I'm not sure I want to. However, now that I've watch your video I do feel better about it. Thanks for you video!

By far the one of the most informative and entertainingly funny Vlogs I’ve watched. Well deserves an add. Keep up the good work.

Great tips there. I Started wild camping a few Years ago in the SOUth near Hastings. Was scared at first but the best piece of advice I read is that it's extremely unlikely that there will be a murderer in the woods as everyone else is just as scared as you and so won't go into the woods either! And it would have to be a very comitted crazy person to find a wild camper. I got more scared by small birds rustling in leaves which sounded exactly like footsteps coming towards me, and trees make a weird sound that are touching in the winds, like a eeeaw sound that creeped me out until I realised what it was. Strangest experience was sleeping on a nudist beach on the shortest night of the summer in an isolated part of south coast, it was just me with the beach to myself all night and was magical with a clear starry night, , but I woke up to old dudes walking naked around me not even bothered by my presence.

I absolutely LOVED your video!!!!!! You have an awesome personality and thank you for making videos for us! Please keep it up! I'm in the USA and I hope your channel grows even more. Your deserve it!

Deffo a fave RU-vidr , legend of an adventurer and funny with it , well done Taff 👍🏻

Great video, can tell you definitely put a lot of work into making this one, I appreciate that.

Another fab video Sarah. Your style and humour are excellent so don’t ever change! Easily my favourite RU-vid channel of this genre. 👏 👏

I loved this video Sarah! Thank you so much for all of the great tips, really helpful! I'm doing solo SWCP in 3 weeks and I found your strategies very valuable 🙏❤

This is an amazing video that needed to be made! Will definitely be using these tips in our camper in the future! Keep up the good work :D

I actually enjoyed your video. I recently started hiking around where I live, and camping is my next goal. What you said in video is more or less what was going in my head, plus you give some extra examples. And all of that with a great sense of humour. I really like that. Subbed :)

Absolutely love this video!! Thank you so much!

Been camping in tents and caravaning all my life JUST WISH MORE PEPOLE HAD THE COMMON SENCE to enjoy this wonderful out door life and past time . Good on you. YOU injoy life and want to share it with other people.

Funny, interesting, and informative :-) The point about noises being louder at night is very valid - even a mouse rustling in the leaves can sound like a wild bear in your imagination. Bring on the next video!

Great vid. Well shot an presented. I would like to add, until you're comfortable outside, on your own, it helps to have a clear bug out plan. Even if its "run back to the car and come back in the daylight for your kit.". I found that when I first started, knowing that I could easily bug out, prevented me from actually bugging out.

You put so much effort into this, and I’m glad I found you! I’m off for a wild camp on Wednesday, the first one on my own. This has really helped x

I truly, TRULY loved this video. As a newbie solo wild camper, I cannot thank you enough for your tips.

Ong, you are such an amazing person...im not breathing how helpful is this and how funny way you did it..I just started with solo hikes and going for my first wild camp, making videos too..Thank you so much for sharing all your experience...

Awesome video, thank you! Planning my first wild camp soon so I really needed these tips!

Have just found this channel and this is AMAZING. Showed this to my daughter and it's really helped. Thanks!

This is such weird timing as I’m planning a solo camp on Dartmoor as actually feeling quite nervous about it so thank you!!! Great tips and hilarious as always!! 😃❤️

lmaoo u are absolutely hilarious im so glad i found ur channel, i feel educated and entertained

Love this video, I tell every one of my friends that want to try camping alone to watch this video, it's a lot of common sense Information that people for the first time generally do not think about and could clear their fears a little, well done!

Love your videos, very informative and funny, great job. Thank you

Epic vid keep the fun and the energy going its amazing

Loved this video. I solo camp but usually in my car or at campsites (not hike ins). Darkness is still my biggest fear. I had to get up at 5 am a week ago while camping, and man it was pitch black and tons of tall trees. But I had a goal and I pushed myself. And here I am. Still alive.

I don't know how, but I found a hidden gem! I loved the lighthearted, comedic approach! I hope you do stand-up or at least use your talent on your friends and family, so it won't be wasted in between two videos! All the best :)

Just found this video probably the best I’ve seen on the subject looking forward to watching you channel stay safe

Great tips. Thanks for sharing!

Thank you so much. Great upload. Helped me alot 👍

Brilliant video. Very informative and hilarious. Proper legend!!

You are completely bonkers, entertaining, engaging, informative and fabulous! Love your vids!

I’ve been watching videos on wild camping for the last hour or two and this has been refreshingly hilarious. I also feel like I could totally solo camp myself now, thank you!

Great video, remember my 1st pitch black camp in the Lakes, I was scared shitless and I was mid thirties. Couldn't sleep until I was totally knackered, so now I make sure I'm knackered

This popped up in my feed, and I have been thinking of wild camping. Your style is brilliant and fun, thank you Sarah that’s very helpful.

Great tips! Love your humor and creativity!!!

I know how else I'll be conquering the fear of wild camping alone - watching this video and laughing my jitters away! 🤣👍👍

Wife and I loving your video's, unique in every way. Please keep them coming. Stay safe.

You are amazing, I was really looking for a video like this.

What a great video! So funny but also practical. I am getting into camping and want to wild camp alone. This is a great help. How to be safe and feel safe too!

Hilarious as usual. You channel is my favourite on RU-vid. You are a natural presenter with lots of humour to keep it all lighthearted. You filming & editing skills are very good. All in all you are a very talented young lady. Keep the videos coming.🙂🙂🙂

That was so brilliantly entertaining and informative. Thank you!

So good advice I'm going wild camping tommorow with my dad and I'm i bit scared but I'm not now. I love your sheep impression 🤣 most down to earth person ever !

So creative and fun. Enjoyed it!

So many good and relevant tips. Only this last weekend I had a bright alien, staring at me from his perch on a nearby fallen tree. Closer inspection revealed the moonlight bouncing off a rubbery leaved plant, that had evidently been there in the daytime, minding its own business!😅

Really good tips delivered in a nice humorous way. Great job!!

Brilliant video. Not sure how you ended up in my feed but I'm certainly going to be watching your other videos 👍

Best helpful video I’ve discovered.. I feel way more prepared. Thank you

Great video. I used to wild camp 40 years ago and frequently was woken by farmers at dawn. Got posh and used B&B and listed sites since. Planning a cycle touring trip in my 60's and will do responsible wild camping. The problem is that there is now lots of irresponsible wild camping. LEAVE NO TRACE.

Thanks so much, this is really helpful!

Brilliant Vlog Sarah, your mad as a hatter, I was in stitches watching it. I'm hoping to get all the equipment for wild camping in the next couple of months, I can't wait to get out for my first solo camp. You have just got another subscriber 😊😊

Thank you thank you, that vid was great, great sense of humour, very enjoyable, good work.

So happy I stumbled upon your channel Sarah, its awesome. Keep up the good work!

Superb video. Informative and useful but so much more. Brilliant humour. I've now subscribed. Thanks

Brilliant video! So much fun but still shared fantastic helpful information!! Bravo 👏

When I was younger I went camping alone as a woman. What I did was get a really large tent. That way other people will think you aren't alone. When you make your camp fire make it big. Talk out loud as if to others that would be with me. I was left alone by others that were camping/ partying down trail from me. Animals didn't scare me as much. I slept with a folding knife around my wrist. I was camping in the autumn and had a scare in the night. Loud big movements through the leaves came right to my campsite. I peaked out of the tent window with my flashlight and it was 2 very large skunks. I quietly laughed at myself but they do make a lot of noise coming through the leaves.

So there is another welsh person out there almost as crazy as myself.......... I loved the editing in this video, all the little speech corrections made me laugh. You blabber as much as me,,,,,,,, when your alone on the mountain 😂👌 legend.

Great vid. And really liked the ancient burial mound behind your tent.

I’m subscribing to your channel now after seeing this brilliant video!!! Love your humour xxx

Absolutely brilliant video, entertaining, creative, lighthearted & informative. You made learning fun, which is a rarity. ❤️👍

Love your video. Helpful tips

Brilliantly entertaining but above all, very informative. Just discovered your channel today and loved the content. Very fond memories of trips to Wales in years gone by for caving and holidays. Love the Brecons for the peace and quiet 👍. Now much further away living in Malaysia for the last 16 years but different weather out here i.e. bloody hot all year round 😓. Plenty to explore out here especially now I've moved out of the city, with fascinating wildlife .... a lot of which bites or stings. Keep up the good work on the vlogs. Have subbed to your channel. ATVB and stay safe

What a fantastic video. Sound and sensible advice. Also your creative imagination is awesome. 😃👍😊🍻🌻☀️