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Call me old-fashioned, but sometimes I just like to go for a poo without having to dig a hole first.
I’m all for the freedom and solitude that wild camping offers, but it seems that every single ‘adventurer’ on Instagram and TikTok is pushing a narrative that wild camping is what makes you a ‘real’ hiker. And, if you want any kind of kudos in the outdoor world, you need to steer well clear of traditional campsites where mere mortals pitch their tents.
I’ve just spent a (very) rainy weekend camping at a holiday park in the Lake District and I can think of quite a few good reasons why it’s still a great idea to pitch up at a campsite… 
A Number Two With a View
I can see the appeal of a number two with a view, I really can.
Call me old-fashioned though, but sometimes I just like to go for a poo without having to dig a hole first. And maybe it’s just me, but no matter which remote part of the hills I’m in, I always get the feeling that someone is watching me with a pair of very powerful binoculars from a distant summit. Or worse still, flying a drone overhead, ready to record footage of me squatting for all the world to see.
And let’s talk about that awkward squat… my knees do not appreciate that after a long hike.
Campsite toilets may not be the most glamorous of places, but they have a roof, a door, some privacy and you never have to dig your own hole.
They occasionally have some toilet paper too.
Ultra-Lite Vs Ultra-Heavy
There’s definitely a place in the market for ridiculously lightweight camping gear that costs an absolute fortune, but I don’t think Karl from Runcorn needs it for a night of wild camping on Catbells.
I love my tiny, 2-person tent, but sometimes I just want that extra space and comfort that comes with an ultra-heavy tent with multiple rooms and a space to sit around when it inevitably starts pouring down with rain.
There’s something reassuringly solid about a tent that you have to drag out of the boot of the car and spend an hour trying to pitch.
Man Make Fire, Man Eat Meat
Seriously; who is buying those ‘ultra-lite’ packets of Couscous from Go Outdoors that cost about the same as a Wetherspoons mixed grill?
I refuse to believe that camping culture has gone from making fires and cooking meat to spending £7 on a sachet of backpacking food to eat in a field that is undoubtedly walking distance from a Costa.
Most campsites allow barbecues and firepits, and isn’t that what it’s all about: sitting around with a few friends and some good food, watching the flickering of the flames and forgetting about ‘reality’ for a few hours?
The Post-Hike Pint
I have to admit that I’m not much of a drinker. I very rarely drink at home and my days of heading out clubbing on a Friday night are now decades behind me. But there’s something about a post-adventure pint that just satisfies in a different way.
Carrying a couple of cans in your backpack to your remote wild camping spot just isn’t quite the same. I’d take a local, country pub that is walking distance from a campsite any day.
And those country pubs are perfect for a hot meal when you’re too exhausted or too wet to start lighting your own fires. (I still think of the venison casserole I had in Kinlochewe after a soggy day of Munro bagging.)
Never Take a Hot Shower For Granted
Yes, I’m sure that bathing in a tarn on the side of a mountain after your wild camp does wonders for your immune system, but let’s be honest, nobody likes freezing cold water.
Wild swimming is just one of those weird things that people pretend to like for no apparent reason; a bit like sparkling water and Coldplay.
I recently spent 10 hours on a charity hike in the Lake District in torrential rain. I can promise you that I’ve never had a better shower than the one I had when I got back to my campsite. Piping hot and soothing to my aching muscles. There’s no way that anyone has ever enjoyed a dip in a mountain pond as much as that.
Make Camping Great Again
Don’t let the endless barrage of TikTokkers and Instagrammers convince you that all camping has to be wild. Great Britain has some of the best campsites in the world and it’s time they had a bit more appreciation from the weekend adventures, peak baggers and first-time hikers.
Take your quilt and your pillow, your favourite snacks and and a bag of logs for your firepit. Camping doesn’t have to be uncomfortable and it’s perfectly acceptable to run to the pub if it starts pouring down.
