How To Leave No Trace When Camping

Fire risk is now the biggest threat to wild camping access in the UK. Check before you pitch, camp responsibly, and leave no trace when you move on.

Fire and access are where our responsibility matters most right now. It's been a summer of heatwaves, drought and wildfire warnings across the UK, and in several places routes, bothies and moorland are currently closed while they recover. So that's where we will start.

How do I check fire risk and access before wild camping?

As we write this, a very high risk of wildfire warning is in place across Eastern Highlands, Eastern and Southern Scotland, part of the UK's sixth heatwave of 2026. Fires have broken out this week in Cornwall, the New Forest and West Yorkshire, and the Met Office's Fire Severity Index is sitting at Exceptional across large parts of England. Scotland's Deputy Assistant Chief Officer Kenny Barbour put it plainly this week: "think twice before using anything involving a naked flame during a wildfire warning." If you're heading out this weekend, that's the one item that comes before reaching for your stove.

The Rhinogydd fire in mid-July was the first sign of how fast this risk turns real. It spread across Cwm Bychan, Cwm Nantcol and Rhinog Fawr in Eryri, damaged a National Nature Reserve, and closed hill paths there for weeks.

Liz, manager of our Betws y Coed store at the foot of the Rhinogydd, has one piece of advice: "call Eryri National Park's visitor centre for the latest information before you head into those hills. Conditions change fast, and a lot of paths are still closed".

Days later it was the Cairngorms' turn. The fire near Glenmore burned through roughly 6 square kilometres, forced evacuations, and shut the Ryvoan bothy and stretches of the Cairngorms Loop bikepacking route for weeks. Both fires followed one of the driest Julys on record, with some parts of England getting just 3% of normal rainfall.

Joe, manager of our Edinburgh store, has a simpler line for anyone driving up the A9 into the Highlands this week, current byelaws or not: "leave your flames at home entirely. No campfire, no disposable barbecue, no stove. It can wait until conditions ease. Our native forests are precious, one of the last remnants of how this landscape used to look, and losing them would be devastating for wildlife and our heritage".

The closures that follow can outlast the fire itself. Cairngorm Mountain's summer season reopened on 7 August, but Ryvoan Pass and its bothy stayed shut pending inspection, and the Cairngorms Loop bikepacking route is still only partially rideable.

Fire damage in the Rhinogydd closed hill paths there too. Restrictions like these tend to ease as conditions improve, and Cairngorm Mountain is proof of that. But for now, a wildfire warning for an area can mean more than "be careful with your stove" — it can mean the bothy or route you were heading for isn't reachable at all.

The Peak District and South Pennines have had it just as bad: more than 30 moorland fires since March 2025, including one at Goyt Valley that destroyed roughly 160 hectares of peatland and burned through active ground-nesting bird sites. Moors for the Future runs a real-time fire-risk map for the area, worth checking before you head out.

Adam, manager of our Hathersage store, takes the practical view: "skip the stove altogether this week if you can. Dig out a couple of cold-food camping recipes before you go, and buy your coffee from a local coffee shop instead of firing anything up yourself".

There are guidelines we need to be increasingly aware of. From April to September each year, the Cairngorms National Park's Fire Management Byelaw bans campfires and wood, charcoal or disposable barbecues. Gas and liquid-fuel stoves are still allowed. Breach it and you're looking at a fine of up to £500. Moorland around Bolton, Chorley and Blackburn with Darwen goes further: no open flame at all, camping stoves included, with fines from £100 to £1,000. The Peak District and Dartmoor both track the Met Office's five-level Fire Severity Index. At the top of it, Peak District rangers can close Open Access Land altogether, and Dartmoor has flown Level 5 "exceptional" warnings through this summer's driest spells.

No one wants to be that person who let a spark get away from their stove, or a campfire they thought was out.

So before you go:

• Check for a live wildfire warning, current byelaws and the Fire Severity Index for where you're headed. That matters as much as whether wild camping itself is legal there.
• Check for route, bothy or path closures too. Fire damage often shuts access well after the fire itself is out, and that's easy to miss if you've only checked the fire warning.
• If a fire is permitted and you decide to light one: keep water within reach, dig down to damp earth, ring it with stones, flatten any dry grass or bracken nearby, and never leave it unattended.

Or call into Betws y Coed, Hathersage or Edinburgh on your way past. The team on the ground usually has the most current read on what's actually open.

How to choose where to camp

1. In the UK, it’s only legal to wild camp in Scotland. Everywhere else, you need the landowner’s permission. Pick a point as far away from habitation as possible so you’re not disturbing anyone.
2. Stay out of the view of paths.
3. Find somewhere flat and dry, to avoid soggy bottoms and unwanted in-tent-sliding.
4. Think about shelter from rain, wind and cold. Exposed areas can be breezy but some wind can keep the midges away! And a top tip from our photographer, Joe: it’s often cold near bodies of water. So if you’re wanting to stay warm, stay away!
5. Sheltered nooks and crannies are great for keeping away from people.

For more advice see our Ultimate Guide to Wild Camping.

Check the area when you leave

Double check, triple check, quadruple check that you haven’t left any ridgelines or cords up between trees. It’s easy to do! Especially when you’re in a rush. But they can be dangerous for people and animals moving through the area. It’s not just dangerous for everyone else – it gets expensive for you to replace kit, and it counts as litter.

Avoid fragile animal habitats

Don’t camp anywhere that’ll affect livestock. That’s dwellings, gardens, farms and some moorlands. In spring and summer, you could disturb ground-nesting birds on moorland. And in the words of our team: “avoid disturbing animals in winter, they have a hard enough job finding food without having to burn calories running away from humans looking for a place to drop a sleeping bag for the night”. We don’t need to make their lives harder just for a midweek bivvy!

How to protect trees while hammocking

If you’re rigging hammocks from trees, take tree protectors to prevent ringbarking (also known as girdling). These can be Velcro tree protection panels that prevent the bark from damage. We recommend using webbing to set up your hammock instead of rope or cord for the same reason. Our E-Commerce Exec Dan advises not to repeatedly use the same trees every time you go hammocking to prevent them from further damage. Those poor trees deserve a rest too!

He also recommends, if you’re hunting for firewood to set up your campfire, never cut branches from live trees. Freshly cut wood is full to the brim of sap. It doesn’t burn well, and it’ll make for a very smokey campfire. Not worth it.

How do I wash up after camping?

“Use 100% natural multipurpose soap for washing so you're not adding any nasty chemicals to the water sources.”

We strongly advise against washing up in a stream. It’ll contaminate the water that other people might be drinking from. Just collect some water (in your pan, or your camping sink), do your washing up elsewhere, and pour your grey water away onto dry land to minimise damage. Easy peasy!

Arrive late, leave early

It causes minimal disturbance to others and means you’re not as likely to be spotted by passersby!

Be discreet

To be discreet while camping, pitch out of the line of sight of major footpaths. That’s even easier if you’re following our advice about arriving late and leaving early. Leave nothing but a dry patch of grass when you leave.

How do I go to the toilet when wild camping?

Grab a lightweight trowel and wander away from your camp spot. You want to be away from your water source and your bivvy. Dig, dig, dig! Do your business. Cover the hole with earth – not a rock as this prevents biodegradation.

What do I do with my litter when wild camping?

If you carried it in, you can carry it out. This includes food which doesn’t decompose as quickly as we think. It just disrupts the ecosystem and the aesthetics. An empty dry bag doubles as a great litter bag: A top tip is to turn your litter drybag inside out. This keeps dirty, wet, saucy, or crumbly rubbish from getting the rest of your kit messy.

It doesn’t just stop at your own litter. You can even leave a spot better than you found it! Another team tip is to line your dry bag with a bin bag so you can pick it out and dispose of it when you get home.

Whether we like it or not, we will all make our mark on the earth - so let's try and make it a good one. When it comes to sleeping outdoors, here are the Alpkit team’s tips on being a respectful wild camper.