Remote Camping

What is Remote Camping?

Remote camping, aka ‘Wild camping' is defined through the Mountain Leader Training syllabus, which states the following (1):

“Wild camping takes place in moorland or mountain terrain remote from roads and habitation. Wild camping has the potential to adversely affect the locality by vegetation trampling and pollution through food and human waste. It therefore needs to be undertaken with sensitivity combining care for the environment with personal enjoyment.”

Scout Association Rules

The Scout Association operate a nights away permit scheme (2) which assesses candidates to run residential activities for young people in the association. There are four categories of permit – indoor, campsite, greenfield and lightweight expedition (3). However, holding a Lightweight Expedition Permit does not authorise those holding a Hillwalking Permit (without the remote camping authorisation) to camp in remote areas (4), and as such this needs to be assessed, and a permit granted, through the Hillwalking permit scheme (5).

Those holding a Hillwalking Permit that includes lightweight camping in remote areas may also run Lightweight Expedition events (3). If a hillwalking permit includes remote camping, then you do not need a lightweight expedition permit to lead wild camping expeditions. However this only covers lightweight expeditions, so does not automatically cover indoor, campsite or greenfield permits. If a hillwalking permit does not include remote camping then the leader will need a lightweight expedition nights away permit to camp at non remote sites, or will need to get a hillwalking permit that includes remote camping (6).

References

(1) Mountain Training – Mountain Leader FAQs - Mountain Leader FAQs (mountain-training.org)

(2) The Nights Away Permit Scheme - FS120800
Published Jan 2015 replacing April 2010, last reviewed with no updated 2018

(3) Scout Association Policy, Organisation and Rules, Rule 957 Nights Away Permits

(4) Nights Away Permit Scheme – Commissioners Guide - FS120803
Published Jan 2015 replacing Sept 2007, last reviewed with no updated 2018

(5) Assessment Checklist for Hillwalking, AC120913
Jan 2019, Edition no. 6

(6) Nights Away Answers – “A hillwalking permit that includes remote camping, doesn’t require a lightweight expedition nights away permit” 

Guidance for Hillwalking Permit Candidates

The hillwalking permit scheme requires the technical assessment of the ability to run lightweight camping in remote areas. This may be assessed as part of a hillwalking technical assessment or through the demonstration of significant log book experience of running such events.

Oftentimes it is not possible to perform a technical assessment for remote camping during the course of an assessment weekend due to time constraints. As such most often this technical ability is assessed by reviewing log book experience and during discussion with the candidate. To allow candidates to start leading groups on remote camping expeditions, to allow them to build up experience and demonstrate competence, the assessors will take the approach of allowing remote camping in terrain less serious, and then building up experience to allow the permit to be upgraded. As such it would be normal to grant the following authorisation:

• Holding Mountain Leader award or higher – remote camping unlimited
  

• Holding Hill and Moorland Leader Award AND the Expedition Skills Module, or Camping Leader award (from 2022) – remote camping to 500m unless extensive logbook experience (more than ten personal remote camps or led groups remote camping more than five times), in which case remote camping to 800m.
  

• Where no NGB award is held by the candidate, then remote camping will be included with the hillwalking permit where the candidate can demonstrate log book experience of remote camping (five or more personal remote camping expeditions).

• Terrain one permit holder – remote camping below 500m for first time permit holders.

• Terrain one permit holder – remote camping below 800m for those who can demonstrate extensive logbook experience (more than ten personal remote camps or led groups remote camping more than five times).

• Terrain two permit holder – remote camping below 500m for first time permit holders.

• Terrain two permit holder – remote camping below 800m for those who can demonstrate extensive logbook experience (more than ten personal remote camps or led groups remote camping more than five times).

• Terrain two permit holder – remote camping unlimited for those who can demonstrate further extensive logbook experience (more than 15 personal remote camps or led groups remote camping more than ten times).