to ask if 13 year olds go camping unsupervised?

[areyoureadytobestrong]

my nearly 14 year old has just called me to say that he and his friends have decided to "go camping" for a night and "could I drive them and maybe help them put up the tent".
I suggested gently that 13 year olds may not be allowed on a campsite unsupervised and was told that "it will be wild camping".

Presumably a group of 13 year olds would never be allowed in a campsite and we need to volunteer the garden?

DS did independent camping aged 13 (in a small group) for his Gold Scout award. The scout campsite warden knew to expect them and a scout leader visited them to check they had arrived and were OK.

I don't think 13 year olds would be able to use a public campsite without an responsible adult being on hand and contactable.

They can camp on private land with the permission of the landowner.

I started D of E in year 9 and wasn't 14 until the end of that year. For our bronze expedition we camped as a group overnight with no adults, but that was at a (very basic) campsite. For gold we definitely wild camped, but we were all over 16 then, and for silver, I can't tremember! I wouldn't be happy with my DC wild camping if they were under 16, even if they were relatively experienced campers, but I wouldn't mind them staying at a campsite with their friends, if they were already used to camping.

Scouts might do in groups with no adult present on site at that age but after having been in camps with leaders beforehand so used to camping and with plenty of preparation beforehand.

The help putting up a tent bit makes me think perhaps situation different for your dd.

Is say not tonight but offer garden another day.
Only because I wouldn't want to be putting tent up in the dark.

Can't comment on age for wild or campsite camping alone as my ds has asd so is behind his peers with this sort of thing. (Hes 15 atm and not ready)

I agree, garden yes, middle of the woods, not a chance

If you ass in England there are very limited places where you can wild camp, otherwise it is illegal. It is legal in Scotland. Not sure about Wales.

Just no!

I cycled to and camped on the Isle of Wight when I was 15 and loved it but that was a while ago and things are a lot different now.

If he is in The Famous Five and has Timmy then ok. Other than that, garden yes, other than that nope. We used to camp on a friends farm but we were 15.

It’s a bit different going off in your D of E at 14 when you’ve put some thinking and planning in, and are tired at the end of the day from your hike, and have a leader popping in to check you’re there - to going off with no plan at 13.

This is an obvious ploy to get completely wasted in a field. My brother did this, aged 14, at Easter. He got hammered, fell in a river and woke up with clothes frozen to the cloth of the tent. He's an idiot. No harm done, but much more by luck than judgement.