Advice on hiking the Welsh coast and camping in later life

[TheGander]

I’m a reasonably fit , but 59 year old woman. Largely due to Youth Hostels sadly being closed down one after another ( or that’s what it feels like) I’m considering a several days/ weeks hike around the Welsh coast staying in a tent, with occasional B&B for rest days. I’d love to hear from anyone who has done this. I’m planning on going to a gym to increase my strength and setting out in spring 2027. Thanks for any advice and inspiration!

Happy to help if you tell us which bit of the Welsh coast - we're about three quarters coastline, 1,600 miles or thereabouts I think!

This type of thing is my hobby..
I have hiked/camped the Pennine Way. Plus lots of smaller trails. This year did a very challenging high level mountain route in Cumbria for a week.

My advise is the more money you spend on gear, the lighter it will. The weight of your pack is so important. If you struggle to carry it, you’ll be miserable or cause injury.

Have you ever done anything like this before?
if you have never camped before then try that first.
if you have camped but not carried gear, try and shorter route first. See if you can borrow things before spending a fortune !

Thanks for the quick replies. For place, I’m hoping to do part of the Pembrokeshire coast. I’ve walked parts of it before but never camped, always stayed in YHAs or B&Bs. Last time I camped was with a uni friend in the 90s! I gave no suitable camping gear so would be starting from scratch.

The problem is, you have to get the gear before knowing if you like it or not!! If you can borrow that would be good.

Camping when you’ve got your car is so completely different to walking for an entire day, planning where your food/water resupply stops are, then having to set up camp and make food etc.
BUT I absolutely love it ..

Training could be long walks carrying a heavy backpack. Shoes/boots are really important too. Go somewhere that they can assist with fitting.

Thanks @Rhubarbsoap . I have the walking gear, and also a rather Spartan outlook. I don’t own a car. I’m happy to go to bed with a bowl of porridge and a book. I just don’t have any modern camping gear, although I could dig out my son’s old D of E tent and go hiking somewhere local for a practice run, then maybe look at upgrading to lighter, more expensive gear?

Sounds wonderful. From someone who has done a lot of day hikes on both the Pembrokeshire coast path and the south west coast path I would say do not underestimate how much up and down there is. And how rough the paths can be in places. Hubby backpacked the south west coast path, slept in a tent the whole way round. Took a stove and cooked his own meals.

I have this tent. Still haven’t got round to using it but hopefully will at some point. Guess it’ll be something like that you’ll need

https://www.contactleft.co.uk/wild-country-zephyros-compact-1-tent-v3-ss21.html?gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=1670727562&gbraid=0AAAAADHhbNIepR7-N-wGXJZjQHHcgPjcj&gclid=CjwKCAjwmdLSBhANEiwAkREMN4_ABSZFCV-u0OMcCwJeadGJPUCRKVM96ajvmn_-EocMX5OSetRgORoCMkoQAvD_BwE

Thank you. I don’t underestimate the Pembrokeshire coast path ( I’m there right now) have done Tenby to Manorbier, Manorbier to Bosherston, Saint David’s to Trefin. Not sure I’ll ever do the toughest last leg mind you. But I am a bit intimidated by doing it with a tent, at 60 years old!

That tent looks amazing btw.

Pembrokeshire is lovely, my parents live just outside of Newgale. As you know wild camping isn't permitted without the agreement of the landowner, so the main thing is to prep ahead, and there are lots of really good camping sites to hopscotch between. If you don't drive the you can use Fflecsi bus, the Puffin Shuttle, Strumble Shuffle to get around between campsites too. All you need is a waterproof tent, really good boots (and socks!), lots of layers and binoculars - even a cheap pair because you don't want to miss out on dolphins and seals and puffins and all of the other lovely glorious wildlife. You could take a stove but it will just weigh you down further, I think it's better to plan to eat at places along the way. I've done the Amroth to Poppit Sands stretch and it was honesty one of the nicest fortnights I have ever spent! This is a good website if you've not come across it before: https://www.pembrokeshirecoast.wales/coast-path/planning-your-walk/ - mwynhewch eich taith gerdded!

Diolch @Arlanymor ! Thanks for the encouragement. I agree re the stove, you can eat well without it for example tinned sardines and rice cakes makes a nourishing supper and then there are plenty of cafes at various points along the way.

Croeso! Yes totally agree - lots of places to eat and I always had a couple of cans of Heinz ravioli in reserve to eat cold in case a cafe/restaurant/pub was unexpectedly closed! Oh you'll have a grand time I am sure - it is honestly breathtaking at points, nature never fails to amaze me.

I agree about the not cooking. Though I might miss an early morning coffee if no stove 😆. But you can survive off sandwiches, snacks, cafes, etc.

That’s true, hadn’t thought of no cuppa! Yes the coast trail in Pembs is just amazing and each time I come here I start planning the next visit ❤️

Personally don’t like hiking without a stove.
my stove, titanium pot and 100c gas bottle is maximum of 300grams. Then gets less with the weight of the gas bottle going down.

Not to be negative but I’ve done an awful lot of long distance hikes.
Taking tins of food is incredibly heavy. I don’t know this trail but if you can resupply daily then you should be ok, but if you have to go 2 or 3 days without resupply available you have to think very carefully about the food situation and take dried meals (if water supply is guaranteed) etc.

just googled and said:

No you cannot resupply food daily along the entire Pembrokeshire Coast Path. While you will pass through numerous villages offering cafes, pubs, and small beachside kiosks, you will encounter long, remote stretches where it is impossible to buy groceries. You should plan to carry multi-day camp food and stock up on essentials at larger towns when they appear on the route.

Good luck with your trip! If you're doing just a section of the coastal path, rather than end to end in one go, it's worth looking at whether you can stay in one place for a couple of nights and walk several sections from there. For example, if you stay in St David's, you can get local buses out to places like Newgale and Solva and walk back to your campsite/accommodation. It saves carrying all your gear, every day. I did this from Pembroke and Newport too.

That’s a great idea @MastieMum , I hadn’t considered it. I’ve just about got my head round the scheduled bus system and there’s also Flexi as mentioned upthread. I did know there were areas where you can’t buy food or find a pub/ cafe esp at the end ( Newport to Saint Dogmael’s). Maybe a combo of moving along the shorter stages and then busing back from longer hikes would work.