Would you let 2 15yr old friends wild camp alone in the Peaks?

[TriangulationStation]

Neither have camping experience other than on-site family holidays.

Neither has decent kit (and they’re not borrowing mine!) that means boots, waterproofs, insulating layers, sleep mat, the whole caboodle.

They’re both moderately sensible, but one is quite sensitive and lacks stamina.

They plan on cooking with a twig stove not a gas one or open fire.

And apparently I’ve to drop them off and pick them up again a few days later. Never mind my work schedule or the 130 mile round trip each time.

Ive already outright refused Snowdonia (in autumn to bear in mind) so they’re now trying the Peaks.

there must be a solution.

How are they going to prevent their twig fire from setting the whole area alight? If they manage to get one going in the rain that is.

Lol. They have no idea have they? 😂😂

Id be tempted with a Yes of course. But at the weekend so you can camp in your nice warm tent nearby.
And be ready for a call at 6.00pm when they’ll be wet, cold and tired and haven’t managed to light a fire.

One option would be to do what we do with scouts. The first expeditions they do are local, to a known booked campsite (we use scouts campsites but you could book a local wild camping site). It's one night, a days walk to your campsite carrying your kit(we don't make them carry tents) and food, camp. Walk back a different route the next day to a pickup point.

You do it somewhere local ish to make it more familiar and eaiser for drop off and pickup. Hopefully somewhere with more reliable phone service to in case they need rescuing.

With scouts leaders go with them but we have 12 year olds so some of them are quite young.

But 15 should be able to plan and do this on their own without getting lost. In fact its effectively what they do for their bronze DofE. A booked campsite is a better idea though, they will be glad of even composting toilets.

If they are absolutely insistent on having a go that is.

No sign them up to scouts so they learn how to do it with supervision safely

No. DH wild camps but he has lots of experience, is sensible and has all the equipment!
Also the first few times he did it close enough to home to walk home if needs be!
It really wouldn't be safe for two inexperienced teens to do this.
They would be better camping at a campsite first to get used to everything. Or just go hiking for the day.

No

Tell them they need to show they can do camping first.

Back garden, then a campsite etc.

Neither has decent kit

Without decent kit and experience the answer is no.

Duke of Edinburgh would be good here.. they spend a whole 9 months preparing for their big hike and camping trip with all the necessary skills to camp alone.
Definitely not without the right gear, preparation or experience.

No way !! One night more locally in the summer maybe

How about suggesting they stay in a youth hostel. Do some hiking and back to the hostel or use public transport and hiking to get them to another along a route.

Last time I stayed in a youth hostel it was very nearly as uncomfortable as wild camping so it would serve to break them in gently.

Hell no.

I was going to say yes but then I read your post.

Not without proper kit and an emergency local back up. I've done my share of wild camping at this time of the year and it would be downright dangerous without proper gear.

Not at 15, without adults. That’s what Scouts and D of E are for.

No. For a myriad of reasons.,just no.

Wildfires. Assault. Accident. Injury. Hypothermia.

Just no.

Camping in the garden? Yes.
Youth Hostel? Yes. (Though lots don’t allow under 18s now)
Nearby campsite? Yes.

Wild camping in the Peaks in October with no experience? Hell no!

Definite no

Absolutely not. I would have put the idea out of dc's head as quick as it had arrived. Way to many dangers, plus no way of contacting you if something goes wrong and they have no signal.

No. Inexperienced 15 year olds will be completely clueless.
I'm an experienced camper, have been wild camping many times after getting experience at campsites, and you REALLY need to know what you're doing. And there's the inconvenient fact that as several PPs have pointed out, it isn't allowed. In some places landowners don't mind, as long as you spend just one night, quietly, and are gone in the morning leaving no trace. But you have to know where those places are. These two teenagers clearly don't.
They'd have just as much fun at a basic campsite in a fairly remote place. Some have fields that feel pretty close to wild camping, except there's a basic toilet a few minutes' walk away. That would be wild enough for these two!

Surely it won't get past the planning stage? Just let it fizzle out

My DS wanted to do something similar after his GCSEs. However he and his friend had lots of experience camping with scouts and explorers though. I said no to wild camping but yes to pre planned route to established campsites. They didn't get their act together though and plan anything so it all fizzled out.

I'd say no to yours due to the lack of experience though and also no to wild camping!

It's a no from me.

Exactly 😂

Exactly

Whats the friends parents saying? Both sets of parents need to be on the same page

But I agree with another poster it will just fizzle out when they realise how unrealistic it is

No