Dealing With Rough Weather When Camping

Wild camping is one of the best ways to experience the outdoors; waking up to birdsong, watching clouds roll across the hills, and enjoying the freedom of sleeping outside.

But UK wild camping safety isn’t just about carrying a tent and setting it up wherever looks nice. I mean, yeah that’s part of it, but we need to consider some other factors. Our weather is famously unpredictable, and whether it’s heavy rain, high winds, or a sudden drop in temperature, the conditions can change quickly, any time of the year.

It’s important to bear in mind that temperature and wind speed change with altitude. The Met Office’s mountain weather site is a good resource for this finding this more detailed forecast information.

Check the Weather Forecast Before You Go

It probably goes without saying, but planning ahead is the simplest way to stay safe. Reliable forecasts from the Met Office or apps like Windy (a popular app for kayakers like myself!) can help you anticipate rain, wind, or other adverse conditions.

Timing: Check forecasts in the morning and again before you leave. Conditions can change quickly in the UK, especially in upland areas or coastal regions. If you carry a device like a Garmin Messenger, you can get updated weather reports; these are particularly useful for multi day trips in remote areas without a phone signal.
Local microclimates: Valleys, rivers, and coastal cliffs often have different conditions than the surrounding area. The Lake District rather famously has loads of areas with their own microclimates. Don’t rely solely on general regional forecasts. This is particularly true of mountainous regions; both the Met Office Mountain Weather and MWIS are worth checking if you’ll be hiking and camping in mountainous terrain. The Met Office’s forecast for mountain areas includes helpful information showing how the wind speed and temperature will change according to elevation.

Remember, a forecast is a guide, not a guarantee; it’s just one piece of your preparation. If you’re in any doubt about whether you and your gear can handle what’s in the forecast, it might be best to just leave your trip for another day.

Valleys are particularly susceptible to developing micro climates that deviate from the forecast of the broader area.

Understanding Wind and The Landscape

Wind isn’t just air blowing consistently from a certain direction, even though that’s how its displayed in a weather forecast; it also interacts with the land as it passes over it:

Narrow valleys, gorges and mountain cols (the latter being called a “bwlch” in Wales and “bealach” in Scotland): Can funnel wind, increasing its speed, sometimes quite significantly.
Ridges and exposed hills: Subject to gusts and sudden changes.
Cirques (“cwm” in Wales and “corrie” in Scotland) and large open valleys surrounded by mountains: can do all kinds of wacky things to wind, often creating unpredictable vortices felt as the wind coming from all over the place.
Forests: Trees can shield you from wind, but watch for deadfall or unstable branches.
Open fields or moorland: Wind hits directly; tents must be pitched low and staked well.
Steep mountain slopes: Can occasionally create downslope winds, also called katabatic winds, which are usually quite cold. These are unusual in the UK but can occur occasionally in places like the Knoydart in Scotland and coastal cliffs.

Don’t just follow where the wind is forecast to come from; observe how the terrain is likely to channel or block it. This can be planned by checking the topography of the area on a map.

Reality Versus YouTube Exaggeration

Many wild camping videos on YouTube show “epic storms and 80MPH winds!!!”, but these are often exaggerated or even staged for drama. These videos pretty much never offer any proof for their claimed wind speeds; these can be measured by a device called an anemometer, but good ones are expensive and on the very rare occasion you may see a Youtuber measuring wind speeds with one, they’re often cheap, unreliable ones from Amazon that are no better than toys. That’s not to say that there aren’t YouTubers who are actually doing a proper job of measuring conditions, but the overwhelming majority of them are offering zero or flawed proof either for clickbait, or because they’ve genuinely misjudged the wind speed.

Wind can be deceptively powerful, and it’s easy to misjudge just how much force even a seemingly average gust can exert on a tent. One reason for this is that wind pressure increases with the square of its speed; in other words, if the wind doubles in speed, the force it applies doesn’t just double, it quadruples. That’s why a gentle 20 mph breeze feels manageable, but a 40 mph gust can flatten or even destroy a tent; this quadratic relationship is why that seemingly gentle bit of wind can quickly turn into something that puts serious strain on tent poles, guy lines, and stakes. This can also lead the camper to believe the wind is stronger than it actually is.

Many campers misjudge this because we tend to perceive wind strength linearly; “it feels twice as strong” rather than understanding that the energy impacting the tent rises exponentially. This is also why tents that seem stable in moderate gusts can suddenly start flapping violently or risk damage when the wind picks up slightly. Proper pitching, low-profile tent design, properly staked out and secure guy lines, and careful orientation into the wind are essential to counteract these forces and keep your shelter safe, even when the weather turns unexpectedly.

A lot of campers also assume that the wind speeds they saw in the forecast are the windspeeds they ultimately experienced once pitched. But because of the aforementioned factors which can alter the wind, this isn’t necessarily always true, and when you add in our tendency to overestimate wind speed because of that quadratic force they have on our tents, we end up with a lot of people thinking they’re experiencing storm force winds, when in fact they’re only around 30mph.

Hilleberg is a Swedish tent manufacturer that’s very well known for their exceptionally strong (and exceptionally expensive) tents. They have some interesting videos on Youtube showing how wind affects them. Here’s one, and it’s worth bearing in mind that these tents are made to withstand extreme weather:

As Hilleberg tents are specifically made with materials that are extraordinarily weather-resistant, it’s very important to understand that many other tents would be damaged, if not outright destroyed by the wind speeds in the video above.

Most average “backpacking” tents are at risk of damage in wind speeds over 30mph.

Camping Safely if The Weather Turns Unexpectedly

UK weather can change fast, even in summer. Here’s how to handle it:

Reinforce your tent: Add extra guy lines, check stakes, and orient the tent with the smallest part of the flysheet (often the foot end) facing the wind.
Seek natural shelter: Trees, ridges, large rocks or land contours can reduce wind exposure.
Stay dry and warm: Layering is essential; change out of wet clothes quickly.
Know your exit options: Identify nearby roads, footpaths, or villages in case you need to abandon your site.
Don’t push it: Sometimes the safest decision is to pack up and move or wait out the storm.

Do It Properly

Staying safe while wild camping in the UK comes down to planning, observation, and preparation. Check forecasts, pack appropriate gear, understand how wind interacts with the land, and don’t be fooled by dramatic online videos.

By respecting the power of the weather and responding calmly to changes, you can enjoy the freedom of wild camping with confidence, even when the weather gods decide to throw a curveball. And yes, I’m aware I just used an American expression to describe British weather.