Korowai Camping: Hanging out in the woods

A new style of camping in the south west has us all in suspense… where will they be next and how can we join them?

A new style of pop-up camping in the South West has us all in suspense… where will they be next and how can we join them?

If a picture paints a thousand
words then Korowai Camping have an essay or two on their hands; a hefty
dissertation maybe or a weighty paperback novel. It takes only a glance to be
struck by just how cool this set up looks. Suspended amongst the trees like a
floating, trampoline village the campsite has a slightly otherworldly feel
about it, only enhanced by the ethereal woodland setting. Korowai defies the
descriptive phrases of any normal place and can truly claim to champion
something a little bit different. Needless to say, we love everything about it.

In a sense, though, a picture is
all it is. Korowai Camping doesn’t last for long. It’s a fleeting site in the
woodlands, lasting only on your camera screen as tents are folded down around you, boxes
are packed away and an entire campsite set-up is shipped off to somewhere new. This is a pop-up campsite in every sense of the phrase, up in the trees and up in the
air, campers here get to live and breathe in the UKs finest forests, with the
scent of sap tickling their nostrils and the smell of wood-smoke seeping deep into
their clothes.

Created earlier this year and
appearing throughout various locations in the South West of England, Korowai
Camping is not a campsite but a moving camping ‘event’ that arrives in various
locations before disappearing from the trees like squirrels into a dray.
Already Korowai have much-coveted permission from the Forestry Commission to appear in Haldon
Forest, Cardingham Forest, Bellever Forest and Idless Woods but they creep into
the trees with the stealth of roe deer and can be just as elusive once there,
appearing for no more than 28 days before packing up to move somewhere new.

As you might expect Korowai Camping
is about offering an experience truly connected with nature. There’s a real wilderness
feel and a ‘tread lightly’ ethos that means you leave the woods just as you
found them. “Back to basics”, is how the team behind the concept describe it,
but there’s a serious element of infrastructure here too. The tents are set up
when you arrive, a kettle is on the boil and roaring campfires are kindled at a
central spot each evening for a friendly camping gathering. Each site also has
a communal ridgepole tent with a well-equipped camp kitchen, seating and dining
area and refrigerating facilities, plus, of course, there are composting
toilets and off-grid showers. It’s hardly sleeping rough then, in
fact, hovering above the lumps, bumps and mossy tree stumps, the sleeping is
blissfully smooth. No, the camping here is wild, woody and carefully
eco-conscious but also ready for anyone looking for a few basic on-hand
facilities.

Cool as the tree tents may look,
the reality behind the concept is more than just a gimmick too. Sure the bat
like tents are eye catching and stand out as you flick among more standard
camping scenes, but hanging out amongst the trees also has some very practical
bonuses. For starters, campers don’t lose all their body heat into the ground in
the same way as normal tent camping and there’s also a little extra height for
views out beyond the pines. Then there’s the amazing communal zone that Korowai
Camping seems to create. Being suspended slightly cuts you off from the normal in-and-out
of sitting around your tent. Instead campers end up grouping in their little communal
modules, enjoying company and sharing tree-top tales. Korowai’s ‘trilogy tent’ in
particular features three different sleeping areas and a central, communal
porch – a real mid-air social den for grouping with your friends.

The coming and going of each site
leaves a surprising satisfaction. Every camper can leave knowing they’ve had a
truly unique experience, not only the unique little community the woodland site
creates but also the knowledge that the campsite isn’t there for long – you
won’t be returning next time. Instead, it is probably the only campsite to which
you can return year on year and always find something new, not only new folks
and new experiences but also an entirely new location. Bring a camera to make
it last and maybe take a friend or two – if you don’t mind a little hanging
around then it’s just the site for you.

Korowai Camping offer bespoke tree tent camping at various locations throughout the year. Stingray 3-person tents start from £35 per night.

See www.korowaicamping.com or contact Leo and Fearn (07713114554) info@korowaicamping.com for more information.

By James Warner Smith