Thread by @SteB777

I want to briefly explain this phenomenon, I've seen develop in the last 15 years, certainly within the last 20 years, because I never saw it before then, and I have been walking in the countryside for over 55 years.
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https://twitter.com/michlichen/status/1952063352181514274

Those doing this, seem to have got the idea from commercial music festivals, which I am sure most have been to. Where supermarkets sell cheap tents etc, in the festival season, and where the tradition has developed, where you just leave the tent.
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I have encountered groups doing this, talked to them, so it is not pure guesswork. I think it is based on simple economics. None of the people who do this have any interest in camping, so they have no use for this after.
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Generally, they are carrying huge boxes of beers etc, which will have cost far more than the cheap camping and outdoor equipment, so it is all disposal to them, and they have no other interest in this except for their one-off social event.
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What I believe lies behind this, is that music festivals have got very expensive. People, especially young people have found out, that it is much cheaper to buy the cheap camping/outdoor stuff and booze, and go to a random place in the countryside, for a big social.
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This is how I believe this phenomenon developed, and is to some degree maintained. However, this parties in the countryside have developed a life of their own, and like lots of viral things have developed a life of their own.
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Unfortunately, journalists, rangers, lacking a term for it, started calling it wild camping, when it is not remotely connected to actual wild camping. I wrote to @patrick_barkham about it, and he came up with the term "fly camping".
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You see lots of comments, articles about it, bemoaning it, but there is next to no understanding of the phenomenon. It is almost impossible to police as most of it goes unnoticed, until the aftermath is found.
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Also, even if detected, the police, rangers or whoever, would not be able to do anything as it often takes place on public land, or land with public access. What is more, the leaving everything behind, littering, only occurs at the end.
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In other words, until they walk away, leaving everything, with no attempt to clear-up, it wouldn't be clear that this is what was going to happen. In fact, it is no clear if those doing it realized what was going to happen.
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I think an additional factor in this equipment being abandoned, is that those in these groups, often bought all this communally, so there is no owner of any of it.
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I feel the key to addressing this problem is understanding the phenomenon, and perhaps how those involved in it, can be communicated with. Most probably have little experience of camping, other than music festivals, where it's traditional to leave the stuff behind.
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So one possible solution, would be involve bands and artists who play music festivals, in an awareness campaign, of not to do it in the countryside, as there is no one there to clear up.
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In fact, a lot of littering, was learned because in certain places, say cinemas in the past, people were just encouraged to leave their litter there, and don't realize there is no organized clear up in the countryside.
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I suspect very little research has been done into the demographic, and individuals involved in this. Even if you are familiar with the site, the first you know about it is the pile of rubbish, and those who left it there are gone.
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