Where are Britain's keenest campers from?

There are plenty of camping lovers here in the UK,and why wouldn’t there be? We have some of the world’s most breathtaking scenery on these islands. Looking at our most recent sales report (2021), we’ve found Brits have become increasingly interested in camping over the last 3 years. Find out where the nation’s keenest campers are from below!

As international travel restrictions have been in place for the past year and a half, Brits have taken the opportunity to leave their homes and explore the British countryside. But where are the nation’s camping enthusiasts from? Taking the number of recent camping related purchases per capita, we have ranked Britain’s keenest campers.

Wiltshire, England claimed the top spot, earning the UK’s keenest campers title. Followed by Bristol, England in second place and Stirling, Scotland taking the third place. It’s very likely that the next camping enthusiast you meet is from one of these counties!

Wiltshire residents were the keenest to spend time in the wilderness and sleep under the stars. Perhaps the fact that the county is surrounded by Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB), including Stonehenge, has something to do with the Moonrakers' love for camping. When we look at the YoY change in camping equipment sales in Wiltshire, the county has only seen an 11% increase – confirming that the local residents are already well equipped for camping adventures.

Residents of Powys, Wales were the least keen to go camping as they ranked in last position. However, when we look at how the sales have gone up in the region, it’s safe to say that Powys resident’s have taken up an interest in camping during lockdown, as camping equipment sales skyrocketed by 133% in 2020.

When we look at the popularity of camping on a city level, it is no surprise that Salisbury, Wiltshire comes on top. Among the whole of the UK, Salisbury residents purchased the most camping gadgets per capita over the past 2 years.

Perhaps having grown too accustomed to urban living, Londoners were the least likely to leave the capital and go camping in the countryside. Scousers were also unlikely to pack their sleeping bags and tents, and head to nature.

The pandemic has definitely brought the nation closer to nature. And we can confirm this. We have seen a rise in campers as UK wide equipment sales have surged by almost 40% in 2020, compared to the pre-pandemic figures.

The Scottish have been the most eager to take up camping as a new pastime based on our discoveries. Scotland saw an extraordinary 89% increase in camping equipment sales during the pandemic. The Northern Irish were also excited to explore nature and try out camping as their equipment sales soared by 58%.

The Welsh, on the other hand, were the least likely to take up camping as their hobby, with sales only seeing an increase of 27%. The sales in England increased by 31% in 2020. The steady growth in sales confirms that the English are the keenest campers, already owning the necessary gadgets.

That’s right, more people are now searching for “camping” online than before the pandemic. In May 2021, searches for camping advice jumped in popularity, and exceeded the popularity of light searches – the average search volumes were up by 400% whereas people searching for flights was down by 55% from the average monthly search volumes. Spending time in nature has become a part of Brits’ holiday plans, and camping has become a more attractive option than a holiday abroad.

Stocking up on kitchen supplies, cookware and stoves, our sales report suggested that couples and families with young children were most likely to leave their homes and embrace the wilderness in 2020 as sales for 2-person tents went up by 89%, and children’s sleeping bags were purchased more than twice the amount than in 2019.

Camping with friends and extended family seemed to be less popular than pre-pandemic as sales for 6-person tents dropped by 43%. But regardless, the sales for event shelters increasedby 75% – perhaps extended families were meeting up in their gardens, following the social distancing rules.