Pitching in bad weather

First, wild camping isn't illegal, it's a civil matter. That means that it's between the landowner/tenant and you to sort out, with the law being firmly on the landowner/tenant's side.

Second, if the weather is really so bad that you have to stop and retreat to your tent, then surely it's bad enough for the landowner/tenant to be indoors too, except he'll be in more comfort.

Third, if I was a landowner/tenant and the police came knocking on my door to tell me that a fully-laden dead backpacker, equipped with tent, sleeping bag, stove, food, etc, had just been zipped into a body bag and carried off my property, I'd probably be thinking...  "Why didn't the silly plonker just pitch his tent and wait until the weather cleared?"

Infinite wrote (see)

...but what if your only on what's supposed to be a day trip but the weather turns on you, and your too far from anywher safe to stop,would you be aloud to pitch until the weather clears out?

Mrs. Nesbit wrote (see)

You carry a tent on day trips?

Well... look on the bright side... converting a daysac load to an overnight load could be done by adding only 2kg... just a tent, sleeping bag, stove and cookset.

Just to be really pendantic...wild camping (without the suitable permissions etc) is illegal in England and Wales however is not a criminal offence but is a civil offence. The only practical remedy available to the land occupier is to ask you to leave - if you refuse they may then ask the police for assistance which adds a different perspective.

The land occupier can sue you for damages, in a civil court - but try putting a value on some flattened grass.

That aside - I'm with Paddy, if the weather is bad enough to genuinely stop you from going on, no one else will be around to say, Oi...Hoppit!  In perspective, I have have never been (except once) been on a day trip where the weather was so bad that we had to stop and that once was when I was high up, the weather was complete pants and I half planning a bivvy anyway so couldnt be bothered going on rather than couldnt go on

12 years of working for the NFU and giving out legal advice to farmers - including one memorable case where the farmer sued the camper through the civil court for civil damages and the camper was trying to prosecute the farmer for criminal damages.

Who won?  from memory - the lawyers to the tune of many thousands of pounds.

i carry a tarp for such purposes as getting out of the weather and the partaking of a fine luncheon and occasionally the mitigation of post prandial somnolence should in excess of an elegant sufficiency of the finest vintages have been partaken of.

if you're sheltering from the rain a bit i can't imagine anyone being that picky - unless you've unpacked of course and look as though you're there to stay.

The only place where I think you are going wrong is in the list above. 

Cups?  More than one needed? Really!

Toiletries? maybe a bit of hand steriliser if you are fussy and some bum wipe.

" If it's a good idea, go ahead and do it. It is much easier to apologize than it is to get permission"

(probably) Grace Hopper

http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Grace_Hopper