Wild camping

[Gretchen]

Evanivitch said:

Applying a pruning paint seems a bit like using a plaster to fix a bullet hole. And a rather strange thing to carry with you...

Have you never done that? Man you’ve not lived. Women’s handbags are full of useful stuff. Zombie Apocalypse prep in a Prada.

[Gretchen]

Anyway… here are some of the views I’ve fallen asleep/woken up to over the Christmas period. It’s been fairly mild until this past week. A few days of rain just before New Year was a concern and the river was up but thankfully didn’t burst its banks. Slept with the doors open on the boat over New Year and let the burner die out it was that warm! Also spent a few hours sat on the bank looking at the stars and watching Otters play and hunt.
Not as wild as some camps but mostly rely on solar power and wood burner. No bathroom or running water.

[Evanivitch]

Gretchen said:

Evanivitch said:

Applying a pruning paint seems a bit like using a plaster to fix a bullet hole. And a rather strange thing to carry with you...

Have you never done that? Man you’ve not lived. Women’s handbags are full of useful stuff. Zombie Apocalypse prep in a Prada.

I've never looked inside a woman's handbag, I'm not a pervert!

[anonymous-user]

Evanivitch said:

Gretchen said:

Evanivitch said:

Applying a pruning paint seems a bit like using a plaster to fix a bullet hole. And a rather strange thing to carry with you...

Have you never done that? Man you’ve not lived. Women’s handbags are full of useful stuff. Zombie Apocalypse prep in a Prada.

I've never looked inside a woman's handbag, I'm not a pervert!

How is looking inside a bag being a pervert?

[Evanivitch]

MonkeyMatt said:

ow is looking inside a bag being a pervert?

Sigh. Tis' but a joke.

Back in the day, men claimed blissful ignorance to the existence of women's sanitary products. To look into a handbag would ruin that thin veil of ignorance.




Anyway, back to wild camping.

Talking to a female colleague just the other day, her husband is quite serious about his wild camping. Mainly focused on weight by the sounds of it. He's a bivvy bag and tarp style usually, but on the occasion she joins him she insists on the height of luxury... A tent.

Anyone else managed to convince their significant other? Or would that defeat the point entirely....

[anonymous-user]

Evanivitch said:

MonkeyMatt said:

ow is looking inside a bag being a pervert?

Sigh. Tis' but a joke.

Back in the day, men claimed blissful ignorance to the existence of women's sanitary products. To look into a handbag would ruin that thin veil of ignorance.




Anyway, back to wild camping.

Talking to a female colleague just the other day, her husband is quite serious about his wild camping. Mainly focused on weight by the sounds of it. He's a bivvy bag and tarp style usually, but on the occasion she joins him she insists on the height of luxury... A tent.

Anyone else managed to convince their significant other? Or would that defeat the point entirely....

I'm sorry I was being a bit slow haha

I'm lucky my misses has got quite into it, we have a few favourite spots in Exmoor and Cornwall and a few other spots here and there, she does sometimes prefer a tent of car camping but happy to wild camp when the weather is fine. I must admit that it is nice to get away on my own though, just me and nature

[MonkeyBusiness]

Evanivitch said:

Anyone else managed to convince their significant other? Or would that defeat the point entirely....

Not a chance she would come along. I think its the thought of the cold and toilet situation that puts her off.

Plus its my time to disconnect with everything.

Managed to get out over the Xmas/NY period. Rubbish photo but dark when I arrived and dark when I left. Original Lanshan 2 in amongst some mine workings. Decent camp.

[myvision]

Which sleeping mat do you all recommend?

[Kes Arevo]

myvision said:

Which sleeping mat do you all recommend?

R number is important on a mat, and it depends what sort of weather you camp in.

[MonkeyBusiness]

myvision said:

Which sleeping mat do you all recommend?

Had a few.
I liked the two from Alpkit (Cloudbase & Numo). Comfy but not good for cold weather.
Currently using a Kymit Static V - love it. Very warm.

The Thermarest XTherm are highly spoken of. Can't bring myself to spend that much money though.

Edited by MonkeyBusiness on Friday 14th January 08:31

[Jim on the hill]

MonkeyBusiness said:

myvision said:

Which sleeping mat do you all recommend?

Had a few.
I liked the two from Alpkit (Cloudbase & Numo). Comfy but not good for cold weather.
Currently using a Kymit Static V - love it. Very warm.

The Thermarest XTherm are highly spoken of. Can't bring myself to spend that much money though.

Edited by MonkeyBusiness on Friday 14th January 08:31

Another vote here for the Klymit Static V, very impressed and seems pretty hardy after sleeping in the open on the forest floor.

[mikeiow]

Jim on the hill said:

MonkeyBusiness said:

myvision said:

Which sleeping mat do you all recommend?

Had a few.
I liked the two from Alpkit (Cloudbase & Numo). Comfy but not good for cold weather.
Currently using a Kymit Static V - love it. Very warm.

The Thermarest XTherm are highly spoken of. Can't bring myself to spend that much money though.

Another vote here for the Klymit Static V, very impressed and seems pretty hardy after sleeping in the open on the forest floor.

I went with a Trekology UL Camping Mat plus their matching 30L Pump Sack Roll Top Compression Pump Bag - can store clothes in it in the rucksack, & full with clothes for a pillow once inflated.
Super easy to inflate, reasonably small & lightweight, very thick. Perhaps not the best R value (1.6), but I do value the thickness.....& I am personally unlikely to be wild camping in sub-sub zero weather - a down bag makes most things I might do just fine!

[myvision]

Thanks I'll look at the Klymit Static V

[DannyScene]

Just back from last nights 'wild' camp

Brilliant night had by all, pretty sure it only dropped to 1/2 degrees so stayed lovely and toasty throughout

Being allowed a fire was a nice touch too

My mate loved it and is now up for a proper out there wildcamp

Fwiw anyone near Keighley I'd recommend hainworth wood for anyone looking for a nice relaxed private woodland for a camp

[MB140]

I always swore that after completing my military survival courses I would never wild camp.

My aircrew survival course was the worst 2 weeks of my life. Literally dumped in the middle of nowhere with nothing more than your clothes and what you could pack in a survival tin. Off you go. But I did it. The thought of doing it for fun always made me think no thanks.

Recently I have been watching a few on YouTube

East Anglian bushcraft
Haze outdoor
MCN outdoor
Bushman and Blue (they tend to be rather long but some of what he does is nuts)
Hidden Valley Bushcraft.

The more I watch them the more I think I should do it. It couldn’t possibly be as hard as those two weeks. Did it in January and it did nothing but torrential rain for the whole two weeks. We did it down in Devon and Cornwall, it was the year the whole of the south west was under water. People driving ribs down streets to rescue people.

We didn’t find out until after we had finished that they had actually considered calling us in and cancelling the course.

[Gretchen]

MB140 please tell more! What were the highs and lows? Where did you sleep and how? What did you eat? How warm/cold was it? How did you cope hygiene wise? I for one want to know!

We did our first semi wild camp out this year at the weekend. Usually ‘off grid’ on the boat at weekends but we took other half’s van to the Norfolk coast.
Little windy Saturday but the night was calm and clear. Sooo many stars and caught some shooting ones.
Roughed it and curled up in the van playing cards and eye spy and laughing a lot.
Walked six miles on Sunday with perfect blue sky and sunshine around Holme Dunes with the dog. Watched the sunset and drove home.
Such a simple weekend away from things was much needed. Looking forward to a few more before warmer weather and can start hanging the hammocks.

[LordHaveMurci]

Was meant to wild camp on Dartmoor last friday night but still recovering from ‘you know what’ so decided it wasn’t a good idea.

Soon hopefully …

[MB140]

Gretchen said:

MB140 please tell more! What were the highs and lows? Where did you sleep and how? What did you eat? How warm/cold was it? How did you cope hygiene wise? I for one want to know!

We did our first semi wild camp out this year at the weekend. Usually ‘off grid’ on the boat at weekends but we took other half’s van to the Norfolk coast.
Little windy Saturday but the night was calm and clear. Sooo many stars and caught some shooting ones.
Roughed it and curled up in the van playing cards and eye spy and laughing a lot.
Walked six miles on Sunday with perfect blue sky and sunshine around Holme Dunes with the dog. Watched the sunset and drove home.
Such a simple weekend away from things was much needed. Looking forward to a few more before warmer weather and can start hanging the hammocks.

Highs we’re surviving. Some of the things we did such as escape and evasion I can’t discuss.

But here’s a rough outline of what I can tell you.

Roughly in this order its shelter building, basic lean to, apex shelter, some hole shelters. How to make the best sleeping arrangements Constructing basic tools.
Fire lighting techniques, different fire constructions and how to make them less visible.
How to construct things like traps, snares, make your own fishing nets. Fish traps.
Natural foods, which bugs to collect and eat (worms actually can taste ok.
How to kill animals, and prep them. I drew the line at eating the egg inside a chicken we killed (it’s literally the yoke and membrane with no outer shell still warm no hanks.

Navigation without compass, how to move without being seen (some stuff on how to check if your being followed, getting close to the limits of what I’m comfortable discussing on a forum here)

There is obviously a load of tactical stuff as well which I can’t discuss which took time to learn.

So highs. Like I said passing the course. It’s not a given.

Sleep: mainly on the floor, using local foliage to make a bed and a simple shelter.

Eat, whatever you can catch eat. A few small fish, a chicken, worms (put them in water for 2-3 days. They become translucent as the mud is passed out. Actually taste ok. But basically it’s about survival. It’s never going to be a lot.

How cold was it: bloody freezing. As I said it did nothing but torrential rain for 1 week of it. I really struggled to sleep at night maybe 30 mins at a time. Before violent shivering woke me up. I am convinced that I got a non freezing cold injury, I still get numbness in my feet when it gets cold. But it can lead to dismissal so I never saw a doctor. Even now in the house if it gets cold my feet go numb

Hygiene wise it sort of goes out the window. Use leaves if you st, or a rag. Although after a few days of eating nothing and working hard it becomes irrelevant nothing in = nothing out.

Bearing in mind you can go 4 weeks without food. I was alright for the first 2 days. Then for about a 4 days I just felt so lethargic. Barely had any energy. The. I sort of had a second wind. It’s like your body goes from storing everything (so your tired) to then burning body fat (so you have energy.

I also did the arctic survival course in Norway. That really is difficult as there is no food easily obtained.

Never did the jungle survival course. I know people who have. That one is the worst one apparently. It’s basically just keeping on top of all your cuts (get infected so easily), it’s hot, humid, everything wants to bite you you. You can’t move anywhere easily.

Of course all these courses are designed with the idea that you go down somewhere and rescue will be on its way. It’s designed to keep you alive long enough for rescue. It’s not a live indefinitely in the wild course.

Equipment wise your in a flying suit (if issued), I was in basic combat clothes so boots, dpm trouser and shirt, field jacket. None of this kit is like anything modern. It’s not warm and it’s not fully waterproof.

Your allowed to pack a survival tin but it can’t contain any food at all. I would put a picture of my tin up but it’s at work and I’m at home 140 miles away. But it’s one of the old boiled sweet tins about the size of an old cassette tape.

Your stripped to your undies and t-shirt before going. If your found with any banned items then it’s an instant fail(very serious as the military take integrity very seriously and without passing the course you can’t fly). We had one guy find an old discarded cyalume. The contents are highly flammable. He tried opening it and managed to get it all over his face and eyes. They took him to the hospital. Nurse offers him a cup of tea. He was told one sip of that and he’s off the course. They treated him and he was dumped back in the field.

[Gretchen]

Thank you Sounds tough, congratulations on passing/surviving! How long ago was this? Can you recall and do you use the skills you learnt? Other half’s uncle pretty much lives how you’ve described. He has foot issues. Sometimes I worry about him being ‘out there’ but it’s where he’s happy and I get it.

[MB140]

Gretchen said:

Thank you Sounds tough, congratulations on passing/surviving! How long ago was this? Can you recall and do you use the skills you learnt? Other half’s uncle pretty much lives how you’ve described. He has foot issues. Sometimes I worry about him being ‘out there’ but it’s where he’s happy and I get it.

I joined up in 97 but didn’t become aircrew until about 7 years ago. So around 2015.

Can I recall it all. Yes most of it I think. Sometimes I might have to dig back in to my memory but mostly yes.

Do I use the skills learnt. Some yes, certainly the navigation stuff, I often go out walking and will nav without a compass for long periods because I can look at nature and roughly work out compass points close enough to navigate.

Do I go round killing chickens and gutting fish etc no, I just go to the supermarket.

Building my own nets, traps etc. no and you have to be careful. We were taught how to make locking snares. They are illegal to make in the uk. Besides I don’t agree with killing things just for practice. Trapping an animal really is wrong in my opinion, you shouldn’t make them suffer but in a survival situation then needs must.

In terms of being happy out there. I can understand that. In a society that is more and more regulated, more and more high paced and pressurised to get out away from everything really is a pleasure able thing for a while.