Barney's Bimbles and Adventures

What a great time to be out camping, the woods are calling, the sun is shining,   the days are long and nature's in full song! Time for another camping trip in my local woodland. May is always a good time to be getting out in the woods. Then again, is there ever a bad time to get out? With the weather being so mild, I thought it might be a good opportunity to scale down on the kit that I take out on a wild camp. I didn't fancy lugging my huge rucksack with my big sleeping bag, big tarp, extensive cook kit and additional layers of clothing. I figured it was time to keep things simple. I therefore opted to bring my small 7ft by 5ft tarp with a simple blanket and a small sleeping mat. For cooking, I just needed to bring my small billy can. I also left the axe at home as I didn't see much need to be spitting wood and relied upon my Mora knife and Laplander saw. It's fair to say that the bulk of my rucksack was taken up with food and water (I like food!...

What a glorious time of year to be headed out on a camping trip in my local woodland. Spring is in full flow with summer just around the corner, Bluebells are everywhere, the wildlife is buzzing with activity and the seasonably cold crisp nights are followed up with mild and (occasionally) sunny days. Kent has benefitted from a very mild and fairly sunny few weeks and I was chomping at the bit to get out and enjoy some time outdoors. This time it was even better as I was out for two nights over the Mayday bank holiday. My plans this time were to do relatively little other than enjoy the glorious surroundings, cook up some food, catch-up with friends, practice some fire lighting techniques and find time for a spot of whittling. When camping in the woods for a couple of nights, it’s can be a bit of a challenge packing everything into the rucksack. As always, this takes a bit of careful planning and organisation. You quickly learn about what you’re prepared to carry and what...