Planning and Preparing for a Wild Camp

It might seem like a strange concept to some folk, but quite often I rather enjoy the planning and preparation that goes into a camping trip. I have spent many a train journey and lunch break at work writing lists of things I need to pack and jobs I want to do on my forthcoming adventures.

So what goes into the planning and preparation, what do I do and what do I take with me on my camping trips?

Get a cup of tea, make yourself comfortable and brace yourself, this could be a long one!!

Throughout 2017 I was able to get out on a camping trip each and every month. Every time I started to plan for a trip, I formed an idea of where I wanted to camp. More often than not it was in the woodland that I’m permitted to use. However there were also times where I ventured into the unknown and sought to break out of my comfort zone!

First and foremost, each scenario led me to consider what type of shelter I wanted to use (more on that later). But every time I go camping, I also like to ensure that I go with a clear purpose. Sometimes I’ll go on a walk, cover some miles and enjoy the scenery. Sometimes I’ll observe nature and try and capture some photographs. Other times I’ll aim to practice various woodcraft and campcraft skills and refine my understanding of all that nature has to offer. And finally, there have also been occasions where I’ve sought to venture out with minimal kit to see how I’d fare. I’ve wasted many an hour on the train to and from London as I day dream about future challenges

But above all else……be safe and have fun! It goes without saying that the main reason to go camping is to enjoy yourself, relax and forget about anything that happens to be causing stress. Seldom is my mind so clear as it is when I wander through our countryside!

I like to document these ideas on a list in my little notebook and once I’ve got an idea of where to go and what to do, I turn my mind to the things that I need to be taking…..

It’s important not to forget any crucial items when heading off on a camping trip. Equally important (especially when backpacking) is to ensure that you’re also not carrying any excess weight. There’s nothing worse than lugging something about in your backpack only to learn that it wasn’t needed. So, when I start to compile my kit-list, I record the items that I need under the following headings;

Shelter: As already mentioned, I might be stating the blindingly obvious, but it’s perhaps the most important element to be carrying. This item will keep you out of the weather and help you remain warm and dry. If I’m in the woodland I’ll typically use a tarp. A square tarp such as the DD Hammocks 3m x 3m is ideal as it offers many variations in the way that it can be configured and ensure that you are suitably protected from the weather. If I know that the weather is going to be ok and I want to save weight/bulk then I can instead go with a smaller tarp such as the Terra Nova Adventure Tarp 1 (2.4m x 1.4m).

However, when I’m not in a woodland then it’s sometimes good to use a small backpacking tent such as the Vango Banshee 200. I love using this tent, it’s really quick and easy to pitch and has yet to let me down in any challenging weather. But, with that said a tarp can still be used out in the open in conjunction with a stick or walking pole.

Sleep: Nobody wants to be uncomfortable when camping out, I suspect this can be one of the things that really puts people off when they think of going camping. Times have really moved on since the days when all you had was a basic sleeping bag (or blanket) and a foam roll mat!

If I’m sleeping in the woodland, I have two options – Hammock or Bivvy. Obviously when using the tent I’ll just use the sleeping bag and sleeping mat.

It took me a while to get into the swing of hammocking (pardon the pun!) but I think that it’s easily one of the most comfortable ways to sleep in the woods. It’s important to use a hammock that is both long and wide (3m x 1.5m works for me!), this means that you can sleep diagonally across the hammock rather than down the centre. Try sleeping in the central position and you’ll quickly find yourself in a slightly uncomfortably banana shape, by contrast the diagonal lay is nice and flat and enables you to sleep comfortably on your front, back or side. For the last three years, I’ve been using a ‘Woodsman’ hammock from UKHammocks.co.uk, it’s the cheapest and most basic in the range but serves my needs perfectly. I insulate myself in the hammock by using an underblanket which wraps around the hammock. The underblanket is more effective in the hammock (than a sleeping mat) because it doesn’t get compressed by your body weight and offers more protection from the cold air blowing beneath you.

Sometimes though it’s nice to mix things up a bit and I also like to sleep on the ground in my British Army Goretex Bivvy Bag. This bivvy bag is a little bulky when compared to other variants but, as with most army surplus kit, it’s dependable. And that, typically, is what you need from a good bivvy bag! The other thing with this bivvy bag is that it’s big enough to accommodate both the sleeping mat and sleeping bag and ensure that you don’t wake up in the night with a cold bum having slipped off the mat.

When sleeping on the ground I use a couple of different sleeping mats. Occasionally I’ll use a basic foam mat. These can be used in conjunction with a raised bed or leaf litter mattress to improve comfort. More recently my wonderful wife bought me a new sleeping mat for Christmas – an Exped Downmat. This can best be described as a posh lilo which has been filled with down feathers. I’ve only used it a couple of times but, wow! It makes for a very warm and comfy night.

Check out the 'bed-head'!

And the last element of my sleeping kit is of course my sleeping bag! I’m lucky enough to have three to chose from. A British Army issue Arctic sleeping bag, A three season Alpkit bag and a one season Snugpak bag. All of them consist of synthetic filling, I can't afford the expensive down filled bags! The arctic sleeping bag is amazingly warm and robust. But for most of the year it is very much overkill for camping trips in the south east of England. The other two are my go to bags for much of the year, I try to stretch out the snugpak for more than just the one season as it packs down nice and small and can be made a little warmer if used in conjunction with a down jacket and/or thermal layers.

Cook Kit: Those that go camping with me know that I do love a good camping stove! I've got more stoves, pots and pans than I care to remember (nor confess to my wife!). My choice of cook kit is typically defined by the food that I'd like to cook, the available space in my rucksack and the likelihood that I'll be cooking over the fire. More often than not, I'm cooking over the fire and choose to use robust stainless steel pots and pans. These can withstand the intense heat that is kicked off by the fire and they also clean up very easily. I must confess that my current favourite is the Pathfinder cup by Self Reliance Outfitters. It nests with my water bottle meaning that it takes up minimal space in my rucksack. This cup is also sufficient to cook simple meals such as porridge, noodles, pasta or chilli con carne (a big favourite of mine!). Occasionally I'll take a frying pan if I want to cook more elaborate meals such as Fajitas or a stir fry. But to be honest, the frying pan tends to come out more in the warmer months when I have extra space in my rucksack! Other items that come along if I'm cooking over the fire include my folding grill and a folding wood stove. I usually take this stove if I'm camping by myself as it makes the clean up a lot easier.

If I'm not cooking over a fire then I'm a big fan of the Trangia methylated spirit stove. I often use the Trangia Mini cook system or the Trangia Triangle trivet and whatever pot I've opted to bring along for the camp. It's not the fastest at boiling water (what's the rush anyway!) but it's super simple to use and very reliable. There's a very good reason why the design of this stove has remained relatively unchanged for decades, it works!

And of course there are a number of little sundry items that come along on my camping trips. A handmade spoon, a bandana, a meths fuel bottle, a Kupilka cup and a small sponge scrubbing pad.

Tools: Again, this can vary depending on the type of camping trip. If I'm heading into the woods I'll bring some heavy duty cutting tools to prep the fire wood. In this case I'll usually bring a fixed blade knife, an axe and a saw. However, if I don't need to worry about a fire then a simple folding knife or multi-tool will suffice. In addition to the cutting tools, I will carry a First Aid Kit, Hygiene kit (toilet paper, hand sanitiser and wipes), several methods of lighting a fire, Headtorch, spare batteries, work gloves, sit-mat and if I'm in the woods, I'll also pack my beloved hammock chair!

An interesting omission here is navigational aids. I tend not to take a map or compass when camping in my local woods. This is primarily because these woods have been my playground since I was a child. I know them very well and am always confident of my whereabouts. Of course, If I'm travelling elsewhere then I'll make sure I'm suitably equipped with a map

Clothes: Clothing choice of course depends on the season but I'll typically ensure that I have an additional warm layer such as a jumper, smock or down jacket. I'll almost always pack a wool hat, spare socks, long johns and a buff (headover). I tend to err on the side of caution when packing clothes as it's important to remain warm and be mindful of the wind chill factor as this can easily make you feel a lot colder than the forecast temperatures.

Conversely, when hiking in the warmer months, I try to wear lightweight, quick drying, wicking layers which will draw the sweat away from my body and prevent me from getting cold when I stop for a rest. I learnt to my detriment once that thick cotton layers are not ideal when hiking!

Drink: My regular haunts don't have any water sources so I tend to take plenty of water on my trips, typically 2-4 litres will suffice. I enjoy a good cup of tea and really hate to ration myself when it comes to water as I often get headaches through de-hydration. I'm therefore prepared to carry the extra weight. It goes without saying that my luxury item is an extensive brew kit containing a myriad of different teas, coffees and hot chocolate!

Food: My favourite subject! I think I shall dedicate a separate blog post to this topic as I can wax lyrically about all the different food options that I like to take camping. Suffice it to say that I eat well and I always make sure that I've got an option for breakfast, lunch and dinner (with the occasional snack!)

Rucksack: All that's left to mention is my rucksack. I commonly use a 38 litre British Army issue Patrol Pack or a large 65 litre Berghaus rucksack. I enjoy using both packs very much and find both to be very comfortable indeed. Occassionally I try to test myself by camping out with minimal kit and on my latest camp in January, I used my smaller 38 litre pack to carry my winter kit. I had to make some small sacrifices, but it worked well for me and has proven to be a great way to get you thinking about what you really need to be taking on a camping trip and how you can reduce your load-out. Of course on other occasions its nice to load up the bigger pack and treat myself to some luxuries and additional comfort.

And that just about sums everything up. It has proven to be a long old blog, but I've enjoyed going through my thoughts into planning and preparing for a trip. Feel free to check out my video below where I show you precisely what I took on my January camp.