July 2018: A Tale of Two Camps

It’s been a while since my last blog entry, and for that I apologise. Sometimes other commitments must take priority and I’ve simply not been able to get out for as many adventures. Stick around though, because this one’s a good’un.

For a long time now, I’ve been wanting to camp on the north Kent marshes. It is, in my opinion, a serene environment. It is also a conflicted environment in which you almost feel like nature is waging war against great titans of industry. The landscape is dotted with fascinating wartime relics, disused factories and quarries that are still in service. It is also flanked by one of Europe’s largest container ports. At this point you’d be forgiven for wondering why on earth I’d want to camp here, but bare with me!

The thing that makes this marshland so serene is that it’s jam packed with amazing wildlife. The north Kent marshes stretch from Dartford to Whitstable and are recognised as one of the most important natural wetlands in Northern Europe. Hundreds of thousands of migrant birds use this landscape as their regular stopover while making their seasonal migration between the Arctic and Africa. In essence, you could think of it as nature’s version of Watford Gap services.  With a little help from the RSPB, Kent Wildlife Trust and some considerate landowners, mother nature has also set about re-claiming those industrial relics for herself. And of course, such a vibrant habitat also attracts a myriad of birds, invertebrates, amphibians, fish, waterfowl and mammals that call this their home. I often marvel at the variety of birds of prey that can be seen soaring so majestically over the fields and marshland. Birds such as the Marsh Harrier, Peregrine Falcon, Buzzard, Kestrel, Hobby, Barn Owl, Little Owl to name a few. If you’re even remotely interested in nature then the North Kent Marshes are definitely a place for you to visit.

So here I am, it’s a cloudy and humid Friday afternoon in July, I’ve parked up in a nearby village, loaded up my backpack and am following the footpaths that lead me down on to the marshes. My destination this time is the Thames Foreshore. It’s a long and pleasant walk and definitely one where you should keep your eyes peeled as there is often something interesting to see. Be it the Swallow’s aerobatic flights of fancy, The Dragon Flies hovering like an Apache helicopter or the huge ships steaming up and down the river Thames.

As I headed deeper into the marshes I started to feel quite remote. That in itself is quite peculiar given that you’re in one of the most densely populated parts of the country and have a huge port just across the Thames. But I had long since passed the farm buildings and walked a fair distance without seeing a soul. I enjoy having that feeling, it offers you a great sense of adventure.

After three miles of walking I reached the Thames foreshore and found a lovely spot to pitch up my tent beside a small bay. I had planned to observe the unwritten rules of wild camping and wait until early evening before pitching the tent. But the heavens opened and I found myself quickly pitching the tent so that I could take shelter. 

I shan’t lie, I was as happy as a pig in excrement. Here I was sat in my tent, looking out onto the Thames with my stove on cooking dinner. I felt obliged to crack open an ale and drink in my surroundings. The oyster catchers were out in force, parading the mud flats searching for worms, while the statuesque Heron stood at the water’s edge waiting for the opportune moment to pounce upon its prey. And as I looked back upon the marshes I could see a pair of Marsh Harriers making the most of their huge wingspan as they gently glide across the marsh in search of prey. All you need to do is stop, look and listen, throw in a little patience and your efforts will be rewarded with fascinating views of nature doing its thing.

In my mind, when you come down to the marshes, this is what it’s all about. The qualities of this environment are almost medicinal as it re-energises your mind and gently breaks down the stresses that have otherwise been so troubling. This is the single most important reason why I enjoy being outdoors.

For dinner, I cooked up an Ainsley Harriot sachet of Jamaican rice and peas and then added a sachet of Tuna for added protein. I have to say that for such a simple meal, it was delicious with lots of flavour and just the right amount of spice. In total the meal cost me £1.50 and was very quick to cook (less than 10mins). I must confess that I often wonder why wild campers and hikers are so often drawn to the adventure meals that you find in the camping shops. They cost anything from £4-£7 and while they’re full of calories, I’m not convinced that they’re the most pleasing thing to eat. I think I’ll just stick with my own version of the expedition meals as I’m confident I could compile a hearty days’ worth of food for the price of one of those meals (Perhaps that is a challenge for an upcoming camp?). I’m hoping to put up a blog which delves a little deeper into this subject.

I spent the remainder of the evening just sitting, watching and listening to my surroundings. Happily the rain didn’t last long so it was nice to explore the area before bedding down for the night. I ended up tucking myself into bed quite early as I planned to be up and off bright and early to meet some friends for the second half of my adventure.

I must admit that waking up so early the next day was harder than I thought. I was lovely and comfortable in my tent and had enjoyed a nice sleep with the occasional interruption from the pitter-patter of rain on my tent. It would have been nice to stay for the sunrise, but never mind as I shall definitely be coming back to this spot for another camp. Returning to the car in the dark was a little tricky to say the least. I’d only walked the path once and the battery was running low on my head torch. A three mile hike was certainly an invigorating way to start the day though.

By 6.30am I’d made it to my car, arrived at the agreed point that I was going to meet my camping buddies and swapped out some of my gear for a night in the woods. Like I said at the intro, this was to be a tale of two camps.

With my camping buddies in tow, we headed into the woods while I regaled them with tales from my adventure on the marshes.

Our destination was our regular ‘Bushcraft Basecamp’, and it was lovely to be wandering through the woodland on such a beautiful summers day. The woodland was eerily quiet as the birdlife seem to go very quiet through the mid-summer months. I miss their cheerful tunes.

The first order of business upon arrival at camp was to get a brew on as I’d yet to have a cuppa that morning! That was when disaster struck, my milk powder had gone off and my tea tasted terrible. 

Nooooooooooo, what a nightmare! I love a cup of tea. Fortunately I had some coffee and herbal teas, but it’s just not the same as a good ol’ cuppa Yorkshire Tea. I have marked this down as a lesson learnt and will need to be more mindful of this on future camps.

I didn’t feel the need to rush around setting up camp. The weather was glorious and there was no likelihood of it changing anytime soon. In actual fact my sleeping quarters for the night couldn’t be simpler. I’d decided to just hang my hammock, leaving the tarp in the rucksack so that I could enjoy looking up at the canopy and stars.  As overnight temperatures were set to remain around 18ºC, I didn’t even bother with an underblanket or insulation other than that provided by my one season sleeping bag.

To be honest, it was so hot that I didn’t really do a great deal more on this camp. I didn’t need to do much before I broke into a sweat so I helped out with the firewood collection/prep, drank plenty and topped up my water supply at the Cow trough (yes, the Cow trough!!).

We did also go on a bimble around the woodland and found some new spots for future camping trips. It’s good to mix things up a bit and we were growing increasingly conscious of the impact that we were having around our basecamp. In actual fact, we all had a good chat about this later on around the camp fire and decided it was time to move on from this basecamp and let it re-generate. 

Yep, that’s right we do also talk about more serious subjects aside from farting, beer and camping kit! It was quite a liberating decision and I know we’re all looking forward to future camping trips where we can undertake new challenges and learn more about the woodland.

As dinner time drew closer, I broke out the Spam. As I was out for two nights during a heat wave, I felt it necessary to take food that didn’t need to be chilled. So, what can be better than Spam as a bacon substitute!! Some folk liken it to the food of the Gods, and occassionally, I’m inclined to agree! I cooked it on a stick over the fire and put it in a wrap with cheese and pineapple. It was like a Hawaiian pizza……..Yuummmy!

Dinner was washed down with a couple of ales while we sat around the campfire.

I felt somewhat vulnerable sleeping in my hammock with nothing above me to protect me from the elements. I do hope BBC weather got their forecast right! Happily, they were spot on and I enjoyed a lovely night’s sleep wrapped up in my sleeping bag. Without the insulation, I did feel a bit of a chill on my bum during the early hours, but not enough to warrant me making any adjustments. I had forgotten how comfortable my hammock was as I’d not used it since the winter. 

Time for another brew, coffee is ok, but just doesn’t do it for me in the mornings like Tea does!!!

As always, we packed away ensuring that no trace was left and the fire scar was doused with lots of water and covered over. The camp will be dismantled over time while we return it back to nature.

If you’ve made it this far, then thanks very much for reading. I’m hoping to have another blog up very soon. Oh and why not check out my video of this camp on YouTube: