Ideal camp

[David]

I'm the sort of person who enjoys camping without necessarily having to do something else too (climbing, sailing or whatever). I just love being outdoors. For those who are like this too, what would be your ideal camp activities/itinerary? Hopefully we'll be able to pick up some ideas.

[Ant]

Okay, lets for arguments sake say its in the wildeness shall we?

Location.
Close to a stream for fresh water, mixed woodland, for materials to practice a bit of bushcraft.

Kit.
The usual backpacking kit, but a few more luxuries, incuding a large tarp/s to make a porch/ cooking area (poles can be cut from the woodland)
For a bit more luxury when it comes to cooking, 2, instead of 1 stove for a bit more versatility, although these could be done away with and a fire used....

I can't think of much else right now.

[David]

ok - what sort of stuff would you do; I assume cooking and setting up camp! Anything else? Also, I didn't say but this is if you are on your own or in any group size - whatever you like!

I probably should already have said mine!
30 mins - hour
Unpacking/collecting, setting up shelters/working areas (chopping/cooking etc.) - I'm a bit of an organiser so I enjoy planning it out as much as building stuff!
15 mins - hour
Little explore/settle in
1 hour
Build fires/prepare cooking area/kitchen
2 hours
Cooking - if a large group then some people can go hiking etc. while some cook if they like.
15 mins - hours
Eating, relaxing and (talking/whittling/doing crafts; depends on whether there's a group there) round the camp fire / on the beach (I did say it was an ideal camp!)
Rest of the night
sleeping/night hike/games

this is my basic camp - probably forgotten loads of stuff, and of course there's always the other stuff that needs to be done; chopping wood, making pegs etc. that is good fun!

[MariaD]

The nicest place I have ever camped was here (http://streetmap.co.uk/newmap.srf?x=198260&y=876620&z=4&sv=198260,876620&st=4&ar=Y&mapp=newmap.srf&searchp=newsearch.srf), (this was the view from my tent (http://www.goxplore.net/gallery/showimage.php?i=35&catid=member&imageuser=189)) and I'm definitely going back again.

For the itinery - I love most mountain related activities so that would be fairly flexible - walking, scrambling, climbing or loafing around and looking at the view. I'd love to climb Marathon Ridge on Beinn Lair (just to the south of that map) in either summer or winter though.

[Ant]

I'm defently coming to your camp david!

[MariaD]

Also, a deck of cards is a must for rainy days, and it's always nice to try to get up at dawn to see the sun rise.

[David]

Wow, that photo is _amazing_
Not sure about playing cards, but I agree that seeing the sun rise is an absolute must! Actually, the most pointless thing we did on camp was play a sort of 'pictionary' when it was raining. Usually reserved for christmas with your relatvies is my understanding (still good fun though)

And you're welcome any time, ant ;)!

[MariaD]

Bizarrely I got snowed on the same day that picture was taken. We went up the ridge at the left of the photo & there was patchy snow & ice everywhere - in June!

What would you do if it was hammering it down and there was no urgency to get out of the tent and do something (e.g. you're going to be there for a few days, so no need to rush about?).

[David]

If I was camping alone, I'd probably repair/carve/weave stuff, or possibly draw the view out of my tent (if possible). With a group, sitting round and chatting is always a good one! Generally remembering old memories is a good part of the fun of making new ones I find! Just messing around with your mates on camp always seems to beat being at home too, I find. If it was a big camp I'd probably be going round putting pallets/duck boards on the ground as well. A couple of camps ended up something like the Somme after heavy rain, so I'd try to avoid that. Well, I should already have said that making sure everything is closed/sealed/away from the river would come in there too!

[RenegadeInASynergy]

Myself, I just set up my hammock, get set up what clothing and such that needs to be dried, and then kick back swinging in the trees playing the harmonica.

[ishepster]

I like listening to the radio when camping which is strange because I never, or very rarely at least, listen to it at home. There's something about lying back listening to Radio Four or something I'd never dream of listening to any other time. I don't like it blaring rock music just the background noise. I think it might be a throw back to simpler pre ipod days when a tranny (careful now) was all the in camp entertainment available. Excluding using a trangia frying pan as a frisbee of course.

[newtrekker]

i like to drag a big log n sit by the fire, usually playin my guitar if i can be arsed to carry it all the way,
get mi tent set up, maybe do a bit of rabbit snare-ing if its allowed and kick back n relax!

[David]

usually playin my guitar

Ah, that must be a good one. I'd love to go camping with some musical people. Seems like most intruments you can carry; guitar, violin, trumpet etc. for a decent band. I have trouble though, since I tend to pack too light to fit a piano in, and I don't usually camp long enough to do that much whittling ;)

[Ingieuk]

Try fitting a trombone in your pack :D

I did take it once, just sat by a loch and played, was great fun. Got a photo somewhere.

[Ollie]

Heh, impressive stuff. I do occasionally wish that I was musical - having sat round campfires with a guitar singing our hearts out late at night before it's a great way to spend an evening. Not sure I'd want to carry a guitar very far though...

[ollyhol]

great site maria, that was wild-camping i take it? i think spontanious wild spots are best as theirs no expectation, i did it on sicily we went for a walk around a marine reserve (national park coastline) and found a really spot, a stove is a must though as open fires can be hard to cook on and take constant supervision before they get ready especially in summer.

[newtrekker]

i got a 3/4 size kids one just for campin but its still a bit awkward if your goin far!
the harmonica sounds easy enough tho!

[CamperPete]

For me it depends on the location as to what I do to pass the time. A few weeks ago a friend and I were wild camping at Angle Tarn (High Raise area in the Lake District). We just sat there with a small fire watching the sun go down with a couple of cans of wine I'd managed to stuff in the rucksack and my mate brought out of his rucksack a large bottle of mulled wine!!!!.......I don't know 1) how he got it in his rucksack and 2) how the hell he carried it with all the other weight.

Got to admit though, mulled wine tasted better ice cold rather than warmed in a pan :-)

[Helen M]

It's amazing how much stuff you can fit in a double sea kayak - luxury wild camping! lol

For me the ideal camp is somewhere remote - stunning views, good company, a driftwood fire, wine and whiskey.

Somewhere like this - photos posted on thread!

http://www.ukriversguidebook.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?t=14970&highlight=mull

H - x

[Maurice]

Some of my best camps have been primitive camps. Often set on eras from the states:. 1700, 1800, 1860, and 1870’s. Tents, cooking gear, and other items change with the times. Even for modern camping today I find myself bringing along the older items. A coffee boiler, a folding frying pan, a tarp, often make the most enjoyable camps here. Less often makes more for a camp. But then again, my old SEVA and a good down bag, and tent have come in handy at times.

[kyle-mcc]

maria thats a prety nice picture its usually simullar to that when i camp in loch lomond except it usually rains :(

[Matt_M]

Okay, lets for arguments sake say its in the wildeness shall we?

Location.
Close to a stream for fresh water, mixed woodland, for materials to practice a bit of bushcraft.

Kit.
The usual backpacking kit, but a few more luxuries, incuding a large tarp/s to make a porch/ cooking area (poles can be cut from the woodland)
For a bit more luxury when it comes to cooking, 2, instead of 1 stove for a bit more versatility, although these could be done away with and a fire used....

I can't think of much else right now.


Sounds pretty ideal to me, maybe take line and lures for some hobo fishin too :) .......If you know anywhere thats like this tell me cuz thats just about everything wrapped up for me :D

[David]

Sounds awesome! Reenacting camping in a historical style sounds like something I could really get into too.

[Maurice]

David, it gets really addictive. Especially when you know the history of the area. Y'all would laugh when a Yank calls something "old" here but it is part of our history. One story involves fishing, hand forged fish hooks, braided line, camp made boobers, and some even made crude poles, the trout never tasted so better!

[David]

"hand forged fish hooks"
wow, sounds pretty in-depth! Also, I know people joke about America not having any history, but I realise that if you're talking about the settlers, then their history is the same as ours before they crossed the pond - it's not like they appeared out of nowhere! And if you're not nesissarily talking about settlers, I guess it might be easy for us to forget that the population of america (especially south america) had built structures as grand as our biggest catherals. I think there's probably enough there to keep anyone occupied!

[MariaD]

True, but the physical remains of that history (buildings etc.) is all over here! Very few physical structures in the USA are properly old, as the indigenous peoples didn't really create permanent structures. The legacy of pre-settler days is held more in stories, skills/techniques & cultural/social traditions than in physical form.

S. America is a different kettle of fish, though - there are some very ancient ruins there.

[Maurice]

You are right Maria, what we call in the states old, you would laugh at. The Italians I worked with in Mexico called the 1530's buildings new. There are a variety of mounds close to here and the Archeologists have refused to dig into them. Is this good or bad?
As I joke, we were kicked out of England in 1642 and our German halves came in 1750.