Starting to get nervous

[maxmaxmax]

so on the 18th of this month im heading off to the lakes for 10 days of timelapse filming. The only thing is.. i'm actually getting quite nervous about it. I've camped alot before. but never really wild camping, or for so long on my own! The plan is to go to the west side of windermere, then up to helvellyn, spending time in the area between the 2. Time permitting, some time near ullswater and glenridding.

But im not sure if i'm trying to cram in too much. A big concern is where to pitch, I know the area is quite rocky, which can't be nice to camp on. Is it best to have a couple of locations planned? What time is it best to start setting up camp? Most of my filming should end up finishing an hour or 2 after sunset, so would it be best to pitch near my camera, or to pitch in the dark?

ahaha... apologies for writing so much too... work really isn't exciting today!

[Ant]

Haven't you got any freinds intrested in camping who could come along with you? considering that your going for 10 days I assume your taking everything you need with you including camera gear. So having a freind along would not only provide company, but a lot of the gear could then be split between the 2 of you making it easier for you to carry.

[Marmot]

Youre not going to know what the ground is going to be like until your there, so it'll be tricky to plan ahead. I wouldnt worry too much about, the joy of wild camping is you can make it up as you go along.
Id try and camp where you want to film, cause by definition its going to be a great location and nice place to be. Plus saves having to trek back and forth from where youre filming and whre you stay.
If u can take two roll mats to kip on if youre worries about a stony bed.
Setting up camp takes asong as you have time in my experience, and tbh you can do everything by torchlight anyway. But at minimum as long as you start pitching during daylight you should be fine and you can then move off and do you filming and then return to your site

[cmorrell]

You got me wondering if the timelapse will be video or photo .. what kit and process you'll be using!

[maxmaxmax]

Cheers marmot, all sounds good. I guess I just need to plan to stop trying to make so many plans :P
cmorrell, i'll be using a D200 and D50. A bit of HDR timelapse too. There's going to be a chunk of post process on each individual frame (hence I chose to photo instead of video!) The aim is to get 20-25 minutes of completed footage from the trip.. final film being made to 45-60 mins with Urban footage.

[cmorrell]

*HDR* timelapse? That could be interesting, most people I've spoken to who do both HDR and timelapse photography have found HDR results vary too much frame to frame to create an effective video. Would be good to see your results once complete. (I do neither HDR nor timelapse... meh)

[Ollie]

I like the fact that you're going walking with a purpose - going on walks just for the sake of it is also really nice of course but you just get that added sense of achievement when you're doing something with it.

I'm sure it's probably obvious but be careful not to spend too much time looking at the world through a lens - you might not spot some of the larger things around that are equally beautiful. I know it may seem like a strange analogy to make but I do have to wonder when at large concerts why so many people spend so long focussing on trying to take photos that they may only ever look at once or twice again, and actually forget to enjoy what they came for!

Something that might help you ease your nerves is if you put together a list of routes off the mountains from the various locations you think you might end up. I find it really helps ease your mind knowing that if you do for some reason need to get off the mountain (severe weather, run out of food, whatever!) you have a vague plan already formed!

Have you considered how you're going to get your water and food?

Ollie

[maxmaxmax]

That seems like a perfectly good analogy to me! Once its all set up theres really nothing I can do.. so I probably go wondering around just to enjoy it.
I was going to carry plenty of food with me, visits to Ambleside and Glenridding will be easy enough. Water im still not 100% on, was thinking to carry 2 litres and have purification tablets with some vit.c tablets, but any thoughts/reccomendations on this would be great!

[Ollie]

There's a few threads on water purification around that make pretty good reading so you might like to take a quick look at them.

I'm assuming your camera is insured? You'll kick yourself if anything happens to it! :)

Ollie

[cmorrell]

Insurance would be extremely difficult for that sort of use. One of the better photographic insurers is E&L (http://www.eandl.co.uk) and even their terms for use outside the studio are a damn nuisance.

[cmorrell]

I know it may seem like a strange analogy to make but I do have to wonder when at large concerts why so many people spend so long focussing on trying to take photos that they may only ever look at once or twice again, and actually forget to enjoy what they came for!
Now how did I forget to respond to this .. it wasn't a large concert, only 16 rock groups to shoot through the course of the day .. one very long, extremely enjoyable, day :D

And can I just mention that even with good earplugs in, using a speaker stack to lean on in order to steady the camera, will still damage your hearing for a few days...

[maxmaxmax]

I read on another thread that you guys seem to recommend a coleman 250 gas canister will last for 6 days. I just bought their F1 ultralite stove & 2 100 canisters. It was advertised that a 100 canister has a 2hr burn time.. have I just fallen for some kind of marketing ploy? I'll be cooking every night, and the occasional breakfast/lunch. Any thoughts on how much gas I should take? I can probably top up in one of the towns I'll go through, but don't want to rely on this.

[MariaD]

How long do you think you would use the canister for per day? It depends on the kind of meals you'll be cooking, so a good idea might be to actually make a meal with the stove and time it.

In my case, I would use about 1/2 an hour maximum per day (pasta/rice for dinner plus a cup of tea or two). So I'd only use 3hrs of burn time in 6 days.

[Ant]

What's your kit list?

[maxmaxmax]

There really is no order to this list, but my kit plan so far:

Camera Kit
Tent
Sleeping Bag
Stove + fuel
Tea Towel
Cup
Cutlery
Mess Tins
Maps
Compass
Torches
Food
Matches
Toilet Paper
2 x 1 litre water bottles
1st aid kit
Whistle
Knife
Sandwich bags + garden bags
Wash Kit
Water purification tablets
Vit C tablets
Trowel

Please mention if you think I've missed anything/added too much!
I'm going to head off locally on Wednesday + thursday, just so the lakes isn't my first time! I'll time my cooking there so I can see how much gas I'll need.
My Camera stuff is going to be in a seperate bag so I think that might end up being uncomfortable/awkward, I can't see any way around this as the bag won't fit in my main pack.

[Ant]

No clothes?:D

[maxmaxmax]

hey... I didn't say what kind of photography it is I specialise in!

haha.. I'll hopefully remember to bring them, I get the impression if i do forget it'll be both frowned upon.. and very chilly!

[Ant]

Well, Considering that your going to do time-lapse photography, therefore your making a film. So, I'm guessing landscape is what your going to photograph More accuratly, your photographing how the landscape changes as the light and weather changes throughout the trip.

am I close?:D

[cmorrell]

...well that's just given me a photographic idea to work on...

[maxmaxmax]

ahh Ant... feel free to just kill my joke as quickly as possible! haha:D

[maxmaxmax]

well im off tomorrow morning.
27kg of kit which im not looking forward to! (10kg is camera kit btw)
really looking forward to the trip, even if there is rain predicted for a few days.

Anyway, thanks for the help people.. Ill hopefully post when/if I make it back!!

[Ant]

Have fun!

[cmorrell]

well im off tomorrow morning.
Try not to die ... I look forward to seeing your results :)

[MariaD]

You'll have a great time!

[Helen M]

Well - the ground can be pretty hard - we take an air bed (& pump) - but then we can fit it in our kayak. You may want a mat of some sort! lol It can be pretty aweful sleeping on the ground!

H - x

[Ant]

You may have wanted to check the date of his last post. He's been gone a few days :)