First Wild Camp

Hey all,

I'm about to embark on my first wild camp with a friend, who's not a wild camp virgin but he's never chosen a route before.  We're both pretty confident and are up for anything. 

The plan is to get out of work early on a Friday and be in either snowdonia or the Lakes for 6.30 (we can reach either Capel Curig or Keswick by this time).  I think we will then have time for a couple of hours trek to a camp spot, and then wake up and do a full day on the saturday.  To return safely to our wifes for saturday night.

I'm up for any suggestions really.  Thanks in advance.

Or... there's the option that's just screaming at you from this forum...

Get yourselves to Honister or Buttermere this Friday, only 30 minutes from Keswick, and walk over to Black Sail Hut at the head of Ennerdale. Look out for OutdoorsMagic's own band of hardy wild campers, then crouch at their feet and absorb some wisdom!

Paddy Dillon wrote (see)

Or... there's the option that's just screaming at you from this forum...

Get yourselves to Honister or Buttermere this Friday, only 30 minutes from Keswick, and walk over to Black Sail Hut at the head of Ennerdale. Look out for OutdoorsMagic's own band of hardy wild campers, then crouch at their feet and absorb some wisdom!

Nice idea Paddy but I'm afraid that I am celebrating a good friends 30th.  We wont be doing this suggested camp until Friday 13th .

Thanks for all suggestions so far, all are being considered.  Any suggestions for Snowdonia?

Thanks a lot guys, really helpful stuff.  I think we'll be heading to snowdonia for this trip but my goal this year is to always wild camp rather than campsites, so the suggestions in the lakes will be used later in the year.

I'm interested in the bothy at Dulyn Resevoir.  Does it get very busy? How equiped is it?  Would you suggest taking a tent just in case?

Thanks again.

On a more positive note, from the same Eigiau parking spot there are loads of potential wild camping spaces near Dulyn, Melynllyn or in Cwm Eigiau itself, with some obvious circular routes to the Carneddau summits.

Another option is to drive to the parking spaces above Aber falls and walk up Cwm anafon - there are lots of flat spots (some sheltered within 'sheepfolds') in the valley itself near to the river or several sites at the lake, which would again give easy access to the northern Carneddau summits.

Parking near the base of Tryfan and wildcamping at either Llyn Bochlwyd or Ffynnon lloer would be another option, giving access to the Glyders or the Southern Carneddau respectively.

(Most of these are on National Trust land; fires definitely prohibited, wildcamping seemingly tolerated as long as inconspicuous but officially you should contact the landowner first........)

I think we're going for the option of Melynllyn Reservoir.  It seems a pretty easy and quick walk in from the car park and nice place to wake up, then head up to the mountain shelter for breaky.  It's nice to know that the bothy is there for emergencies but I dont fancy it being full of piss heads (which, i've heard elsewhere, may be the norm now).

Hoping for some good weather so we can have a full day exploring the Carneddau.

Now onto kit, hehe.  I think we're sorted, and I know this has been discussed before, however I'll ask away.  We're keeping it minimal and hope to stay that way (saves buyign a bigger bag)

Sleeping bag (alpkit PD400)
SI Mat (Alpkit)
Mini Trangia with a gas burner and small canister
Wayfarer type meal each
Porridge each
Instant soup for 4
Usual snack bars and nuts
Coffee sachets and sugar
Mini Thermos flask for drinking out of and carrying coffee etc.
Travel Tap (oh ooooh)
2L Bladder
Spare Hat
Gloves
Spare socks
extra LS base layer
Very thin LS Mid Layer
Pata Nano Puff smock
Waterproof
First Aid Kit
Multi Tool
Torch
Spare Batteries
Map + Compass
Phone (GPS)
Antibacterial gel
Camera
RUM
Red Wine

I should probably add, my mate has the tent

If anyone can point out any suggestions of what I have missed out, or wont need.  Although I am cutting it fine, as the plan is to use my Osprey Talon 33 and there isn't much room left.  Obviously once the wine (in a plastic bottle - to scrunch up after) has been drunk and food eaten I have a little more room. 

All advise, as ever, is greatly appreciated.

I'd ditch:

Flask
Alcohol
Spare hat
Spare batteries
FAK
Spare socks unless sleep socks
Multi-tool
Extra base layer....then again its still cold and IME the PD400 is not that toasty...

Ditch -

Spare socks

Multi tool

Extra base layer

Extra hat

Flask

Red wine (replace it with more rum, better alcohol to weight ratio )

Include a little history in your walks. Pecsaetan - Ancient Derbyshire, Staffordshire and South Yorkshire - http://pecsaetan.weebly.com/

Cheers guys, I was in a real dilema with the FAK, its hardly ever used but......

Mutli tool, yes thats going, it was close to going anyway.

Spare hat, fair point - gone

Spare socks - I would hate to get wet feet on the walk in, but its pretty straight forward I guess.  I guess they can go too.

Spare batteries, its two tiny AAA batteries, and if my torch goes.....??

The base layer is a very thin long sleeve one, however, I'm not going to wear two base layers - i sleep pretty hot so that can go.

The flask is very small, same size as a small mug, i figured it is good for coffee, wine, soup, rum, anything really, i can't go without it - I love my mini flask!!!

Alcohol is coming too, however, I feel that the red wine is easier to quaff thatn straight rum, and it's only extra weight for the walk in to the reservoir, which is about 1 1/2 hours I believe, so not too much extra weight.

Cheers guys, it helps to have extra opinions, and make me get rid of things I thought I have to take.

Personally i'd also ditch the gas burner and cannister, for meths, the coffee sachets would also go as i mix mine with powdered milk and keep it in one bag, also cuts down on rubbish, i don't use sugar, the Wayfarers would also have the outer packaging removed. 

Camera?, personally i only use my phones camera.

Include a little history in your walks. Pecsaetan - Ancient Derbyshire, Staffordshire and South Yorkshire - http://pecsaetan.weebly.com/

I have been toying with going for meths, I lost my meths burner years ago, but could pinch my old mans.  I always remember it being a pain but I was a kid when I used it last.  Would it save me any space/weight though?  I have a very small gas canister that fits in the trangia when packed up, along with the burner!

I need my camera, I'm very keen on photography and like to take good pictures, I'm also very keen to play around with some night shots, it's not too heavy and attaches to my rucksack strap to save space inside the pac.

I think i'm being silly with the travel tap also, i've drunken water many a time from streams and never had problems, I know its open for debate but I'm really unsure.

I've got a larger bladder 5L I think, will use that instead

The wine will be decanted into a plastic bottle, like a platypus but not quite as flexible, and the bottle will be scrunched up after quaffing the wine.  We're not lugging a glass bottle about!

Whistle is attached to my compass, never used it though!

We wont be leaving the tent so figured a survival bag wasn't needed?