I had been looking forward to my first wild camp of the 2014.
I had hoped for a camp in January and February, fantasising about waking up in a silent-morning wood with frost, or better still, snow on the ground. But alas we were denied a winter and instead were given an angry, wet Autumn that never quite seemed to end.
And then suddenly a break in the sodden season, a warm, dry spell develops in March and I take the opportunity offered.
Badger Wood (my name) lies between two medium-sized towns in Hertfordshire.
I arrived late in the afternoon and set-about looking for a suitable place to pitch-up.
I chose an spot on a flat piece of ground near to the edge of the wood, I decide to set the shelter (half of a Polish army lavvu tippi) facing the east so I could catch the sun rising in the morning.
I walked back to the public footpath that cuts through the wood and looked back at my camp, it was almost impossible to see, which made me happy.
The sun began to set, I set up my IKEA hobo-stove and made a cuppa tea, followed by a dinner of chilli-con-carne mopped up with a baguette.
An hour or so later a rising moon had replaced the sun and the wood was bathed in a silver light. I brewed up a hot-chocolate, laced with a generous helping of whisky, sat back and watched the moon and accompanying stars.
It felt good to be in the woods again.
I sat by the hobo-stove until about 10pm and then decided to call it a night. I didn’t sleep that well, I had underestimated how cold it would be and my ground mat wasn’t sufficient to keep me comfortable. So I was pleased to finally hear the dawn chorus and watch the sun slowly rising over the crest of the wooded slope.
I set about making tea.
Followed by some breakfast.
And then another cuppa tea.
It was a beautiful morning in which to laze about in the woods, sipping tea and feeding the hobo stove.
With the sun climbing high in the sky I packed up my stuff and erased all trace of the camp.
I thanked the wood for keeping me safe.
Leaving the wood I crossed a sparkling stream, it felt good to be alive.
Here’s a short , very rough, video of the camp:
(with thanks to I.G.)
Lovely first over-nighter of the year! Nice open wooded area & looks to have been a nice sunny day. If it was a clear moonlight then it was a chilly night indeed! Many of those underpads have had mixed reviews & I’m sorry you were cold. I’d rather be over-warm than over-cold any day of the year! If you’ve a dog, there is your bedwarmer!! I look forward to viewing your future adventures that you choose to share with us on Google+.
Nature Lover!
Linda
Hi Linda, I think I learnt a good lesson on that night about temperature and yes, maybe I’ll take my dog along next time : )
Thats luxury camping. Warm fire, bowls and the works. Impressed 🙂
Pleased that you’re impressed, it didn’t feel like luxury camping at the time ; )
It looks lovely! Hope I can join you next time! I hope you didn’t dive into the stream!
Not sure stream is deep enough for swimming, though it might be good to try it out in the summer ; )
An awesome post with great images and video. This is camping at it’s very best. Looking forward to more of the same.
Hi Ross-Barry, thanks for commenting and really pleased you enjoyed the post, more to follow!
Lovely first wild-camp of the year, Martin!! Except for the cold. Next time, if you’re cold and you’ve got a newspaper with you (books won’t do), it can keep you quite warm – you stuff in down your trousers and in the arms of your coat/jacket and it’s amazing – take that from experience (though some of that more modern newsprint might not work as good – haven’t had to use it or try it for a couple of decades – and hope not to have to do so in the future!!)!!
Hi H, yeah, I learnt a lot from that night out, thanks for your tips. Looking forward to hiking with you later this summer.
Yes, I am looking forward to it (most likely after mid-September)……
Good stuff, can’t wait : )
Nice! I feel relaxed enough now to get back to work! Thanks.
Hi Melinda, glad you enjoyed the post : )
It looks like it was a lovely spot for wild camping 🙂
I hope your next wild camp won’t be as cold during the night.
It was a lovely spot, I’ll be going back in the summer, might have a dip in the stream next time : )
lovely wild camp and description . Wish my ageing joints and thermoregulator could still take it . Ever thought of joiniing the naturalist poets society?
Bob
Hi Bob, perhaps we could drive down to the woods and go for a walk about one weekend?
Marvellous wild camp impressions Martin! Lovely writing and for sure some moments of inhaling crisp air and pure life, huh!? Btw, the “hobo stove” is most intriguing indeed… 🙂
hi Oliver, thanks for stopping by and glad you enjoyed the post. Yes, the hobo stove is intriguing and I’m planning a post that will praise its wonderfulness : )
Great stuff Martin, I will certainly keep my eyes peeled!