{"id":2421,"date":"2014-04-13T09:38:56","date_gmt":"2014-04-13T09:38:56","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/martinblack.com\/?p=2421"},"modified":"2014-12-27T08:18:25","modified_gmt":"2014-12-27T08:18:25","slug":"an-early-spring-wild-camp-in-badger-wood-hertfordshire","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/martinblack.com\/oldsite\/2014\/04\/an-early-spring-wild-camp-in-badger-wood-hertfordshire\/","title":{"rendered":"An early spring wild camp in Badger Wood – Hertfordshire"},"content":{"rendered":"

I had been looking forward to my first wild camp of the 2014.<\/p>\n

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. \u00a0But alas we were denied a winter and instead were given an angry, wet Autumn that never quite seemed to end.<\/p>\n

And then suddenly a break in the sodden season, a warm, dry spell develops in March and I take the opportunity offered.<\/p>\n

Badger Wood (my name) lies between two medium-sized towns in Hertfordshire.<\/p>\n

\"Entrance
Entrance to badger wood<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

I arrived late in the afternoon and set-about looking for a suitable place to pitch-up.<\/p>\n

\"The
The camp…<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

I chose an spot on a flat piece of ground near to the edge of the wood, I decide to set the shelter (half \u00a0of a Polish army lavvu tippi) facing the east so I could catch the sun rising in the morning.<\/p>\n

\"Spot
Spot the camp!<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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.<\/p>\n

\"Camp
Camp sunset<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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.<\/p>\n

An hour or so later a rising moon had replaced the sun and the wood was bathed in a silver light. \u00a0I brewed up a hot-chocolate, laced with a generous helping of whisky, sat back and watched the moon and accompanying stars.<\/p>\n

It felt good to be in the woods again.<\/p>\n

I sat by the hobo-stove until about 10pm and then decided to call it a night. \u00a0I didn’t sleep that well, I \u00a0had underestimated how cold it would be and my ground mat wasn’t sufficient to keep me comfortable. \u00a0So I was pleased to finally hear the dawn chorus and watch the sun slowly rising over the crest of the wooded slope.<\/p>\n

\"Early
Early morning in Badger Wood<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

I set about making tea.<\/p>\n

\"Morning
Morning tea<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Followed by some breakfast.<\/p>\n

\"Breakfast\"
Breakfast<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

And then another cuppa tea.<\/p>\n

\"Another
Another cuppa<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

It was a beautiful morning in which to laze about in the woods, sipping tea and feeding the hobo stove.<\/p>\n

With the sun climbing high in the sky I packed up my stuff and erased all trace of the camp.<\/p>\n

\"Leave
Leave no trace…<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

I thanked the wood for keeping me safe.<\/p>\n

\"Spring
Spring morning stream<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Leaving the wood I crossed a sparkling stream, it felt good to be alive.<\/p>\n

Here’s a short , very rough, video of the camp:<\/p>\n