Weekend in the Woods

I like to get out into the woods for a weekend every month of the year. It’s fantastic to see the UK woodland during the different seasons and experience the  differences in the weather. Because of Christmas, I last went out in early December. It’s now late January, so, as you might imagine, I’m itching to get out there.

Planning for a trip is, for me, all part of it and I start a couple of days before the trip thinking about where I’m going, what I’ll be doing, the time of year and who will be in the crowd I’ll be meeting up with (unless I’m going solo of course). All these factors will make a difference as to what I will be packing. I also might experiment with various ways of sleeping out. So, if I’m feeling adventurous, I may take something different or new from the previous occasion.

This weekend will be cold (minus 3C) but dry and sunny. The walk-in is only about half a mile so I can afford to be a bit generous with the kit. I haven’t got a personal project planned so I will fall in with  whatever someone suggests.

I like to lay out the stuff I’m going to take with me a couple of days before going. I’ll leave it out for a day, checking to see if it’s functional and replenishing contents where necessary (although I normally do this on return from the trip) and seeing whether I really need to take it. I’ll stuff the sleeping bag into the waterproof stuff sack and roll up the self-inflating mat, both of which have been loosely laid out when stored away.

I’ll then choose the tools I’ll be taking. This, again, depends on the area and whether there’s a store of firewood or not. Generally, I would take the leuku/puuku combi or EKA W11 if no other specialist tools are needed. On this occasion, there may be some wood collecting to do so I’ll take the large Gomtaro Silky saw to help with cutting up the dead wood. There’s usually a large chopping axe on site which will do the heavy work better than the SFA.

Shelter selection is pretty easy. This time of year it’s the 3x3 tatonka tarp and DD scout hammock otherwise it’s the smaller auscam 2.75 x 1.75 tarp. The sleeping bag will be the Alpkit SkyHigh 800 down bag and on this occasion I’ll additionally take a Snugpak paratex liner.

 

I’ll always take a stove despite the fact that there will be a fire on the go. It’s nice to have the option of having a brew on your own and take in the silence of the woods first thing before wandering down to the main area. Whatever stove I take (bushbuddy, trangia burner or Optimus Crux) it will fit nicely into the small Tracpac billy. I expect the frying pan will come along as well.

Water is an obvious consideration when packing. We are very fortunate to have a fresh water tap nearby in this particular area unlike the lack of water on solo tripsaround my area  where I have to take water into the site. I will be able to substitute the water for… errrr … beer! I’ll take a 4 litre MSR dromedary to fill up before I enter the site proper (fill up with water that is!)

Food-wise, I will leave this until the morning of departure. Usually pre-prepped stew, chilli or curry serves me well for the two or three nights out. It comes straight out of the freezer and into a small insulated thermos bag and then straight into the rucksack. As you may know I like my bacon and eggs – so unless it’s a tracking trip, I’ll load up some bacon, egg and beans as well. Cereal bars, packet soup, brew kit and the odd choccy bar will finish off the food considerations.

The whole thing (apart from the food) is packed up the night before departure and a quick walk down the road will ensure everything is tight, comfortable and (harping back to military days) quiet (old habits die hard). A utility shoulder bag (like the flektarn one above) or Snugpak Response bag will be left out for last minute additions. It will also contain any sharps that I can’t wear until I get to the site.

The final consideration is something to sit on. I keep a cheap folding chair, folding stool and a sit mat in the car, so I can always choose this at the last minute. This depends on how far the walk-in is and whether there is any seating available (there has been some furniture made at some sites).

Right, I’m off to lay out some stuff. If you want to view my current or previous kit lists or look at some of the items I lug around with me, feel free to go to the kit page.

Thanks for the visit.