Dartmoor kit

[Daniel]

Hello peoples,

Havn't been here for a while, hope you're all well!
I hope this thread is in the right place... please do move it if not.

I'm off to Dartmoor for 3 days (2 nights) in a couple of weeks. My main problem when organising a trip to dartmoor, is I usually over prepare and take too much kit. I think planning the kit for a trip is the one of the things I'm worst at, so I thought i'd ask you knowledgable people for some advice.

If I give you the details of the trip, could you lovely bushcrafters help me work out what kit I need to take?

I'm going for 3 days (2 nights).
I'll be using a tent, not a hammock.
There's two of us going (so I'll need to plan the kit for 2 people, not just myself).
We're planning to walk, camp, walk, camp, walk (I.e. not just stay in one place the whole weekend).
My kit needs to fit into a 45ltr sack, and the other's a 60ltr.

If more info is needed let me know.

Hope you can all help!
Cheers,
Dan

 

[moduser]

Hi Daniel,

The main thing is ensure that your clothing is up to Datmoor, the weather can change in a flash - usually for the worst.

So good waterproofs, good boots and gaiters are a good idea. Plenty of socks and foot powder so you can dry your feet out properly.

Have one days spare food just in case

two maps - in case the wind blows one away (it's happen to me) and two compasses.

There is no need to carry tons of gear, just make sure your sleeping bag and spare clothes can not get wet and you should be fine.

If possible take food that can be eaten cold in case your stove dies on you.

If I preaching to the converted, sorry

Moduser

 

[Ahjno]

Hello peoples,

Havn't been here for a while, hope you're all well!
I hope this thread is in the right place... please do move it if not.

I'm off to Dartmoor for 3 days (2 nights) in a couple of weeks. My main problem when organising a trip to dartmoor, is I usually over prepare and take too much kit. I think planning the kit for a trip is the one of the things I'm worst at, so I thought i'd ask you knowledgable people for some advice.

If I give you the details of the trip, could you lovely bushcrafters help me work out what kit I need to take?

I'm going for 3 days (2 nights).
I'll be using a tent, not a hammock.
There's two of us going (so I'll need to plan the kit for 2 people, not just myself).
We're planning to walk, camp, walk, camp, walk (I.e. not just stay in one place the whole weekend).
My kit needs to fit into a 45ltr sack, and the other's a 60ltr.

If more info is needed let me know.

Hope you can all help!
Cheers,
Dan

Welcome Daniel! We where missing you, and wondered were you where!! Hope you're OK!

Kit talk:
Won't give you an excessive kitlist, most things are pretty standard.
Good decission to take a tent, as Dartmoor has a serious lack of trees (at least the spot where I was last summer ).
- Bring waterproofs with you, in summer it can rain 16 hours non stop, so think what it can do in autumn.
- A spare set of dry clothing (trouser, shirt, socks)
- Be prepared for the cold: it's not unknown for Dartmoor to get snow on a sunny day in May (hat, gloves, fleece vest / sweater, etc)
- If your boots aren't fully waterproof: waterproof socks (Sealskinz)
- Best maps you can find in right scale (OS 1:25.000)
- Compass, and make sure you can navigate
- Stove & fuel ... I would go for something like a MSR or Optimus, rather than a Trangia ...
- If you have the option to cook on a fire (permission etc.) suitable materials to collect wood (axe, folding saw)
- Food: Take food for about 2 days extra (albeit sweets, coffee sachets, biscuits, instant noodles) - in case you can't make it back due to the bad weather.

>>> Let people in your direct surroundings (family, colleagues) know what you plan to do, leave a route and stick to it.

Dartmoor is a dangerous but beautiful place. They built a prison in the 1800's to lock up some French (Napoleon time) soldiers. Some escaped, but where never found again alive ...

Most important thing of all: enjoy and have fun, and don't forget to make pictures for us

EDIT: Moduser covered it all ... must type faster and check if no one is answering the question when I'm about to start with it

 

[M@rk]

In boggy areas I find a walking pole/stick really helpful for testing how solid that wet ground is. Saves you from going in up to your knees

 

[Spacemonkey]

I would add a PreMac pocket travel well for about £20-25 depending on where you get it. Put a bit of foam over the end and it will be good for about 250 litres give or take and seize up when it's done. This tiny little filter is ideal on Dartmoor and is about the size of a marker pen. It filters and purifies in one and takes about a minute and a half to fill a '58 pattern steel cooking mug. Saves carrying bigger filters, or having to wait for boiling water, and saves carrying too much water as there is plenty to be found on t'moor.

 

[PC2K]

i have bit concern about pre-mac filters. I haven't noticed it before, but i found a website that stated the pre-mac where not effective against gairdia and Crypto. url: http://usachppm.apgea.army.mil/WPD/CompareDevices.aspx

After looking for more info, i could not find any statement from pre-mac that there filters removed gairdia and crypto. I just sold mine pre-mac. ( i had the PWP, which is heavy and i hated the iodine.)

 

[Surrey Yeoman]

I'll be down there as well in a couple of weeks, walking the Two Moors Way.

Anyone who lives down that way, or has spent time recently on the moors (Dart & Exe), know which mobile 'phone provider has the best coverage? I'll only be taking the mobile for emergencies and checking in with "'er indoors" once a day.

I've got a choice of Orange or O2, I'd like to know which is likely to be best.

Yeoman

 

[Ben Trout]

Yes, just like above!

Make sure everything is waterproofed. Waterproof rucsacs generally aren't waterproof enough.

If one step takes you up to your ankle, the second to your knee, the next should be backwards.

Have fun.

 

[Ahjno]

I'll be down there as well in a couple of weeks, walking the Two Moors Way.

Anyone who lives down that way, or has spent time recently on the moors (Dart & Exe), know which mobile 'phone provider has the best coverage? I'll only be taking the mobile for emergencies and checking in with "'er indoors" once a day.

I've got a choice of Orange or O2, I'd like to know which is likely to be best.

Yeoman

Last summer when I was on Dartmoor (Wydecombe-in-the-Moor) my mobile phone (normally dutch provider) had a really crappy reception. Only on 'major' roads and on occassion in the village. Both your mentioned provider came through on my phone ... Sent a succesfull textmessage through O2 ...

Leon-1 had a phone which was suitable for all networks, but he had even more troubles getting proper reception!

 

[leon-1]

Last summer when I was on Dartmoor (Wydecombe-in-the-Moor) my mobile phone (normally dutch provider) had a really crappy reception. Only on 'major' roads and on occassion in the village. Both your mentioned provider came through on my phone ... Sent a succesfull textmessage through O2 ...

Leon-1 had a phone which was suitable for all networks, but he had even more troubles getting proper reception!

Yep my phone is unlocked and capable of recieving all networks, Normally down here the best networks are O2, Orange and Vodafone. Orange used to be the better one of the lot, but that has changed now.

Daniel, I would suggest that you take and use water bags rather than bottles, they fold down small and weigh next to nothing. If you are taking water from the Dart it is pretty clear anyway, but a millbank bag and whatever takes your fancy (chlorination, Iodine or Boiling) will be OK for clarifying and purifying water.

As the guys have mentioned the weather is very changeable, but also be aware that it can also be very hot on the moor, so the layers system will be the way to go as the weather here has been pretty good recently (sorry Johan).

Most any stove will do at this time of year, civilian trangia's are better than thier military counterparts so the mini trangia may be the way to go if you wish to keep size and weight down.

Maps will need to be waterproofed, be it buying one of the ones which has already been done or whether it is by using a mapcase or fablon. Make yourself a routecard with bearings and distances on it.

Make sure you have something for removing ticks in your first aid kit (O'Tom or a set of tweezers) and some steri swabs for cleaning the area after as they are quite common on Dartmoor.

 

[pippyd]

Just got back from 2 weeks holiday camping in Dartmoor (Cockingford Farm mainly). Walked every day as the weather was very good.

The only things I'd add to the list are make sure you have some suitable sunblock/sun cream. Also a good insect repellant to hopefully prevent the ticks from biting if you like walking in shorts (which I do when it's hot).

There were 2 of us + 1 dog in 1 tent and we packed a ford fiesta to the brim!

Cheers, Phil

 

[Spacemonkey]

It's funny, but I keep hearing about ticks.. I am always walking through the very overgrown bits of the New Forest and Dartmoor in shorts, and have never in my life had a tick hanging on. The dog has and he follows me, but I haven't. Maybe I don't taste very nice?? It's the same with mossies etc- my girlfriend gets eaten alive and I get maybe a couple of bites.Maybe it's all the formaldehyde....

 

[pippyd]

It's funny, but I keep hearing about ticks.. I am always walking through the very overgrown bits of the New Forest and Dartmoor in shorts, and have never in my life had a tick hanging on. The dog has and he follows me, but I haven't. Maybe I don't taste very nice?? It's the same with mossies etc- my girlfriend gets eaten alive and I get maybe a couple of bites.Maybe it's all the formaldehyde....

Been to Dartmoor twice now (this year and last). Last year about 20 ticks on the dog (English Springer Spaniel) over a 2 week period and 1 tick on my thigh (latched on and sucking). The dog wasn't tick treated at the time and I was wearing shorts and no insect repellant. This year the dog was tick treated, she picked up 5 ticks that seemed to be resistant. I wore shorts but didn't wear insect repellant often and stayed clean of them

Perhaps I was unlucky last year?!

Both holidays were mainly walking on the moors no wild camping or anything like that.

Cheers, Phil

 

[Daniel]

Hey everyone, thanks for all your advice. So here's my kit checklist:

Clothes
Boots
2xsocks
waterproof socks
2xtrousers
1xcycling shorts (underwear )
gaiters (where can I get a cheap but good pair of these?)
2xshirts
jumper
thermals
hat
gloves??
waterproof coat and trousers

Camp
tent
sleeping bag
bivvy bag
mat

Cooking
mini trangia
meths
matches
lighter
water containers
metal mug
spoon
mess tin

Cutting
knife
saw

Fire
fire stick
tinder pouch

Navigation
2xmap
waterproof map case
compas
pencil and pad

Additional
Head torch
whistle
phone
insect reppelent
emergency blanket
travel towel and pine tar soap
spare batteries
medi kit
camera


Seems like a lot... Anything i've missed or anything I really don't need on there?

Cheers guys,
Dan

 

[Spacemonkey]

If you're using a tent I wouldn't bother with the bivvy bag, unless it's for emergency use, but you could use the tent fly sheet in an emergency instead. Could save quite a bit of weight and space, and if you don't have your tent, chances are you wouldn't have the bivvy bag. You could ditch a spare pair of trousers, and if you get problems, you could use the waterproof ones? Wouldn't have thought gloves would be needed this time of year, but they don't take up much space. Oh, and are you taking any food?

Sounds like you'll be fine..

 

[Daniel]

Hey spacemonkey. Thanks for the fine tuning. So i'll ditch the bivvy bag, the spare trousers and the gloves. I am taking food, but i'm not in charge of that. I'm sorting out the kit, my dad's sorting out the food! Hope he does a good job...

 

[Spacemonkey]

Only ditch them if you feel confident that you won't need them. I travel light as my back can't take too much weight, but if you can take the weight and would feel more confident with them, then take them. Wouldn't bother with the gloves though, and probably not the bivvy...

Dehydrated food is tops for Dartmoor, as water is one thing it isn't short of... I also pack some frozen veggy sasauges, which thaw easy enough for over the fire and some of those precooked cheesy pasta things that only take 3 mins in boiling water. I then add a cup a soup to the water and it makes an instant sauce. My mate says he actually gains weight when I'm in charge of cooking...

 

[Adi]

Clothes
Boots
3 xsocks
waterproof socks wont keep your feet dry on the moor
1 xtrousers and a pair of ronhill tracksters to kip in
1xcycling shorts (underwear ) your going to walk in padded cycle shorts???
gaiters (where can I get a cheap but good pair of these?) Get wax cotton, canvas or strong nylon ones for strength and protection
2xshirts
jumper
thermals leave the thermal bottoms at home they only keep your legs wet when on the moor
hat
gloves?? Light wool gloves
waterproof coat and trousers

Camp
tent
sleeping bag
bivvy bag
mat

Cooking
mini trangia i would probably go for a good quality gas stove
meths fuel for stove
matches
lighter
water containers As Leon said get bladders
metal mug
spoon
mess tin a round pan works better on a trangia

Cutting
knife
saw
You ain't going to have a lot of use for these

Fire
fire stick
tinder pouch
Nor any of this, fires are a big no no and what you going to burn

Navigation
2xmap
waterproof map case
compass
pencil and pad

Additional
Head torch
whistle
phone
insect reppelent
emergency blanket
travel towel and pine tar soap
spare batteries
medi kit
camera
Good quality bright hand torch

I have amended your list for what i would probably take. Moor land is often very wet under foot and from my own experience it is pointless trying to keep your feet and legs dry, still wear your gaiters with a good pair of boots.

Don't rely on your mobile phone for communication because if something was to happen it is unlikely you will be in a reception area.

Start studying you map of the area to familiarize with the ground, plan your routes and as Leon said prepare your route cards now for each days walking.

Out of interest are you static camping or camping on your route and will this be campsite or wild camping.

Finely start taking note of the weather to build up a picture and pattern to the conditions leading to and during the time you are away. I have had 6 inches of snow on Dartmoor in June and October can see some very nice Atlantic storms in that part of the world.