Last Friday Myself and Pete headed up the permission for an over nighter with the intent of doing the fifteen or less challenge(well i suggested it so only fair i should attempt it)
Jake checked daddy's pack for contraband items
Then Pete and I headed off in Pete's car-this was still full of his stuff from his last outing the weekend before when he went night fishing.
i Showed Pete the Evenk slippery figure of eight tarp hitch, he then dutifully practised it repeatedly despite being attacked by little biting insects
i hopped up on a log and tied the other end in a taut tarp hitch
Home for the night(originally just Pete but plans changed i shall explain more shortly)
my original home for the night
We then had a short downpour while we got the fire lit, first slip away from the fifteen items or less-i used my Zippo to light the tinder as it was all a bit soggy, i also used my cowboy hat as a small shelter for the little fire to give it time to get established
As you can see it worked and we got a brew going
i had taken a new to me Zebra 12cm billy can, i can assure you that it wasn't shiny by the time i was finished with it
We had another downpour which threatened to put out the fire so i got a little damp rigging my poncho over the fire to protect it, this slipped me out of the challenge again as it meant i would be using an item from someone else
worked nicely to keep everything dry though
After it got dark i treated myself to a few sips of Stag's Breath from the hip flask i received from Jake as a Father's Day gift
Dinner that night was home made Lamb Kebabs supplied by Pete with some Pitta bread and a yoghurt dip thing that started with a T that i can neither remember nor spell
Around 01:00 we bedded down for the night, i used a waterproof poncho, closed cell mat and a Dutch army surplus wool blanket
I settled well but woke at around 02:30 in the morning in desperate need of a comfort stop, once that was dealt with i had a smoke and rebuilt the fire before bundling up in my blanket again. I've got to say having slept with just blanket's several times my respect for people who do it all the time is increased each time i do it.
i woke again around 07:20 and decided it was time to get up
this was the fire when i woke
and after five mins work it had the billy going for first brew of the day
Pete surfaced from his pit-as far as sitting up anyway- got to say there are better views to wake up to than this
not that i am the most fetching sight first thing in the morning, especially while the first cup is still kicking in
We then had a dog walker pop in for a natter, i see him most times i'm up there and he always stops to ask where the Full English is.
After half an hours chat he left and we opened the bacon we had been hiding
bacon tortilla wrap breakfast of champions
Then we cleared up the fire so it wasn't visible
packed up our kit and headed home.
Why did i fail the 15 or less challenge? Too much temptation sat in Pete's car and i am only human.
next time i shall walk up there as it is too easy to just grab bits out the car when it sat near you and you want to sit down or you want illumination
still was a great time even if we got chewed to bits by the vicious little midges
thanks for looking and coming along with us
Jake checked daddy's pack for contraband items
Then Pete and I headed off in Pete's car-this was still full of his stuff from his last outing the weekend before when he went night fishing.
i Showed Pete the Evenk slippery figure of eight tarp hitch, he then dutifully practised it repeatedly despite being attacked by little biting insects
i hopped up on a log and tied the other end in a taut tarp hitch
Home for the night(originally just Pete but plans changed i shall explain more shortly)
my original home for the night
We then had a short downpour while we got the fire lit, first slip away from the fifteen items or less-i used my Zippo to light the tinder as it was all a bit soggy, i also used my cowboy hat as a small shelter for the little fire to give it time to get established
As you can see it worked and we got a brew going
i had taken a new to me Zebra 12cm billy can, i can assure you that it wasn't shiny by the time i was finished with it
We had another downpour which threatened to put out the fire so i got a little damp rigging my poncho over the fire to protect it, this slipped me out of the challenge again as it meant i would be using an item from someone else
worked nicely to keep everything dry though
After it got dark i treated myself to a few sips of Stag's Breath from the hip flask i received from Jake as a Father's Day gift
Dinner that night was home made Lamb Kebabs supplied by Pete with some Pitta bread and a yoghurt dip thing that started with a T that i can neither remember nor spell
Around 01:00 we bedded down for the night, i used a waterproof poncho, closed cell mat and a Dutch army surplus wool blanket
I settled well but woke at around 02:30 in the morning in desperate need of a comfort stop, once that was dealt with i had a smoke and rebuilt the fire before bundling up in my blanket again. I've got to say having slept with just blanket's several times my respect for people who do it all the time is increased each time i do it.
i woke again around 07:20 and decided it was time to get up
this was the fire when i woke
and after five mins work it had the billy going for first brew of the day
Pete surfaced from his pit-as far as sitting up anyway- got to say there are better views to wake up to than this
not that i am the most fetching sight first thing in the morning, especially while the first cup is still kicking in
We then had a dog walker pop in for a natter, i see him most times i'm up there and he always stops to ask where the Full English is.
After half an hours chat he left and we opened the bacon we had been hiding
bacon tortilla wrap breakfast of champions
Then we cleared up the fire so it wasn't visible
packed up our kit and headed home.
Why did i fail the 15 or less challenge? Too much temptation sat in Pete's car and i am only human.
next time i shall walk up there as it is too easy to just grab bits out the car when it sat near you and you want to sit down or you want illumination
still was a great time even if we got chewed to bits by the vicious little midges
thanks for looking and coming along with us
