British Wet Weather Camping Tips!

[John Fenna]

Erm - my whole kit is devoted to being out in the bad weather - we live in Britain and dry weather is a rarity (especially in West Wales!)...
Get gear that works in the rain and you find that it will work in the rare dry times as well!
Learn how to get a fire lit in the rain (masses of tinder/feathersticks from inside split dead standing wood, masses of kindling from the same and pretty soon you can have a fire capable of surviving haveing a pot of stew fall into it - I know from experience!) and with a decent tarp (3x4m is my choice) you will not be bothered by the rain...
Tiny tarps give no real dry living space and wearing your waterproofs all day challenges their breathability/comfort.
Carry spare clothing - especially socks - to change into if you do get soaked
Pack a towel
Enjoy a nice "bush shower" using biodegradable soap

 

[shaggystu]

.......Enjoy a nice "bush shower" using biodegradable soap

an extra tarp can be really useful in inclement weather; firstly, to keep off the rain, and secondly, to act as a shower curtain and stop john from scaring the locals :yikes:

 

[lannyman8]

im not bothered about wet feet or legs and just make sure my core is warm enough to take the brunt of it, after all the important bits are all in the torso and your head of course...

again make sure you have enough fuel for your stove, and some spare to allow for stronger winds etc etc..also have a bullet proof lighting system with a back up stove and back up lighting system, ever gone to use a light and found the flint has popped out and been lost...

finding tinder can still be done with ease, birch bark is great even when its been wet, shake of all the excess water and rub on some dry clothes and its all good, if there is no birch bark its harder but still easy once you know where to look, the best places are dense areas of wood/scrub where the trees protect the floor, think cosy areas under the bushes or trees etc etc, also fallen logs are very good on the under side, normally full of of dry dead leaves, old rabbit holes are also very good for leaves etc etc. also when walking the tops of dead grass/furn are very good, they dry in the wind very quickly even after rain. pine resin is very good wet too, it can be harvested along the trail.

for main fuel try and take dead standing or sticks/branches that are hooked up in the limbs of trees, pine trees nearly always have dead branches on the tree at the bottom, if they break with a snap when you take them of they are good to go, if they bend a bit more than normal but then break they are damp and should be used when the fire is well lit, if they bend and dont break or only just break they are very damp and are best not to be used...

as a last resort big old dead logs should be split and the center turned into feather sticks to light the main fuel source. lots of fuel will be needed so it can dryed by the fire once it gets going, always store some fuel under the tarp out of the rain, and also store as much tinder as possible too, lots of tinder it the key to wet fire lighting and as dry a main fuel as possible, if only wet fuel is around consider the use of green wood like Ash or Holly which may be dryer than the dead stuff..

always prepare for the worst, anything better is a bonus.... and always tell people where you are going when your back and what rout your taking, if things change also tell the same people the details, anyone seen 127 hours...

hope this helps a bit.

chris.

PS waterproofing kit has 3 stages.
1) the item or items in one dry bag/plastic bag (2 t/shirts or what ever)
2) the main compartment bag that holds that group of gear (ie spare clothes)
3) the main bergan or side pouch liner (canoe bag or similar thats bombproof)

4) lastly the bergan its self, you will get to know how waterproof yours is through actual getting it wet. they vary allot so i dont cont it as waterproof.

 

[Samon]

do any of you guys walk from your home to your camp site? no vehicles carrying kit etc. As that completely changes the experience and things you can carry.

Would it be worth trying to save water weight by collecting it when you're out (if it's raining enough of course)? have people tried this?

 

[Lister]

Always pack some form of tinder that wil light when wet (in case you have to make fire in the rain), leather and rubber are good for this. Currently in North West England (Cheshire).

 

[lannyman8]

do any of you guys walk from your home to your camp site? no vehicles carrying kit etc. As that completely changes the experience and things you can carry.

Would it be worth trying to save water weight by collecting it when you're out (if it's raining enough of course)? have people tried this?

i planned to do 110 miles in 4 days self sustained, we only ended up doing 2 because my mate pulled out because of bad blisters, my bergan way 25 kg plus, with 6 liters of water, i used this by the end of the day, but it was quite warm and we did 30 + miles in the first day, i would rather have water than food though????

what you need is a reliable pump filter type system, boiling on the go like that would never work always puri tabs though, but they wear or off with motion from walking...

 

[John Fenna]

do any of you guys walk from your home to your camp site? no vehicles carrying kit etc. As that completely changes the experience and things you can carry.

Would it be worth trying to save water weight by collecting it when you're out (if it's raining enough of course)? have people tried this?

In my back packing days I followed the same rules - but the tarp was a tent a bit bigger than strictly needed for one person and I carried a stove as well - my longest trip out was over 6 months (with the odd night in a youth hostel) using only the contents of a 65l rucksack (the odd bit of kit was replaced as it wore out) - ranging from the Cairngorms in winter to walking from Lands End to County Durham...

 

[shaggystu]

do any of you guys walk from your home to your camp site? no vehicles carrying kit etc....

sometimes walk, sometimes get a lift (i don't drive)........

........As that completely changes the experience and things you can carry.....

the only difference it makes to me is whether i take a chair or a sit mat, everything else remains the same

......Would it be worth trying to save water weight by collecting it when you're out (if it's raining enough of course)? have people tried this?

most definately, there's a few different threads on here about people's home made water collectors, i remember wayland putting up pictures of his at some point, but the easiest is to hang your kettle/billy from a spare loop on your basha (a la udamiano; see post 11 in this thread). it's best to just ignore the colour of the water that washes off your tarp IMO

 

[Samon]

In my back packing days I followed the same rules - but the tarp was a tent a bit bigger than strictly needed for one person and I carried a stove as well - my longest trip out was over 6 months (with the odd night in a youth hostel) using only the contents of a 65l rucksack (the odd bit of kit was replaced as it wore out) - ranging from the Cairngorms in winter to walking from Lands End to County Durham...

that sounds like a lot of fun! hard, but fun!

I'm still considering modding a light weight golf trolley to carry all my stuff as I don't drive, that way I can easily take enough stuff to be comfy and still have something to drink and eat. (kind of like the page 4 image on the knobber thread..)

 

[Hammock Hamster]

do any of you guys walk from your home to your camp site? no vehicles carrying kit etc. As that completely changes the experience and things you can carry.

Would it be worth trying to save water weight by collecting it when you're out (if it's raining enough of course)? have people tried this?

Hi Samon,

I tend to get the bus to my usual spot, oh the looks on the faces of the happy commuters, then yomp about 4-5 miles deep into the woods.
I tend to use the same kit there as I would if there were a car park 5 mins away or even glamping with the missus with the exception of a tent and a camp cooker.

My usual spot has very little in the way of natural water available so have to lug it all in with me but I do take advantage of the rain and collect it via my tarp and use for teas and stews.

It's also very refreshing first thing in a morning having a mouthful of what's collected in the tarp, after picking the twigs out, and using the rest for a quick wash as the tarp makes a handy basin.

Cheers, Hamster

 

[tomongoose]

I did a 2 day walk on Dartmoor at the weekend I only did about 20 miles but my bag weighed 18kg as I always overpack. I took a filter bottle http://www.drinksafe-systems.co.uk/products.php and a couple of litres of water and topped up the bottle as I used it up and that did me fine. I also have an old rubber mat in my bag which is great for sticking on a log to make a dry seat

 

[ged]

... what about sourcing dry tinder/fuel for your fire?

I always take some with me when I leave and I'm always collecting it as I go. You can dry it with just your body heat if it's a bit damp, just put it in an inside pocket. I prefer to look for dry stuff though. I'm not above raiding the litter bins -- cautiously of course -- and unfortunately there are few places in the UK where you can't pick up a few plastic containers, carrier bags or other litter which can turn a bit of poor to average natural kindling into a roaring fire.

and maximising your warmth while wet/with little protection?

Stay dry or get dry. Some of the 'technical' base layers work well and aren't so itchy as a lot of wool fabrics. No reason to keep plugging away if you're wet and uncomfortable, just set up a shelter, put on a layer and get in your bag. Never mind what time of day it is. On occasion I've been soaking wet when I've pitched my tent, and just the switch from wet clothes to something like a thin dry fleece has made the difference between a survival situation and a pleasant, comfortable stopover. I like using a breathable bivvy bag in a tent, it keeps any condensation from the tent off the sleeping bag and your body heat (or a hot water bottle) will dry out everything in the bag. Try not to put too much water vapour into the bag from your breath. Close up the hood of your bag so at least your mouth and nose peep through the hole.

what about morale?

Never a problem. I'm rarely more content than when I'm out on my own, just looking after myself, miles from anywhere.

 

[Sleepy Weasel]

I've got a square of dpm goretex fabric hemmed with a drawcord around the edges and out at the corners. This gets used for all sorts of things, it gets put down folded as a sit mat, opened up and placed on the ground as somewhere to lie down on, no sniggering at the back please. It acts like a mini tarp for a small bit of shelter. it also gets used for covering my bergen and other kit when it's p!$$!ng it down.

I've also got a set of Army goretex jacket and trousers which i picked up cheap at a car boot sale. cheap enough not to worry too much about trashing them on thorns and brambles.

Considering we've just had the wettest April since records began you'd think we would be used to operating in wet weather, or grown gills at least

(I've already got the webbed feet, being Welsh and all that)

 

[Samon]

I've got a square of dpm goretex fabric hemmed with a drawcord around the edges and out at the corners. This gets used for all sorts of things, it gets put down folded as a sit mat, opened up and placed on the ground as somewhere to lie down on, no sniggering at the back please. It acts like a mini tarp for a small bit of shelter. it also gets used for covering my bergen and other kit when it's p!$$!ng it down.

I've also got a set of Army goretex jacket and trousers which i picked up cheap at a car boot sale. cheap enough not to worry too much about trashing them on thorns and brambles.

Considering we've just had the wettest April since records began you'd think we would be used to operating in wet weather, or grown gills at least

(I've already got the webbed feet, being Welsh and all that)

haha! I thought I'd know better too but I really don't. Like alot of people, I just avoid it. I don't want to avoid it though, unless of course it's a mega hell storm of doom like saturday!

 

[rg598]

I'm from the northern US, so take what I say with a grain of salt.

For wet weather (and at all other times for that matter) I like to use a shelter with an open floor like the Go Lite Shangri La 5. It protects better from the rain, especially when there is wind, but at the same time you can walk in with wet and muddy boots, you can operate a stove, and store fire wood. It still weighs less that 3lb.

I tend to wear fleece in wet weather. It retains good amount of insulation when wet, and dries fast. I find it hard to avoid getting wet when it's raining. Wool would be my second choice. It is just as warm when wet, but dries a bit more slowly.

I carry a plastic bag to sit on.

Be mindful not only of keeping things in your bag dry from the rain, but also from other wet items. For example, if you have been in your tent during the rain, when you pack it up and put it back in your bag, it will be wet. If your other items are not individually protected, they will get wet. Same thing goes for things like tarp and ropes.

 

[Chiseller]

When buying a tent, instead of thinking how light is it and stealthy low, think how hard it is to sit up in and change out of wet clothes if you were confined to it for a full night an day.....

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[Chiseller]

Always pays to have a couple of strong carrier bags . Aswell as a thousand n three uses for survival, they also make putting on leggins easy when slipped over your booits :thumbup:

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[shaggystu]

........a couple of strong carrier bags.......make putting on leggins easy when slipped over your booits :thumbup:

now that is clever, why have i never thought of that one. good call chiseller

 

[Chiseller]

now that is clever, why have i never thought of that one. good call chiseller

Welcome squire, a bloke once taught me same . Helps protect insides from snags , mud etc. An a reversal of the bags mean they go back in pocket/pouch dry an can be used in reverse if you tuck the tops into your boots. :thumbup:

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[Shewie]

Use a shelter big enough to provide ample cover, use a light groundsheet with a smaller footprint than the shelter, use a lightweight bivvy bag to prevent moisture getting into your bedding on extended trips.

Collect firewood early and get it under cover, stacked up jenga style and with a gentle breeze it'll soon dry out. Remove moss and soggy bark from firewood for a hotter and less smokey fire.

Have a dry set of clothes for sleeping in and save them only for that purpose, putting on wet clothes in the morning is cold but you soon warm up.

Look after your feet in wet weather, use plenty of foot powder regularly to stop you getting bath foot, a change of warm dry socks is also very welcome once you've stopped. Give your feet an airing at any rest stops.

Hang soggy footwear from a separate ridgeline under your tarp, take the insoles out if possible too. Sachets of silica gel from electronics work well at drying boots.

Strips of rubber will always catch light no matter how wet it gets.

A tea light candle propped up in a small twig fire will act like an oven with a bark roof over the top, hot enough to get wet kindling to light.

Keep your sleep gear and dry clothes inside a separate plastic bag inside your pack, anything else can be accessed in the rain without worrying about the important bits.