I've just got back from a few nights away in the Lakes so I thought I'd do a quick write up and share a few photo's from my trip.
I didn't really have too much of a plan for this trip, I just wanted to do a bit of walking and also to properly test out my hammock set-up.
It took most of the morning to get there due to the traffic and road works etc but as soon as I got there I knew it'd been worth it. I'm alway impressed by the views that the Lakes has to offer.
As I left the car it was looking like it might rain
I'd checked the weather report before leaving home so I knew there was a good chance I'd be getting wet, so off I went. Not long after setting off I came across what looked to be a shelter, it seemed quite well made and looked to offer a reasonable amount of protection from outside
For the next few hours I walked around the nearby lake, I haven't spent much time in this area before this trip so it was nice to be seeing somewhere new. I explored the area a little and sat by the lake and ate my lunch. The rain managed to hold off for most of the afternoon but looking around I knew it wouldn't be for much longer
After a couple more hours walking it was time to find somewhere to spend the night, after taking a while to choose my spot up went the tarp
The rain had just about held off until now, but about 37.4 seconds after the tarp was up the rain started
Next the hammock
Once this was up the rain eased a little so I decided it was time for a brew, the moss on a near by tree stump had been rolled back so I used this as a sturdy place to rest my stove
After a nice cuppa it was time to rig my underquilt (UQ). I haven't used one of these before and hadn't really had chance to test/use mine before coming on this trip. It's a home made job butchered out of a 3 season sleeping bag, after messing around with the shock cord for a while I managed to get it set up something like I had hoped
Once that was done I spent a while exploring the area around my camp, didn't find too much, and no fires allowed in this area so I didn't go about collecting firewood like I normally might. Although I'm not sure i'd have been able to get a good fire going given how wet it was.
Next it was on to tea. I'd brought along a couple of self heating meal packs. I've used these before but a different brand and they've always worked worked quite well. I wish i'd have read the packet before setting out though as the pack contained not only the meal pack and heating element but also a knife, fork, spoon, some tissues, and salt and pepper! Guess that explains why they're so bulky, anyway, poured in a bit of water, and twelve minutes later I had something hot to eat, quite tasty!
Slept pretty well the first night and managed to stay warm and dry, although the sound of the rain against the tarp did keep me awake for a while.
It was still raining when I woke up and it appeared the cloud level had dropped to below where I was camped, it was quite foggy on the second morning
The rest of the trip pretty much followed a similar pattern to the first day and night, and all in all I had a really good time, it was great to be out somewhere new, the tarp/hammock worked a treat and I was warm and dry each night, In the past i've struggled with cold spots underneath me when using a thermarest. I didn't have any this time so I'm going to declare the UQ was a success!
One thing this trip has made me realise is how bulky/heavy all my kit is, I didn't aim to pack light and admit I did throw in a few things just because I had space/wanted a play with them. I took my Sabre 45 with side pouches and it was packed full. I'm going to need to cut down on some kit, especially if I plan to do some longer walks in the future.
I've no doubt bored you for long enough now so i'll leave it at that, If anyone can offer some advice on how I can lighten things up a little or improve my hammock set up i'd be most grateful.
I've been on BCUK for a while now but haven't posted very much so apologies if this is in the wrong group/i've done something wrong/this isn't of any interest!
A few more photo's:
I didn't really have too much of a plan for this trip, I just wanted to do a bit of walking and also to properly test out my hammock set-up.
It took most of the morning to get there due to the traffic and road works etc but as soon as I got there I knew it'd been worth it. I'm alway impressed by the views that the Lakes has to offer.
As I left the car it was looking like it might rain
I'd checked the weather report before leaving home so I knew there was a good chance I'd be getting wet, so off I went. Not long after setting off I came across what looked to be a shelter, it seemed quite well made and looked to offer a reasonable amount of protection from outside
For the next few hours I walked around the nearby lake, I haven't spent much time in this area before this trip so it was nice to be seeing somewhere new. I explored the area a little and sat by the lake and ate my lunch. The rain managed to hold off for most of the afternoon but looking around I knew it wouldn't be for much longer
After a couple more hours walking it was time to find somewhere to spend the night, after taking a while to choose my spot up went the tarp
The rain had just about held off until now, but about 37.4 seconds after the tarp was up the rain started
Next the hammock
Once this was up the rain eased a little so I decided it was time for a brew, the moss on a near by tree stump had been rolled back so I used this as a sturdy place to rest my stove
After a nice cuppa it was time to rig my underquilt (UQ). I haven't used one of these before and hadn't really had chance to test/use mine before coming on this trip. It's a home made job butchered out of a 3 season sleeping bag, after messing around with the shock cord for a while I managed to get it set up something like I had hoped
Once that was done I spent a while exploring the area around my camp, didn't find too much, and no fires allowed in this area so I didn't go about collecting firewood like I normally might. Although I'm not sure i'd have been able to get a good fire going given how wet it was.
Next it was on to tea. I'd brought along a couple of self heating meal packs. I've used these before but a different brand and they've always worked worked quite well. I wish i'd have read the packet before setting out though as the pack contained not only the meal pack and heating element but also a knife, fork, spoon, some tissues, and salt and pepper! Guess that explains why they're so bulky, anyway, poured in a bit of water, and twelve minutes later I had something hot to eat, quite tasty!
Slept pretty well the first night and managed to stay warm and dry, although the sound of the rain against the tarp did keep me awake for a while.
It was still raining when I woke up and it appeared the cloud level had dropped to below where I was camped, it was quite foggy on the second morning
The rest of the trip pretty much followed a similar pattern to the first day and night, and all in all I had a really good time, it was great to be out somewhere new, the tarp/hammock worked a treat and I was warm and dry each night, In the past i've struggled with cold spots underneath me when using a thermarest. I didn't have any this time so I'm going to declare the UQ was a success!
One thing this trip has made me realise is how bulky/heavy all my kit is, I didn't aim to pack light and admit I did throw in a few things just because I had space/wanted a play with them. I took my Sabre 45 with side pouches and it was packed full. I'm going to need to cut down on some kit, especially if I plan to do some longer walks in the future.
I've no doubt bored you for long enough now so i'll leave it at that, If anyone can offer some advice on how I can lighten things up a little or improve my hammock set up i'd be most grateful.
I've been on BCUK for a while now but haven't posted very much so apologies if this is in the wrong group/i've done something wrong/this isn't of any interest!
A few more photo's:
