British Wet Weather Camping Tips!

[Woadhart]

The best tip I've been taught for wet weather camping is to split your wood with a good bushcrafting knife and a baton. When you do this you increase the surface area of the wood which helps to expel the moisture, allowing it to burn better without the need to strip all the bark of your wood supply and without the need to take an axe with you. You can also turn dead standing wood as thick as your wrist into pencil sized kindling quite easily with this method.

There are plenty of videos on youtube about the technique if you are unsure how to do it.

 

[snozz]

If you're in a tent, something on the floor (we use a blanket) helps keep everything warm (and soaks up any leaks!).

This is more suitable for car camping, but we have 3 blankets on the floor of our teepee and it makes it SO cosy!

 

[bilmo-p5]

If you're in a tent, something on the floor (we use a blanket) helps keep everything warm (and soaks up any leaks!).

This is more suitable for car camping, but we have 3 blankets on the floor of our teepee and it makes it SO cosy!

+1 to that! Carpets/rugs/mats are an enhancement to the tent environment whatever the weather.

 

[NS40]

One of my big rules for camping in the UK with it's changeable weather, never assume that your rucksack is waterproof. Doesn't matter how much you spent on it just assume it's going to take in water. Use dry bags to make sure your gear stays dry. I have one for the main section of my rucksack with smaller ones for the pockets.

Get a waterproof phone case, ideally the type where you can operate it while in the bag. If you have to dig about inside a dry bag to find it then it will get wet while it's out or you risk dropping it in some wet/muddy stuff. If your phone is your lifeline...make sure you protect it.

I keep an 'emergency only' set of lightweight clothes rolled and packed tightly in a dry bag in my pack which only get used when things go real bad. A light t-shirt, pullover fleece, lightweight trousers and warm socks. An absolute lifesaver if you get soaked and give you the opportunity to get changed and dry your gear without compromising your sleep kit although generally if I get to the stage of using my emergency kit, it's probably best to pack up and go.

During the day, I use my 'day kit' and dry it off when I can...at night I kip in lightweight fleece thermals which get fired back into a dry bag as soon as I'm up and dressed. Lightweigh and quick drying is always a good idea.

Try not to get wet in the first place if you can. Use waterproofs when you need to, I'd recommend ex army goretex as robust, cheap and effective.

A little discomfort can 'build character' but a lot of discomfort can drain your resolve and put you at real risk.

Lastly, don't be afraid to go home (or find a travel lodge and/or a pub with real ale and log fire). Pushing your limits is to test your skills is one thing but it's also about recognising when your limit has been reached.

Finally, savour your return.... As much as you enjoy being out amongst the green stuff that warm bath, hot chocolate/cold beer/peaty malt and warm slippers feel even better when you get home...

 

[Samon]

might be worth a bump considering the 'special' summer we've been experiencing..

 

[santaman2000]

Hard to add much as most points have been covered already:

-Take a big enough shelter. In good weather you may only need a tent or tarp big enough to confortably get a good night's sleep, but in bad weather you may spend half a day? Maybe more, in that shelter bored; why be cramped as well? Take something to keep you occupied when trapped in the tent as well; book, deck of cards, etc.

-Plan on not having a fire. Make one and enjoy it if you can, just don't depend on it.

-NO SHOES IN THE TENT!!! Unless as some have suggested, your tent doesn't have a floor.

-Nothing builds morale in bad weather (or any other time for that matter) like a hot meal and/or beverage.

-And espesially in your case Samon, don't forget the badger repellant!

 

[rik_uk3]

Given the sorry state of this summer, the best options I think are to look on the Ryanair and Easyjet web sites and get a cheap ticket to Spain for a few days then rig your tarp over your balcony to keep the sun off you.

Its been a awful year really, not so much for bushcraft campers because a bit of rain is neither here or there but its been bad for family campers. I've acquired a shed load of glamping kit and its just not got the use I expected it to get this year

My only tip for bushcraft camping would be take a group shelter and or a larger than normal tarp if the camp is only for one or two of you. I'll be honest and admit that the fun I had camping in any weather has faded as I've gotten older, not much fun sitting in the rain all weekend anymore

 

[bushwacker bob]

The best tip I've been taught for wet weather camping is to split your wood with a good bushcrafting knife and a baton. When you do this you increase the surface area of the wood which helps to expel the moisture, allowing it to burn better without the need to strip all the bark of your wood supply and without the need to take an axe with you. You can also turn dead standing wood as thick as your wrist into pencil sized kindling quite easily with this method.

There are plenty of videos on youtube about the technique if you are unsure how to do it.

If you use a sharp knife you can cut the wet bits off to end up with the stuff inside that is dry wood. You really dont have to smash the bejeezus out of your knife to obtain this nirvana level of dry wood enlightenment.

 

[Woadhart]

If you use a sharp knife you can cut the wet bits off to end up with the stuff inside that is dry wood. You really dont have to smash the bejeezus out of your knife to obtain this nirvana level of dry wood enlightenment.

Thanks for the tip, I'll give it a shot. Plenty of opportunity to this summer.

It's sharp and it's only a cheap mora so I'm not too worried about smashing the "bejeezus" out of it.

 

[Tristar777]

Hi Can someone withUK weather experience answer my question. When in your sleeping bag, are you warmer with minimum clothing on or a few layers? Im told this has been discussed before but I dont know what the correct answer is.
Thanks

 

[Robbi]

Oh !! now that's a great big can of worms !!

Run for the hills !!!!!!!

 

[santaman2000]

Oh !! now that's a great big can of worms !!

Run for the hills !!!!!!!

As opposed to the easy answer: Try both and see what you prefer yourself.

 

[Tristar777]

Ill do that, but sometimes there are scientific reasons why somethings work better than others. Since I recognise I dont have that info I thought I would ask.

 

[santaman2000]

There's nothing wrong with asking Tristar. What Robbi and I were implying was that you'll likely get highly opinionated responses when in reality, your opinion is the only one that really matters.

 

[Tristar777]

Sorry. While I appreciate that is what works for me and what I think is best, I thought the whole idea of a Forum was to ask others what they think too which enables me (and others reading) to form those oppinions. Sharing information on what works for you helps others try different things that they might not have done so and learn new things. Or have I got that wrong?

 

[Sickboy]

Some say that wearing clothes in your sleeping bag actually insulates you from the insulation you sleeping bag should give you. Not sure about this, but all I know is that come the morning you'll be wanting to add even more layers as the sweat build up in your clothing will chill you off.

 

[Harvestman]

Well, I'm not opinionated (in that I'm happy to be persuaded that I am wrong), but in answer to Tristar's question I'm firmly in the more layers = more insultation = warmer camp, and sleep with my clothes on if it is cold.

As has been said, others claim to be comfortable with fewer layers, but my own experience is that my approach has worked for me at -7 degrees in a hammock without an underquilt and without a tarp above. Mind you, I was using a damned good sleeping bag too

 

[Tristar777]

Hi. Thanks SB. Its something that came up in another thread and i didnt get the idea behind how one way was better than the other. I always thought more layers more heat.

 

[Tristar777]

I guess it will also make a difference if you are in a hammock (Harvestman) tent, or under a tarp as in each you would be exposed to different exposure even if all three were camped in the same site.

 

[Samon]

I don't have the answer to your question tristar (I'm not sure alot of us do either tbh..) , as I rarely sleep out but I've always bunged on loads of thermals and underlayers and still felt the cold (no undermat/blanket!) but for the sake of providing a better answer maybe some testing would be good!

Anyone going to be spending two night out anytime soon? wanna try one night in all your clothes and the next just in base layers?