Hello everyone, I`d like to share a trip report of my first ever solo overnighter. While I have camped many times before, I never ventured out alone. Last night I changed that. About two weeks ago I picked up a bargain: A McKinley tent for 30 euros. For that price I figured I couldn`t go wrong, so I bought it and took the opportunity to test it.
(An important detail about this story is that while I live in the Netherlands, I am spending the summer in Norway, where my girlfriend lives.)
I packed a bag of what I thought I would need and started walking out of the front door and to my destination.
After following the road for a bit I reached the point where I`d pick up a trail that is mainly followed by sheep and deer. I followed it down to the water that you can see in the picture. This is a tidal pool that is connected to the fjord.
As you can see the pool (and the fjord) are crystal clear and bursting with life. It is absolutely stunning to walk along the shore, even though it involves quite a bit of climbing on steep rock to do so. The next picture is taken on top of a hill. and it has a nice view on the little bay I was heading for. There is a bit of field there, and a nice stream of potable water. In Norway the rule is that you can drink all the water that runs just like that, and it is lovely. I`d meet a stream there where it meets the ocean.
This is the view from the spot where I had set up camp. This is about 30 meters from the spot where I had pitched.
After arriving I pitched the tent, got installed and sat down for a bit of water. Realizing how warm and sweaty I was, and how I had a crystal clear and cool fjord at my disposal, a rash decision was quickly made. Sensitive souls, avert your eyes
After some very refreshing swimming in the sea it was time to get a fire sorted in order to keep the mosquitos at a comfortable distance. My beloved little wildlife hatchet made short work of felling and chopping up a dead standing little birch tree. The wood was bonedry, and with my ferro rod and the bark I quickly had a nice fire going.
I had brought an unfinished kuksa to carve, and a book to read, but most of the evening I found mysef just sipping my tea, tending the fire and watching the fjord and its inhabitants. Next time I go camping I might bring a fishing rod along to land some of the many mackrels that hunt in the waters. I sat up with the fire and the water watching the tide come it untill about ten o`clock. Then I went to bed where I read a bit and slept through the night. To be honest I was a bit worried spending so many hours on my own withouth much to do, but just sitting there, just being, was awfully nice.
The next morning I had a bite to eat, cleaned the campsite, spread the ashes of the fire and packed up the tent. When there was no trace left except for some flattened grass I could be on my way.
I went home a slightly different way than how I arrived, in order to go through a bit more of a foresty landscape. I arrived over the right-hand side of the bridge you see in the picture. On the way home I would cross the bridge and loop back to the road via a nice bit of woods that consist mainly of birch.
That was pretty much the end of my trip. For my next overnighter I must revise my packing list, but not by all that much. I only had a bit too much food on me, and maybe a pair of swimming trunks too little. I have considered taking just a tarp out the next time, but the mosquitos and the little biting flies that live here by billions rule out the option of a comfortable night like that pretty quickly. I was happy to be in my tent. Frankly, for the 30 euros I spent on it I am very pleased with it! It is (relatively) light, packs small, pitches fast and has plenty of room for two people and gear. On the outside of the innertent there are some nice pockets to organize equipment and not have it clutter the groundspace. Of course it will not survive many a storm or last me for many years, as I expect my actual tent back home to do, but it is great to have and do overnighters with in the lovely fjord landscape of Bømlo. Next time I hope that SWMBO, who was working this time, joins me, as I much prefer her company to my own.
Thanks for reading everyone!
(An important detail about this story is that while I live in the Netherlands, I am spending the summer in Norway, where my girlfriend lives.)
I packed a bag of what I thought I would need and started walking out of the front door and to my destination.
After following the road for a bit I reached the point where I`d pick up a trail that is mainly followed by sheep and deer. I followed it down to the water that you can see in the picture. This is a tidal pool that is connected to the fjord.
As you can see the pool (and the fjord) are crystal clear and bursting with life. It is absolutely stunning to walk along the shore, even though it involves quite a bit of climbing on steep rock to do so. The next picture is taken on top of a hill. and it has a nice view on the little bay I was heading for. There is a bit of field there, and a nice stream of potable water. In Norway the rule is that you can drink all the water that runs just like that, and it is lovely. I`d meet a stream there where it meets the ocean.
This is the view from the spot where I had set up camp. This is about 30 meters from the spot where I had pitched.
After arriving I pitched the tent, got installed and sat down for a bit of water. Realizing how warm and sweaty I was, and how I had a crystal clear and cool fjord at my disposal, a rash decision was quickly made. Sensitive souls, avert your eyes
After some very refreshing swimming in the sea it was time to get a fire sorted in order to keep the mosquitos at a comfortable distance. My beloved little wildlife hatchet made short work of felling and chopping up a dead standing little birch tree. The wood was bonedry, and with my ferro rod and the bark I quickly had a nice fire going.
I had brought an unfinished kuksa to carve, and a book to read, but most of the evening I found mysef just sipping my tea, tending the fire and watching the fjord and its inhabitants. Next time I go camping I might bring a fishing rod along to land some of the many mackrels that hunt in the waters. I sat up with the fire and the water watching the tide come it untill about ten o`clock. Then I went to bed where I read a bit and slept through the night. To be honest I was a bit worried spending so many hours on my own withouth much to do, but just sitting there, just being, was awfully nice.
The next morning I had a bite to eat, cleaned the campsite, spread the ashes of the fire and packed up the tent. When there was no trace left except for some flattened grass I could be on my way.
I went home a slightly different way than how I arrived, in order to go through a bit more of a foresty landscape. I arrived over the right-hand side of the bridge you see in the picture. On the way home I would cross the bridge and loop back to the road via a nice bit of woods that consist mainly of birch.
That was pretty much the end of my trip. For my next overnighter I must revise my packing list, but not by all that much. I only had a bit too much food on me, and maybe a pair of swimming trunks too little. I have considered taking just a tarp out the next time, but the mosquitos and the little biting flies that live here by billions rule out the option of a comfortable night like that pretty quickly. I was happy to be in my tent. Frankly, for the 30 euros I spent on it I am very pleased with it! It is (relatively) light, packs small, pitches fast and has plenty of room for two people and gear. On the outside of the innertent there are some nice pockets to organize equipment and not have it clutter the groundspace. Of course it will not survive many a storm or last me for many years, as I expect my actual tent back home to do, but it is great to have and do overnighters with in the lovely fjord landscape of Bømlo. Next time I hope that SWMBO, who was working this time, joins me, as I much prefer her company to my own
. Thanks for reading everyone!
