On about Wednesday id been looking at the weather, fife had been spared the worst of it and the forecast showed a good weekend, id decided to do my first solo camp.
Normally id talk myself out of it before hand but this time I was looking forward to it, id a few locations in mind, couple being some friends farms whos land I knew like the back of the hand, but I wouldnt just turn up and camp id have to say I was going which in turn would lead to questions of what!! Camp on your own? or have the ramifications of someone turning up to spook me, such are the type of friends I keep.
This then left only one option a location very close to home so that if things did go wrong I would only be a few minutes drive from home.
On Saturday Morning, id fixed the handle on the billhook id bought at the barter stand at the outdoor show meet the previous week, refilled the turbo flame lighter id also bought down there that was in fact nearly empty.
By this time it was lunch time and I was starting to make excuses like it was to late in the day to go now, etc etc, and I hadnt packed my bag as getting in late from work the night before, but then I resolved to go, and made the necessary hard decisions before putting the pack in the car.
Thinking 5pm would be good time to arrive as most folks be home for dinner as i didn't want to be seen, the location in question there is a car park, and on one side of the road is a path to a memorial and cemetery, at this location the Bishop of St. Andrews was murdered by 5 Scottish covenanters. In vengeance 5 random prisoners from the battle of bothwell bridge where hung on chains at the location to serve as a warning to others before finally being buried on site. So there is a wee bit history here. Anyhoo the dog walkers path takes you past the memorial and the plaqs giving the history etc however on the other side of the road over a chained gate is a path in to less trodden woods, it would seem most(all?) people keep to the car park side of the road and well laid tracks.
I decided 5pm was to late and that since I was ready to leave I set off and arrived at 3pm, there where two cars in the car park and I could not see any owners nearby, so I lifted the boot and pulled on my Bergen, is it me or am I the only one that feels like a fugitive setting off, I like to be seen by as few people as possible when setting off, makes me feel at ease.
I managed to cross the road and gate without detection and was on my way into the woods, I decided to use another location than in previous trips as it was nearer a lot of blown down tress I could saw up, in my haste to get setup for some reason I had an air of urgency about me id forgotten to check for the obvious widow makers..
Looking around the wind had broken the tops of a few trees, so I went back to the old faithful spot with its handy Bergen hanger, and no apparent death traps nearby.
Less handy wood nearby so the billhook came in handy chopping dead standing down ala warthog1981 style I was about 45% sure it was going to come down the right way.
Things where starting to look homely
I got enough wood for the night and started the fire,
Then it was time for a brew and christen the new zebra id got
I realised id probably been padding about a few hours and was peckish soo after a cuppa was time for tea, using the cook in bags to heat the chilli saved messing out the zebra so I could use it for more brews later on, unfortunately I decided just to heat the uncle bens rice in its own pouch and it gave the water an orange tinge, so I used it to wash my plate instead although the triatheletes world water bottle freebie from the show last week was handy
After tea I decided the pine was burning at an alarming rate, far to fast and sparky. Id also read other people stories of first solos, and had been up all night huddled round the fire, the last thing I wanted would be to run out of fire wood in the middle off the night so off I went in search of more wood, coming across a nice dry thick beach tree branch and a nice chunk of birch. On the way back to camp with it something caught my eye.
I dropped the wood off and went back as I had a sneaky suspicion as to what it was.
Yup lost beer, verloc and steve(not on forum) had once camped here but over estimated the beer intake, and thus had opted to hide it in a memorable location for future use except on return the location of the beer was a mystery and it was decide it was lost forever that was until now!
Unfortunately I had not got there in time to save it
It did not stop me contemplating drinking it though, however the box had been nibbled by something, and it looked like a mouse had made its home in there at some point so not wanting to have any risk of rats pee on the rim, I decided to use the contents to extinguish the embers in the morning, also I dont like Boddingtons in date never mind out but it would probably have been alright?
By this time id sawed a tonne of wood, and was needing a brew and a project, so utilising the info from a youtube link I had another go at spoon carving, the new technique seemed more efficient, never got very far its a work in progress.
I set the camera on a delay of 5mins and rested it on a log, some shots over the evening of me farting about.
I was enjoying my time in the woods, generally camping with 2 or more, there is an element of team work, someone will get the fire on when others gather wood etc, but there is also the compromise on if you sling your tarp here, and mines there and have the fire there etc, this time I could pick the best most selfish spot possible, and get comfy. I knew if I started on the whiskey it was the point of no return as I wouldnt be able to drive but I also knew that id made myself at home and comfy enough for the evening so it was time for some refreshment, although only one of the two shot glasses was required.
The makeshift seat was kicked aside as I got a few pages from my book
I could feel myself getting sleepy so, decided it was time for bed, I thought that id leave the light on but the candle on the bushlite had already spent itself and went out as I got into my bag.
Not sure what time I went to sleep at but id put the phone on silent, but was awoken at about 2am as one of my drunken mates had tried to phone me for some reason, the fire was still burning so I reached over and threw a few more logs on and tried to get back to sleep.
I did well forgetting all of AndyBySeas, jonathan ross style commentary of every outdoor horror movie released in the past few years, including the one where the neds catch the people in the woods and tie them up with barbwire, and torture them, and the one where the teenage kids in America breakdown on a road and hike across the forest to be captured by weird red necks intent on killing and eating them. At that point I was thinking I was glad, I lived in Scotland no dangerous aninamals to eat and recalled andys tale of a true story of bear man guy whod taken his gf to Canada to film grizzlies and one of the older ones had eaten them, that sent a chill down my neck so I tossed on a few more logs and dozed off.
At 3:30am I was awoken by the most blood curdling scream, I knew right away it was some fox mating/fighting but what a fright, It sounded really close and was like someone being murdered, few more logs on the fire and took me a while to drift off again after that, kept waking up periodically and reaching over for a log for the fire, the heat was bouncing off the tarp nicely and keeping me warm
Eventually I fell asleep again, I woke at about 6am as the forest came alive, pheasant where rustling and crows calling, staid in my bag for another hour, before breaking camp, having a stiff black coffee and a boiled egg roll for breakfast on the still light fire, was surprised id went through most the wood.
All in all a good night but hopefully next time I will sleep right through.
Normally id talk myself out of it before hand but this time I was looking forward to it, id a few locations in mind, couple being some friends farms whos land I knew like the back of the hand, but I wouldnt just turn up and camp id have to say I was going which in turn would lead to questions of what!! Camp on your own? or have the ramifications of someone turning up to spook me, such are the type of friends I keep.
This then left only one option a location very close to home so that if things did go wrong I would only be a few minutes drive from home.
On Saturday Morning, id fixed the handle on the billhook id bought at the barter stand at the outdoor show meet the previous week, refilled the turbo flame lighter id also bought down there that was in fact nearly empty.
By this time it was lunch time and I was starting to make excuses like it was to late in the day to go now, etc etc, and I hadnt packed my bag as getting in late from work the night before, but then I resolved to go, and made the necessary hard decisions before putting the pack in the car.
Thinking 5pm would be good time to arrive as most folks be home for dinner as i didn't want to be seen, the location in question there is a car park, and on one side of the road is a path to a memorial and cemetery, at this location the Bishop of St. Andrews was murdered by 5 Scottish covenanters. In vengeance 5 random prisoners from the battle of bothwell bridge where hung on chains at the location to serve as a warning to others before finally being buried on site. So there is a wee bit history here. Anyhoo the dog walkers path takes you past the memorial and the plaqs giving the history etc however on the other side of the road over a chained gate is a path in to less trodden woods, it would seem most(all?) people keep to the car park side of the road and well laid tracks.
I decided 5pm was to late and that since I was ready to leave I set off and arrived at 3pm, there where two cars in the car park and I could not see any owners nearby, so I lifted the boot and pulled on my Bergen, is it me or am I the only one that feels like a fugitive setting off, I like to be seen by as few people as possible when setting off, makes me feel at ease.
I managed to cross the road and gate without detection and was on my way into the woods, I decided to use another location than in previous trips as it was nearer a lot of blown down tress I could saw up, in my haste to get setup for some reason I had an air of urgency about me id forgotten to check for the obvious widow makers..
Looking around the wind had broken the tops of a few trees, so I went back to the old faithful spot with its handy Bergen hanger, and no apparent death traps nearby.
Less handy wood nearby so the billhook came in handy chopping dead standing down ala warthog1981 style I was about 45% sure it was going to come down the right way.
Things where starting to look homely
I got enough wood for the night and started the fire,
Then it was time for a brew and christen the new zebra id got
I realised id probably been padding about a few hours and was peckish soo after a cuppa was time for tea, using the cook in bags to heat the chilli saved messing out the zebra so I could use it for more brews later on, unfortunately I decided just to heat the uncle bens rice in its own pouch and it gave the water an orange tinge, so I used it to wash my plate instead although the triatheletes world water bottle freebie from the show last week was handy
After tea I decided the pine was burning at an alarming rate, far to fast and sparky. Id also read other people stories of first solos, and had been up all night huddled round the fire, the last thing I wanted would be to run out of fire wood in the middle off the night so off I went in search of more wood, coming across a nice dry thick beach tree branch and a nice chunk of birch. On the way back to camp with it something caught my eye.
I dropped the wood off and went back as I had a sneaky suspicion as to what it was.
Yup lost beer, verloc and steve(not on forum) had once camped here but over estimated the beer intake, and thus had opted to hide it in a memorable location for future use except on return the location of the beer was a mystery and it was decide it was lost forever that was until now!
Unfortunately I had not got there in time to save it
It did not stop me contemplating drinking it though, however the box had been nibbled by something, and it looked like a mouse had made its home in there at some point so not wanting to have any risk of rats pee on the rim, I decided to use the contents to extinguish the embers in the morning, also I dont like Boddingtons in date never mind out but it would probably have been alright?
By this time id sawed a tonne of wood, and was needing a brew and a project, so utilising the info from a youtube link I had another go at spoon carving, the new technique seemed more efficient, never got very far its a work in progress.
I set the camera on a delay of 5mins and rested it on a log, some shots over the evening of me farting about.
I was enjoying my time in the woods, generally camping with 2 or more, there is an element of team work, someone will get the fire on when others gather wood etc, but there is also the compromise on if you sling your tarp here, and mines there and have the fire there etc, this time I could pick the best most selfish spot possible, and get comfy. I knew if I started on the whiskey it was the point of no return as I wouldnt be able to drive but I also knew that id made myself at home and comfy enough for the evening so it was time for some refreshment, although only one of the two shot glasses was required.
The makeshift seat was kicked aside as I got a few pages from my book
I could feel myself getting sleepy so, decided it was time for bed, I thought that id leave the light on but the candle on the bushlite had already spent itself and went out as I got into my bag.
Not sure what time I went to sleep at but id put the phone on silent, but was awoken at about 2am as one of my drunken mates had tried to phone me for some reason, the fire was still burning so I reached over and threw a few more logs on and tried to get back to sleep.
I did well forgetting all of AndyBySeas, jonathan ross style commentary of every outdoor horror movie released in the past few years, including the one where the neds catch the people in the woods and tie them up with barbwire, and torture them, and the one where the teenage kids in America breakdown on a road and hike across the forest to be captured by weird red necks intent on killing and eating them. At that point I was thinking I was glad, I lived in Scotland no dangerous aninamals to eat and recalled andys tale of a true story of bear man guy whod taken his gf to Canada to film grizzlies and one of the older ones had eaten them, that sent a chill down my neck so I tossed on a few more logs and dozed off.
At 3:30am I was awoken by the most blood curdling scream, I knew right away it was some fox mating/fighting but what a fright, It sounded really close and was like someone being murdered, few more logs on the fire and took me a while to drift off again after that, kept waking up periodically and reaching over for a log for the fire, the heat was bouncing off the tarp nicely and keeping me warm
Eventually I fell asleep again, I woke at about 6am as the forest came alive, pheasant where rustling and crows calling, staid in my bag for another hour, before breaking camp, having a stiff black coffee and a boiled egg roll for breakfast on the still light fire, was surprised id went through most the wood.
All in all a good night but hopefully next time I will sleep right through.
- no chance of getting dehydrated in my house! 
