I don't go out under canvas much, hardly at all.
So as I'll be 60 on Saturday I decided to have a night out in a new Tatonka tarp I just got.
I have not been well of late due to illness and have been trying to get back into shape, looks like I'm to quite there, as I was blooming knaa88erd carrying the rucksack, I'm putting heavy loads off until I'm fit.
Well planning was BAD, I left home far too late in the day and also took far too much gear.
The Karrimore Panther 3 rucksack that I used only once 20 years ago was stuffed to the gunnel's.
I parked up the car and walked to my destination about 40 minutes walk, the sun was going down quick .So I chose a poor place to rig the tarp up, once up grub was on the go, sausages bacon, forgot to do the eggs, tea and a coffee. Hobo stove worked well this time all the wood I needed was at my feet, birch bark tinder to light it.
Tatonka methylated spirit stove was doing my drinks and worked well, I spilt the water twice by knocking over the billy, what a silly billy I was.
The ground was quite uneven I was glad for the head torch that I wore and the backup in my pocket.
A lovely full moon, plenty of owls calling and other wildlife, bats, badgers I heard quite a lot of, but no foxes.
Now why no foxes I was thinking, well I found out when I lay on top of a rather uncomfortable old roll mate which I somehow put under my new Mill Comm bivy bag and a very old cheep sleeping bag ( I could not get my Slaters Alasker 11 one in the rucksack due to it's size).
I did not bother getting in the bivi as it was a warm evening, on rolling on my side I could see a hole in the ground so being a silly billy I stuck my hand in it and Poo was on my hand, more holes I find so decide to cover the up with soil.
So off I trot very early in the morning and get some earth down in a gully wood earth in a carrier bag I take back, not before seeing a lovely place to pitch up for the night, looking at all the booze bottles and other stuff
left over by some pleasant young folk.
I decide to put all the soil in the offending hole leaving the others as I could not be bothered.
I lay there with just a little breeze wafting through the tarp open at both ends just a bit, (to keep out the trolls) thinking to myself why did I bring three knifes an axe my heaviest hatchet along with mask, did I need the Laplander saw, YES I did came in very handy, Two sets of cooking pans that's not right surely.
Those two large baker potatoes that I had to carry all the way there and back home again all because I was full up with sausages 6 of the finest, bacon eggs for breakfast as well and the finest Bannock that I have ever made, along with all the pre mixed bannock mix that I made at home, enough for a team of hungry footballers and carted back with me.
Why did I take too many eggs, still I'll have them tomorrow for my birthday breakfast.
I did not need to take as many Capachino sachets, still they'll last me the weekend now there back home, along with all the teabags for a week.
Did I need the Flecktarn wet weather jacket in this nice hot weather, YES I had to put it on in the night as it got a bit cold in the crummy sleeping bag.
Did I have to take so many pound coins and other smaller coins weighing down my pockets, sticking in my legs as I turned over, ( I didn't go commando as I new I'd be getting up in the night to get rid of some of the lovely sausages)
Why did I take the spare T shirt I was wearing a perfectly good 5.11 in OD that made me sweet all the way to the camp and drink half the water ration, another third was spilt knocking to billy can over twice and dropping the water bottle in my sleeping bag at three in the morning, if I took more water I could have used up some of the coffee and tea bags, even stayed longer and cooked the baker potatoes, along with the beens that I had to bury before I put the can in my wast bag for taking home along with all the packaging and banana skins.
The apple was nice but why did I take more than one, having to take it's brother back home with me.
I could have burnt the wood shavings that /i took along for lighting, did I need so much.
Still it will come in handy to light the fire in the winter.
Sleep did I get any, yes I did, I could have had moor if I put the tarp a bit better, flap flap it went when the wind picked up.
The usual noises in the night but nothing to worry old Hugo, who being armed to the teeth with three knives a heavy hatchet and a wicked looking Laplander saw.
I was lucky it wasn't a Saturday as the local young people might have taken a liking to the new tarp and other shiny things that some old bugger has, the old bugger was really knackered taking all the stuff back home that should not have left in the first place.
BUT would I do it again you might ask ?
You bet I will, it was blooming great I had a great time, mind you I should have taken more water, then I might not be writing this today but be at this place on the Sussex downs.
Thank goodness for wet wipes as this is what I used to clean of the poo along with a whole lot of loo roll.
It's good to carry spars people say, well the were right on this one
Edit I found that I took four knives in the end, a More dropped out the bag when I got home
So as I'll be 60 on Saturday I decided to have a night out in a new Tatonka tarp I just got.
I have not been well of late due to illness and have been trying to get back into shape, looks like I'm to quite there, as I was blooming knaa88erd carrying the rucksack, I'm putting heavy loads off until I'm fit.
Well planning was BAD, I left home far too late in the day and also took far too much gear.
The Karrimore Panther 3 rucksack that I used only once 20 years ago was stuffed to the gunnel's.
I parked up the car and walked to my destination about 40 minutes walk, the sun was going down quick .So I chose a poor place to rig the tarp up, once up grub was on the go, sausages bacon, forgot to do the eggs, tea and a coffee. Hobo stove worked well this time all the wood I needed was at my feet, birch bark tinder to light it.
Tatonka methylated spirit stove was doing my drinks and worked well, I spilt the water twice by knocking over the billy, what a silly billy I was.
The ground was quite uneven I was glad for the head torch that I wore and the backup in my pocket.
A lovely full moon, plenty of owls calling and other wildlife, bats, badgers I heard quite a lot of, but no foxes.
Now why no foxes I was thinking, well I found out when I lay on top of a rather uncomfortable old roll mate which I somehow put under my new Mill Comm bivy bag and a very old cheep sleeping bag ( I could not get my Slaters Alasker 11 one in the rucksack due to it's size).
I did not bother getting in the bivi as it was a warm evening, on rolling on my side I could see a hole in the ground so being a silly billy I stuck my hand in it and Poo was on my hand, more holes I find so decide to cover the up with soil.
So off I trot very early in the morning and get some earth down in a gully wood earth in a carrier bag I take back, not before seeing a lovely place to pitch up for the night, looking at all the booze bottles and other stuff
left over by some pleasant young folk.
I decide to put all the soil in the offending hole leaving the others as I could not be bothered.
I lay there with just a little breeze wafting through the tarp open at both ends just a bit, (to keep out the trolls) thinking to myself why did I bring three knifes an axe my heaviest hatchet along with mask, did I need the Laplander saw, YES I did came in very handy, Two sets of cooking pans that's not right surely.
Those two large baker potatoes that I had to carry all the way there and back home again all because I was full up with sausages 6 of the finest, bacon eggs for breakfast as well and the finest Bannock that I have ever made, along with all the pre mixed bannock mix that I made at home, enough for a team of hungry footballers and carted back with me.
Why did I take too many eggs, still I'll have them tomorrow for my birthday breakfast.
I did not need to take as many Capachino sachets, still they'll last me the weekend now there back home, along with all the teabags for a week.
Did I need the Flecktarn wet weather jacket in this nice hot weather, YES I had to put it on in the night as it got a bit cold in the crummy sleeping bag.
Did I have to take so many pound coins and other smaller coins weighing down my pockets, sticking in my legs as I turned over, ( I didn't go commando as I new I'd be getting up in the night to get rid of some of the lovely sausages)
Why did I take the spare T shirt I was wearing a perfectly good 5.11 in OD that made me sweet all the way to the camp and drink half the water ration, another third was spilt knocking to billy can over twice and dropping the water bottle in my sleeping bag at three in the morning, if I took more water I could have used up some of the coffee and tea bags, even stayed longer and cooked the baker potatoes, along with the beens that I had to bury before I put the can in my wast bag for taking home along with all the packaging and banana skins.
The apple was nice but why did I take more than one, having to take it's brother back home with me.
I could have burnt the wood shavings that /i took along for lighting, did I need so much.
Still it will come in handy to light the fire in the winter.
Sleep did I get any, yes I did, I could have had moor if I put the tarp a bit better, flap flap it went when the wind picked up.
The usual noises in the night but nothing to worry old Hugo, who being armed to the teeth with three knives a heavy hatchet and a wicked looking Laplander saw.
I was lucky it wasn't a Saturday as the local young people might have taken a liking to the new tarp and other shiny things that some old bugger has, the old bugger was really knackered taking all the stuff back home that should not have left in the first place.
BUT would I do it again you might ask ?
You bet I will, it was blooming great I had a great time, mind you I should have taken more water, then I might not be writing this today but be at this place on the Sussex downs.
Thank goodness for wet wipes as this is what I used to clean of the poo along with a whole lot of loo roll.
It's good to carry spars people say, well the were right on this one
Edit I found that I took four knives in the end, a More dropped out the bag when I got home
) theer nothing that beats a night under the stars , have a great birthday tomorrow
