Total noob

[KenThis]

I like kit but if you just want to play in the garden for a bit why not just a tarp and a cheap air bed/lilo and a duvet or a few blankets.
All sleeping kit is basically about keeping you dry and warm and comfortable, some options are lighter or less bulky or keep you warmer or dryer in worse conditions, but as long as you're dry and warm and comfortable there's nothing like waking up outdoors no matter what kit...

 

[KenThis]

I do know what you mean about solo wild camping though...
I've got the kit but am still trying to actually get up the nerve to go and do it...
Luckily a mate of mine has some woodland on his property I get to play on.
Also there's a decent campsite for 'wild camping' near Neath (can't remember the name but there's links on here).
Definitely the more you do, the more that you become comfortable doing.

Best of luck!

 

[Idleknight]

I got a bivvy (Alpkit hunka XL) a fair bit before I got a hammock. My reasoning was it was cheaper and even if I didn't get into wild camping, it can be a handy bit of emergency kit to keep in the car. I must admit I have never had any problems with waking up with slugs on me.
If you don't fancy a bivvy, the polish army tents are a great option.
With hammocks you can get cheap ones, but if you are going to get everything you might need from scratch it does cost a bit. I just got my girlfriend into hammocking and we did a order to DD for everything she needed in one go.

 

[connieboy]

Well I've got a British army gortex bivi from a guy on this forum for £20 and I got a highlander self inflating mat for £15 and I'm about to spent my first bivi camp in the garden tonight.....
I will be buying a DD 3m X 3m, but I'm in no rush, just going to get some nights in the garden to get to grips with it, I've had a good look at Google Maps and marked some area's nearby to try when my confidence grows a bit more... Fingers crossed....

 

[Laurence Milton]

I do know what you mean about solo wild camping though...
I've got the kit but am still trying to actually get up the nerve to go and do it...
.

QUOTE]

Definitely understand this. Still trying to get away with canoe and Lavvu.

Brilliant article in last (printed) edition from BCU, called Focus, about a lady who paddled and wild camped the source of the Thames to Teddington and took nearly a month.
Gentle, quiet and inspirational.
(Stupid idea for Focus to go digital........)