First of all an apology for the above out of focus shot, new fancy camera on it's way. I have used these candles in the Uk and Scandinavia and they are great for giving a nice warming yellow light in camp, along with a lovely smell of Spruce gum. They are also great for making with the kids.

All you have to do is find a stand of Spruce, Fir or Pine. Remove a dead branch from the tree no smaller than a grown up's little finger and split it into four with a knife. Then gather the white sticky sap from the tree that naturally oozes from any wound that goes into the cambium layer. Every now and then place small sticks at right angles to each other, these form the wick.

When you need them, light the top of the candle and sit back and relax.

After all these years i still get excited when i am about to pitch camp. I think its the uncertainty of where you are going to spend the night, the sights, sounds, smells and views of a new place yet to be discovered, gives me a feeling of really exploring anarea.

Below are a few hints and tips on what to look  for when about to pitch camp. The camp i chose for the night was predominantly a Spruce woodland, so a tarp was used as a work area above the tent.

After a good walk through Bowland on an extremely wet day, i decided to pitch camp. There are a few criteria that i look for when choosing a site. First of all the topography of the ground, i want to be on flattish well drained ground, that is not susceptible to flooding or pooling on the side of a hill. Staying out of the valley's where cold pockets form and  is usually damp most of the year ( however, everywhere was damp anyway ), I always pay particular attention in mountainous regions for rock falls and avalanche in winter.

Water is of importance also, note the 10 litre water bladder in the photo above, this was gathered from a stream 300 meters away, using the Aquapure Traveller.

Bearing in mind the above criteria and the old adage, " Only fools rush in ", get to where you think is the best possible camp, sit down and have a brew. While the kettle is on, take a  look around to see if there is a better site, if not check out for any potential dangers. In a woodland check all trees within at least a tree length from camp that they are sound, not leaning or windblown which are unpredictable. Check in the canopy for dead or hanging branches. Be aware pitching under Beech trees as they tend to shed large branches, even in the summer time.  

In open country be aware of flash floods and flooded areas, potential lightning strikes, rock falls and avalanches. In general, beware of Wasp nests, Adder holes, disturbing wildlife and farming stock.In essence, use your common sense. The most important thing is to be able to break camp quickly and efficiently in an emergency i.e high winds blowing trees over, nearby avalanche etc.

Once you are happy on your chosen site, you can set too and clear the ground. Here there is a thick carpet of Spruce needles which is great as the ground doesn't turn to mud instantly. Only scrape off the surface to remove obstacles that will get in the way, sticks, Spruce cones, rocks etc.

When the camp cleaning is done you can then start to pitch whatever you have for shelter. Here i have brought along a Tatonka Tarp 4, great tarp for hammocking and all round use. The tarp serves as an extended porch for the tent, so i can sit out and enjoy the surroundings.

Then, if the weather is still bad, as it is in the photo below, you can get yourself and your kit under the tarp and start to get sorted out.

 It's good to have different areas, like you have a kitchen, bathroom or lounge in your house, underneath your tarp. The photo below shows the water area, a 10 litre water bladder which will be hung up later, Aquapure Traveller water filter and a billy can with lid over turned and at an angle. The billy can is gathering water off my tarp, the angled lid prevents most of the debris being washed off the tarp ending up in my water.

The photo below is the other side of the tarp ( the kitchen ). It has a mini Trangia, Snowpeak titanium pots, Nalgene viles of tea and coffee, food bag etc. Note the red Trangia bottle far enough away from the stove.

Below is the camp taking shape, with a Helsport Ringstind 1 pitched far enough under the tarp that when getting in and out of the tent it is all done under the tarp.

A utility cord slung under the tarp is great for getting your gear off the ground and drying clothes, below.

Once camp is pitched, sit back have a brew and relax.

 Remember, always keep your camp tidy, if it's not being used store it in it's proper place or stow it away, take out all your rubbish and most importantly always have permission to camp.

Enjoy.

Physical Conditioning

Chapter 1 Physical and Mental Conditioning

To enjoy the outdoors it pays to be in good physical condition and have the right mental attitude to carry out all the tasks that are required. The rigours of the outdoors and the wrath of nature will inevitably take its toll on those who are not prepared both in body and mind. In this chapter we will look at a physical training programme that truly applies to outdoor backpacking, along with mental conditioning to build confidence while out alone or in charge of a group.

Physical Conditioning

In this instalment we are concentrating on backpacking and wild camping, so the physical training required will be exactly that. I am a firm believer that to get fit for a task, that task is the best training. The physical training programme that features further on in this chapter is my personal training programme, that has proved me well over the years.


Physical Training Programme

So, as previously mentioned to get fit for a task, that task should be trained, here is my suggested training programme. You need to find a local walk close to home that is around 3 miles long, with some form of uphill section. This could be a local park ,footpaths through agricultural land, road etc. With the training there is no need to purchase training shoes or tracksuits for this training walk, use what you will wear on the trip ( see chapter 2 clothing and equipment ). This is of paramount importance especially with the boots to be worn on the trip.

I find that training in the morning more beneficial than in the evenings. This is because if I train early morning the training is done for the day so I can concentrate on my work, there are less people around at this time and I feel more refreshed and switched on. At the end of every training session make a mental or written note of the time it has taken, you should see a visible time difference from when you started to the end of that training period, with your walking style becoming more fluid and lighter of foot.


Warming up

The warming up stage of training is more important that the training itself, especially in the early morning.The warm up gradually stretches and warms the muscles and joints prior to exercise to prevent injury. Try and concentrate on arms, shoulders, trunk and legs. The warm up does not only have to be prior to training, it can be put in place within a camp routine before you set off on the trail for the day.


The first training walk should be without rucksack. Carry this walk out 2 to 3 times a week for 4 weeks. On week 5 add in a 20 lb (9 kg ) rucksack. Pack in your rucksack the equipment you will carry while out camping, do not substitute the weight for sand, gravel or any other weight. Carry out the walk with the rucksack twice a week for 4 weeks still making mental or written notes of the time if you wish.

On week 9 take the weight in your rucksack to 30 lb (13 kg ), and carry out the same programme as the above paragraph. Week 13 take the rucksack weight to 40 lb (18 kg ), and carry out the same programme. After the 16 week programme, back off the training to once a week with a 40 lb (18 kg ) rucksack, this then should be maintained week in week out to stay in descent physical shape.

My 3 mile walk takes me approx 49 minutes to complete with a 40 lb (18kg ) rucksack.

Warming down

The warm up took into consideration stretching the muscles and joints to carry out physical exercise. The warm down should do the same with less vigour. Stretching all the muscle groups in the format of arms, shoulders, trunk and legs. If your clothing is wet from sweat, ensure that you place warm garments or have a change of clothes to keep the body warm.

Further Physical Conditioning ( Endurance )

The 16 week programme above is to enable a reasonably fit person get fitter for the rigours of the trail. Within the programme you will only be carrying your rucksack for approx 1 hour every time you train. On the trail you will be carrying the rucksack for prolonged periods over rough terrain, so the next part of the training programme will concentrate on endurance.

To build up the stamina for prolonged periods of exertion, the training should have to replicate this. As always the best way to gain stamina and build on the essential muscle structure is to train the task to hand. Start with 1 day walks of approx 5 to 8 miles with a 20 lb (9 kg ) rucksack over rough terrain or footpaths. Do this for a 6 week period, differing your route ensuring that some form of uphill section is included. After this period, carry out a 2 day walk with the same mileage and weight over a further 6 week period.

After this 12 week endurance building period, up the weight to 30 lb (13 kg ) and carry out 2 day walks of 8 to 10 miles per day, yet again including an uphill section for 6 weeks. Increase your rucksack weight to 40 lb ( 18kg ) after this period and carry out 2 day walks of 8 to 10 miles per day, for 6 weeks.

After this endurance period you should find yourself much fitter, tougher to the rigours of the trail and used to carrying weight over rough terrain, which in essence is what backpacking is all about. Not only that, you have added to your tally of days out, which is all important.

I keep mentioning the " rigours of the trail " in this and subsequent chapters, which in my thinking encapsulates backpacking and wild camping. Please do not think that all the time out-of-doors is rigorous, there are times when there is no better place to be, and all your pre training pays off. I have a saying " Train hard, walk easy ".

Mental Conditioning

In my eyes mental conditioning is as important as physical conditioning. First of all to go wild camping and carrying your home on your back, you have got to want to do it. By carrying out the physical training programme above, this should also build up mental character and get the brain as well as the body fitter and more resilient.

Travelling Alone

For some people one of the biggest strains on the mind while backpacking is the solo trip. Around 90% of my own trips are solo, which could be misconstrued as that I am a loner and don’t like other peoples company. This is far from the truth, I like travelling and camping alone because I have been doing it from the age of 11, and enjoy it immensely. Some people cannot do without the company of others for any length of time, and mentally struggle being on their own in a solitary state for even a short period. A lot of this is a lack of confidence in their ability, and the reassurance of others in the party that is something bad happens, they have people around them to lean on.

When going solo the only person to lean on is yourself, you have to be navigator, medic, Sherpa, cook, cleaner, latrine digger, maintenance operative and many other roles that need filling to have a safe and eventful trip. A lot of people think that if they are placed in a wild remote area devoid of human contact that they are alone. Remember that the human race is not all powerful and does not rise above all other animals. We as humans are part of the animal kingdom, therefore when we are solo wild camping we are never truly alone.

By going solo the confidence of the backpacker is increased, the awareness of place is all encompassing, the self reliance and the ability to carry out tasks safely and efficiently is paramount.

The Dark

A lot of young people and even adults are afraid of the dark. I have seen this many times while out with groups especially in a woodland environment.
If being afraid of the dark is an issue to the wild camper, the best way to mentally condition the mind to true darkness is first of all put out of your mind the Bogey Man syndrome. The Bogey Man does not exist in any shape or form, there is nothing to fear within a woodland or any other environment within the UK. The next stage is to go into a woodland at night and place a head torch at eye level in the fork of a tree. Then walk away from the light some 50 meters, then walk an imaginary circle around the head torch keeping the light in the middle and eventually spiral back to the head torch and make a mental note of what your feelings are. Do this exercise on a regular basis, and you will gain confidence in moving around in the dark.

Another exercise is to go into the centre of a woodland wearing your head torch and sit down at the base of a tree. When comfortable switch off the head torch and sit quietly for 45 to 60 minutes to gain your night vision. Once you have your night vision, walk out of the woodland with no head torch the same way you came in.

These two excercises will build up confidence for coping with a fear of the dark, as well as experiencing a woodland environment when the majority of the mammals are active.

Weather

The weather we find in the UK to put it mildly is some what changeable. From one minute to the next it is ever changing, and sometimes even getting sun, rain, sleet, snow and frost within 24 hour period. I have been leading groups of people who have all the correct equipment, are well fed and watered, not lost or injured and having a great time on a nice sunny warm spring afternoon. On arrival back at camp, the cloud has moved in and it has started to rain with ever increasing force. The whole party has gone silent, people start to hunker down when there are jobs to do and even some retiring to there tents as though the day is over. The best way to overcome this is not let the rain get inside your head, do not let it defeat you and banish you to your tent. On the other side of the coin do not be over confident, you or one of your party might have poor quality or damaged equipment that will get them soaked to the skin, which could lead to in extreme cases hypothermia. Let the rain be an advantage, gather water from the edge of tents and tarps for washing pots and clothes, gather tinder and kindling before it is soaked etc, in other words keep busy and the rain will pass.

"What if" Syndrome

The "What If" syndrome is for those people who constantly worry about things going wrong, especially solo camping. Talking to people over the years there fears are many with the outcome being certain death. To list peoples fears of wild camping would take a complete chapter, but here is a short list.

Being lost
Broken leg
Drowned
Attacked by an animal
Bad cut with knife or axe
Burnt
Running out of food

Obviously, all of the above could place you in a survival situation with an unknown outcome. To mentally condition yourself and reduced the fear that you have merely takes training and a matter of time. For this example of "what if syndrome", lets take the being lost fear. To hurdle this fear first of all you need to be able to navigate to a very high standard, you can do this by either training yourself or attending the myriad of navigation courses currently available. You will need to be familiar with both map and compass as well as GPS systems and practice these so they are second nature. You need to practice navigation in all environments, at night and especially poor visibility so you know where you are down to at least 10 square meters at any point on the trail. By carrying out this training regime, before you know it your confidence will far out way the fear, so giving you more enjoyment of the outdoors.

As everything though, once you can navigate you need to keep practicing to ensure this skill does not turn back into the fear of being lost.

In essence, the only way to mentally condition yourself is to get out there and do it. If you carry out the physical conditioning programme this by itself is not only getting you fit, but is building up confidence in yourself as you hit the trail on your training walks. It is also giving you that valued trail time, getting you used to carrying a rucksack and most importantly getting you out-of-doors

This time of year sees the temperature drop with the added problem of frozen drinking water, especially in hydration bladders. Its always a good idea to carry a water bottle that you can keep between clothing, preventing the water from freezing.

A good piece of kit for this is the 1 litre Source Liquitainer. This is a lightweight, foldable water bottle that even when full packs quite flat. I attach a cord just under the screw cap and place this over my head. The bottle is then worn between clothing, which prevents freezing.

When out for the night in freezing temperatures, place the full Liquitainer in a dry bag, wrap a spare piece of clothing around both and place within your sleeping bag.

CAUTION

Before setting out ensure that the Liquitainer is not damaged or leaks, this also goes for the dry bag.

ULTRA CAUTION

Do not add anti-freeze to your drinking water.