After a while, hiking out and back in a day, we decided to dip our toes into wildcamping. The first image that comes into my head when thinking of wildcamping is of a solo hiker, setting up a tiny tent or bivvy, out of sight of everyone else, maybe up on a quiet hill or behind a hedge in a field. It seemed too tricky to do with 3 children in tow. Our first experience was in Scotland where wildcamping is widely permitted and we used our little blue tent. Since then we’ve gotten braver and now use the tarp and have wildcamped where its not as widely accepted. Some notable camps have included Brook and Tennyson Downs on the Isle of Wight, The New Forest and Dartmoor (although it is permitted across a large part of this particular national park). The usual rules apply; pitch late, pack up early and make sure you “Leave No Trace”.
Obviously, along with our usual hiking gear, we need some extra kit for wild camping so if you use the previous posts on lowland and mountain day hiking as a guide and then add the following. Once again we may not use something that you can’t do without or we may carry something completely frivolous, we can have a chat about that in the comments below. Again there’s a downloadable checklist for your own use if you like that sort of thing.
Shelter
We started off using our 3 man tent, mainly because of the security it provided from the elements and the kids seemed more confident in the tent. We did find that the footprint was too large for lots of perfect wild spots so we would have to hike on and usually end up at a less than perfect spot.
Now we take the 3x3m tarp and there’s various ways we can set it up depending on location and conditions using a few pegs and two walking pole. For instance, we’ve had it as an open ended A Frame structure when its been dry and as a fully enclosed pyramid when its been raining. It’s easier to fit under a more open set up but we can squeeze all 5 of us into a protected rain shield set up.
Sleeping.
Sleep mats to get us up off the ground a bit. We started off with the basic foam roll mats but us parents have graduated onto inflatable mats just for the sake of a better nights sleep. The kids seem perfectly happy on the foam mats and they are nice and light for them to carry during the day.
Sleeping bags are tricky, you can spend loads of money on ultralight, super warm bags but we don’t have loads of cash. The kids use fairly cheap 250gsm child size bags and have never complained of being cold at night (even in the snow on Glyndwrs Way). In the height of summer we parents use really lightweight bags which are small and easily packable but in early spring and into autumn we do have some slightly warmer bags but if we get chilly we put on extra clothes. It’s a real balancing act between overnight comfort and weight/packed size when you have to carry it.
Pillows
Put your spare clothes in a dry bag and use that as a pillow. Or use a child!
Sleeping Clothes.
We generally like to have a set of clothes to sleep in. Not only does it prevent damp or muddy clothes getting in the sleeping bag but it also helps the kids settle down for the night after the excitement of hiking and setting up camp.
Cooking.
Stove
We generally use a small compact gas stove. It’s easy to carry and use, and the fuel is readily available. We generally use it to boil water for a brew or to rehydrate noodles or porridge oats. By only boiling water in it we can usually get away with giving it a quick wipe out with a small cloth.
Eating Utensils
We eat out of those small collapsible bowls which pack flat but hold a suprising amount and we each have a small mug for drinking. We also use a small plastic cutlery set which we picked up from a local supermarket. The kids have their own bowls and cutlery which they are responsible for on the trip. If it’s dirty, they clean it.
Water Filter.
We always carry a small water filter although I can count the number of times we’ve used it on one hand. While water is essential for drinking, cooking and washing (ourselves as well as the cook stuff) it weighs heavy, 1 litre of water weighs 1 kilo before you put it in something so try to carry “just enough”. We can usually find a tap if we need it but its nice to know we can provide safe water from a muddy puddle if all else fails.
Food
If we’re just out for a night we usually carry something to heat for dinner like noodles or pasta snacks, some porridge (usually in sachets) for breakfast and some snacks for during the day. I usually carry a few cereal bars at the bottom of my pack for an emergency breakfast if we can’t make porridge for whatever reason (usually rain!). On top of the little ziplock of coffee which I can’t operate without, we take some hot chocolate for the kids too.
Little Extras.
Sometimes we have to wait to pitch up, one of our local wildcamp spots is only about 1/2 a mile from a car park that’s fairly popular with dog walkers. Fortunately we can see the car park from our spot but we’re still fairly hidden but we won’t pitch up the tarp until the last car has gone. Occasionally we may have to wait for a couple of hours so we take a few things to keep everyone happy.
Kindle – Mrs Jones will sit and read stories to the kids while I’m making dinner or brewing up a warm drink. The kindle is lighter than most paperbacks but holds such a variety of books and stories that everyone is entertained.
Sketchbook, Notepad etc – I like to sit and make notes of the earlier hiking or specifics about the camp or just funny things the kids come out with. Lil has just started keeping a hiking journal, Isaac keeps a note of our climbing trips and Mrs Jones like to sketch and draw. I made her a hiking art kit for her birthday based on a video I found on youtube and she loves it.
Cards – usually top trumps.
Teddies. – There’s always room in a backpack for a special furry friend.
Anyway these little extras are what we use and I’m sure you’ll have your own ideas on what you might like to carry.
I hope you find this helpful, please let us know what you think in the comments, whether your just thinking about taking your kids wildcamping or have been doing so for years, it’d be great to hear your thoughts.
Just Up The Trail 