the secret camper

Autumn family walk around Wimpole wood.

2011-12-07T11:07:00.000-08:00

Taking advantage of a sunny autumn day, me and the family went out for an autumn stroll in the mixed woodland around Wimpole Hall. It was a cracking day for the time of year, with just a bit of wind when out in the open.

My son is now 17 months old and he already seems to have an appreciation for the outdoors that I hope will get stronger as the years pass. Needless to say, I will give him as many opportunities as I can.

My boy with his first stick.

Autumn woodland wildcamp.

2011-11-10T09:44:00.000-08:00

Due to work and family commitments it has been difficult to get out for a wild camp this summer, so with Autumn in full flow I took my last opportunity to get out come rain or shine...as luck would have it- it rained. The plan was to spend the night in the hills of the peak district or perhaps Wales, but with zero visibility and lots of rain, the hills lost their appeal. So going from a recommendation of a friend, myself and Sam headed off half an hour down the road to enjoy a night of walking, exploring, bushcraft and camping.

Approach to the wood.

Can anyone identify these?

Tents pitched

Berghaus Vulcan rucksack, Jack Wolfskin Gossamer tent.

A little bit of tinder (also used king alfred cakes and birch bark)

Wood collected, fire reflector built.

Light my fire firesteel (spark maker)

Slow to take because of the damp

I have made fire!!!

Lazy boil in the bag stew.

Sam makes the pasta ready for adding to the boil in the bag.

Toasting marshamallows on Grandpas Old Fire Fork, by light my fire.

Getting warm by the fire with my 3 year vintage sloe gin.

Ashes scattered, and camp tidied. Just as we found it.

Morning haze.

Walking Win Hill and Alport Castles

2011-11-02T14:25:00.000-07:00

Me and my good friend Matt from Peakseekers.co.uk went for a walk in the peak district yesterday. As always when I walk with Matt I am completly reliant on his navigation which is always on the money! This is just as well as today we were doing a 13mile round walk. We started the walk at 10am and finished at 6pm. For the full write up, map, directions etc. please check out Matts site http://www.peakseekers.co.uk/ and be sure to say hello from me. I cannot take any credit for the pics as they are from Matts ubercamera, I hope you enjoy them as much as me.

CAUTION: We have since found out that we should not have climbed the Tower at Alport Castles due to lose rocks coming away. You've been warned!

(Left) Matt from Peakseekers (Right) Myself

Watching my steps very carefully!

The upcoming photos show me and Matt sat on the top of this.

A bit of danger lets you know you're alive!

A little out of comfort zone, but what a buzz.

All photos supplied by Matt, please visit his site http://www.peakseekers.co.uk/ if you want to see the best of what the UK has to offer.

How to make sloe gin, the EASY way.

2011-10-18T11:59:00.000-07:00

Blackthorn (Prunus Spinosa) aka 'Sloe Berry bush'.

With the arrival of the first frost on its way, its time to go collecting your sloes. There are plenty of instructions on the internet with measurements etc. What I am going to show you here is how to make sloe gin the easy way. Shown above is a picture of the Blackthorn bush where you will collect your sloes.

1) Collect your sloe berries just after the first frost of the year. Be careful as it is very spikey Give them a good wash, and let them air dry.

Sloes, sugar, gin. You will also need a fork, funnel, and large empty bottle.

2) Empty your bottle of gin into a large empty bottle and store it out of the way so you don't knock it over..

3) Prick each sloe with a fork. The best way to do this is to roll the sloe on the points of the fork so it gets pricked 4 or 5 times. An even easier way is to just place them in the freezer and let the cold split the skin. You choose.

Pricking the sloes and placing them in the bottle

4) Place the pricked sloes in the bottle until the bottle is about a quarter full of berries.

5) Fill the bottle with sugar until it reaches around half way up the bottle. Use a funnel, or just a rolled up piece of card works fine.

Adding sugar using a funnel (piece of card)

6) Pour the gin back into the original bottle. Obviously because of the sloes and the sugar, you will have a little gin left over. Don't go drinking this just yet as you will need to shake the bottle a bit which will let the contents settle. Once this has happened, top up the gin.

All the ingredients of the sloe gin added and shaken up.

7) With any spare gin, make a little bottle for a friend as it will be ready just in time for Christmas.

The photo below shows what your sloe gin will look like after just one week. The sugar is dilluted and the colour has come out of the berries.

Sloe gin after 1 week of brewing

All you need to do now is resist the temptation to drink your sloe gin, keep it in a cool dark place, and give it a little shake every day or so. As you do this you will gradually notice the gin go from a light pink to a deep black/purple.

Most sloe gin is ready just in time for Christmas, but if you can, leave it until the following year, as this is when it is at its best. All the more reason to make a few bottles!!! When you are ready to drink, just filter the gin using a sieve or a flannel, discard the sloes, and return to the bottle.

Enjoy.

Stealthy woodland wild camp.

2011-08-18T15:55:00.000-07:00

Normally my camps are well planned and thought out, but this weeks wild camp was a spontanious decision. I grabbed my rucksack and trew in whatever I thought I needed. With water bottles filled, and food packed I was raring to go. And then the dog lead was handed to me...that meant my wife wanted me to take the dog too. This generally means a broken nights sleep while the dog growls at noises and shadows in the night.

The trip started with a good 6 mile walk around the local area before getting to the predetermined wild camp spot for a late pitch. Bruno as always had tons of energy that we needed him to burn off before we settled down for the night (for the record...it didn't work).

The darkness came in quickly, so we got pitched up, and got cooking. A good meal was just what we needed after the long walk we had. We moved away from the camp and cooked and ate on the bench you can see from the pics. The meal was washed down with a few Koppaberg ciders while looking across fields as the sun went down. It was then time to start the fire and get comfortable.

Six hours sleep was all I needed.... or so Bruno decided. That said, it was a beautiful morning with the sun cutting through the trees.

A growing lad such as myself needs his food, so I got a pack of sausages in the pan and sat back listening to the lovely sizzle!

All rubbish tidied up, and the camp looks just as we found it.

Keeping true with the 'pitch late, leave early' philosophy, we packed up our gear, bagged up the rubbish, scattered the ashes, and headed off;- leaving no trace.

A great camp spot that took a while to find, but was well worth it. As we walked out of the camp we spotted a man and his kids fast asleep on a groundsheet. They must have slept under the stars with hardly any gear other then sleeping bags. -a lesson in priorities to us all.

Night out in the woods, and a morning walk.

2011-07-14T09:03:00.000-07:00

With the weather warming up a bit I decided to head out for a relaxing camp in the woods. We drove the Freelander up a bumpy dirt track and after a brief walk, we found our site. It was very quiet, and well away from any paths or passers by. This was to be a lazy sit back, eat lots, and drink plenty type of evening- mission accomplished!

The next morning we cooked up some butchers sausages and onions before heading off for a long walk exploring the local area.

My Jack Wolfskin 1 man tent, sweedish trangia, and army water bottle.

Beautiful woodland

Sam on breakfast duties

Me on tea duties

Leaving the camp just as we found it.

Great veiw of the forest.

Check out my new blog; http://www.yououtdoors.blogspot.com

2011-05-18T11:55:00.000-07:00

Yououtdoors is a blog where you tell me and the world what you've been up to. Walking, backpacking, camping, bushcraft, outdoor cooking, mountain biking, kayaking etc. -its all welcome there!

Here's how it works;

1) Send me your name, and where you have been/what you were doing to yououtdoors@mail.com. This will form the title.

2) In the email send include a brief write up on your travels/activity (approx 2 paragraphs). This will be posted above the photos.

3) Include up to 3 photos of your travels/activity.

4) If you like you can give the address of your blog or website (optional). This link will be posted at the bottom of the post to allow readers to follow your blog or read the full story.

....and I'll do the rest!

2 days, 2 nights, Lake District walk and wild camp

2011-05-13T13:14:00.000-07:00

The approach to Ennerdale

From the moment you drive in to the lake district you are treated to some on the best views in England. The mountains are breathtaking, and you can't help but think of the conditions that created such a beautiful landscape, and its no wonder that 15 million tourists visit the lakes every year.

Day 1

As any savvy walkers would do, we checked the weather on the day and as you would expect from the lakes; rain, wind, and more rain was forecast. The plan was to park the car at Ennerdale, and go walking around the lake and neighbouring forests for the day while keeping an eye out for a good wild camping spot. As soon as we started walking the rain came in, bringing back bad memories of our last trip. The hoods went up and the rucksack covers went on and off we went.

A very bleak view of Crag Fell.

We stuck to paths the whole time on this walk as we hiked through the forests taking in the sights and sounds. By the end of our 3 hour walk we had two camp spots in mind. Both had good access to water, scenic and secluded. The one we chose offered us the best protection from the elements as it looked as though we were going to be in for a tough night from mother nature. We found a small fire pit tucked behind our camp that someone else had discreetly left. It was a far from what you see left by chavs in the local parks scattered with beer cans. Whoever left it tidied up the ash before his departure leaving only a circle of rocks. I would never normally leave any signs of a fire anywhere but with this one it seemed like the sort of place that would be revisited time and again, so we too left it as we found it.

Sam the explorer

Stood in front of the peaks we'll be hiking the next day

Wild Camp 1

This was to be our camp for the evening.

Sam collecting water

A quick brew before bed.

Day 2

After a good breakfast, we quickly packed up and tidied our camp ready to start our walk at 9:00. We walked back down through the forest a different way to what we came to explore more of the area. As we crossed the concrete bridge we we could see Crag Fell and the neighbouring mountains we were going to be hiking up. With a rough route in mind we carved our own way up the mountains. We didn't use a single path apart from animal tracks which slowed us down considerably, but this allowed us to use walls and features to keep our bearings, instead of referring to the map all the time. We were hit by the rain quite hard at the start, but this soon faded and we found the wind had a strong drying affect. After four hours of walking we stopped for lunch at the top of the second peak revelling in the fact that we were literally in the clouds. With all surrounding views blocked out by the cloud we were glad that we had the walls to keep our bearings and keep us on track for Crag Fell. After lunch it is always hard to pick yourself up and get going again but we knew we had to plough on as we didn't want to be camping out in the mountains with the current weather conditions.

With the peak in sight the sun started to break through the clouds. This was very good timing for us as it gave us good photo opportunities at the top of Crag Fell. With the cairn (..or pile of rocks as I call it) in sight we picked up our rocks and triumphantly dropped them on the top. We sat at the top and took a few photos with a real sense of satisfaction after looking over the mileage we had covered.

Now 16:00 the descent as always was hard on the knees, but it marked the end of a tough yet rewarding walk that I will be glad to repeat.

From there we drove to a forest close to Braithwaite for an found a fantastic spot with a view of the surrounding mountains that beats most commercial campsites I've ever seen. We set up camp, got cooking, and bedded down for the night with the sound of the rain bouncing off the tarps.

A truly great experience for the cost of just a bit of petrol.

Wild Camp 2

One final veiw of the lakes before going home

Lightweight backpacking loadout

2011-05-07T09:21:00.000-07:00

With any trip I go on I spend a lot of time planning what I'm going to take with me. No one wants to be unprepared, especially in the Lake District. The last time me and Sam (my brother in law) tried a wild camp in the lakes we were practically washed off the mountain. The place flash flooded turning the 'path' we walked up into a waterfall, and turning the campsite we walked past into a no-mans land (bar one stranded tent...doh!). No waterproofs, and carrying lots of heavy unnecessaries we gave up our 3 day hike after the first night. Embarrassing to say the least, but it was like a baptism of fire for us. As we carried all of our soaking wet gear down the mountain we were already talking about our return, and discussing what we would do differently next time. That time has come, only this time, we are much more prepared.

Lightweight backpacking loadout from left to right (rough typewriter style).

Karrimor Sf Sabre 45 Backpack

Lamifold Explorer Map

British army bivi bag

Pacific Outdoor self inflating sleep mat

Lightweight single person groundsheet

Army Poncho (for sleeping under)

Sit mat (high comfort item that weighs next to nothing)

Sandals (great to get those boots off after a log day of hiking, also gives the feet and boots time to dry out).

50ltr rucksack rain cover

Mora Knife

12metres 550 paracord for hanging my tarp

5 metres 550 paracord for general purpose

Lightweight bungees

Water purification tabs and neutralisers

Boil in the bag meals, 2 breakfast, 2 dinner

250 grams of quick cook pasta to supplement my main meal

Snugpak jungle sleeping bag

MSR Titan kettle

Coleman F1 stove

Long titanium spoon

250 gas canister and F1 pouch- all on top of trangia pouch

Toilet kit in ziplock bag, lighter, MSR blizzard peg trowel, tissues, alcohol gel

Fox whistle

Matches

First aid kit

Small backup torch

Wash kit

Homemade ration style pack lunch

90 patt army water bottle and mug

Petzl tactikka head torch

Brass Zippo Lighter

Leatherman Wave

Hand wipes

Snugpak small wash bag (used to organise small items)

Beef Jerky

High calorie flapjack bars

Mixed nuts and fruit

Things missing out of picture;

Waterproof trousers and jacket

Buff scarf

Scource 2L water bladder for backpack

A couple of chocolate bars for pudding after evening meal

Socks and pants

Compass...ironic that I can't find this.

My journey into the realms of lightweight backpacking.

2011-05-07T08:18:00.000-07:00

With my trip to the lake district only days away, I decided to take the weight off my shoulders by buying some lightweight gear. Due to the nature of UK bushcraft there is not much of a need for lightweight gear. Many of my cooking pots and grills for camping in the woods are made of stainless steel, as I am rarely walking more then 3 miles to get to my chosen site weight is not an issue.

Trekking up steep hills is no fun, but the views make it all worth while. In order to get these views I knew I needed to shed as much weight from my pack as possible. Aluminium is not ideal for use over a fire so I opted for titanium. My favourite shop for this stuff is a family run business called http://www.backpackinglight.co.uk/ . They were very helpful over the phone and keep good stock levels so I wasn't left waiting.

Pictured below is my lightweight cookware. MSR Titan Kettle, Coleman F1 Lite stove (smaller then the MSR pocket rocket, and super powerful), Leatherman Wave (multitool that will double up as my pot grabber), Lhoon- or long spoon if you prefer (useful for boil in the bag meals), MSR Blizzard Peg (for use as a trowel as suggested in my iPOOD post).

Pictured above are my titanium tent pegs and ultralight groundsheet from backpackinglight.com, and my Pacific Outdoor oyl lite sleep mat. Don't use the pegs for scale as they are tiny. All of these were chosen for there small pack size.

Some interesting and useful sites you may like.

2011-05-07T07:28:00.000-07:00

On a semi regular basis I will be building a small list of sites which I think people may like. If anyone has any relevant, useful, or interesting sites they would like me to mention, please leave a comment in this post. Many of the sites/blogs I will list are ones that I follow, if you stop by and like there page, please say hello from me!

In no particular order:

www.peakseekers.co.uk
Peakseekers is a must for anyone that is into walking, hiking, and backpacking. It is mainly based around the UK, but Matt has been to Everest base camp and made a few appearances in Trail Magazine. He is a great photographer and one of the nicest blokes you'll ever meet. ....I know you will like this one.

www.gorges-smythe.blogspot.com
Mr Smythe describes himself as a purveyor of nostalgia, humour and social commentary- and I am quite happy to agree. Gorges writing style is very engaging and because of this he has a loyal group of followers of which I am one.

www.hikingforum.co.uk
This is a new forum which I can see being popular in the near future. It has a good layout without too many categories. All it needs now is more people. The site owner as well as the other members are very welcoming, and knowledgeable so please stop by.

http://ashonthefire.typepad.com/
A new outdoor cookery blog that is already gaining popularity from the bushcraft crowd, and rightly so. The photography is so good you can almost smell the smoke of the fire. Like many a good outdoor blog it makes you want to get out there and do it for yourself and in the case of this blog I feel like getting a fire going and relaxing with a glass of merlot.

http://www.backpackinglight.co.uk/
One of my favourite online shops. A small family run business that is friendly and customer driven. It gets a special mention here due to some recent purchases I made from it. I recently upgraded many of my camping metalware for some lightweight titanium stuff so I can travel further without my pack weighing me down. Delivery was next day, and I recieved two attempts to call me (I missed both unfortunatly) to check my order had arrived safely. Good quality products, and user friendly site which I will no doubt be using again.

http://www.bushcraftuk.com/
One of the best bushcraft forums you will find. Lots of very active members keep the chat going. A real community spirit coupled with a friendly vibe make this a great place to visit if you have any bushcraft, camping, or foraging related questions.

http://www.ravenlore.co.uk/index.html
This website in my opinion is as good as it gets. The man is a legend that needs no introduction to anyone in the bushcraft community.

http://kepisbushcraft.webs.com/
An outstanding blog with an emphasis on family getting out and doing stuff together. It was one of the inspirations for me starting my blog as I look forward to the day I can take my son out with me to teach him the things that matter in life.

http://huntergathercook.typepad.com/
It seems this guy spent some time living in a tree house and wrote a book about it- whats not to like? This is a great site for anybody that wants to get into foraging or self sufficiency. Packed with useful informations and great photography.
***Thats all for now folks, I can see this post getting very big in the future***

Spring dog walk by the local lakes

2011-04-27T12:26:00.000-07:00

Here are some pics of a nature reserve very close to the house I grew up. They used to be gravel pits many years ago.

I didn't trust my weight on these steps!

Beutiful day.

Deserted train carriage we used to play in.

A happy spaniel.

My new Crusader mug lid.

2011-04-21T12:45:00.000-07:00

I recently bought an aluminium crusader mug lid from laundich1 from http://www.bushcraftuk.com/ forum. The quality is outstanding, and it reduces boil times dramaticaly. This is it in action;

Also, I have figured out the ultimate meths solution for the stove (not a red bull stove). My mod is cheap, super easy, and non permenent. I'll be posting it up here when I can get some better photos. WATCH THIS SPACE.

Walk in the woods

2011-04-19T08:38:00.000-07:00

Heres just a few pics taken from my walk in the woods today. I picked a small bunch of 'jack by the hedge' ready for dinner tonight.

King Alfred Cakes

Jack by the Hedge

1 man and his dog.

Cranberry Bannock Bread

2011-04-17T10:03:00.000-07:00

I fancied a bit of bannock today, so here is the recipe I used:

1 cup flour
Half hand full of flaked almonds
A bit less then half hand full of dried cranberries
Milk (mix until doughnut consistency)
Demerera sugar sprinkled on both sides to caramelize.

Olive oil in pan.

I like using the trangia as it is good practice for the field.

Mix ingredients with a knife

Plenty of oil in the pan, get it nice and hot.

Add the mixture and use knife to flatten.

Use knife to press the mixture flat. Tip: wipe the knife clean and add a bit of oil to it to stop the mixture sticking so much.

Flip the bannock over, add a bit of sugar.

Flip it a few times and make sure there is a bit of sugar each side to contact the pan and caramelize.

Add honey or maple syrup to taste.

Enjoy!

Food for free

2011-04-17T06:55:00.000-07:00

This is like the foragers bible. It is surprising how much food there is in the countryside, you just need to know what to look for. This book is starting to find its way into my rucksack quite often.

Some of the gear I carry.

2011-04-17T06:39:00.000-07:00

This is just a small selection of the gear I carry on a trip depending on what I'm doing and where I'm going.

These go with me on every camp as they are bombproof and reliable.

A small selection of some of my torches.

Sweedish army Trangia along with a civvy version. I have upgraded the army one with a smaller trangia burner, and the civvy one with a Tatonka burner.

Trangia stoves with all there components

Primus and sigg fuel bottles of various sizes

First wild camp with my dog

2011-04-16T15:02:00.000-07:00

My Mrs has the flu, my son has the flu, my brother in law has the flu. So I did what any man in this zombie apocalypse would do- I grabbed my rucksack and my dog and went camping for the night! I went to one of my favourite spots that had a car park nearby. This is the first time I have been out the night with my dog Bruno so I needed a safety net if he was playing up all night. Anyone that knows him knows he is crazy. Energizer bunny crazy. So when we got to the woods I set up camp and took him for a walk in an attempt to burn off some energy. It worked, and I managed to get at least 6 hrs sleep. He woke me up a few times as various animals were scratching around in the bushes, owls barking (yes owls bark!- scares the hell out of me every time). But he stayed put, and was a very welcome guest. Its fair to say that he will be featuring in many more camp photos.

Burning off some energy

Relaxing by the fire (sorry for the crap quality)

Got this mat on ebay brand new and sealed for a bargain £20

For all the kit junkies out there. This is most of the kit I used

Ashes scattered, and rubbish taken with me- you wouldn't even know I was there.

iPOOD Shovel

2011-04-16T10:34:00.000-07:00

Good tool but the catch needs improvement. Still, its probably the best on the market. My review for this can be found here: (not for the faint hearted haha) http://www.heinnie.com/product.asp?strParents=&CAT_ID=0&P_ID=6467

Petzl Tactikka Head torch

2011-04-16T10:25:00.000-07:00

Petzl Tactikka

This is a great wild camping head torch. The red filter makes it dim for stealthy night hikes, and it is nice and quick to change to white by just flipping it up. In my opinion this is better then many newer torches that make you scroll through the various modes to change the colour or even just to turn it off. Its lightweight, strong, and the batteries last forever. When mine goes to the torch heaven in the sky I'll be buying another one.

My Rucksacks: Small, Medium, Large

2011-04-16T10:00:00.000-07:00

Left to right: Karrimor SF Hydro, Karrimor SF Sabre 45, Berghaus Vulcan

Karrimor SF Hydro: Great for day hiking as you can fit a set of waterproofs and some lunch in it with room to spare for gadgets. It is also hydration bladder compatible. Although it is 30litres it seems much smaller due to the shape so I bought the Sabre 45 for a little more load carrying capacity.

Karrimor SF Sabre 45: Very comfortable on the back, and hydration compatible. This pack is just big enough to hold everything you need for a spring, summer, or autumn camp. This is now by far my most used pack.

Berghaus Vulcan: Well proven large capacity rucksack. Holds lots of gear so is great for a winter camp. The hard padding on the shoulder straps makes the load carrying very comfortable with the heaviest of loads.

Birch Tapping Guide

2011-04-16T09:23:00.000-07:00

The equipment:

This is my birch tapping kit. It consists of a demijohn bung with hole available from Wilko or Tesco. Tap and tube are also from the wine making supplies in Tesco. The smallest portion of the bung is 27mm and the widest is 32mm. Because of this I bought a 30mm auger bit. Although this worked the bung went flush with the tree which was not what I was after. The auger to the right is a 28mm which should rectify the problem. All I did with the bit was take it to a local metal fabricator to have a piece cut off the drill end, and then have a piece of bar welded to the end to make a T handle. Although using this is hard work on the arms, it is compact which makes it ideal for a backpack. The bungee cord and bottle are self explanatory. Some use tape instead of a bungee to keep the bottle to the tree but I find the bungee is good as it is re-usable. If you need to tighten the bungee, place a twig between the bungee and tree and twist it like a tourniquet. The twig can then be stabbed into the ground to keep it in position. Once the tube is in the bottle and dripping, rest the bottle cap on top of the bottle opening to help keep out debris and insects.

How to tap that tree:

First, check that the sap is rising (early spring, around March) by sticking your knife in to the tree where you are intending to drill. You should see it run down the blade. Drill about 2ft from the ground by pushing and twisting the auger bit. The auger should pull itself into the wood but you will still need to apply some forward pressure. If there is a lean in the tree, drill in the underside so as to use gravity to help you. Drill in to the tree approximately 20mm deep (not including the bark). Place the bung tightly in the hole. Give the tube a suck and you will soon know if you have a tight seal. After a minute or so you should be getting a few drips coming down the pipe, put the pipe in the bottle and bungee it to the tree. Now it is just a waiting game, so leave it overnight to wake up to a great drink that beats tea any day.

A knife is also included in the pic as you don't always need to drill a hole to get the sap. The knife can be stabbed into the tree, levered slightly, and a small sharpened stick inserted to channel the sap into a bottle or mug below. Be careful which knife you use to lever into the tree- I broke the tip of a bland new No9 Opinel doing just this!

Repairing the damage:

Once you have got a litre or two of sap you need to look after the tree by plugging the gap, otherwise the tree can literally bleed to death. Do this by cutting a fresh piece of birch with a saw (I use a Laplander). Use your knife to taper down the end, and hammer it gently into the hole. Hopefully the sap should stop dripping, if it doesn't; you need a fatter stick. The limb you use MUST be freshly cut and shaved, and clean to avoid infecting the tree.

For the 2 minute of work it takes, birch tapping is a great way of getting a litre or two of fluid when you are camping. The birch sap will be a light brown/orange colour. There is no taste in the world as refreshing on a cold bright morning as a bottle of tree sap. Enjoy!

Walking Cadair Berwyn, Pistyll Rhaeadr. Wales

2011-04-16T06:21:00.000-07:00

I went walking the Berwyn range last week. To see the full photo set please visit; http://www.peakseekers.co.uk/070411.html Photos were all taken by Matt and his ubercamera, this is his site which is a must see for anyone walking the scenic areas of the UK.

We didn't camp out, but I spotted a lot of places for next time. The camp site at the bottom of this waterfall nearly convinced me to ditch wild camping in favour of traditional site camping (nearly). It will certainly serve as a great base camp.

Pistyll Rhaeadr- simply stunning

Matt from http://www.peakseekers.co.uk/

....Matt must have photoshoped a gut on to me

Birch Tapping camp

2011-04-16T05:42:00.000-07:00

This is a wild camp me and my brother in law Sam did in march. The main aim of that camp was to try birch tapping for the first time. I packed all my gear and headed to my local steel fabricators to make me a hand auger. With the weld still cooling while we drove to the forest it started to get dark. This is why all photos were taken in the morning. Sorry about the quality, they were just taken on my phone. As I get more into this I'll upgrade.

Sam watching the breakfast.

Birch tap up and running

Good things come to those who wait...... still waiting.

Butchers finest

Some gear you may be able to see is bivi bags, Berghaus crusader, Snugpak Bergen, US poncho, French poncho(?), ipood shovel, Trangia pan, Wilko grill, stanley hip flask, and sweedish army trangia.

(My next post will go into more detail on the birch tapping tools).

WARNING I am new to blogging, so expect this to be a bit crap until I figure it all out.

2011-03-10T10:28:00.000-08:00

A bit of an intro. My names Andy, I have been into camping, bushcraft, survival, hiking etc since I was a kid. It is only the past few years that I have started to venture out into the wilds of England and practice what I have read about, and seen on TV. On average I go out every season at least once but preferably 2-3 times. I work a lot but when I do get spare time, with the support/permission of my wife I get my backpack and head off to the woods. It is with these pages that I would like to document what I do- so the big journey into the world of t'internet starts here.

On this blog you will find all the above topics along with tools, knives, torches, reviews, and anything else that takes my fancy.

Why 'Secret Camper'? Because it is always my aim to blend in to the environment and leave no trace. Does this mean I will wear a ghillie suit, or be head to toe in army gear? NO. It just means that when I set up camp I wont be wearing a bright red jacket, while I set up a large yellow tent- in a place that every passer by will see.

Legal note: I always obtain permission to stay in every place I camp, and always operate within the boundaries of the law. Any references to wild camping are purely theoretical and for entertainment purposes only.