1st ever wild camp

[GwersyllaCnau]

I'm taking my 8 year old son for his 1st wild camp in the Brecon Beacons tonight. Am taking a few luxuries so as not to scare him off, but I'm scared now, just weighed my bergen... only just under 25kg!!!!!

Kit list (individual weights not known)
Tent -Vango Tornado 200 (1st time using it will post my thoughts later)
sleeping bags x1 (son carrying his own)
sleep mats x2
Swedish army cookset with 2 cups extra plate 2 cutlery sets. Plus spare meths so I can let him try and light it and allow for spillages.
inflatable pillow x2
tent clothes x2
waterproofs x2
food:
Baked beans x2 tins
hot dog Sausages x2 tins
crisps x4
chocolate
jaffa cakes
polony
breakfast cereal
FRESH milk (he wont drink powdered GRRR)
orange squash
2 litres water
first aid
knife
camera
wash kit
bug spray
torch
plastic sheet to sit on

and most importantly.... a frisby

Will post how it goes along with some pics and maybe video.

[Ben Casey]

Hope you have fun :)

[swkieran]

have fun m8:)

[RobbC]

Wow thats a lot of kit. Hope you have fun.

Robb

[Nature Unleashed]

Hope you have fun dude. Let us know what its like and where you went as I want to go wild camping there over summer. I have to try and get the girlfriend used to camping on campsites 1st lol.

[paul standley]

Hi Nut C... hope you had a good trip, what better way for an 8 yr old to spend a Sat night but with his dad in the middle of the Beacons... :-)

[Metal mug]

Hope your son enjoys himself. Also fingers crossed it'll make him interested in bushcraft. T^ (I know it's not a fingers crossed smiley but it was the best I could find. :) )

[kINGPIN]

I cant wait to take my little lad out camping, but hes not even a year old yet. Have a great time and remember to take loads of pics.

[bigzee]

Good on yer - my little lass is that age and she loves it. Do it while you can, in a few years he'll be turning his nose up at the idea and grunting off somewhere else whith his mates.

[GwersyllaCnau]

Hope you have fun dude. Let us know what its like and where you went as I want to go wild camping there over summer. I have to try and get the girlfriend used to camping on campsites 1st lol.

Will post the grid ref when I get home. We only went about 3 miles into the national park and I know that area so well I didn't bother with the map.


Wow thats a lot of kit. Hope you have fun.

Robb

Topped out at 25kg when I added fresh milk, I took loads coz he's used to camping on sites with ALL the amenities.


Good on yer - my little lass is that age and she loves it. Do it while you can, in a few years he'll be turning his nose up at the idea and grunting off somewhere else whith his mates.

That would be my daughter, but I'm taking her next weekend to the same location.

Will post pics when I get home and quickly review the tent.

[GwersyllaCnau]

Camp went well Scott (my son) really enjoyed, he told my daughter that if she doesn't want to go next week, he'll go again.... I only have a 2 man tent. I let him light the Trangia, he cooked his own food. Didn't do alot except explore the area. Couldn't have wished for better weather. I wanted some rain during the night to test the tent. I chose a very well sheltered area so wind wouldn't have been a problem. We camped in what I think were sheep pens a few hundred years ago. Found at OS EXPLORER OL12 WEST SHEET started walking from 756126 and camped at 769146 . The tent was roomy, I'm 5'10" and I had about a foot spare. The flysheet did suffer from alot of condensation but this did not affect the inner at all. I think the condensation is due to the porch not having a groundsheet and the fly being tight to the ground. Hope you enjoy the pics. Sorry if they repeat a bit.

[GwersyllaCnau]

some more

[GwersyllaCnau]

even more

[Nature Unleashed]

These are awesome images mate, Looks like a nice spot to camp for sure. Glad you both enjoyed it. I hope I can talk the girlfriend and bro into going soon :) I wanna teach my bro some of the things I learnt in the forces and things I have learnt since, he loves this stuff and fishing. He is only 15 so now might be the perfect time to get him away from his idiotic mates lol.

When will you next be visiting this place?

[Ben Casey]

Love the pics mate looks like a good location :)

[GwersyllaCnau]

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These are awesome images mate, Looks like a nice spot to camp for sure. Glad you both enjoyed it. I hope I can talk the girlfriend and bro into going soon :) I wanna teach my bro some of the things I learnt in the forces and things I have learnt since, he loves this stuff and fishing. He is only 15 so now might be the perfect time to get him away from his idiotic mates lol.

When will you next be visiting this place?

Individual 15 years olds are ok. Grouped 15 year olds.... NIGHTMARE LOL.

Am going to be taking my daughter there this Saturday.

[Nature Unleashed]

LOL very true mate.

I hope you both enjoy yourselves again, looking forward to more pics :D

[Roadkillphil]

Great pics, Awesome terrain. Especially the ruins. I love poking around ancient and even recent building remains :D

[klause]

Nice pics
Love your camp spot, glad you both had a good time - beans & hot dogs mmmmmmmmm!

[paul standley]

Nice one mate... I'll check out the grid ref: and try that later this year, looks like a great location..

Paul.

[GwersyllaCnau]

Slide show of the camp

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_profilepage&v=7cLTD6XZ4-w

[paul standley]

Nice slideshow Nut C, soundtrack fits it well...

[kINGPIN]

Thats a great slideshow mate, looks a great place to visit.

[Adam Savage]

Looks like you found a great spot, I'm with Phil on the poking around old, derelict buildings and ruins. It's like a little trip back in time. Think you might be right with the lack of groundsheet letting the dew rise from the ground and settle on the fly.

[basicbushcraft]

great looking place pal hope he enjoyed his time wild camping

[jbrown14]

Most of the time, if you've not got adequate cross-ventilation, the condensation on the inside of the fly is just from respiration. The vents on each end are supposed to alleviate that somewhat, but never really do very well. All you can do is open them all the way and maybe prop the edges of the fly up to let a little convection occur.

Lovely pictures, by the way. Looks like a great time with your young-uns!

[Adam Savage]

Most of the time, if you've not got adequate cross-ventilation, the condensation on the inside of the fly is just from respiration. The vents on each end are supposed to alleviate that somewhat, but never really do very well. All you can do is open them all the way and maybe prop the edges of the fly up to let a little convection occur.

Lovely pictures, by the way. Looks like a great time with your young-uns!

True in many cases, but living grass contains a lot of moisture. Heat from the sun and body heat from occupants, both raise the temp inside the tent to higher than the ambient atmosphere. Working in the same way as a solar still, the moisture rises, meets the cooler surface of the fly (or groundsheet) and condenses. This is why the underside of the groundsheet is almost always damp, after all, your respiration is never going to effect what goes on under the sheet...well...not with groundsheets that is LOL.

[bigzee]

Thanks for the great pics! Those will be like gold to you and yours in a few years, so make sure you've saved or backed them up somewhere other than the PC (they do crash!!).

I like the utilization of local resource (wall) as a windbreak/table/chair. That area looks pretty good for the inquiring mind of a young (or old) lad.

[GwersyllaCnau]

Went to another spot last night and my niece came with us as she wanted to try her new tent

[GwersyllaCnau]

A few more

[Tony1948]

Looks like a great time was had by all on both trips.Atb and you did'ant get eaten by the bears, LoL

[GwersyllaCnau]

They were amazed at the green flames from the driftwood LOL. Unfortunately didn't get it on film

[paul standley]

Nice pictures there buddy... Fireside ones are great.

Love to know where that spot was, can you pm me ?.

Cheers, Paul.

[Adam Savage]

You have all the fun... :p

[GwersyllaCnau]

You have all the fun... :p

Yep. Also have the ONLY stealth camp with a huge signal fire LOL

[Adam Savage]

Lol

[LandRoverMatt]

have a good time :)

[drewdunnrespect]

looks like you had ausome fun mate and fanks for sharing

[tinkers]

lovely spot you found there, and a great set of pics that you shot, glad to see you making the most of the beacons and having a great time.

[GwersyllaCnau]

Finally got to use the hammocks my son and I got for xmas. Here's the vid. Taking down the hammocks with karabiner mod and whoopie slings is from 5min 40 secs...


http://youtu.be/GATgc9ry3k8

[rossbird]

Great vid....loved it when your son admitted to 3 pairs of socks:happy-clapping:
Whatever keeps him warm and comfy.
Well done to you both.

[treefrog]

Cool video. Glad your trip was a success.

[GwersyllaCnau]

Went on a spur of the moment overnighter on the Black mountain in the tent to see if we could find a location where we could hang 2 hammocks and pitch 2 tents. Here are a few photos.40904091409240934094

[GwersyllaCnau]

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[GwersyllaCnau]

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[GwersyllaCnau]

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[Adam Savage]

Great pictures there. It's a lovely part of the world there. I've walked parts of the Offa's Dyke path a few times. Must get back over there soon. :)

[Wrighty28]

love the scenery :)

[Shawn]

Looks like a great time.

[m0txr]

Great pics and vids. Looks like good times had by all.

[FishyFolk]

An 8 year old should be able to help you carry some of the stuff, provided he has a good rucksack :-)

Good luck!

[GwersyllaCnau]

Thanks all. He did carry his own sack, packed with sleeping bag, sleepmat, food, HIS mess tins, Spare clothes, torch etc.

This pic is of us going pack the following day. The sack is a cheap Tesco's 65 litre that he saved for and bought himself (£25), it has an adjustable back and at the shortest setting fits him perfectly. The person in front is my 14 year old niece.
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Here is a video of the trip.


http://youtu.be/xFIebhgGCPg

Sorry more videos... This is of a trip up Pen-y-fan the week after the previous trip.


http://youtu.be/oNtSUV3eAOg

[m0txr]

Great vids, enoyed them all. Mac

[AL...]

Fantastic Vids ... Kinda brings back the times I took my lot camping with some fishing and shooting throwin in too.
They still talk about it and they are in there 20's now

Cheers
AL

[GwersyllaCnau]

Fantastic Vids ... Kinda brings back the times I took my lot camping with some fishing and shooting throwin in too.
They still talk about it and they are in there 20's now

Cheers
AL

WOW!!

I hope these trips have that much of an impression on my son.