Solitude and Scenic Views: Wildcamping on England’s most remote peak

Sometimes we all need the healing hand of nature, in my case I love the solitude of time alone, wild camping in the summit of a fell or mountain ridge. As a consulting brewer, April is a busy month for me as people prepare for the two bank holidays in May, so I’d been working hard and wanted a break. I was inspired by the project of a very personable YouTuber – Crag Rat (Jason) who is seeking to camp at all the most remote spots of every National Park in the UK. What this has shown, is that whilst these places are a long distance from roads and buildings they are often not so attractive as locations in themselves. Often they are next to forestry tracks which are neither pretty nor do they engender a sense of remoteness. So whilst Jason has set himself a great project, and is a very engaging videographer, I thought I’d seek out the most remote peak in England.

A quick look at a map of the UK tells you that the most isolated places in the UK are located either within Northumberland National Park or the Forest of Bowland. The more remote parts of Northumberland are at low elevation, so the peak I was looking for was to be right on my doorstep. Because the Forest of Bowland is used for commercial grouse shooting, the gamekeepers would be almost certain to move you on if they saw you, so I will only refer obliquely to where I went. If you want to know more, please PM me via my profile on the UK walking forum. I am very fortunate to only be 20-30 min drive from several access points to the fells of the Forest of Bowland, my chosen peak was a minimum of 5 miles from all / any road end. I chose to start from the Southern End of the Hornby Road, a Roman Road that crosses from the Hodder to the Lune valley.

The Hornby Road is an easy gateway to the centre of the Eastern Bowland Fells and after about 90 minutes I got to the point I needed to turn off this easy track of go ‘off piste’ and into proper Fell Country. I have walked in this area on several occasions and always wait for at least a week of dry weather before I venture out, because if you stray off of the stalkers tracks you can soon end up knee deep in bog after a period of wet (normal!) weather. I was on the top of my chosen peak by lunchtime and loved the views and sense of isolation.

I left my pack on the summit and went for an amble to the Whitendale Hanging Stones because these claim to be the geographical centre of Great Britain. Several places make such a claim, and much depends on whether you are working it out based on Great Britain, the United Kingdom, or just the British Mainland, all of which give different answers by the same method.

Whitendale Hanging Stones – Centre of the Kingdom?

Which ever may be the true centre, it proved a pleasant amble and gave me my first definitive sighting of a Hen Harrier, the iconic bird of this area after which a noted local beer is named. Learning to brew this beer formed the cornerstone of my career change back in 2018.

I returned to my pack and took the risk of pitching my tent early, a risk that paid off as I saw absolutely no-one from that afternoon until was a mile from the car the following morning. The views in Bowland are not as dramatic as the Lake District, Scotland or Snowdonia but they have their own charm and you can, like me, easily go for > 18 hours between seeing a single person.

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  The perfect summit pitch?

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  Looking back to the Hornby Road

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  Distant Yorkshire Dales

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  Whitendale (don’t forget your waders!)

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  The final approach

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  Dusk

I returned with my mental batteries recharged and having had a warm up for my planned trek along the Cambrian Way at the end of the month.

Returning to the Helvellyn range – a two day winter wild walk.

Back in 2019, on what was only my fourth wild walk, I walked the Helvellyn range from Threlkeld to Ambleside. At the time I wrote “Next time I’d like to tackle it in the winter”. This post is the account of my return to this route in the winter of 2023/24.

It is really interesting to contrast the photo I took of Blencathra on each occasion

Winter 23/24

Summer 2019

The colours of winter and the sharpness of the light added so much character to the views from the very beginning. The sun was very low in the sky (it was mid January) and it took a good 90 minutes before I ascended enough to get out of the shadow of the hills ahead of me. The walk and the views were even better than in 2019, I’ll let the pictures do the talking.

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The ground conditions were not like anything I had experienced in my previous 34 years of hills walking. Snow was only a decoration on shaded slopes, all the rocks were free of verglas, yet because the ground was frozen so hard and topped with an powder of frost even sections of gravel path were really slippery and I was really grateful for my microspikes.

My initial plan was to divert from the ridge and camp on Catstye Cam but when I got to Swirral Edge I did not fancy climbing down the scramble in such slippery conditions with a full pack on my back. I think I would have been happy to walk up, but not down. So like last time I walked on to Nethermost Pike.

We experienced something akin to a temperature inversion that night with the temperature on the summit only being one degree below that in the valley and a mild -2 Celcius. The sunset was not Instagramable but was suitably atmospheric.

I had expected the temperature to drop somewhat lower (-6 C), so learning from previous winter trips I prepared my water for the following day before going to sleep. To keep weight to a minimum I now harvest water as I go, rather than lug it all up the hill. This time I was able to get water from a stream between Great Dodd and Watson’s Dodd (NY 340,189). Water filters are great, but can freeze easily which is not only inconvenient but could damage the tubules within them. My Hydrapak one litre bladders are different colours so I can easily tell which is potable water. I kept my filter in my sleeping bag that night and in a pocket close to my body the following day until I ran out of pre-prepared water. I also filled my cooking mug so I could easily thaw and boil this for a brew in the morning.

Being winter, it was easy to be awake for sunrise but I was initially met by low cloud. Once I got walking though, I was soon awarded with some very fine views.

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Again the paths of the North side of the hills was frozen and slippery and I got to really appreciate how quick and easy it was to slip my Nortec micro-spikes on and off even with cold hands. I can highly recommend them and will write up a review (link to follow) when time allows.

Truly it was a gorgeous day to be up high in the hills and I loved every minute. Because there is very little by the way of steep climbs on this route, once you have attained the ridge, it is ideal for a winter two day walk as you can cover a reasonable distance even within limited hours of daylight – hasta luego!

Rab Nexus Pull-On – A review

The Rab Nexus Pull on is a lightweight mid-layer piece in a ‘pull over’ style with a deep chest zip. Two aspects set it apart from other half-zip fleece tops (i) The structure of the fleece fabric and (ii) the length / depth of the zip. It is not windproof, but this makes it ideal for layering in the shoulder seasons as well for warmth in the winter. It is my go to choice for taking on winter backpacking trips as it is ideal to wear in the tent in the morning and as a mid-layer for the first hour or two of walking when the temperatures are below zero.

The garment is made from Thermic G which is a polyester fleece with pattern of raised circles and gaps which traps warm air in an ‘reverse string vest’ type pattern.

This pattern is not just there for marketing hype, it really does work to provide a greater level of insulation vs. weight that other regular fleece fabrics. In my experience on the fell I find this top almost as effective as Polartec 200 and yet considerably lighter – 178 gsm vs. 250-300 gsm. This is great for winter walking / backpacking as is its lower bulk when stuffed into your bag.

The other positive and all too rare feature is the depth of the front zip which at 32 cm is 10-12 cm longer than most ‘half zip’ tops. This enables you keep the top on and control your temperature with the zip more of the time and minimises the number of times you need to stop to strip / replace layers. This means less delays and thus more miles covered per hour. Also, unlikely many lightweight tops it has proven robust to abrasion and has not pilled in 18 months of use.

Excellent deep zip

I find the cut of this piece ideal, it is termed athletic in fit, so not baggy, but then neither is it overly tight fitting either. It is simply really comfortable and warm. You cannot feel the flat seams when carrying heavy pack and it does not hold onto moisture. I have never got mine wet in the field (so I guess it must wick moisture well), but I know it comes out of the washing machine almost dry enough to wear. Finally it comes with a small chest pocket. This is only suitable for light items but it is a good place to store a pair of glasses or other delicate items you want to keep to hand.

At £65 RRP they are not cheap, but I’ve been so impressed I have bought a second one so I always have one available for last minute winter multi-day walks.

Alternative Yorkshire Three Peaks – A two day wild walk

In a repeat of my good fortune in Scotland in May I struck lucky with the weather for this two day walk, taking in three of the biggest peaks in the Yorkshire Dales. More than lucky, I felt blessed as this outing surpassed all of the (often excellent) walks I’ve experienced in the Dales since first going there as an student in the early 90’s. I wanted to include some scenic paths which I’d enjoyed in the past (see here and here) and thus whilst I did climb the expected Pen-y-Ghent and Ingleborough, I substituted Whernside for Fountains Fell. The latter offers fabulous views of the lesser visited side of Pen-y-Ghent as well as a commanding view down the Ribble Valley to Pendle. My route is shown below; I chose to start from Langscar Gate because in theory this would give me a great wild camping pitch at the half way point.

The underlying character of the Dales with it’s limestone outcrops and pavements was perfectly complimented by sublime winter light which gave a vibrancy to the colours of the flora and fabulous definition to the shapes of the hills because of the precision of the shadows. Thus I will seek to let my photographs do most of the talking.

Day 1 Plan : Langscar Gate to Park Fell – 17 miles / 930 m HG [ Actual finish at SD 81,76 so 14 miles / ca. 630 m HG ]

Because I needed to collect my car from a local garage before setting off I was later getting under way that was ideal, starting to walk at 0915. This walk was designed to be walked ‘fast and light’ in the summer and this was the end of November, so I got a wiggle on.

The reflection of the sky in Malham Tarn was a vibrant blue

The wind was biting on top of Fountains Fell so I only stopped for quick photo of the cairns and the view over to Old Cote Moor and Buckden Pike.

Soon I could see the peaks which would define the rest of my day, Pen-y-Ghent and the Ingleborough / Park Fell ridge.

The view from Silverdale was of picture postcard quality. I had my lunch in the lee of a wall at the foot of the main climb up the South end of Pen-y-Ghent.

It was fresh and clear on the top, but I needed to press on.  Today’s route towards Ribblehead / the foot of Park Fell was new to me. Had it not been frozen solid this would have been a very boggy path indeed. Should I walk this route again I will take the slightly longer route via Pennine Way path which has been ‘improved’. The light was now starting to fail and I needed to decide if it was wise to ascent Park Fell and look for a camping pitch in the dark. The alternative being to stop early and extend Day Two. I knew that the end of Day Two traced the Pennine Bridleway so should be easy to follow (in the dark) so I found a suitably hidden pitch next to Brown Gill Beck. I was too close to farm buildings really, but it was rough ground rather than pasture. Pitching 20 minutes after sunset and leaving at dawn meant no one came to move me on. The view of Park Fell, where I should have been camping, was beautiful in the moonlight.

Upon reflection I still believe I made the correct choice.

Day 2 Plan : Back to Langscar Gate – 18 miles / 910 m HG [Actual 22 miles / ca. 1210 m HG]

I had hoped to hit the trail at 0730 but having cold hands slowed down my packing somewhat. There was some cloud cover but within an hour this was clearing. 1 cm of snow had fallen in the night. Sadly I didn’t get a picture of my tent with its frosting of snow, but here it is on a warmer morning.

I was attempting to walk ‘fast and light’ acheiving a pack weight of just 10 kg inc. food and water – not bad for winter gear – by use of my ‘new’ micro-tent. Previously I have used a tarp for fast and light walks, but there is no way I would have slept under a tarp with temperatures dropping to -2 C – factoring in windchill an effective -8 C.  However I slept very comfortably in the Lofoten with the outer open in tarp mode (see picture above) all night and was nicely protected from the effects of the wind. For 1-2 night fast and light adventures I am coming to love my this micro-tent. At a real world weight of 590 g it’s lighter than an ultralight tarp and accessories and has proven far quicker to pitch and much more weather resistant and comfortable to sleep within.  It is small though, and is best viewed as a luxury hooped bivvy rather than a tent.

As I set off walking, I soon saw views towards Whernside which were out of this world.

The sharp shadows cast my the low sun made the texture of the fields below Park Fell stand out.

The four mile ridge from Park Fell to Ingleborough was cold because it was in shadow and I regretted not packing my micro-spikes as some sections of path were solid ice where streams had frozen.

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The walk into Wharf and on into Faizor then Stainforth is a favourite of mine and forms part of the Dales Highway which I enjoyed walking two winters ago.

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Arriving in Stainforth I had two potential plans (i) To stop in the pub for a swift pint then get a taxi for the last 7 miles (having already walked fifteen) or (ii) to get my head-torch ready and enjoy a night hike. I chose option 2.

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I got to the car at 1830, 90 minutes after last light, warm, full of joy and gratitude but with rather sore feet after 22 miles over ice hardened ground.

Epilogue.

If you haven’t guessed already I loved this walk, it is one I am sure to repeat. Clearly it would be better walked in the summer because of the need of a minimum of ten hours of sunlight each day.  That said, the quality of the winter light on the residual autumn colours (grass vs bracken vs limestone vs frost) was absolutely sublime. I plan to walk this again next winter but split it up as 3 x ca. 12-13 mile days and allow extra time to do things like go to the trig point on Fountains Fell for it’s views down Ribblesdale. Perhaps drop my kit and horse it up to the trig point of Smearsett Scar and similar fun additions. It would be good to finally camp on Park Fell too, after now two failed attempts.

Nordisk Lofoten (ongoing review) – a fell side test night with beautiful skies.

There are three spots on Pendle where I like to enjoy an overnight micro-adventure. One is good for storm testing, one is ideal when I go up with Junior and then there is a small flat ledge at 440 m which has the best view, but has only just enough space for a solo tent.

No one in the UK can have missed what a wet year it has been. So whilst I continue to wait for a dry weekend for an autumnal wild walk, I saw the forecast of a sunny afternoon, with rain only during the wee hours. I wanted both some head-space and the chance to test out my new micro-tent, a Nordisk Lofoten so I packed a bag and headed out after tea. For my detailed preliminary review of this micro tent, click here.

The Lofoten is best thought of as a luxury hooped bivvy rather than a tent, so some experience is required to know how to best work with it given that it is not tall enough (70 cm) to sit up within. There are a number of micro-tents on the market now from Nordisk, Terra Nova and Vango, but that which is easiest to pitch and has the smallest pack size is the Lofoten. All these ‘tents’ are side entry, which when you compare to a hooped bivvy has a range of advantages:

• Easier to get into / out from
• Much less claustrophobic
• A porch to store your boots and waterproofs within
• Better views of your surroundings.
• Space to get dressed (with a free yoga session thrown in!)

A game changing feature of the Lofoten is being able to use the door as a tarp which gives you covered space to cook under, so long as the wind is not too strong (≤ 20-25 mph).

Additionally, it has a pole sleeve for the main pole and not Velcro tabs so it is far far easier and quicker to pitch. It was great just to sit out of the wind (in the open porch) and enjoy seeing the sun set and the lights of the town start to illuminate.

The sky would not have won photographic prizes, but together with the peace and isolation of altitude that half hour was music for my soul.

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So what did I learn about my new micro-tent?

• Pitched with the correct orientation to the wind it was much more capable than I imagined. The wind was rather stronger than I was expecting, gusting to around 35 mph at 0200. (In future I would seek a sheltered pitch if winds above 25 mph were forecast, had the wind swung around to ‘side on’ it could have been a different story)
• The combination of heavy rain and driving wind did not lead to any water ingress.
• Even though the temperature dipped to 9 C and I had the door fully closed, the catenary cut of the fly looks to work, as I had zero condensation.
• It is much easier to enter, exit and get dressed within than under a tarp.
• The porch could accommodate my boots, waterproofs and a 40 L pack, so long as I was prepared to store the pack on my exit route and move each time I wanted to get in / out. Had my pitch not been sloping L2R I could have reduced the width of the inner (it is designed to do this) and given myself more porch space. This is the first night I have closed the door and I was pleasantly surprised with the size of the porch – yes it is petite, but it is not Lilliputian!
• I could pack up everything other than my Thermarest without getting out of the tent or opening the door.

Questions which still need to be addressed:

• How to manage the challenges of entry and exit in heavy rain (I have a plan, but will it work?)
• Limits to the weather conditions which would allow you to use the door in ‘tarp mode’ and thus have a covered cooking area.
• When will there be a dry enough weekend to facilitate a two day wild walk I the Dales without the tops being obscured by cloud?!?

Paramo Torres Activo Jacket – a review.

I’d been looking for a water resistant, windproof shoulder season insulated jacket to use to walk too and from work in notoriously wet Lancashire when I stumbled on a Torres Activo Jacket on Outdoor Gear Exchange. It was the same ‘size’ as my other Paramo tops so I snapped it up.

The Paramo system assumes that you will overlayer your windproof or waterproof with an insulator, not remove your ‘outer shell layer’ to put something warm underneath. The benefit of this is not getting cold in the process of trying to get warm. Lots of odd concepts have been developed in the outdoor clothing world and many simply don’t work. But I’ve found the Paramo approach to work well for me over the past ten years. I am a fell walker and multi-day wild walker.

Features

The Activo is a simple jacket and one designed for walking and climbing and not for the High Street. The outer pockets are ‘Napoleon’ pockets, designed for use and access when wearing a harness or rucksack hip belt. There is also one generously sized inside pocket, large enough to hold an OS map.

The hood has plenty of adjustment and moves with your head so does not restrict your vision. I normally don’t like hoods, but something about the cut of Paramo hoods allows me to get on with them where I would normally not.

Sizing

It is essential to note that the Activo jacket is not sized to take a thick layer underneath if you choose your ‘normal size’. If this is what you want, you would need to go for the next size up. I also have the warmer Alturo jacket in the same notional size and this allows for a thick midlayer and a Paramo waterproof (themselves thicker than Goretex) to be readily worn underneath (or two layers of fleece top). However, it is a good length, coming well down over the bum so there is never any gap between jacket and trousers.

My verdict

Had I had chance to try it on first, I would have opted for the next size up. The back and arm length is perfect for me, it is just a snug fit that will only accommodate a base layer and windproof underneath. What is remarkable with this jacket is the effectiveness of the insulation. Because it is insulation fibres inside a shell it is fundamentally windproof unlike a fleece, but is far warmer than any softshell I’ve ever worn and yet is at least equally rain resistant.  It is no heavier than a softshell and packs down better too.

I am finding it ideal for a shoulder season walking / backpacking jacket. On a recent wild walk I was plenty warm enough sat under my tarp all evening at temperatures down to 8 Celsius. I was fully expecting to have to climb into my sleeping bag early, but with the hood up I was plenty warm enough. Surprisingly good for a 470 gram synthetic jacket. The same weight as a Rab Microlight down jacket yet highly water resistant, fast drying and just as warm wet as dry.

I see this finding it’s place as a really flexible windproof ‘jumper’ for shoulder season walking. But, being a jacket means a lot of flexibility for ventilation because it has a full length zip.

Summary

So in the end this jacket has not been suitable for my walk to work, for this I would prefer waist level ‘hand warmer’ pockets for this duty and the space to put a warm layer on underneath. This design is difficult to find new so it may not be possible for me to trade it for the next size up. In the meantime however, what was bought for one purpose has found use elsewhere.

I would describe this jacket as filling a very small niche – if Paramo develop something of a similar weigh yet a more generous cut I would certainly give it a try because the insulation performance, build quality and likely longevity (if my 12 year old Velez is anything to go by) of their insulation is really excellent. Having hand warmer as well as Napoleon pockets would be a great addition too.

Tarp camping – my verdict…

After playing in the back garden over the summer to look at pitching and bug net options I’ve taken my tarp out for its maiden voyage. Because I didn’t know if tarp camping would be something I would enjoy I chose to buy a tarp second hand and accessorize it as cheaply as possible. Buying second hand meant taking what I could find, which in this case was a Hilleberg Tarp 5.

Regular A-frame

The prevailing advice with tarp camping is to start with something large and then only once you have some experience move to something more minimal in covered area. My experience thus far suggests that this is sound advice, it’s just that I opted not to take it! In my earlier post I covered the conceptional pro’s and con’s of tarp camping and busted a few myths along the way; So, how did these ideas measure up in a real world two night wild walk you ask? Read on…

For my first tarp camping trip I chose to use it for my shelter on a three day walk along the Lancashire Way.

What did I discover?

Positives

• The Tarp 5 only weights 320 g inc. guylines.  400 g when you include the pegs.
• Having a roof over you provides reassurance and is far nicer than using a bivvy bag.
• A tarp can hold out wind blown rain if pitched correctly vs. the wind.

However I’ve taken an unconventional approach to pitching in the wind, treating my tarp like a tent if it looks like it is going to rain. Normally you’d need a shaped tarp to do this but I’ve designed a foot end panel which should offer the best of both designs. More of this below.

The tarp & pegs are all in the red Aiguille pocket nearest to the camera

• I loved the low volume of the tarp and associated kit

• My low cost bug mesh solution worked very well.

• Very satisfying in the rain

• The light weight and low volume facilitated a great walk allowing for 16-18 miles / day.

Negatives

• The covered area in which you can sit to cook in the rain is very limited.

Not sure if this is going to be a problem as whilst I experienced heavy rain, this was only after I’d finished cooking and eating.

• Didn’t really feel that extra connection to the environment

But that may well have been due to the short daylight hours and me being too tired to do more than pitch, eat then sleep. One aim of this walk was to break a period of insomnia – which wonderfully it did.

• A tent is a lot more comfortable in the mornings

It is warmer to get dressed in, especially if the heat of brewing-up is captured which takes the edge off the chill when you are getting dressed.

• The lower amount of headroom of a tarp makes getting undressed / redressed a challenge vs. my experience of a tent.

My accessories – how did they work?

My bug net solution was comfortable and kept me insect free. For me comfort and convenience comes ahead of price, but at £20 the Sea to Summit Mosquito Pyramid Net, paired with an old footprint (groundsheet protector) felt almost as convenient as a purpose made bug tent costing considerably more. Adding a hand-sized loop of climbing cord to one of the front pegging points made for an easily visible and accessible handle to give a route in and out of the netting.

The really pleasing addition was the end panel which I designed and a friend made for me.

Whilst I know that the design could be improved on, I experienced winds of around 25 mph and rain at 1.5 mm / hr for a few hours and remained wholly dry. It is true that some rain blew through the obvious gaps but because my feet / legs were in the centre they remained fully protected. This is something to be aware with a tarp; rain will be driven under the sides for a short distance and this is why tarps are very wide compared to a tent. The extra overhang ensures that the core area remains dry. Rather like a porch or veranda on a house.

Titanium pegs

I wouldn’t trust these on a guy line, but there were perfect for pinning down the groundsheet and only 2 grams a piece.

The ultimate test – will I go tarp camping again?

Updated Sept 23 – When I originally wrote this post I thought I would use the tarp for a multi-day walk again and indeed I did.  I used it on a 5 day stretch of the Offa’s Dyke Path in Aug-23 in mixed weather.  It proved excellent at keeping me and my kit dry during periods of significant overnight rain.  It was not what I’d describe as comfortable however.  Whilst it performed excellently against driving rain, on cooler days or when I found myself in the cloud it just didn’t seem possible to block out the cool wind and so I had to climb into my sleeping bag even at 4pm.  You might reasonably say that this price of travelling ultra-light.  After all such tactics are required for winter backpacking / wild walking.

What I loved about the tarp was it’s ultra small pack volume, allowing me to walk for 3 days with a 35 L pack and up to 6 days with only a 40 L pack.  Smaller packs are not just lighter but also physically smaller, giving you a sense of being unencumbered.  I love that.  So after a lot of research and conversations with ultra-light enthusiasts I bought what I’d term a ‘micro-tent’ which offers much better wind protection, a faster pitch and is amazingly over 100 g lighter than the tarp and it’s necessary accessories.   It is thus under half the weight of my normal solo tent (Hilleberg Enan, 1200 g).

This new shelter is a Nordisk Lofoten 1, which right now I’ve only used for a handful of single night ‘test nights’ which form the basis of a preliminary review.

Solo Tent – Enan

Micro Tent – Lofoten

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…two tents, same location – had I pitched them side by side you would see that not only is the Lofoten about half the width, it is also 30 cm less tall.

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The Lofoten is an upgraded experience vs the tarp and should be compared against a tarp, or more accurately a hooped bivvy. It will not replace my Enan for > 3 day walks or fell top wild camping but this was never the aim.

Tarp camping – appraising the benefits as an alternative shelter for wild walking.

I am very fortunate to have been able to successfully make the move from regular employment to self employment. One of the designed and positive outcomes of this change is a shorter working week yielding more time to enjoy family time & hobbies. Thus this little project, which seeks to address the questions:

• Is tarp camping enjoyable or is it all just hype?

• Can I find ways to make it comfortable and practical vs. my standards

Whilst I thought this could be a fun experiment (and it has very much been this thus far) until recently I was far from sure there really was any benefit to a tarp over a lightweight tent.

Tarp Benefits – Perceived or Real?

As with many niche hobbies, once people have invested their cash and reputation into them, they can often be far more evangelical about them than is actually justifiable. Cognitive dissonance? These are my thoughts thus far:

Perceived benefits – exploding the myths

Tarps are ultralight?  This is a myth, at least today it is. Whilst the tarp itself may be very lightweight, to this you have to add a ground sheet, something to protect you from insects and often some secondary weather protection.

3 x 5m tarp (350 g) + ultralight bivvy (480 g) + groundsheet (200 g) + pegs (80 g) = 1110 g

Which compared to some of today’s solo tents isn’t at all impressive…

• Terra Nova – Laser 1 – 1050 g
• Lanshan 1 Pro – 690 g
• Nordisk – Lofoten 1 – 565 g
• Terra Nova – Laser Pulse 1 – 550 g

Even when compared to my robust and comfortable Hilleberg Enan (1200 g) the weight saving could be far more easily gained by a healthy diet than a tarp!

Tarps are quick and easy to pitch?  From my own experience and from YouTube video’s I’ve seen, pitching a tarp normally involves pitching then fettling. Today’s single pole tunnel tents can be erected in around three minutes and don’t need any fettling because their design is fixed and not flexible like a tarp.  The Enan goes up all in one too.  My tarp, for example, has eight guys and then needs any inner shelter setting up afterwards – however fast I get, I don’t think I’ll ever get it down to three minutes. On the plus side however, though they do pitch ‘outer first’ which is great news in wet weather. They could also form a lunchtime shelter if required.

Tarps take up less space in your pack? In truth this depends on the tent you compare them against. My experimental set up is significantly lower in volume than my solo tent, but it is only about the same as one of the Terra Nova ‘Compact’ models or a Norkdisk Lofoten

Tarps can be pitched in a variety of ways / shapes?  This is correct, but it’s a bit of a false positive. It is true that you can change the design of your pitch depending on the weather conditions, but this is because the different pitches are essential to make them work in that weather, it is not an added bonus. Whilst a tent usually has a preferred orientation vs. the wind direction, most will cope acceptably with a 90 degree swing in with direction. Should this happen with a tarp, you may need to re-pitch it in the night.

Real benefits – making the most of the upsides

Tarps can be pitched more easily in wooded areas / on a smaller footprint : Flexibility of pitching options does mean that you could string up some para-cord between two trees over root filled ground which is not happy to accept pegs. Also if you can only find just enough flat space to lie down, you can pitch a tarp over this and don’t have to worry about rocks or tree stumps also being under the flysheet. I can see how they could work very well on the wooded long distance trails of the USA.

And saving the best ’til last…

Tarps give you a better connection to the countryside around you : And here at last you find the reason why I plan to pursue tarp camping for a few test walks. If you are able to pitch your tarp ‘high’ you get open views all around you. You can stare up at the stars, or out at the views around you unhindered by where the tent door needs to be. The first night I spent under my pre-loved tarp was in our back garden during the UK’s July Heatwave. Having a roof over me made me feel secure, but feeling the breeze blow over me was invigorating. I could see the stars and watch the bats flitting overhead.

That first night told me that whilst a tarp is not a mountain shelter, in the right place and at the right time of year it opens you up to an outdoors experience quite different from a regular tent and one that, at least initially, has been refreshing and enjoyable.

My Tarp set-up

I shook Ebay and this is what fell out…

It is a Hilleberg Tarp 5, which weighs in at 320 g inc. guy lines but excluding pegs. It is made from their tough but lightweight SiNylon flysheet material and is an elongated pentagon shape. The extra triangular sections at the front and sides appear to have been added to allow for greater headroom at the entrance. As it is not rectangular, the number of pitching options is less numerous. Those I’ve found practical are in the slideshow below.

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The quoted dimensions of this tarp are slightly misleading, and the effective protected length is really around 2.3 m (6’ 7”) rather than 3.15 m (10’ 4”). However the longest inner dimension of most modern lightweight tents is usually around 2.2 m. The received wisdom is that if you are new to tarp camping you are best to start with something larger, progressing to something smaller (and thus lighter) once you have gained some experience. I pitched mine in the back garden and assessed what area remained dry in the rain and then sought to apply some lateral thinking. For an excellent review of the Tarp 5 head over to sectionhiker.com.

This is the set up I plan to take away on my first two night wild walking test:

For me; for most people; protection from insects is essential. There is a Hilleberg mesh shelter designed to work with the Tarp 5, but even if I was willing to spend the £220 on one of these, there are none available at present. My solution has been to dig out an old tent footprint (2.2 x 1.2 m) and find, after a lot of searching, mosquito net – Sea To Summit Mosquito Pyramid Net – which is designed to be hung from 1/3 along it’s length, thus lending extra headroom and fitting with the sloping pitch of my tarp. By tying a length of 1 mm cord between the two walking poles I can can hang and peg the netting to this.

The end result is not so different from the Hilleberg version apart from it’s lack of a zipped entrance door – oh and the £200 difference in price tag.  It is true that my groundsheet is not of a bath-tub design, but careful choice of site should mitigate against this limitation. By tying a generous loop of climbing cord to one of the front pegging points of the net I have an easy and visible handle to allow me to lift the front to get in and out.

I really like the Sea to Summit Netting, it being made of narrow threads and being black in colour renders it all but invisible from the inside and thus retains my connection to my surroundings – which for me is THE predominant benefit of tarp camping. Time will be the judge of it’s longevity, but at £20 it doesn’t need to last ten years.

The addition which I hope will make all the difference is this end panel

A friend of mine is skilled with a sewing machine made me a waterproof end panel to my own specification. When the bivvy is pitched in ‘storm mode’ this will fit the triangular gap at the foot end of the tarp. Not only will this reduce the amount of overhang I need to allow for rain protection at the foot end (meaning I can shift down and increase the overhang at the head end), it should also allow me to pitch the tarp like a tent, foot into the wind. The received wisdom is to pitch a tarp ‘side to the wind’ for rain protection, but this is far from ideal wrt to the wind itself. With the narrow low end of the tarp into the wind it will offer a much more streamlined profile to the elements. Also it will give me a sheltered cooking area at the head end. All this fine theory now needs to be tested out however, to check its validity.

When do I plan to use this new set up?

My view is that tarp camping is best done in moderate weather between late Spring and early Autumn. Whilst some people pitch tarps on fell tops, at least initially I plan to use mine at lower elevations and taking advantage of natural shelter where it is available.

My plan is to go away for a three day wild walk following a local section of the Lancashire Way. By staying local I can pick a good weather window. Given the low weight and volume of my tarp system I hope to be able to carry all my gear in a 35 L day pack and thus either cover greater distances or incorporate more pub stops into each day. I can actually walk from home to join a section of the Lancashire Way which also has its appeal.

Other set ups – trials and errors on the journey towards my ideal

My initial idea was that my tarp would be something I would use to add extra protection and comfort to the use of a lightweight bivvy bag. Because some kind of insect protection was essential for me this meant looking at the premium end of the bivvy range. A good shake of Ebay didn’t reveal anything at a good price so I did initially bite the bullet and buy a new Outdoor Research Helium Bivvy.

Half a night in this told me that I really didn’t like it, so this went back for a refund. Putting the lack of practicality of the confined space to one side, even with just the mesh door in place it significantly reduced my ‘connection experience’. My initial thoughts of the OR Helium were that it was very well made and just long enough for me at 5’ 11”. It is a very sexy toy, but not one for me.

I tried an evening without a bug net, but as soon as I turned my head-torch on my face was crawling with insects – I quickly concluded that some form of bug netting was essential! A further shake of the internet brought up a number of bug net options, but all of them had some kind of draw back. Many were too long for the Tarp 5 (and I do wonder if this is a cunning marketing ploy by Hilleberg to encourage you to buy their 210 cm long bug net?). Others were top entry, still others had solid ends – which is very practical, but once again breaks that visual connection to your surroundings. Had there been one with just a solid foot end that would have been ideal for my needs.

All this research led to my home made end panel, which also gained inspiration from the end removable end panels fitted to the mesh ends of my Hilleberg Enan which work really well despite not hermetically sealing the gap they cover either.  I can always throw my jacket over my feet for extra protection, something I often do anyway to keep them warm.

Crossing the Caingorms – a seven day (90 mile) wild walk

For one week a year I am allowed to take a solo holiday. This opens up the possibility of something more adventurous or demanding than would be appreciated by the whole family. Whilst weighing up options for a long distance walk I stumbled on a walk report on Walk Highlands whose photographs enchanted me. Once I’d turned the route into digital form and poured over the maps it looked a fully practical option. An eight day route crossing the Cairngorms with good wild-camping options for all the nights but one. That one night being roughly in the middle and offering a campsite thus the chance for a shower / beer / place to receive a restocking parcel.

Here is the route I planned:

During the walk itself I opted to make some changes to the original route. Such is the beauty of a wild walk, not bound by fixed campsites. The gpx files for the original route and also for the actual route can be downloaded from the links.

Preparation

This was to be the longest solo wild walk I’d ever taken on, and in an area more remote / lacking mobile phone coverage more often than I’d covered before. For my safety and the peace of mind of Mrs W I bought a Garmin inReach unit. These allow you to be transmit GPS tracking data and to send / receive text messages via the Iridium satellite network, so from anywhere in the world with sight of the sky. I wrote a review of the inReach here.

My view of backpacking is to strike a good balance between comfort and minimising the weight carried. It should also be born in mind that I was expecting snow above 700 m and nights where the temperature would drop below zero. Ideally I’d have done this walk a month later, but the school holidays dictate my schedule. May would have been a good deal warmer yet still free of the dreaded midge.

When I weighed my kit, inc. food and water, it was 15.8 kg. But I did have an ice axe and micro-spikes with me, both of which I needed to use. I was very pleased with this weight for an unsupported walk. One secret was posting a re-supply parcel to my midpoint campsite in Braemar with food, fresh clothing, maps, batteries etc.

The walk

Day 1 – Blair Atholl to head of Glen Tilt (12 miles / 250 m)

An easy day to start with, alongside the very attractive River Tilt

I had a super pitch at the end of the day, right next to the river. Had I walked on a further ¼ mile I could have been next to the Falls of Tarf. Might this have been better still? Perhaps, but I’d enjoyed my day and was more than happy.

Day 2 – Glen Tilt to Gleann Taitneach (9 miles / 650 m)

The only uninspiring day of the walk. It should have ended well as the plan was to Climb Carn Bhinnein and walk across to Carn nan Sac to camp at 3000’. However the wind was very strong and a message from home base told me to expect 40 mph winds at 3000′ and I could already see the cloud base dropping. Surprising for a walk of this length (90 miles) in Scotland, this short high level section was the only part which was due to be pathless. I opted to camp in the valley.

The highlight of the day was eating lunch next to Loch nan Eun. Whilst the wind was strong I found a sheltered spot totally out of the wind. The quality of the shelter only became fully evident as I set off after lunch to find the outflow waterfall flowing upwards!

Day 3 Gleann Taitneach to Knaps of Fafernie [Jock’s Road] (10 miles / 480 m)

When I woke in the morning the cloud was at 700 m, and as I muted earlier the next section was due to be pathless, and now also clearly viewless too. Thus I opted to divert my route down the glen.

No buses serve the A93 to Glen Shee so I hoped to be able to hitch a lift from the Spittle to Cairnwell Pass. I struck lucky with a great pair of Polish guys across for their holidays. My spirits were really raised by not having to walk along the road for two hours. That said the views from the road were still rather fine. As I headed up Glas Maol from the pass I hit my first snow. Occasionally I could now see summits, but by the time I reached 900 m I was in a white out – snow on the ground and cloud all around. Very careful navigation was the order of the day, even with a mapping GPS. It was a great path though, even though I didn’t get any views until I was pitching the tent at the end of the day.

The Knaps of Fafernie did not show the greatest potential for a camping pitch. The ground was either boggy or stony. In the end I trampled a patch of snow so it was firm and level and pitched on that.

Day 4 Knaps of Fafernie to Callater Lodge (7 miles / 120 m)

The cloud was low again in the morning and according to the MWIS was not due to lift. I decided to read for a couple of hours in the hope that the cloud would lift late morning. The idea was to leave my overnight gear in the tent and just take lunch and water with me on a there-and-back to Lochnagar. 40 mins walk got me to the summit of Fafernie but the cloud remained thick, low and unbroken so I claimed the top (a new Munro for me) and headed back to the tent for my lunch.

Thankfully the day was saved by my decent down Jock’s Road into Glen Callater. Beautiful.

That said, I can see why ‘Jock’ never got the same recognition from the civil engineering community as McAdam. His ‘road’ was undiscernable until I reached the base of the valley! However the views of the corries below Tolmount and Fafernie were breathtaking. It was wonderful to be greeted by such amazing scenery as soon as I descended below the cloud. (which didn’t lift from the tops until just before sunset).

My pitch was probably the finest wild camping spot I have ever enjoyed.

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Day 5 – Callater Lodge to Braemar (9 miles / 510 m)

In most long distant walks there is a ‘joining one nice section to another’ day. This was mine. It was also a demi-rest day. However I did enjoy the Callater Burn which was flowing well because of the snow melt. To add interest to the day I walked over Morrone on my way to my campsite and demi-rest day.

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I enjoyed the views of the bigger hills I was due to tackle next, then headed to the campsite. As seems to be common on all my long wild walks, any campsite proves a great disappointment compared to your other pitches. However my restocking parcel was waiting for me and I enjoyed a shower before heading into town seeking some decent beer. There was only one cask ale option in town, thankfully it was good. Braemar Brewing Co. had just opened in the town, they had one from them and three others from the Cairngorm Brewery (Aviemore) at the Invercauld Mews Bar. If you want a decent pint, it’s the place to go.

Three of the beers were traditional, but Cairngorm’s Tradewinds was slightly left field and very nice. Made with Perle hops and elderberries. Perle is a hop I love (paired with Citra gives you tangerine flavours) and the combination worked really well. I just had to have another one because my phone hadn’t yet fully charged 😉

Day 6 – Braemar to Loch Etchachan (16 miles / 800 m)

Once I got the initial road section behind me, this was the one of the best days walking I’ve ever known. Ever. The trees and the mountain-scapes around Glen Lui and Glen Derry are breathtaking.

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I’m glad I walked down the glen, it was such a good day and the final ascent of 300 m at the end of the day didn’t seem at all challenging. It was fun to start the climb in a T-shirt and end up next to a frozen loch surrounded by snow. What a location, which I think it is probably the highest (proper) loch in Scotland at 3041 feet. I’d love to come back in the summer too.

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Day 7 Loch Etchachan to Aviemore (15 miles / 400 m)

Loch Etchachan sits in a bowl and ascending out of this on frozen snow meant finally using the axe and micro-spikes I’d be carrying all week. Sadly the cloud base was just below 3000’ but the MWIS suggested it would lift by late morning. There were still no views at the top of Ben Macdui so I sat in the shelter of the rocks around the trig point and pondered my options. It was late morning now and there had not been the slightest hint of the cloud cover thinning or lifting. I made a decision to alter my route and descend to the Rothiemurchus Forest by the most attractive direct route. With the benefit of hindsight this was a poor judgement call, because the cloud did lift at 1pm. However when walking solo I feel I should put safety higher up my priority list. On the positive side, my route down was mostly extremely attractive. At 1pm, as I was approaching Cairn Lochan, the cloud lifted but so did the force of the wind. I was now in two minds about my choice, but figured that given the nature of the Cairngorms, the chance of getting a sheltered tent pitch at 4000’ was not likely. My original plan had been to camp at the Wells of Dee, the highest source of a major river in the UK. I would have beaten my PB of highest wild camp from the night before too.

One cannot live ones life regretting our choices, so I sought to see the positive of my situation and opted to bag another Munro on my way down. Cread an Leth-choin, or in English, Lurcher’s Crag. The wind on the top was brutal, but the views spectacular.

Lurcher’s Crag – the view from between the ears

After lunch sheltering just below the summit the map showed me a path down that looked good. How wrong was that! Should you ever seek to descend from this Munro into Lairig Ghru do not take the ‘path’ to the NW. Instead follow the shoulder down to the more major path running from Lairig Ghru past the foot of Creag a Chalamain. My route took me down the most challenging scramble I’ve ever attempted, the challenge coming from the unstable rock. Every third hand hold simply broke away. It is not a safe route to take. The longer route down the shoulder would not only be safer but much faster. It took me the thick end of an hour to descend 300 m.

Then to try and continue to seek the gains from my loss of ascending the Devils Point, Cairn Toul, Braeriach et al I route marched the 7 miles down the tourist track, through the forest into Aviemore seeking to catch the last train South.

After the first two miles the rocky path becomes much more pleasant to walk on and with tired feet I arrived at Aviemore Station at 8pm. My dinner was a cold feast from Tesco which I ate on the platform then took the train back to our van parked at Blair Atholl station. I was very glad to only have another 20 feet to walk from the train to my bed.

Conclusions

I’d say the walk was a mixture of amazing and disappointing – but the disappointment came solely from the periods of low cloud. I’d be very keen to go back and repeat the section from Braemar to Aviemore in more reliable weather. The heart of the high Cairngorms is like nowhere else in Scotland, wild and stunning.

Garmin inReach Mini 2 – a real world review

The Garmin inReach Mini 2 is a satellite facilitated tracking and text message communication device. It is small and light and designed to be used in combination with a Bluetooth enabled smartphone to act as remote keyboard and larger viewing screen. As the name suggests it is the second incarnation of this device. I bought one of these earlier in the year to give my family peace of mind when I was on an eight day solo wild walk across the Cairngorms.

Executive Summary

I found the unit easy to use and my family found messaging me and following my location using the tracking page straight forwards when I was in the field. The battery life was excellent, it would have lasted 12 days between charges using the configuration I chose. The reassurance of having a ‘Daddy Tracker’ was highly appreciated by the family and I benefited from getting messages and MWIS summaries sent from home. It gets a thumbs up from me.

What does it do / why might you want one?

By linking to both the US GPS, international GNSS and Iridium satellite networks it can pinpoint your location anywhere in the world where you have sight of the sky. Then by using its connection to the Iridium network (which is what powers satellite phones) it can broadcast your position back to your support team / loved ones via a Garmin hosted webpage. It does this at a frequency anywhere from once every two hours to as often every two minutes.

Using the Iridium network it allows the transmission and receipt of 160 character text messages. These can be sent to a mobile phone, received as an SMS message, or sent to an email account. A link within outgoing messages allows recipients (e.g. home base) to reply to the inReach via a web based messaging portal or via SMS to a dedicated pseudo mobile phone account at Garmin.

Finally the unit has an SOS button which will transmit an emergency call and your location to the local emergency services and also your chosen two primary contacts. Thankfully I’ve not tested this, but once in contact with the emergency services you can share text messages to fill them in with your status, nature of your emergency/injury etc.

I got one so that my family could be assured that I was OK and we could keep in touch with each other for the long periods I was without mobile phone network coverage (in my case for 5 ½ of the 8 days of my trip).  I was walking alone.

How easy is it to use?

After a couple of short test walks I was able to consistently and easily use the unit. Whilst it can be used on it’s own, if you want to send bespoke rather than just preset messages this is MUCH easier when you link it (via Bluetooth) to your phone. The unit itself has only four buttons, so typing on it would be a very slow process. However, you can read even long messages on the unit itself with ease.  The screen looks like that on a Kindle. Linking to the dedicated app on your phone is quick and easy. Reviews I read ahead of buying it all suggest that the Mini 2 user interface is much more intuitive than the original Mini 1. I have a 10 year old Garmin GPS Map and know that I can attest that the Mini 2 much easier and more intuitive vs. the older style of Garmin interface.

When I used the manual on / off tracking mode I found I could easily turn off the tracking by mistake. I never did work out what I was doing wrong. My solution was to set it to auto-tracking which meant I never accidentally turned off the tracking. This worked flawlessly.

Sometimes in deep valleys, or where there was tree cover it flagged a ‘poor satellite connection’ and asked if I would like to delay sending my message until it was guaranteed to sent without any errors. I opted for the ‘wait’ option and found that it never needed to wait more than 30 seconds before sending my message – a delay of no relevance as far as I was concerned. In the manual it suggested that messages may take up to 20 min to arrive with the end recipient (or get from them to me). On two occasions I had a back and forth text conversation with no perceivable delay.

Battery life?

There is always a difference between the optimal values quoted by manufacturers and real world performance. In the case of the Mini 2 your battery life will depend primarily on four main factors:

• The frequency you opt to send your location back to your Garmin web page
• How many messages you send / receive in the day
• Whether you leave the Bluetooth link on all the time or actuate it ‘as needed’
• Terrain / tree cover impacting satellite coverage.

In my case these factors were as follows

• My location was set to ping once every 30 minutes
• I sent around 10 messages per day and received 2-4
• I only turned on the Bluetooth when I wanted to send a bespoke message
• I was only rarely in deep narrow valleys or under trees
• I had the unit switched on for around 8 hours per day

inReach Mini 2 – clipped and strapped to my shoulder strap for good reception and easy of use

With the above settings / conditions I consistently used 8% of the battery life per day over my seven full days of use. Thus I could have got just over 12 days of use from a single charge of the internal Li ion cell. This seems excellent to me and all most people would every need. The unit is charged using a standard USB / phone charger (USB C) and thus can be topped up in the field using a power bank. The internal battery is 1250 mAh, so around 40% of a modern smart phone for comparison.

How the messaging works

The message payment model works as follows:

Preset messages

You can set three ‘preset messages’ via your Garmin Explorer web portal. These are fixed messages each sent to a (potentially different) fixed group of recipients. All and any aspects of these messages can only be altered via the web portal. Once set on the web you sync to your device either via USB or via the app on your phone / Bluetooth. You can send as many of these preset messages as you like at no extra charge. You can choose to include a location link within them.

Bespoke messages

Each message is up to 160 characters. These can be composed on the unit if you really have to and have a lot of patience (it has only four buttons) or are more readily composed on your phone then relayed via Bluetooth to the inReach and then up into the deep dark reaches of space. You can choose to include a location link with your message if you wish.

The cost of bespoke messages and location pings depends on the level of subscription you decide to pay for. Each subscription package includes some complimentary messages / pings and then you pay per message / ping after that. Since these costs will likely change with time best that you look here on the Garmin site for more information. This third party video is good too.

Both outgoing and incoming messages count towards your quota and will cost you once this quota has been exceeded. (Currently £0.50 / message).

Once you message someone, they can message you back.

Weather information

You can pay to have a weather forecast sent to you, it is multi-day forecast and can be standard or premium. I didn’t use these services so cannot comment. I arranged for Mrs W to send me a summary of the MWIS mountain forecast every other day. This service proved excellent!

Web portal configuration

This is very important as the settings on the portal will determine what your audience will see and what functions they will have available to them. You share a URL with them of the form https://share.garmin.com/xxxxxx. You can password protect the page if you wish and choose whether you want it to be possible for friends to message you from here. But note that you pay for incoming messages too.

On the portal you input your emergency contact information (two people). Via the app, you can populate a contacts list with their mobile / email details, these can be easily imported from your phone’s address book.

Costs

Again, look at the Garmin site for up-to-date costs, but their model has three levels of package further split into whether you opt for a monthly or an annual plan, so six options in total. There is an annual subscription fee too which is lower for an annual plan than a monthly plan. One thing that was not clear on their website is that if you buy a month’s usage this appears not to be 30 days, or from the Xth to the Xth of the month, but is instead for the calendar month. Worth noting if you plan to use it in the early part of the month, don’t subscribe until the 1^st of the month at the earliest

I would suggest however that you would want to be able to familiarise yourself with the unit and check you can configured the settings on the web portal correctly before you head off into the wild and allow 2-3 days for this before you first use such a device.

Final thoughts

I’ve written this review after my first use of such a device, but it was a very comprehensive eight day trial – it was used ‘in anger’ so to speak. I could not fault it for either ease of use, robustness or battery life. From what I’ve read the Mini 2 has an easier interface and slightly longer battery life than the Mini 1. Mrs W was greatly reassured to be able to track me and get “I’m OK” messages at the start / end of the day and at each rest stop. This was the longest and most remote wild walk I’ve done so far and I was concerned I’d start to feel lonely after 4-5 days, but thanks to knowing I could communicate from absolutely anywhere (and you can send / receive messages from inside a tent without an issue) was probably a major reason behind this not being the case.

The subscription is relatively expensive at £35 pa plus £35 per month used (middle level plan) but if it facilitates an adventure, as it did for me, it feels well worth the cost. My original plan was to sell the unit straight after my trip (cheaper than rental according to my sums) but rental is an option. However Mrs W has asked me to keep hold of it, so there’s a commendation right there.