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View Full Version : Dartmoor - 3 Days Camping with 10 Items



Ashley Cawley
15-11-2010, 10:56 PM
So we set ourselves a personal challenge of staying on Dartmoor with just 10 items.

Food/Drink & Clothes were 'free' they didn't count as items, however everything else did! Even your rucksack was 1 item, toilet roll another!

- Here's a video about the trip:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e2ARwBRhP2o

- Blog Post about the Trip: http://www.naturalbushcraft.co.uk/camping-trips/dartmoor-10-item-challenge.html

- Here is the Photo Gallery: http://picasaweb.google.com/ashleycawley/Dartmoor3Day10ItemsTripOct2010#

If you were on this trip please post your thoughts about this trip. If you weren't on the trip still post your comments about the videos & photos and what would you have taken?

Martin
15-11-2010, 11:28 PM
Watching that video made me realise how much I love living in the south west of England. Sadly, we are in danger of taking such places and times for granted. Looking back through this video, I can see how incredibly lucky we are to have shared such great times with great company.

Thanks Ash, Matt and Scott. We must do this again soon. Maybe a bit more walking next time though chaps?? ;)

Martin

JEEP
16-11-2010, 07:49 AM
When I try to watch the video I get a message that says that this video is blocked in my country due to a copyright violation on Sony Music Entertainment!?!

Ashley Cawley
16-11-2010, 02:47 PM
When I try to watch the video I get a message that says that this video is blocked in my country due to a copyright violation on Sony Music Entertainment!?!I'm aware of that issue, it's due to some music that is used in the video. I will be trying to fix it tonight and I will also upload it to Vimeo who won't block it. I'll report back soon.

Ashley Cawley
19-11-2010, 10:01 AM
I have now changed the video in the first thread to be host by Vimeo not YouTube, this should by pass the funny restrictions that Sony was imposing before.

Shewie
19-11-2010, 10:07 AM
Watched this a few days ago Ash, looks liek you had a good one.

So what were the 10 items you guys took then ?

JEEP
19-11-2010, 06:10 PM
Looks like you had an excellent time.

Damn, I want to get out there - right now!


Regards.

Jakob

Ashley Cawley
19-11-2010, 06:35 PM
We had a beautiful time thanks guys,

Watched this a few days ago Ash, looks liek you had a good one.

So what were the 10 items you guys took then ?

I took:
Rucksack (45L)
Fallkniven F1
Firesteel
Billycan
Cup
Tarp
Hammock
Cocoon
Toilet Roll
Vas covered Cotton balls

More info on the trip @ http://www.naturalbushcraft.co.uk/camping-trips/dartmoor-for-3-days-with-10-items.html

Shewie
19-11-2010, 07:03 PM
Anything you wish you could have swapped for while you were out ?

Ashley Cawley
19-11-2010, 07:24 PM
Anything you wish you could have swapped for while you were out ?
Good question! Well firstly I will say that honestly non of us struggled, we all thoroughly enjoyed it :) But one thing I would have liked was a headtorch, it's all when and good thinking: "I'll get camp setup just right before dark so I know where everything is, bed & bits etc".. but there's just those times you want a torch lol.

So I would have swapped the cotton-balls for a headtorch, after all up until the night before the trip I hadn't picked my 10th item, so the tinder was just a last minute addition (but still multifunctional for me), but not essential, they could have been easily swapped for a headtorch.

One of my items was tissue anyway so if I really needed some tinder to light a fire I could have used that if need be, but I probably would have gone for a featherstick as my primary choice (depends how easy & quickly I wanted the fire I suppose).

Martin
19-11-2010, 07:47 PM
....One of my items was tissue anyway so if I really needed some tinder to light a fire I could have used that if need be, but I probably would have gone for a featherstick as my primary choice (depends how easy & quickly I wanted the fire I suppose).

In fairness Ash, it would have been very very hard to make a suitable featherstick, capable of lighting a fire, where we stayed the first night. I would say, at this time of year, a torch is a necessity.

Martin

Ashley Cawley
20-11-2010, 10:38 AM
In fairness Ash, it would have been very very hard to make a suitable featherstick, capable of lighting a fire, where we stayed the first night..
Your right Martin, in our immediate vicinity it would have been impossible! But I could have easily walked 200meters back down the trail we walked up and got something suitable from there.

Martin
20-11-2010, 11:05 AM
Your right Martin, in our immediate vicinity it would have been impossible! But I could have easily walked 200meters back down the trail we walked up and got something suitable from there.

Not without a torch you couldn't. :rolleyes:

Martin

TinkyPete
21-11-2010, 04:33 PM
great thread and challenge, i'll give it a try. great video and pictures too Ash

CanadianMike
21-11-2010, 05:35 PM
So, if one of you guys brought along a "bottle of the good stuff", would that count as one item, or three? :D

Ashley Cawley
21-11-2010, 05:54 PM
Not without a torch you couldn't. :rolleyes: ...
It was still light when I lit the fire for you Martin :p lol

beechnut mick
12-12-2010, 01:50 PM
other than the items you took,did you use any of the other lads 10 items.

Ashley Cawley
12-12-2010, 03:50 PM
other than the items you took,did you use any of the other lads 10 items.
Good question, we refrained from sharing our kit as then you would have access to potentially 40 items :)

Martin
12-12-2010, 04:08 PM
I'd have to agree with Ashley, we were pretty much self sufficient on this trip. In fact, it was a source of much fun for me that Ashley or Matt weren't allowed to borrow my torch. :)

No one dared to ask to borrow anything for fear of being accused of having an 11th item. :D

Martin

Kieran
14-12-2010, 09:34 AM
I'd have to agree with Ashley, we were pretty much self sufficient on this trip. In fact, it was a source of much fun for me that Ashley or Matt weren't allowed to borrow my torch. :)

No one dared to ask to borrow anything for fear of being accused of having an 11th item. :D

Martin

Bet you loved sitting there with a torch ay Martin ;)
Haha.

Kieran

Adam Savage
03-03-2011, 09:36 PM
hey guys, I'm heading off to Dartmoor at the end of the month for four nights of fun filled (but chilly and damp, I expect) wild camping. Being ex military trained, I have been on many tactical exercises and E&Es, so have a fair bit of bushcraft knowledge as is. Just wondering if there were any items, out of the norm, that you would suggest for this area specifically? or would a general temperate woodland/moors kit be more than enough?

Ashley Cawley
03-03-2011, 10:30 PM
Firstly, :welcome: to the forum


....Just wondering if there were any items, out of the norm, that you would suggest for this area specifically? or would a general temperate woodland/moors kit be more than enough?
Problem is bud... Dartmoor is a large landscape with vastly varying terrains & weather, ancient forest one minute, barron moors the next, so it really depends on where your planning on staying the night.

Do you have a set route & a rough idea of where you'll be staying overnight? (you don't have to post them here... I'm just wondering if you'll know beforehand what environment you'll be in).

Adam Savage
03-03-2011, 10:56 PM
I have never been to dartmoor before, the area we will be moving in and around is the Okehampton range areas, visiting Yes Tor and High Willhays. The highest area so pretty exposed. Then on to Fernworthy, so woodland this time, probably camping around the Frenchbeer area before heading back up. Ive checked the range time table and its all clear a good few days either side of the time we are gunna be there. using 3/4 season bags, a lightweight 2 person tent (good job I'm going with the GF and not a hairy biker), taking tarps as well, but these are standby only really this trip.

Martin
04-03-2011, 08:29 AM
The biggest problems you will encounter up there will be the bogs and the lack of decent, flat spots to pitch your tent. You won't need the tarps if you're taking a tent, they will only be excess weight. Of course, if your planning on driving between points then that's a different story.

As far as the bogs are concerned, decent gaiters are a must in my opinion. I use the Berghaus Yeti gaiters and have never had a wet foot until two weeks ago, but then I was wading through a river which went past knee height so I shouldn't be surprised. And, whilst I'm on the subject of rivers, make sure that you plan your routes carefully as the rivers get swollen quickly at this time of the year when the ground is saturated and it rains. Like any high moorland area, make sure you have emergency kit with you and that your navigation skills are up to the mark, although being ex military you should be fine there.

It is also worthy of note that you will be visiting the area in the middle of the bird nesting season and several areas are subject to restriction for conservation purposes. Check out the National Park advice here Bird Nesting Areas Link (http://www.dartmoor-npa.gov.uk/learningabout/lab-tentors/lab-tentorsbirdnestingmaps).

Other than that, Dartmoor is one of the most beautiful places in the south of England; you really can get a sense of wilderness and isolation. Enjoy your trip and be sure to come back and tell us all about it with some pics if possible.

I'm off up there tonight for three days which will be my tenth night up there this year so far so you can tell I sort of enjoy the place. :)

Martin

Adam Savage
04-03-2011, 11:50 AM
Thanks Martin, I didn't even think of the possibility of nesting season restrictions. My trusty gaiters are going on the list as we speak. I always carry emergency kit with me, as well as a couple hand held radios, and as for navigation, I recently replaced several compasses and picking up the latest OS 1:25,000 within the next couple weeks. Also I will have two mobiles with GPS apps, different networks and fully charged, but left off until (if) they are needed and stored in waterproof/airtight hard cases.

We are incorporating photography into the trip. With my DSLR, several lenses and enough memory/battery power for several thousand images, I hope to have plenty of pics to throw on here. :)

Thanks again guys, any more advice/info, then please keep it coming, You can never be over prepared for a situation.

Adam Savage
04-04-2011, 06:56 PM
couple of questions:
1) Would a swedish mess kit count as one item or two? as it has a lid which is a kind of cup/saucepan
2) I notice on your list Ash, that you didn't list any utensils to eat with. Did you carve/whittle a spoon/spork while out? or just not eat? lol
3) Is anyone up for a rematch with 9 or even 8 items?

Also can we have a list of Martins items? or are they uber top secret? :)

Martin
04-04-2011, 07:52 PM
lol, it is a sad but true fact that I deleted my kit list but I had more or less 10 items. :ashamed:

Ashley, being Ashley, ate with sticks. As his diet is entirely meat based he doesn't need cutlery as the rest of the human race knows it.

There has been talk of a 5 item challenge at some stage, but that is massively hard core in my opinion. In answer to your question about the Swedish mess tin/s, I would be of the opinion that it would be one item but it's basically down to your own conscience how you count it.

I reckon that the 5 item challenge is doable providing people are prepared to share kit. Let's face it, you don't need a knife each nor a toilet roll. In fact, when you get to 5 items, you probably don't even need a rucksack each, but then where would I smuggle my contraband items? ;)

Martin

Adam Savage
04-04-2011, 08:00 PM
LOL gotta love the contraband.
I shall attempt a least item challenge at my local stealthing grounds and see how it goes. But I think 5 would be tricky as its either a tarp, mat/thermarest and a sleeping bag (if it's cold) or a tent, mat and sleeping bag (if it's particularly cold) so three items spoken for already, unless of course you go for the blizard bag option with spare clothes as a mat????? ;)

Martin
04-04-2011, 08:03 PM
The five items pretty much require you to use an improvised shelter or at least to improvise insulation from the ground. If you use an improvised shelter and insulation, then you still have five items to play with. One of which would be some kind of cooking vessel I would imagine, and one would be some way to light a fire.

Martin