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Thread: Dartmoor - 3 Days Camping with 10 Items

  1. #21
    Moderator Adam Savage's Avatar
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    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?

  2. #22
    NaturalBushcraft Founder Ashley Cawley's Avatar
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    Firstly, to the forum

    Quote Originally Posted by crazysaint222 View Post
    ....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).
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  3. #23
    Moderator Adam Savage's Avatar
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    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.

  4. #24
    Moderator & Poshcrafter™ Martin's Avatar
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    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.

    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
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  5. #25
    Moderator Adam Savage's Avatar
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    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.

  6. #26
    Moderator Adam Savage's Avatar
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    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?
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  7. #27
    Moderator & Poshcrafter™ Martin's Avatar
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    lol, it is a sad but true fact that I deleted my kit list but I had more or less 10 items.

    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
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  8. #28
    Moderator Adam Savage's Avatar
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    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?????
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  9. #29
    Moderator & Poshcrafter™ Martin's Avatar
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    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
    Sometimes your joy is the source of your smile, but sometimes your smile can be the source of your joy.

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