I haven’t done a solo camp this year and the summer is rapidly disappearing. The forecast wasn’t too bad for thursday/friday so I made the decision to go. When I do a camping trip, I like to try some new things and repeat some old things. That way you add something to your skills repertoire, discover how you can improve it or discard it and reinforce what you have already learnt. Last year I got caught out with some unexpected rain in the evening. I realised there was a weakness in my camping area – no shelter.  I had my tent of course but I wanted to be able to continue sitting out during the evening in front of a fire so I was keen to find a solution using my 3×3 metre tarp. There are no obvious large trees nearby to string a guy line up, so it could be a real challenge. There are many ways to configure a tarp, some very complex and not needing much support but they tend to create smaller shelters. Ideally I wanted to use the full nine metre square area, keeping it close to the fire and if possible giving some shelter over my table so that I had something to work on when preparing meals. I found the ideal set-up.

Behind the bench is a young wild cherry tree I planted three years ago. It’s done really well and now stands about six metres high. I wasn’t sure if there was enough strength to hold the guy line taut but I could always add an anchor guyline behind it to take the flex out of it. The other end was a similar situation but the positioning was spot on for a lean-to arrangement which you can see from the side. Moving the table to the left of the bench would put at least half of it under cover and there would be room for a chair. First aim ticked off.

The forecast was fine until 6 pm just about when I would be cooking. The key to a successful experience is in trying to foresee the problems and making arrangements to combat them. “Failing to plan means planning to fail”. I hadn’t tried keeping a good fire going in heavy rain so that was aim number two. I had read that if you build a good strong fire, the heat will drive off the water but for how long? Rain was only expected for an hour but that might ruin my fire and my evening meal. I built a sort of rain cover, using half a wooden pallet and some Y shaped branches. Looks very Heath Robinson but it should deflect some of the rain. Here’s how the new camp area was looking. I was pleased with it. Aim two ticked off.

As you can see, I’m settled in and watching for that rain! Oh and if you’re thinking “He can’t keep off that smart phone though”, well I’m using an app that connects to my camera via wifi to control it remotely to take the photo. Brilliant.

My meal was to be a veggie risotto – onion, mushrooms and peas. Not exactly exciting but as you might know, I’m not a good chef but I reckoned that would be easy and tasty, all done in my cast iron Dutch Oven pot. Got the fire going, plenty of hot embers and “the job’s a good ‘un” as we say in Yorkshire.

The rain held off while I cooked and ate then an hour late, it arrived. It teemed down. It ran straight off my tarp, made the fire steam and sizzle but I sat peacefully and contentedly watching it and knowing my resourceful preparations had succeeded.

The weather cleared up, I had a walk around the tracks and watched darkness close in on me, comforted by a glowing fire and a bottle of red and occasionally wondering “Why the heck I’m doing this”. The thought was only fleeting and if you are wondering the same, then trying to explain would be a waste of words. If you you haven’t wondered then you need no explanation. Hinted keywords – being alive, unique, because I can, amazing, stepping out of comfort zones, connectedness. I retired to my small tent around 11 pm and slumber came easy – no bad dreams this time.

A few hours later I came to. In the distance I heard a terrifying screech. Again but closer and followed by a another blood curdling sound. Lying in the middle of a dark woods, on your own with only two thin layers of nylon as cover gets your heart racing immediately. The two sounds were closing in on me, closer and louder. Logical brain took over from neanderthal, fight or flight brain –  it was tawny owls. Now most folk think that all owls go “toowit towoo” in a  lovely calming and benign manner – wrong. The calls can be loud and aggressive. Maybe there was a territorial battle or a bit of owlish matrimonial disagreement. The toowit is the female and the toowoo is the male tawny owl. But the toowit is more like a demented “creeeech” sound and the towoo (though not demented) more like an elongated “wuwuwuwuwoo”. I relaxed and listened as they zoomed past, like low flying fighter planes, disapperaing deep into the woods and gone again. Silence resumed. I slept quite well but early daylight and the incessant call of a wood pigeon and “twit twit” of a nearby wren signalled time to get up. It was 6.00am. Another walkabout down the rides but no wildlfife to be seen. I was hoping the spot some roe deer. This lovely silhouette of an ash tree was at the bottom of my woods.

Fire re-lit and breakfast of eggs-in-tomatoes, bannock bread and filter coffee. Fit for a king – or at least me! Just short of some baked beans – note to myself!

Rain was forecast again around midday so morning was mainly spent packing and dismantling camp. I’d planned to cook some lunch but it was looking like too much trouble in the rain with the shelter down now. It started early so I headed to my permanent shelter to sit and watch. I’d done some more work on the renovation and half of the sides are now in place. It was nice and dry.

The rain increased intensity. I thought I heard an airplane taking off – a deep roar getting closer. CRACK. I never saw the lightning, just a long and very loud, elongated explosion of sound moving right over me, left to right in fantastic, thundery, surround sound. It felt quite primeval in the middle of a forest. I was tired and satisfied, time to call it a day. As it eased off I headed home, another fantastic woodland experience to remember.