Great to see you back out and about again, and glad your knee is better. For anyone who is thinking of getting the Flextail pump James uses, I did after his recommendation and am thrilled with it and I am sure you will be too. Keep up the great work James.
Mate !! Great to see u back out !!! Pleased to see the knee is on the mend and u are covid free. Nice talk about summer vs winter it's always a dilemma when starting out and I know folk will have found that useful. Loved the music on this one mate really nice touch. Missed ur videos James this was a real Thursday night fix. See ya soon brother 👍👊👌
Cheers Simon! I'd like to do some vids specifically about how to choose your first bits of camping kit. I wasted a bit of money buying poor kit at first. Not enough time to make all the videos though hey? Thanks for watching, and I'm looking forward to seeing what you've been getting up to in Alba! 😎💪🏴
Hi James, It is good to see that you are back out again and that your knee issue has improved. I do like your porridge mix, it looks a very healthy and convenient breakfast. Can I ask how you make it or is it straight from the packet.
Hi Keith. I really like kicking the day off with that porridge mix. I have something similar at home in the mornings, but add a banana and some berries (a bit squidgy to take camping). For camping, I weigh out 120 grams of porridge oats, 60 grams of granola and 35 grams of Coco Pops. I also add a bit of chocolate protein powder, which thickens up the water nicely and stops it from tasting like a watery breakfast. As for the knee - I just need to gradually build the miles up now and see if and when I get any issues. I miss the longer walks! Thanks for your comment 👍 James.
I still like my nightcat tent tbh winter or summer, lightweight and easy to pack. Deuter sleeping bags are a good choice as well i find. Osprey stratos 50l bergan fits most stuff in and ive made an additional modification to attach a removable 5l side pouch if i ever need a little more capacity.
Sounds like you've found your perfect tent there, Chris 👌 The Deuter bags do look good, and a 50 litre rucksack is a really good do-it-all size. Removable pouch is a top tip! 😎
Nice James. Good to see you out and about on Dartmoor again. Glad the knee is better. Excellent vlog as always filled with loads of solid, down to Earth, information...
Nice weather for it and not a bad part of the world... I think if you know you're going to enjoy wild camping it makes sense to get some decent gear that'll cope all year round - with the sleep mat being one of the most important bits of kit. I think a lot of people just don't fancy that kind of outlay at the start. I think summer camping you can do ok getting cheap Lidl / Aldi sleeping bags or the OEX Fathom EV 200 is a great 2 season bag. As for tents, well, I'd second your recommendation of the Phoxx 2 or Phoxx 1, but look to get one used for around £30. I've snagged a couple for less than that.
I agree. I couldn't believe it when a lad in Cotswold Outdoor told me how much down sleeping bags were! I'd hastily bought a £40 Mountain Warehouse sleeping bag, but shivered all night in it on my first camp, which was a mild summer night. Soon after, I spent £100 on this blue Berghaus sleeping bag which actually kept me warm. Buying second hand stuff is always a good way to save the cash, and I'd rather have good second hand gear than inferior brand new gear for the same money 👍
@@joinmeoutdoors and you have to learn your own comfort rating, whether it is close to matching the bag's rating or whether it is always higher / lower.
@@joinmeoutdoors ha ha. You'd like my Rab Summit 900 with the -26c comfort rating then. That was a good used buy. I'm like you I think, definitely need the warmer sleeping bags to be comfortable.
@@TheWalkingKev I enjoy my Rab Ascent 900, but the Summit 900 is that bit warmer again! And yep, I'd much rather be a bit too warm than get poor sleep due to being cold. A cold night is a real camp wrecker!
Nice to see to see you back James. Lots of good advice there. I wish I had spent more in the beginning. I should have realise how much I would love wild camping. I also bought stuff other people used and later found it wasn’t for me or wasn’t adequate for my activity later on as my camps evolved. I’d say in sleep gear you need to buy based on whether you’re a cold sleeper or not. I’m always quite cool in the small hours of the morning regardless of layers or quality of sleeping bag. So I use a couple of the hand warming things such as ‘hot hands.’ The last camp I had a quilt, plus bivi and thermal top, Berghaus jacket and thin down jacket. Weight is a major consideration for me now with wear and tear on the knees so I’ve gone ultra light. I never take more than 8kg now. Soto Windmaster is my stove choice as it’s great in the wind, compact and lightweight.
Thanks Pete. I did the same as you, and many others I'm sure - trying not to spend too much in the early days, but quickly needing to upgrade those first purchases. You make a good point about working out how much insulation you need at night. I'm like you and find that I need quite a bit. Have you ever considered trying a heavier and taller camping stove? I have a great recommendation for you 🤣 Thanks for watching! James.
Very informative. I decided to challenge myself and do 4600 ft elevation gain hike but need backup overnight sleeping solution. Since every kilo makes sense when going uphill I feel like ultralight gear should be the way to go.
How it going James .......Just a bit late commenting on this one 🤪. Interesting subject/debate what gear to buy ? Depending on budget and enthusiasm ,🧐 My advice would be to buy quality winter gear and start camping in the summer if they have never camp before, Because you can use winter gear in the summer you can't use budget summer in the winter. And if they found wildcamping wasn't for them they could sell quality gear and only lose a small percentage of the original cost 👍Good to see you back out 😉
Afternoon Jay! I think you're echoing my thoughts there, about buying winter gear and using it year-round 👌 And I fully agree about the resale value of good quality gear compared to cheap gear! Thanks for watching. My outings have been thin on the ground these last couple of months!
@@joinmeoutdoors Afternoon James 😎 I watched your video the day it was posted. But been a bit under the weather myself lately. Don't worry about posting regular I will be supporting your channel by continued sub and commenting 👍😉
Sorry to hear that. I hope you're coming out the other side of it? Hope none of the rampant ticks have been latching onto you! 😒🕷️ Thanks for still tagging along!
I’ve just started to consider becoming a wild camper/ hiker and I found your channel. I’ve really enjoyed your videos and I’ve noted many tips. Do you have a top tips list for newcomers?
Thanks a lot, Josh. I like that you say that you've "just started to consider" wild camping. I woke up one day, decided I wanted to go camping that same day, and wasted money on some cheap gear that immediately let me down! Hopefully your more considered approach will allow you to make better decisions about what to buy, which would be my first top tip. I'd highly recommend buying a good second hand tent or something like an OEX tent to get you started, as they sell a few tents for less than £100. Once you've decided what to buy, it's a good idea for your first camp to he a) Somewhere familiar and b) Not too far from home, just in case you need to abandon the camp for any reason and want to walk/drive home. My final starter tip would be to pitch your tent, inflate your mat and use your stove etc at home or in a nearby park before your first camp. Get familiar and confident with it (and discover and issues there might be) BEFORE you need to rely on it. I'd like to make a video for first time campers really, but I hope these ideas are helpful for now. You'll love it, I'm sure! James.
@@joinmeoutdoors thanks James, that’s really helpful. I’d love to see a video on the topic if you ever made one! I’ll try and avoid the kit regret that you encountered first time around. Are you ever concerned with landowners and permission or do you generally stay out of sight and within acceptable areas. I know you leave no trace and arrive late/leave early.
There have only been two or three camps where I've thought there was a chance that someone could ask me to move on if they saw me, but if you're quiet, clean, respectful and considerate, it's unlikely that you'll have any arguments. The higher and more remote you are, the better, as you won't be in anyone's way.
I’ve only recently come back from a 3-nighter on Dartmoor.. I did Rowtor, Sheep’s Tor (aka the campsite) and Great Mis Tor. I had unplanned military exercises on the first and last Tors - even though the ‘six week firing notice’ said no firing/training on the dates/tors when I visited! Still it was good entertainment, especially the training exercise on the last night up on Great Mis… I also picked up my 2nd tick somewhere on that last camp, not too bad I suppose in my now 37 solo wild camps!? Have you had any of the little horrid bloodsuckers on you, in all the camps you’ve now done?
Hi Scoot. Was that your video I saw somewhere online where you were on Dartmoor and you had 5+ soldiers moving through the grass just a few metres away then?? That must've been pretty surreal! Funny that you mention ticks. I picked up my first one on this camp. Didn't find it till I got home, and made a similar comment to my girlfriend: 44 wild camps and only one tick. Not bad going! Apparently they're booming a bit in the UK at the moment. Horrible little things!
@@joinmeoutdoors No that wasn’t me, I don’t make videos - I only watch other people’s adventures here on UA-cam lol. They are horrendous, I’m actually quite paranoid about them now.. I don’t want to use chemicals on me and my gear, but if I get anymore then that’s exactly what I’m going to do. My first one was buried deep in my calf and was quite hard to remove, in fact I think I even left the head in me on that one! They make my blood run cold, they can be very dangerous little critters too, with them potentially carrying Lyme’s 😬
Ah okay. Maybe a few campers had a soldier surprise on Dartmoor recently then! Yeah ticks are nasty. You might need to have that broken head removed I think? I put my walking trousers on the ground briefly when I came to change into them, so I think my tick must have crawled onto the waistband in that minute or two. I then found it the following afternoon, buried into my stomach! Urgh.
Definitely one I'd recommend. It's collapsible, makes a reliable seal at both ends and feels sturdy without being heavy. Does exactly what I wanted it to 👍
Great to see you back out and about again, and glad your knee is better.
For anyone who is thinking of getting the Flextail pump James uses, I did after his recommendation and am thrilled with it and I am sure you will be too.
Keep up the great work James.
Thanks a lot Stu, and I'm really glad you're happy with your Flextail pump. I wouldn't be without mine now! 😁 I appreciate the comment 🙏🏻 James.
Good to see you out again. Good, sound gear advice too. ATB, John.
Thanks John. Hopefully it won't be such a long wait before the next one 😊 ATB, James.
@@joinmeoutdoors Fingers crossed the knee continues to improve. 😀
Mate !! Great to see u back out !!! Pleased to see the knee is on the mend and u are covid free. Nice talk about summer vs winter it's always a dilemma when starting out and I know folk will have found that useful. Loved the music on this one mate really nice touch. Missed ur videos James this was a real Thursday night fix. See ya soon brother 👍👊👌
Cheers Simon! I'd like to do some vids specifically about how to choose your first bits of camping kit. I wasted a bit of money buying poor kit at first. Not enough time to make all the videos though hey? Thanks for watching, and I'm looking forward to seeing what you've been getting up to in Alba! 😎💪🏴
@@joinmeoutdoors agree mate wish I'd watched this type of video all those years ago !!! I guess this is how we learn 🤣
Haha yep, we take the hits so that our viewers can learn from them! 🤣
@@joinmeoutdoors true story my mate
Lovely video. Thoughtful and witty observations. Enjoyed it.
Thanks a lot, Mark!
Hi James,
It is good to see that you are back out again and that your knee issue has improved. I do like your porridge mix, it looks a very healthy and convenient breakfast. Can I ask how you make it or is it straight from the packet.
Hi Keith. I really like kicking the day off with that porridge mix. I have something similar at home in the mornings, but add a banana and some berries (a bit squidgy to take camping). For camping, I weigh out 120 grams of porridge oats, 60 grams of granola and 35 grams of Coco Pops. I also add a bit of chocolate protein powder, which thickens up the water nicely and stops it from tasting like a watery breakfast. As for the knee - I just need to gradually build the miles up now and see if and when I get any issues. I miss the longer walks! Thanks for your comment 👍 James.
I still like my nightcat tent tbh winter or summer, lightweight and easy to pack. Deuter sleeping bags are a good choice as well i find. Osprey stratos 50l bergan fits most stuff in and ive made an additional modification to attach a removable 5l side pouch if i ever need a little more capacity.
Sounds like you've found your perfect tent there, Chris 👌 The Deuter bags do look good, and a 50 litre rucksack is a really good do-it-all size. Removable pouch is a top tip! 😎
really enjoyed this brill video great knowledge and insight thanks for putting this up well done sir classsssssssss
Cheers Mike, I'm glad you liked it! 🤠 ATB, James.
Nice James. Good to see you out and about on Dartmoor again. Glad the knee is better. Excellent vlog as always filled with loads of solid, down to Earth, information...
Thanks John. Always a pleasure to drink in a bit of Dartmoor! James.
Nice weather for it and not a bad part of the world... I think if you know you're going to enjoy wild camping it makes sense to get some decent gear that'll cope all year round - with the sleep mat being one of the most important bits of kit.
I think a lot of people just don't fancy that kind of outlay at the start. I think summer camping you can do ok getting cheap Lidl / Aldi sleeping bags or the OEX Fathom EV 200 is a great 2 season bag.
As for tents, well, I'd second your recommendation of the Phoxx 2 or Phoxx 1, but look to get one used for around £30. I've snagged a couple for less than that.
I agree. I couldn't believe it when a lad in Cotswold Outdoor told me how much down sleeping bags were! I'd hastily bought a £40 Mountain Warehouse sleeping bag, but shivered all night in it on my first camp, which was a mild summer night. Soon after, I spent £100 on this blue Berghaus sleeping bag which actually kept me warm. Buying second hand stuff is always a good way to save the cash, and I'd rather have good second hand gear than inferior brand new gear for the same money 👍
@@joinmeoutdoors and you have to learn your own comfort rating, whether it is close to matching the bag's rating or whether it is always higher / lower.
True words. In my case, I need to add about 15°C to a bag's claimed comfort rating for it to align with my own personal comfort!
@@joinmeoutdoors ha ha. You'd like my Rab Summit 900 with the -26c comfort rating then. That was a good used buy. I'm like you I think, definitely need the warmer sleeping bags to be comfortable.
@@TheWalkingKev I enjoy my Rab Ascent 900, but the Summit 900 is that bit warmer again! And yep, I'd much rather be a bit too warm than get poor sleep due to being cold. A cold night is a real camp wrecker!
Nice to see to see you back James. Lots of good advice there. I wish I had spent more in the beginning. I should have realise how much I would love wild camping. I also bought stuff other people used and later found it wasn’t for me or wasn’t adequate for my activity later on as my camps evolved.
I’d say in sleep gear you need to buy based on whether you’re a cold sleeper or not. I’m always quite cool in the small hours of the morning regardless of layers or quality of sleeping bag. So I use a couple of the hand warming things such as ‘hot hands.’ The last camp I had a quilt, plus bivi and thermal top, Berghaus jacket and thin down jacket. Weight is a major consideration for me now with wear and tear on the knees so I’ve gone ultra light. I never take more than 8kg now. Soto Windmaster is my stove choice as it’s great in the wind, compact and lightweight.
Thanks Pete. I did the same as you, and many others I'm sure - trying not to spend too much in the early days, but quickly needing to upgrade those first purchases.
You make a good point about working out how much insulation you need at night. I'm like you and find that I need quite a bit. Have you ever considered trying a heavier and taller camping stove? I have a great recommendation for you 🤣 Thanks for watching! James.
Very informative. I decided to challenge myself and do 4600 ft elevation gain hike but need backup overnight sleeping solution. Since every kilo makes sense when going uphill I feel like ultralight gear should be the way to go.
That is a good challenge. When will you do this walk? If the weather wk be warm, it's surprising how light the equipment can be!
How it going James .......Just a bit late commenting on this one 🤪. Interesting subject/debate what gear to buy ? Depending on budget and enthusiasm ,🧐 My advice would be to buy quality winter gear and start camping in the summer if they have never camp before, Because you can use winter gear in the summer you can't use budget summer in the winter. And if they found wildcamping wasn't for them they could sell quality gear and only lose a small percentage of the original cost 👍Good to see you back out 😉
Afternoon Jay! I think you're echoing my thoughts there, about buying winter gear and using it year-round 👌 And I fully agree about the resale value of good quality gear compared to cheap gear! Thanks for watching. My outings have been thin on the ground these last couple of months!
@@joinmeoutdoors Afternoon James 😎 I watched your video the day it was posted. But been a bit under the weather myself lately. Don't worry about posting regular I will be supporting your channel by continued sub and commenting 👍😉
Sorry to hear that. I hope you're coming out the other side of it? Hope none of the rampant ticks have been latching onto you! 😒🕷️ Thanks for still tagging along!
@@joinmeoutdoors All Ok now 👍Out this week with new tent, So the ticks might ambush me then. And you seem fully recovered 👍
Glad to hear it. Which new tent is that? I still can't taste or smell properly but the worst of it has passed now 👌
A beautiful day for a hike. Thank you for sharing 👍
Thanks for dropping in, Arnstein. I hope you're well. James.
Great effects.😂😂😂
He also does magic shows for kids parties!
Haha thanks! 🤪
@@Trident_Spinmaster Those were just for you!
Thumbs up. 👍
Thanks Al! I hope you'll be out on this sunny long weekend 👍
Amazing ❤
Thanks! 🙏🏻❤️
I’ve just started to consider becoming a wild camper/ hiker and I found your channel. I’ve really enjoyed your videos and I’ve noted many tips.
Do you have a top tips list for newcomers?
Thanks a lot, Josh. I like that you say that you've "just started to consider" wild camping. I woke up one day, decided I wanted to go camping that same day, and wasted money on some cheap gear that immediately let me down! Hopefully your more considered approach will allow you to make better decisions about what to buy, which would be my first top tip. I'd highly recommend buying a good second hand tent or something like an OEX tent to get you started, as they sell a few tents for less than £100. Once you've decided what to buy, it's a good idea for your first camp to he a) Somewhere familiar and b) Not too far from home, just in case you need to abandon the camp for any reason and want to walk/drive home. My final starter tip would be to pitch your tent, inflate your mat and use your stove etc at home or in a nearby park before your first camp. Get familiar and confident with it (and discover and issues there might be) BEFORE you need to rely on it. I'd like to make a video for first time campers really, but I hope these ideas are helpful for now. You'll love it, I'm sure! James.
@@joinmeoutdoors thanks James, that’s really helpful. I’d love to see a video on the topic if you ever made one! I’ll try and avoid the kit regret that you encountered first time around. Are you ever concerned with landowners and permission or do you generally stay out of sight and within acceptable areas. I know you leave no trace and arrive late/leave early.
There have only been two or three camps where I've thought there was a chance that someone could ask me to move on if they saw me, but if you're quiet, clean, respectful and considerate, it's unlikely that you'll have any arguments. The higher and more remote you are, the better, as you won't be in anyone's way.
I’ve only recently come back from a 3-nighter on Dartmoor.. I did Rowtor, Sheep’s Tor (aka the campsite) and Great Mis Tor.
I had unplanned military exercises on the first and last Tors - even though the ‘six week firing notice’ said no firing/training on the dates/tors when I visited!
Still it was good entertainment, especially the training exercise on the last night up on Great Mis…
I also picked up my 2nd tick somewhere on that last camp, not too bad I suppose in my now 37 solo wild camps!?
Have you had any of the little horrid bloodsuckers on you, in all the camps you’ve now done?
Hi Scoot. Was that your video I saw somewhere online where you were on Dartmoor and you had 5+ soldiers moving through the grass just a few metres away then?? That must've been pretty surreal!
Funny that you mention ticks. I picked up my first one on this camp. Didn't find it till I got home, and made a similar comment to my girlfriend: 44 wild camps and only one tick. Not bad going! Apparently they're booming a bit in the UK at the moment. Horrible little things!
@@joinmeoutdoors No that wasn’t me, I don’t make videos - I only watch other people’s adventures here on UA-cam lol.
They are horrendous, I’m actually quite paranoid about them now..
I don’t want to use chemicals on me and my gear, but if I get anymore then that’s exactly what I’m going to do. My first one was buried deep in my calf and was quite hard to remove, in fact I think I even left the head in me on that one!
They make my blood run cold, they can be very dangerous little critters too, with them potentially carrying Lyme’s 😬
Ah okay. Maybe a few campers had a soldier surprise on Dartmoor recently then!
Yeah ticks are nasty. You might need to have that broken head removed I think? I put my walking trousers on the ground briefly when I came to change into them, so I think my tick must have crawled onto the waistband in that minute or two. I then found it the following afternoon, buried into my stomach! Urgh.
@@joinmeoutdoors the headless one I picked up last summer in the Lake District, time and skin regeneration got rid of the remains of that one.. 👍🏻
That's good. I've just found the Lifesystems tick tweezers - think I'll buy some and keep them in my first aid kit I take camping with me 👍
How much would you recommend the CNOC bag for an unfiltered water bag?
Definitely one I'd recommend. It's collapsible, makes a reliable seal at both ends and feels sturdy without being heavy. Does exactly what I wanted it to 👍
I've now added links for the CNOC bag and the Sawyer Mini water filter into my video description 👍
I take a platypus foldable bag
Does that have a big open end on it as well as the screw cap? Or just the one smaller hole to fill and pour from?