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Post by Patrick on Sept 13, 2008 13:50:53 GMT
..........and I don't mean a day out in a charabanc for Round the Horne fans either! Does anyone else have secret urges for trips out under canvas complete with baby gas stove and a set of billy tins to eat from? I do. Though I'm not sure about the real wild wild world - I've only done a couple of campsites so far. One of those was an ex RAF base with only industrial gravel to bend yer pegs into! No, we're talking nice camping - when the weather is fine and you've not a care in the world - and not the hiding under your sleeping bag knocking back whisky 'cos there's the mother of all thunderstorms outside and the end of the world is nigh! Anyone?
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Post by Alpha Hooligan on Sept 13, 2008 14:40:02 GMT
Done it? No. Thought about/had an urge to, Hell yes. I'd love to do some proper Ray Mears style outdoorsiness, sleep under a tarp (tents are for losers!), start my with my firesteel, some tinder, kindling and that I had gathered myself, get my water from a little and run it through a purifyer...put my swiss army knife and Fallkniven F1 through their paces etc... *sigh* AH
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Post by Alpha Hooligan on Sept 13, 2008 14:49:44 GMT
I would have to take my own of course and eat it with a I don't think I could be any or wild AH
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Post by riotgrrl on Sept 13, 2008 16:50:10 GMT
I've done it twice. The first time it was lovely, and we sat out under the stars smoking hash with some new friends.
The second time was horrendous as it was pouring with rain, and we were kept awake by the people in the next tent trying to score 'poppers' all night.
Both times were at T in the Park, so I don't know if that counts as proper or not.
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Post by Alpha Hooligan on Sept 13, 2008 16:57:30 GMT
Sorry RG, I cannot accept that as proper honest to gosh camping....what you did was more akin to "festivaling" or something. Proper, real, bonafide camping involves seclusion from other people. Just you and ma nature chilling out and getting to know one another. The real deal... AH
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Post by Patrick on Sept 13, 2008 17:53:01 GMT
What made me laugh once, at this site near Norwich. Family turns up in their Ford Fiesta and out comes the "Argos" family tent - The Argos folding four seat camping table and a shiny new Argos Double burner gas thingy! The Argos inflatable mattress and the Argos budget sleeping bags! They nearly had identical jumpers and shorts too!
How did I know? Well, that 's where my tent came from! ;D Apart from that it was the local camping shop.
I could possibly kill things - it's the dissection I'm not too good with!
I did my bronze and silver D of E award at school (no, I wasn't a scout!) The silver camping part turned out to be almost a Gold Hike. Part of the route was up this bridleway that thanks to recent rain was over ankle deep in mud no matter where you put your footies, so, after trying to get back to the road by crossing a field and friend nearly electrocuting himself on a fence - we returned to the track and skirted round on the road another five miles out of our way! (We'd done twenty miles already) That was a night to remember!
Suffice to say I didn't do my Gold!
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Post by housesparrow on Sept 13, 2008 18:03:35 GMT
AH ~4
That sort of camping has a lot to be said for it, apart from having to carry everything on your back. Even then, stuff has got so lightweight it shouldn't be a problem.
Downsides: can't read your book after dark (unless you are prepared to pack a lamp)
Upsides: You can get up for a nocturnal pee without having to trip over guy ropes on the way to the toilet block.
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Post by trubble on Sept 13, 2008 18:26:25 GMT
Alph is aiming too high! From no camping to extreme camping...?! Folly.
I've been camping/bussing/hitchhiking...festival camping...cycling/youth-hostelling...boating(like caravaning but without the caravan and with water)...hiking(urghhhh!no fun)/youth-hostelling...camped on a site and camped in a field....and it's all great!
But
the secret is to mix hardship and the great outdoors with luxury. So if you're planning on eating baked beans heated in your billy can on your home made camp fire, please also plan to camp near a nice pub with some music.
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Post by Alpha Hooligan on Sept 13, 2008 18:45:32 GMT
AH ~4 That sort of camping has a lot to be said for it, apart from having to carry everything on your back. Even then, stuff has got so lightweight it shouldn't be a problem. Downsides: can't read your book after dark (unless you are prepared to pack a lamp) Upsides: You can get up for a nocturnal pee without having to trip over guy ropes on the way to the toilet block. Housesparrow, sweetheart, I am known around these parts as "torch boy" I've always got light to read by. AH
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Post by housesparrow on Sept 13, 2008 19:23:25 GMT
AH Huh??? I confess though that I have never camped in the wilds. It seems to be illegal in most parts of Britain anyway. Jack Sparrow is a sailor (as you may guess) and we used to travel round camping at various clubs when competitions were on. We were very excited when one year the international event was in Sweden, for our guide book told us that that we could camp anywhere in the country unless there was a notice saying otherwise. It was our chance to go bush! When we arrived we found that there were notices banning camping everywhere around, so we ended up paying great amounts of money for a campsite - something unheard of in sailing circles anywhere in the world!
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Post by Alpha Hooligan on Sept 13, 2008 19:29:17 GMT
Are you a bloke then? I called you "sweetheart" due to you having a female tag in your profile. AH
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Post by housesparrow on Sept 13, 2008 19:35:28 GMT
Oh shucks, AH. That's the story of my life. Someone makes a move then you find out it's all a big mistake.
Jack is my OH.
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Post by Alpha Hooligan on Sept 13, 2008 19:40:13 GMT
LOL, I'm always nice to the women-folk, but I was just confused by your "huh??? " comment. AH
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Post by riotgrrl on Sept 13, 2008 21:13:09 GMT
Alpha
Your photo of the tent up the hills reminds me of the news stories we get up to here from time to time when skeletal remains of people who went missing 4 years ago are found in tents in remote parts of the Highlands.
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Post by Patrick on Sept 13, 2008 21:28:05 GMT
Here in the armpit of Britain - for Sunday strolls, one can walk for a good couple of hours along the seafront in either stunning sunsets or bracing winds! After a brief stroll around the eerie graveyard of a local church that appears to be falling into the sea there's an old coaching inn of a pub to retire to, with real ales and real fires.
Alternatively - there's - just a little way from home - a walk through country lanes and an hour or so besides a picturesque canal where there is?? Another Olde pub that serves some fine huge feasts even into the night!
For a brief stroll it's up the river to the aqueduct then down the canal to the old barge stables where theres a choice of around 9 real ales and 20 odd different malts to warm the cockles.
So, you can guarrantee - if I was off camping today - I'd make bloody sure there was a decent pub within reach wherever I went!
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Post by housesparrow on Sept 14, 2008 5:51:14 GMT
LOL, I'm always nice to the women-folk, but I was just confused by your "huh??? " comment. AH Well, I was confused by your remark about always having a light to read by. It sounds a jolly good quality in a man and I wish I had met you in my camping days. My problem was that there was often nothing else to do on dark nights in the tent than have sex all night, but with you, dear AH, I could have snuggled up contentedly with my Dick Francis.
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Post by trubble on Sept 14, 2008 13:01:01 GMT
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Post by Alpha Hooligan on Sept 14, 2008 14:43:42 GMT
LOL, I'm always nice to the women-folk, but I was just confused by your "huh??? " comment. AH Well, I was confused by your remark about always having a light to read by. It sounds a jolly good quality in a man and I wish I had met you in my camping days. My problem was that there was often nothing else to do on dark nights in the tent than have sex all night, but with you, dear AH, I could have snuggled up contentedly with my Dick Francis. So you like a bit of dick when you go camping then? Great. AH
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Post by trubble on Sept 15, 2008 12:24:15 GMT
lol, well that's left everyone speechless.
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Post by motorist on Sept 15, 2008 12:25:47 GMT
Hooly is a naughty little boy *wags finger*
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