Galloway Forest Solo January Camp

[G1ZmO]

Pictures kinda say it all.
It was a wee bit nippy in the tarp tent. Minus 3 when I went to my kip at 10pm and I'm sure it dropped from there.
It was at least 5 degrees colder down there than the closest weather station at Dalmellington, worth remembering.
Pulled out my thermals to put them on to go to bed only to find that it was 2 pairs of leggings I had with me. Doh!
Still, the Snugpak Expansion 4 sleeping bag kept me snug (on top of a mat and a wool blanket and inside a bivvy bag.)
Great night for star viewing. Nice view of M42 (Orion Nebula) and I could see M31 (Andromeda Galaxy) with naked eye. (a wee note that this is the only object in the sky which you can see with the naked eye which is outside our galaxy)
Anyway I had a good wee night in front of the fire with my book

no alcohol since
1 - there's no mobile reception there
2 - I had sharps with me and
3 - I was on my own

To the pics (the vid will have to wait)

 

[Ark79]

Cracking pictures Paul. Glad the snugpak worked out

 

[Bam]

Brilliant phots Paul, the sky looks amazing, cannae wait to see the vid.

 

[DMc Outdoors]

Great pictures mate, can’t wait to get out myself next weekend

 

[Matt]

Fantastic pictures and location .... cant wait to get there my self ... 4 weeks and counting

 

[Peatburner]

Nice pics and write up Thanks for sharing

 

[G1ZmO]

The text above re. Andromeda should have read "outside our galaxy"

 

[Matt]

The text above re. Andromeda should have read "outside our galaxy"

edited

 

[Brambling]

Beautiful photos as always. Thankyou

 

[DMc Outdoors]

I’m loving the tarp tent by the way, I’m 6ft 1, do you reckon there would be plenty of room in there for a guy my size to stretch out or would it be a legs bent kind of job?

 

[DMc Outdoors]

I’m really looking to experiment more with tarp shelters this year, I think I’m going to have a go at a plow point at the weekend because I want my fire close by

 

[1 shot willie]

Way to go Paul

Nice tarp tent set up and sleep system.
Glad the Snugpack bag did its job and kept you snug
How did you fair with condensation levels in the shelter?......plenty of ventilation with that set up.....bonus
Stunning location and pictures mate......look forward to the video

Thanks for sharing

 

[Bam]

I’m loving the tarp tent by the way, I’m 6ft 1, do you reckon there would be plenty of room in there for a guy my size to stretch out or would it be a legs bent kind of job?

I'm 6 foot when I'm not slouching and I've used it before. I can't remember having to bend but if you've got a bivvy bag put your feet at the door end.

 

[DMc Outdoors]

Perfect thanks for the advice

 

[G1ZmO]

I'm 6ft also and you can see where my head was in the pic of the frosty tent. Never thought of putting my feet at the entrance lol. I think I'll experiment with the 4x4 tarp for this with a longer pole or hang the center point from a tree.
The only issues I had were:
1 a very cold nose all night
2 getting in and out of the low opening
3 the groundsheet, self infl mat and wool blanket didn't really cut out the cold from the ground. I think an insulated footprint of the right size would be ideal.
4 oh and forgetting my thermal shirt didn't help heh

 

[WildWood1965]

I'm 6ft also and you can see where my head was in the pic of the frosty tent. Never thought of putting my feet at the entrance lol. I think I'll experiment with the 4x4 tarp for this with a longer pole or hang the center point from a tree.
The only issues I had were:
1 a very cold nose all night
2 getting in and out of the low opening
3 the groundsheet, self infl mat and wool blanket didn't really cut out the cold from the ground. I think an insulated footprint of the right size would be ideal.
4 oh and forgetting my thermal shirt didn't help heh

Nice pictures buddy

A balaclava might help with the cold hooter issue

BALACLAVA BLACK MASK THINSULATE WINTER SAS STYLE ARMY SKI KNITTED NECK WARMER | eBay

UNISEX KNITTED BALACLAVA. Thermal Material Knitted Black SAS Style Balaclava. Thinsulate insulation for extra warmth and acrylic for softness and comfort. Perfect for Cold Weather and all outdoor activities walking, hiking, camping, skiing, fishing or any other winter activities.

www.ebay.co.uk

 

[Bam]

I'm 6ft also and you can see where my head was in the pic of the frosty tent. Never thought of putting my feet at the entrance lol. I think I'll experiment with the 4x4 tarp for this with a longer pole or hang the center point from a tree.
The only issues I had were:
1 a very cold nose all night
2 getting in and out of the low opening
3 the groundsheet, self infl mat and wool blanket didn't really cut out the cold from the ground. I think an insulated footprint of the right size would be ideal.
4 oh and forgetting my thermal shirt didn't help heh

Have you tried putting a short walking pole/stick with sock on the end at the back of the set up, it gives you that wee bit more headroom at the back. I take a car windscreen ice cover thingy to put down on top of the groundsheet which helps with the temp but not so much with the faffing about trying to get in/out (especially out if its the middle of the night) trying to put boots on etc.

For what it is, its a versatile wee shelter but in the tent configuration its not built for luxury.

 

[G1ZmO]

 

[Ark79]

A Will give it a watch later buddy, one of them days lol

 

[Matt]

Excellent vid as always mate