basecamp Great Moss LD

On Thu, 2 Dec 2004 22:16:42 +0100, "theo" <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

I'm planning a trip to the Lakedistrict in June 2005 with 2 friends and we
want to do some wildcamping. My friends prefer making a basecamp at Great
Moss and doing daytrips from there but I don't like the idea of leaving my
tent unattended in a much visited spot like Great Moss. Is there much chance
of your tent being nicked ? There were some reports in urw of tents being
stolen in recent years. We all use one man tents and I prefer to take the
tent with me and make camp in a different spot each day.
TIA

I've read of tents being stolen from the campsite at Wasdale, but I
can't vouch for the accuracy of the reports.

I always experience a frisson of anxiety when I leave my tent at a
wild camp and go off to walk for the day, but I think the chances of
having a tent stolen from the hills are small. They may be slightly
higher at an organised campsite, but I'd hope and expect them still to
be small.

I'm interested to hear what others think about this, as it's a thought
that crosses my mind each time I go camping.

Best wishes,
--
,,
(**)PeeWiglet~~
/ \ / \

On Thu, 2 Dec 2004 22:16:42 +0100, "theo" <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

I'm planning a trip to the Lakedistrict in June 2005 with 2 friends and we
want to do some wildcamping. My friends prefer making a basecamp at Great
Moss and doing daytrips from there but I don't like the idea of leaving my
tent unattended in a much visited spot like Great Moss. Is there much chance
of your tent being nicked ? There were some reports in urw of tents being
stolen in recent years. We all use one man tents and I prefer to take the
tent with me and make camp in a different spot each day.

I've never heard of a tent being stolen from a wild camping spot.
Which isn't to say it never happens, but I wouldn't give it a second
thought. I camped near Great Moss a few years ago and had no worries
about leaving the tent. I wouldn't really describe it as 'much
visited' either, we were there over an August Bank Holiday weekend and
there were very few about.

S.

--
York Alpine Club - http://www.yorkalpineclub.org.uk
Recent Photos - http://climbing.me.uk
Old Photos - http://www.simon-caldwell.co.uk
My Brother's Photos - http://www.caldwellcreations.co.uk

On Thu, 02 Dec 2004 21:33:50 +0000, Peewiglet <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

On Thu, 2 Dec 2004 22:16:42 +0100, "theo" <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

I'm planning a trip to the Lakedistrict in June 2005 with 2 friends and we
want to do some wildcamping. My friends prefer making a basecamp at Great
Moss and doing daytrips from there but I don't like the idea of leaving my
tent unattended in a much visited spot like Great Moss. Is there much chance
of your tent being nicked ?

Not sure I would classify Great Moss as being "much visited" .... but
then I haven't camped there for about 7 years. Last time was an August
Saturday night, and we didn't see any other tents in the vicinity of
Cam Spout - there were, however, dozens of day trippers on the Sunday,
swimming in the deep pools downstream of the confllluence of Lingcove
Beck and the Esk - upstream of it, in the Esk, where we swam, we had
the place to ourselves, it was one of the best swims I've ever had in
the hills.

IMHO the population pressure of walkers is much greater on the Sty
Head/ Sprinkling Tarn side of the Scafells than in Upper Eskdale,
partly because of the ease of driving to Langdale/ Borrowdale and
partly because of the the relatively long walk-in on the Eskdale side.

I guess others have been there more recently though.....

Paul
Leigh
Lancs

On Thu, 02 Dec 2004 21:33:50 +0000, Peewiglet <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

I always experience a frisson of anxiety when I leave my tent at a
wild camp and go off to walk for the day

Sorry for the thread swerve but .....

When you leave your tent while you go walking for the day, what do you
use as a daysack? I mean, you must have used a relatively large
rucksack to carry your tent and sleeping bag but, if you are leaving
those two larger items at your wild pitch, isn't your rucksack a bit
big to carry half empty? I know that my Karrimor Jaguar 65 litre
feels wierd when there's nothing in it.

Or do you take TWO rucksacks? Or do you only take an emergency mars
bar and drink from streams so you don't need to carry anything on your
walk?

Judith

On Thu, 02 Dec 2004 22:10:35 +0000, Judith
<[email hidden]> wrote:

[...]

Quoted message said:

When you leave your tent while you go walking for the day, what do you
use as a daysack? I mean, you must have used a relatively large
rucksack to carry your tent and sleeping bag but, if you are leaving
those two larger items at your wild pitch, isn't your rucksack a bit
big to carry half empty? I know that my Karrimor Jaguar 65 litre
feels wierd when there's nothing in it.

Or do you take TWO rucksacks? Or do you only take an emergency mars
bar and drink from streams so you don't need to carry anything on your
walk?

Well, it depends. I should really have said that that recently I've
left my tent about two thirds into the day, after pitching it in
readiness for the night, so I've not actually needed to carry a whole
day's worth of food and water with me.

Twice recently I just pitched the tent and took all the rest of my kit
with me, mainly because I'm keen to get used to carrying it all day in
preparation for a long walk next May, and actually <blush> because I
quite enjoy carrying it. The reason I pitched the tent early was to
make sure of a good site: no more nematodenous, boggy, sloping bits of
grass for me, if possible! :-)

On other occasions, though, I've just carried what I needed with me
in my pockets i.e. gloves, torch, map, compass, camera, whistle, snack
etc, and (as you suggested) grabbed a drink from a stream along the
way. I agree that it feels weird to carry a half empty rucksack, and
I prefer not to do it, if possible.

Ideally, though, I'd like to have a rucksack with a lid that will
detach to become a bumbag, and that's one of the (many) reasons why
I'm planning to buy an Osprey rucksack next year. See here...
http://www.ospreypacks.com/luna60.html :-)

How do you do it?

Best wishes,
--
,,
(**)PeeWiglet~~
/ \ / \

On Thu, 02 Dec 2004 22:35:49 +0000, Peewiglet <[email hidden]>
wrote:

[...]

Quoted message said:

Ideally, though, I'd like to have a rucksack with a lid that will
detach to become a bumbag, and that's one of the (many) reasons why
I'm planning to buy an Osprey rucksack next year. See here...
http://www.ospreypacks.com/luna60.html :-)

See this too... it's ultra-cool!
http://www.ospreypacks.com/excessintro.html These little packs clip
to the back of the Ospreys, and then can be unclipped for use as a
little daysack.

<fx: Peewiglet returns to the Osprey site to drool some more...>

Best wishes,
--
,,
(**)PeeWiglet~~
/ \ / \

On Thu, 02 Dec 2004 22:35:49 +0000, Peewiglet <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

many) reasons why
I'm planning to buy an Osprey rucksack next year. See here...
http://www.ospreypacks.com/luna60.html :-)

"Hydration pocket in convertible top lid/[censored] pack"

I'm sorry but I couldn't buy/use anything which had a [censored] pack. I
can't walk straight when I'm sniggering.

Quoted message said:

How do you do it?

I have never pitched my tent (wild) and then wandered off. I do leave
it briefly while I go to get water or to perhaps climb a little bit
higher to admire the view but I usually carry everything with me at
all times.

Part of the attraction of wild camping, for me, is being able to say
"Right, here'll do" and put my tent up. I know that the walking would
be more comfortable without the fully-loaded rucksack but it would not
be the same if I had to get back to a certain point because that was
where my tent was pitched.

What I really want to do, and I will do it eventually, is cut my gear
weight right down so that I'm only carrying, say, 5 or 6 kg (rather
than the 11-12kg plus food/water I usally need) and then I can walk
further and more comfortably but still pitch the tent/tarp/binliner
wherever I like.

Judith

On Thu, 02 Dec 2004 22:40:13 +0000, Peewiglet <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

See this too... it's ultra-cool!
http://www.ospreypacks.com/excessintro.html These little packs clip
to the back of the Ospreys, and then can be unclipped for use as a
little daysack.

You are obsessed, woman!

Judith

Judith said:

On Thu, 02 Dec 2004 21:33:50 +0000, Peewiglet <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

I always experience a frisson of anxiety when I leave my tent at a
wild camp and go off to walk for the day

Sorry for the thread swerve but .....

When you leave your tent while you go walking for the day, what do you
use as a daysack? I mean, you must have used a relatively large
rucksack to carry your tent and sleeping bag but, if you are leaving
those two larger items at your wild pitch, isn't your rucksack a bit
big to carry half empty? I know that my Karrimor Jaguar 65 litre
feels wierd when there's nothing in it.

65L? I take a 50L sack, which is the same one I'd use for day walks
anyway. It's also got a removable side pocket which can serve as a
bum bag if I want to travel really light during the day.

--
York Alpine Club - http://www.yorkalpineclub.org.uk
Recent Photos - http://climbing.me.uk
Old Photos - http://www.simon-caldwell.co.uk
My Brother's Photos - http://www.caldwellcreations.co.uk

Simon Caldwell said:

I mean, you must have used a relatively large

Quoted message said:

rucksack to carry your tent and sleeping bag but, if you are leaving
those two larger items at your wild pitch, isn't your rucksack a bit
big to carry half empty? I know that my Karrimor Jaguar 65 litre
feels wierd when there's nothing in it.

65L?

Aye. And a wheel-barrow for any last minute extras.

Judith

Judith said:

Simon Caldwell said:

I mean, you must have used a relatively large

Quoted message said:

rucksack to carry your tent and sleeping bag but, if you are leaving
those two larger items at your wild pitch, isn't your rucksack a bit
big to carry half empty? I know that my Karrimor Jaguar 65 litre
feels wierd when there's nothing in it.

65L?

Aye. And a wheel-barrow for any last minute extras.

Can't you just heave them into the kitchen sink that's presumably perched on
top of your sac ?

--
You dialed an imaginary number. Turn the phone 90 degrees and retry.

Mail john rather than nospam...

On Thu, 02 Dec 2004 22:55:26 +0000, Judith
<[email hidden]> wrote:

[...]

Quoted message said:

I'm sorry but I couldn't buy/use anything which had a [censored] pack. I
can't walk straight when I'm sniggering.

Agreed, but I try to make allowances for our linguistically challenged
pals over the pond, and think of it as a bum bag.

(Just joking, any Merkins who may be reading.)

[...]

Quoted message said:

Part of the attraction of wild camping, for me, is being able to say
"Right, here'll do" and put my tent up. I know that the walking would
be more comfortable without the fully-loaded rucksack but it would not
be the same if I had to get back to a certain point because that was
where my tent was pitched.

I enjoy the flexibility too, but I find that it can be hard to come by
really good wild camp sites, so as soon as I've passed lunch time I
start to keep an opportunistic eye out. I don't pitch early to dump
the weight: I enjoy carrying the sack, and the weight isn't really a
problem.

Quoted message said:

What I really want to do, and I will do it eventually, is cut my gear
weight right down so that I'm only carrying, say, 5 or 6 kg (rather
than the 11-12kg plus food/water I usally need) and then I can walk
further and more comfortably but still pitch the tent/tarp/binliner
wherever I like.

I've wondered about cutting the weight down further, but I don't see
how I can reduce it significantly from what I'm currently carrying.
From memory, here's what's in my weekend backpack.

Sack
Mattress
Tent
Sleeping bag
Waterproofs
Spare clothes
Stove
Gas cannister
1 pot
Food
Water bottle
Flask *
Maps in case
Compass
GPS
Head torch
Spare batteries
Pen*
First aid kit
Whistle
Small travel towel to dry tent
Toothpaste/brush
Watch
Book *
Camera*
Minidisc*
3 mini-discs*

I don't think I've forgotten anything major. The items marked with an
* are clearly not essential, but (i) added together, they don't weigh
much, and (ii) I wouldn't go without them. The rest of the kit is
pretty lightweight, but I'm sure it must all still add up to 10kg. In
fact, this weekend I'll pack the sack and weigh it.

Best wishes,
--
,,
(**)PeeWiglet~~
/ \ / \

On Fri, 03 Dec 2004 07:44:55 +0000, Peewiglet <[email hidden]>
wrote:

[...]

Quoted message said:

Sack
Mattress
Tent
Sleeping bag
Waterproofs
Spare clothes
Stove
Gas cannister
1 pot
Food
Water bottle
Flask *
Maps in case
Compass
GPS
Head torch
Spare batteries
Pen*
First aid kit
Whistle
Small travel towel to dry tent
Toothpaste/brush
Watch
Book *
Camera*
Minidisc*
3 mini-discs*

I don't think I've forgotten anything major.

I forgot:

Penknife
Spoon
Loo roll

Best wishes,
--
,,
(**)PeeWiglet~~
/ \ / \

theo said:

I'm planning a trip to the Lakedistrict in June 2005 with 2 friends and we
want to do some wildcamping [snip] at Great Moss

I frequently wildcamp on Great Moss (at least three times a year);
Upper Eskdale is my favourite place on the whole planet. I've never left
a tent unattended for any length of time, but I have seen others do it.
Tents have been taken from the Wasdale campsite, but this has road access.
Great Moss doesn't; it's going to take a good couple of hours to walk out
to a car. Should be a deterrent to most thieves, I'd have thought.
Hope this is useful!
Mark
--
Mark Manning [email hidden]

Paul Richardson <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

On Thu, 02 Dec 2004 21:33:50 +0000, Peewiglet <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

On Thu, 2 Dec 2004 22:16:42 +0100, "theo" <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

I'm planning a trip to the Lakedistrict in June 2005 with 2 friends and we
want to do some wildcamping. My friends prefer making a basecamp at Great
Moss and doing daytrips from there but I don't like the idea of leaving my
tent unattended in a much visited spot like Great Moss. Is there much chance
of your tent being nicked ?

Not sure I would classify Great Moss as being "much visited" .... but
then I haven't camped there for about 7 years. Last time was an August
Saturday night, and we didn't see any other tents in the vicinity of
Cam Spout - there were, however, dozens of day trippers on the Sunday,
swimming in the deep pools downstream of the confllluence of Lingcove
Beck and the Esk - upstream of it, in the Esk, where we swam, we had
the place to ourselves, it was one of the best swims I've ever had in
the hills.

IMHO the population pressure of walkers is much greater on the Sty
Head/ Sprinkling Tarn side of the Scafells than in Upper Eskdale,
partly because of the ease of driving to Langdale/ Borrowdale and
partly because of the the relatively long walk-in on the Eskdale side.

I guess others have been there more recently though.....

I don't think anyone could be bothered to steal a tent on sight during
a long days walk, especially in a remote area such as Great Moss. That
would be too much like hard work...

Sean McMahon
http://www.stridingedge.net

In article <[email hidden]>, Peewiglet
<[email hidden]> writes

Quoted message said:

Pen*

Having tried to use a ball point pen high on Carnedd Llewlyn one winter
to write a note to be carried down to the MRT* I now carry a bog
standard pencil. It will write in conditions that the pen won't and I
can sharpen it with my pen knife if necessary. They also weigh very
little and can be snapped in half to make two of them if needed.

* One of a party of three on the summit plateau had slipped down the
east face in a white-out. His two companions could hear him shouting but
could not see him. They descended to get help and bumped into me with
two relatively inexperienced friends.

An experienced friend of mine had been with us and was playing at
digging a snow hole (good winter 1985) not far back from us so I sent my
friends down with the least experienced of the other party and a note to
tell the experienced friend as much as I could about the situation and
my plans. The note was very short due to the pen not working very well.

I went up with the remaining friend of the missing chap and we kept
shouting to try and make contact. Eventually we did get a response and
traversed out onto the east face where we found the chap shaken but
fortunately not badly injured. Coaxed him off the face and made our way
down.

The others had managed to alert OVMRO who drove up the Ffynnon Llugwy
reservoir road where we met them at the junction with the path. Got a
lift down the road in the back of their Land Rover and me up with the
rest of the party at Oggie Base for a nice warm brew. :-)

--

Dominic Sexton
http://www.dscs.demon.co.uk/

Peewiglet <[email hidden]> wrote in
news:[email hidden]:

Quoted message said:

See this too... it's ultra-cool!
http://www.ospreypacks.com/excessintro.html These little packs clip
to the back of the Ospreys, and then can be unclipped for use as a
little daysack.

<fx: Peewiglet returns to the Osprey site to drool some more...>

If you want drooling, then this is the first sighting of the new Osprey
Atmos 50 (1.3kg) rucksack due out in Feb:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=5142980734&category=1299

I wonder how they got hold of it?

John

On Fri, 03 Dec 2004 07:44:55 +0000, Peewiglet <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

I don't pitch early to dump
the weight: I enjoy carrying the sack, and the weight isn't really a
problem.

Wierd! Actually, I do become quite attached to my pack after a few
days. I don't know whether I do take less than I used to, or if I
have just got used to it, but my 65 litre sack, when fully packed,
used to be a real killer. It's not so bad now; but I've bought a 45
litre pack this year and I *WILL* use it for backpacking ..... I just
have to figure out how!

<snip>

Quoted message said:

I've wondered about cutting the weight down further, but I don't see
how I can reduce it significantly from what I'm currently carrying.
From memory, here's what's in my weekend backpack.

Sack
Mattress
Tent
Sleeping bag
Waterproofs
Spare clothes
Stove
Gas cannister

Yep, all that stuff ^^^^

Quoted message said:

1 pot

My pan has a lid which can be turned upside down and used as a small
pan (or a plate/bowl). The lid weighs 82 grammes so I know I could
save at least 70-odd grammes if I took a tinfoil lid instead.

Quoted message said:

Food
Water bottle

I take an MOD 1 litre black plastic water bottle. 245 grammes when
empty. I don't take the cup that fits on the top. I know this is
heavy for a water bottle but I had a nasty experience when I dropped a
500ml plastic bottle which I had bought from the railway buffet on the
way to the hills, and it hit a rock and exploded. Precious water
everywhere :-( I also take an empty platypus on long trips so that
I can have two litres of water at my tent and not have to go to the
stream more than once.

Quoted message said:

Flask *

Only for daywalking.

Quoted message said:

Maps in case
Compass
GPS
Head torch
Spare batteries

Yep, all that

Quoted message said:

Pen*

Pencil!

Quoted message said:

First aid kit

A bigger one when I am daywalking, as I have more room in my pack!

Quoted message said:

Whistle

Round my neck at all times.

Quoted message said:

Small travel towel to dry tent

Erm, to dry *Me* actually (although I did use it to dry the tent in
the Beacons!)

Quoted message said:

Toothpaste/brush

The scrawniest scrag end of a tube of toothpaste!

Quoted message said:

Watch
Book *

No.

Quoted message said:

Camera*

Yes.

Quoted message said:

Minidisc*
3 mini-discs*

Small FM/AM radio.

Quoted message said:

I don't think I've forgotten anything major. The items marked with an
* are clearly not essential, but (i) added together, they don't weigh
much, and (ii) I wouldn't go without them. The rest of the kit is
pretty lightweight, but I'm sure it must all still add up to 10kg. In
fact, this weekend I'll pack the sack and weigh it.

You saddo .... you'll have a spreadsheet, like me, soon!

Judith

Quoted message said:

On Fri, 03 Dec 2004 07:58:50 +0000, Peewiglet <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

I don't think I've forgotten anything major.

I forgot:

Penknife
Spoon
Loo roll

Oh yes! A Trowel (or Emergency Entrenching Tool, as my Every Girls
Handbook called it. For years, I thought a Bivouac was an outside
toilet. I do wish they'd use simple language in these books!)

Judith