Northern Ireland Outdoors Forum - Hiking, camping and more
Outdoor Activities => Northern Ireland Camping and Bushcraft => Topic started by: 13K on February 25, 2011
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Alright folks
Getting itchy feet to get out for some wild camping and have promised myself a summit camp in March!!
From reading reviews and having been to the top of Bearnagh, I have selected that as my location.
Going to use my DD tarp with a 4 seasons sleeping bag inside a plastic (survival) bivvy bag.
I am interested in tips on what form my camp fire should take at the top?
After reading Tim’s blog on ‘Stargazing from Doan’ like the idea of the Ikea cutlery drainer as a Hobo Stove!
Reading other blogs and posts in the forum I keep seeing references to ‘Fire Logs’!!
Was in SuperValu this afternoon and bought a Fire Log in a paper wrapper in which you put in your fire and just light the paper. Is this the same ‘Fire Log’ you guys are referring to?
What other fuel can you use in a Hobo Stove?
I have some charcoal left over from last years BBQ season, could you use that?
I’ve pencilled in either the 11th March or 1st April for my summit camp so if anybody wants to join me then give me a shout.
Cheers
Rob
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I'm Tim's mountaineering buddy, and I was with him on the Doan summit camp.
The Ikea strainer works excellently. Just bring a firelog (that is what you got in Super Valu), break it up and burn it in pieces in the stove.
That will last for several hours. Try to set something beneath it to avoid scorching the ground. Also, replace the plastic bag ASAP. I used to use one myself, and they're terrible for condensation. The DD tarp should hold up well too, I've used on on several summit camps.
Also, you can use hexi blocks for cooking in a hobostove, or else use twigs or anything else flammable. I would recommend the log though, having a fire is nice.
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Just take that firelog you got and cut it into smaller blocks with a hammer / screwdriver or suchlike. Size and shape doesn't matter as long as they'll fit in. Just take something to light them with like a few bits of firelighter in a sandwich bag.
If you want a cost effective alternative to the survival bag get the Alpkit Hunka for £35 delivered. It's a great bivvy bag.
http://www.alpkit.com/shop/cart.php?target=product&product_id=16312&category_id=253
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Cheers ZTO & RedLeader
This wife’s Ikea Cutlery drainer is now going to mysteriously disappear from the kitchen and find it’s way into my kit bag!!! ;)
I have a few Hexi Stove’s and Blocks in my kit so will bring them along with whatever else I can find in the garage that will burn.
I’ve been looking for a Bivvy bag now for a few months and didn’t really see anything that took my fancy but have now placed my order for a ‘Hunka’ and looking forward to trying it out, cheers RedLeader.
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While hexi blocks will work fine for cooking over, you're going to need a lot of them to sustain a fire for any length of time, and the firelog is by far the cheapest, with the best burn time/weight ratio as well, as one log lasted me and ZTO for just over 3 hours on Doan, which would be quite a substantial amount of wood. I found the best way to burn the firelog was just to break it up off some rocks and throw it all in the stove, then light it with a firesteel and some lint/toilet roll.
If you're going up on the 11th March be sure and let me know and I should be free to go up. April 1st is out for me though.
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count me in for april.
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My Hunka bivvy bag arrived during the week and it looks like a good choice!!!
Been practicing my tarp pitching in the back garden this weekend so I'm all set for next weekend the 11th.
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Are you still on for friday 13K? Any idea of what time you'll be heading out at and where from/to?
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I might also be able to go this Friday, so keep the post updated plz, wonder what the weather is for Friday night.....
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Looks to be pretty wet but I guess that could change between now and then
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Hmmm, wets no fun !
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Hmmm, wets no fun !
We're not called NI-Wild for nothing..! We could set up a sister site called NI-Calm for the fair weather campers :P
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lol, still, wets not as nice as dry!
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Sorry... I meant to say more in my post above but I got all carried away, trying to be funny :-[
I'm glad to hear you ditched the Survival Bag 13k. It's great piece of kit to carry for survival purposes, but not to use as a proper Bivvy bag. you will really enjoy the comfort of the Alpkit.
The other thing I wanted to add was, make sure you take a good supply of firelighters. The Firelogs, which are excellent when they get going, are near impossible to light without fire lighters if there is any wind. Also, if you are burning two logs the Hobo (Ikea Drainer) can get a bit choked up so give it a good poke when the first log burns down and put some fresh firelighters in before adding the second log.
Hope you enjoy Bearnagh... It's definately one of my favourite :)
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NI-Pub!
Hmmm, wets no fun !
We're not called NI-Wild for nothing..! We could set up a sister site called NI-Calm for the fair weather campers :P
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Tim & MikeD I have my bag packed and really to rock, just looking at the weather myself at the minute and it doesn’t look to good but I do like a challenge and sitting on top of bearnagh in the snow would be pretty cool. After all I did something Similar on Donnard’s saddle a few years ago and I survived that!!!
Going to head down tomorrow after work and hope to be in the mornes ready to set off at about 14.00
Was planning to summit Commedagh and then down to the hare's gap and up again to Bearnagh. But I think I will give that a miss this time and go from Melmore Lodge car park up the trassy track to hare's gap and then onto the summit from there.
Thanks for the tips Dowser on the fire log, will go out to the garage now and get the firelighters in my bag.
So if anybody is mad enough to join me I will be at Melmore lodge car park around 14.00 on Friday.
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Sounds like a great trip, I'm jealous. Let us know how you get on.
Tim & MikeD I have my bag packed and really to rock, just looking at the weather myself at the minute and it doesn’t look to good but I do like a challenge and sitting on top of bearnagh in the snow would be pretty cool. After all I did something Similar on Donnard’s saddle a few years ago and I survived that!!!
Going to head down tomorrow after work and hope to be in the mornes ready to set off at about 14.00
Was planning to summit Commedagh and then down to the hare's gap and up again to Bearnagh. But I think I will give that a miss this time and go from Melmore Lodge car park up the trassy track to hare's gap and then onto the summit from there.
Thanks for the tips Dowser on the fire log, will go out to the garage now and get the firelighters in my bag.
So if anybody is mad enough to join me I will be at Melmore lodge car park around 14.00 on Friday.
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I have absolutely no idea how I'll get there as the car is away for it's mot. I'll most likely be getting the bus down to Newcastle then walking up to the saddle and along the wall. Hoping to test out a pair of boots I've borrowed which may destroy my feet so it'll most likely be slow progress. I'm hoping to make it up to bearnagh for around tea time. I'll pm you my number though just in case.
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talk of snow afoot
Forecast for The Mournes for Friday
A bright start then cloudy. Rain, sleet and hill snow will affect all parts this afternoon. Lighter southwesterly winds.
If so i'll be going for a drive in the hills later and may possibly even go for a wee walk up Bearnagh too if the weather is nice, although i'm sure i'll get as far as the saddle then turn back :)
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Still going to go for it despite the weather. :o
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For me, I can cope with the wet and cold, it's wind that is hard to cope. Are you bivvying?
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Bivvying with a tarp
Hopefully will get some shelter from the Torr's at the top.
Fingers crossed!!
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don't forget about the wee shelter on the north tor if the weather gets bad
(http://user26557.vs.easily.co.uk/landrover/team-blrc/graphics/photos/2010/sleepy7s/4bearnagh/IMG00208-20100902-0636%20(Small).jpg)
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The weather report is really bad for tonight from what I've seen, wouldn't recommend it myself!
Also, anyway, somethings came up, so I won't be able to go tonight !!
Sorry, have fun !
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Tonight:
Staying cloudy with further outbreaks of rain, sleet and snow, becoming lighter and patchy during the night with some drier spells developing. Winds will be light. Minimum temperature 0 °C.
I'd say that was damn near perfect weather, light winds ;D
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Sky news showed lots of rain and snow ... From the afternoon to alll night!
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the met office have just upgraded he warning for snow :o
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Always the way when you fancy a nice bivvy. Might not be the weekend for a first go at bivvying.
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I had to turn back when I reached the Saddle. I was testing out a pair of B2 boots I'd borrowed from my brother-in-law for a trip to Scotland next week and they were destroying my feet. I had brought a pair of trainers with me as I suspected the boots wouldn't work out to well, but I wasn't warming to the idea of walking through heavy snow in flimsy trainers and risking frostbite. My raincoat was also leaking for some reason so I was getting pretty wet and I decided it wasn't the night to be sitting around a firelog with a dodgy waterproof. On the plus side I was also testing out some new gloves and a new rucksack, both of which worked excellently. It was pretty heavy rain until I got past the icehouse and then it turned into heavy snow, I wasn't able to see the summit of Donard or Commedagh but what I could see was very white. Conditions were perfect though if you like the snow as there was absolutely no wind, although maybe Bearnagh was different. I managed to get through to 13K to let him know I wasn't going to be able to make it and he was sounding surprisingly cheery, he'd just got his tarp setup and was about to get a brew on and said it was getting pretty slippy going up Bearnagh so it wasn't a bad idea me turning back and that he was happy to stay on solo, so fair play for a first time bivvy/solo trip.
I reluctantly turned around and headed back down to Newcastle and stopped at the edge of donard wood to switch into my trainers and lose the waterproof trousers/gaiters combination, and trudged up the main street to the bus stop, only to see the bus station closed and the next bus wasnt for another hour and a half. Luckily my girlfriend decided to come pick me up so I wandered around lidl to keep out of the rain for 30 minutes until she got there.
Once again, sincere apologies to 13K for dropping out
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Nice one for reaching the summit 13k, hope it wasn't too uncomfy. Least you tried Tim, nothing wrong with bailing if your gears not working out.
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Sounds like bailing out was by far the most sensible thing to do, i've never actually been in the mountains while its snowing, wouldn't like to do it alone, especially in the dark :o i'm hoping to get a wee walk up there tomorrow morning, maybe even Bearnagh, i'll bring my spade and dig out 13K ;D he did get back ok, didn't he ???
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Made it back ok,, ;D
Totally knackered now and will give you all a better up date soon but in short it was a pretty good night with no issues until 04.00 this morning when the winds picked up!!!!
Started to Brake camp at 06.00
Managed to get back to meelmore at about 09.00 drove home and been in bed all afternoon.
loved the experience!!!!!
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Class, good on ye!
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Nice one, looking forward to the writeup.
Made it back ok,, ;D
Totally knackered now and will give you all a better up date soon but in short it was a pretty good night with no issues until 04.00 this morning when the winds picked up!!!!
Started to Brake camp at 06.00
Managed to get back to meelmore at about 09.00 drove home and been in bed all afternoon.
loved the experience!!!!!