Northern Ireland Outdoors Forum - Hiking, camping and more

General => General Chat => Topic started by: Moxy on January 13, 2011

Title: Annalong wood overnighter 14/01/2011
Post by: Moxy on January 13, 2011
any takers for annalong wood friday night for a little overnighter? Ive been desperate to get up there since christmas and can't make the summit camp on saturday, as I'm otherwise engaged. I thought it could be some sortof a substitute for anybody in the same situation?

Let me know if there's any takers

Moxy
Title: Re: Annalong wood overnighter 14/01/2011
Post by: RedLeader on January 13, 2011
We'd usually be well up for a night round the fire in Annalong but unfortunately the usual suspects are heading for Meelmore on Sat.
Title: Re: Annalong wood overnighter 14/01/2011
Post by: Dowser on January 13, 2011
If it wasn't for those pesky kids i.e. my kids and no baby-sitter, I would defo have joined you then walked over to meet the Summit Campers the next day.  As it stands, I can't even get away from home till 3pm Saturday  >:(

Well get you out yet Moxy!!!
Title: Re: Annalong wood overnighter 14/01/2011
Post by: Tim on January 13, 2011
I'd love to but unfortunately I need to have the car with me to get home early on sunday morning, and my mum will be using the car tomorrow and wouldn't be too happy me taking it for 2 days straight.
Title: Re: Annalong wood overnighter 14/01/2011
Post by: LandyLiam on January 13, 2011
Sounds good but I'll be doing kipping over at Slieve Donard Fri night, if anyone wants to join me i think they have a few rooms left  ;D
Title: Re: Annalong wood overnighter 14/01/2011
Post by: RedLeader on January 13, 2011
At The Slieve Donard or on Slieve Donard because according to the wife there's a bit of a difference.

Sounds good but I'll be doing kipping over at Slieve Donard Fri night, if anyone wants to join me i think they have a few rooms left  ;D
Title: Re: Annalong wood overnighter 14/01/2011
Post by: LandyLiam on January 13, 2011
At THE Slieve Donard, i'll be at a delayed christmas party, this will be my view of Donard on Saturday morning
Title: Re: Annalong wood overnighter 14/01/2011
Post by: Dowser on January 13, 2011
At THE Slieve Donard, i'll be at a delayed christmas party, this will be my view of Donard on Saturday morning

Are you going soft on us Liam???
Title: Re: Annalong wood overnighter 14/01/2011
Post by: LandyLiam on January 13, 2011
A mere concession to the boss  ::) , of course i will have to sleep in a home made bivvy bag potatoe sack on the floor with no pillow, hopefully we get a room with a veranda so i can sleep outside  ;D
Title: Re: Annalong wood overnighter 14/01/2011
Post by: Moxy on January 14, 2011
I'd choose the woods over the Slieve Donard hotel any day. Its a bit too posh for me anyway and besides they probably wouldn't let me thru the front door. Whilst you're there liam, i'll be wrapped up warm under my tarp and in front of the fire, making friends with the foxes (but not in the beastiality way!), and i'm sure they'll find me easy enough, havent had the cash spare to get myself a proper bivvi bag, so am having to make do with a bright ORANGE survival bag. may as well have a big flag sayin rookie on it!! lol

Moxy
Title: Re: Annalong wood overnighter 14/01/2011
Post by: Moxy on January 14, 2011
Regarding my last post, does anyone have a bivvi bag they feel like selling or know where I can get 1 cheap?

Moxy
Title: Re: Annalong wood overnighter 14/01/2011
Post by: RedLeader on January 14, 2011
You can't beat the Alpkit Hunka for price or quality. At £35 delivered you wouldn't save that much by buying second hand!

http://www.alpkit.com/shop/cart.php?target=product&product_id=16312&category_id=253 (http://www.alpkit.com/shop/cart.php?target=product&product_id=16312&category_id=253)
Title: Re: Annalong wood overnighter 14/01/2011
Post by: LandyLiam on January 14, 2011
Well the price of the hotel room would have got me a VERY good bivvy bag  :'(

Title: Re: Annalong wood overnighter 14/01/2011
Post by: Moxy on January 14, 2011
I bet it would! I've bought a big bag of logs and sticks and i'm going to TRY and carry them up there. It will be hard going but it will save me wandering round in the dark looking for firewood and only finding wet stuff. If theres any of it left by the morning, I'm going to stash it away for our future use, but i'll have to put it somewhere the wee chavs won't find it, although they'll probably prefer to be wrapped up in bed like mummys boys then braving the mountains in the cold and wet lol

Moxy

Title: Re: Annalong wood overnighter 14/01/2011
Post by: Dowser on January 14, 2011
I bet it would! I've bought a big bag of logs and sticks and i'm going to TRY and carry them up there. It will be hard going but it will save me wandering round in the dark looking for firewood and only finding wet stuff. If theres any of it left by the morning, I'm going to stash it away for our future use, but i'll have to put it somewhere the wee chavs won't find it, although they'll probably prefer to be wrapped up in bed like mummys boys then braving the mountains in the cold and wet lol

Moxy

I wouldn't wreck yourself carrying a bag of logs up to Annalong... We camp up there regulary and there will be plenty of dead wood lying about.  If you are going to carry anything up with you I would recommend a good size packet of Firelighters or even a Firelog, just to get the fire started.  The Firelog will burn for a good 1 hour giving you plenty of time to find enough dead wood to get you through the night.  Part of the fun is collecting up wood and it gives you something to do on a solo camp rather than twiddling your thumbs.  Ironically, the collecting of the wood will actually keep you just as warm as having the fire itself.

Take a few logs with you if your worried your not gonna find much lying about but I'm pretty sure you will find plenty.

Anybody else want to comment?
Title: Re: Annalong wood overnighter 14/01/2011
Post by: Moxy on January 14, 2011
Cheers Dowser,

I'm probably not gonna take the whole lot, but years in the scouts got me 200 nights under canvas which is a lot of wood collecting and fire lighting. I was a 1 match wonder with fires but its been quite wet recently and dnt wanna be caught out. A gud trick for startin fires is a tampon (unused) all pulled apart, its never failed me and i always take a couple and some wood shavings in my little pyro tin. I've got a mate whos going to help carry the logs aswell, but he doesn't want to camp, hes scared of the cold lol

Moxy
Title: Re: Annalong wood overnighter 14/01/2011
Post by: RedLeader on January 14, 2011
Yeah, it's always hard getting deadfall wood in Annalong and Donard but there's always some about, especially since it's winter and the place will be much more quiet so some should have built up. I'd do the same as Dowser, firelog to start and gather what I can but if the reasoning is so you don't have to plunder about in the forest after dark then bringing some up might help - tho it's a decent walk, carrying a enough wood to keep a fire going for any period is going to be hard work!
Title: Re: Annalong wood overnighter 14/01/2011
Post by: Moxy on January 14, 2011
I won't be getting up there till about 1900hrs because I want to see my son and girlfriend before I go, so it'll be very dark I'd say. But I'm ex-army so i'll suck it in and soldier on lol Plus Ive already bought the firewood and dnt have a fireplace to use it in lol so i'm kinda committed, but will know for next time. I was there in the summer and judging by the amount of rubbish lying around it had been well used so there was next to nothing in the firewood dept.

Moxy
Title: Re: Annalong wood overnighter 14/01/2011
Post by: LandyLiam on January 15, 2011
That was a wild windy and wet night, did you manage to stay out all night? Wouldn't blame you if you cut and run for the car!
Title: Re: Annalong wood overnighter 14/01/2011
Post by: Scribble on January 15, 2011
That was a wild windy and wet night, did you manage to stay out all night? Wouldn't blame you if you cut and run for the car!

Would of been a cracking night for a summit  bivi  ;)
Title: Re: Annalong wood overnighter 14/01/2011
Post by: Moxy on January 17, 2011
It was indeed a wild night. I thought I heard a tree come down at one point but couldn't find it in the morning. I built a stone wall behind my head to try and keep my head out of the wind but I hunkered down and had a good nights sleep. The ground was soaked in the morning so was glad of the sticks I took up the mountain. All my clothes are smoky, dirty and in the queue for the washing machine.

Theres plenty of sticks and logs left and I've hidden them in the forest. If anybody's going up there let me know and I'll give u directions. Shame I didn't have any company but was nice to clear your head. Foxes left me alone though so HAPPY DAYS!!

Moxy
Title: Re: Annalong wood overnighter 14/01/2011
Post by: RedLeader on January 17, 2011
Sounds like a great night!
Title: Re: Annalong wood overnighter 14/01/2011
Post by: Scribble on January 17, 2011
Give me a shout your nxt heading up and I will tag along i was working all weekend and I'm very jealous of everyone who got a night out ,
Title: Re: Annalong wood overnighter 14/01/2011
Post by: Moxy on January 17, 2011
I might be heading up in the next week or so, because my little brothers over from England, but it all depends if hes up for the craic or not. Ooooor I might just go up anyway. I love the woods, I'm like a wild man lol

Moxy
Title: Re: Annalong wood overnighter 14/01/2011
Post by: Scribble on January 17, 2011
I work shifts so let me know when your going and I will try to sort something ,  ;)
Title: Re: Annalong wood overnighter 14/01/2011
Post by: Tim on January 17, 2011
I'd love yo get up with you as well, haven't had a proper forest camp in ages
Title: Re: Annalong wood overnighter 14/01/2011
Post by: Scribble on January 17, 2011
I'd love yo get up with you as well, haven't had a proper forest camp in ages
If you need a lift I can collect you  ;)
Title: Re: Annalong wood overnighter 14/01/2011
Post by: Tim on January 17, 2011
Alright cool. Are you from ballynahinch direction? Wouldn't want you going out of your way.
Title: Re: Annalong wood overnighter 14/01/2011
Post by: Scribble on January 17, 2011
Banbridge so it's only a quick jaunt over the dromara hills :) will see when moxy fancys it and we can help him burn his sticks:)
Title: Re: Annalong wood overnighter 14/01/2011
Post by: Tim on January 17, 2011
Excellent. Looking forward to this
Title: Re: Annalong wood overnighter 14/01/2011
Post by: Dowser on January 17, 2011
Guy's, I'm hoping to get out again very soon too.  This time for a wee gentle one.  I've a new dog which is about 24wks old and I want to get it out and get it's stamina built up a bit.  Last time I had it out it was only 16wks old and it was small enough to fit in my bivvy bag with me... This time I'll be bringing a tent because it's nearly doubled in size!!!

I'm aiming to get out on Saturday 29th Jaunary for an overnighter but hadn't decided on a campsite yet.  I'll keep an eye on this thread and see when/where you are heading out and hopefully tag along.  If you think you are going to get something organised maybe start a new thread here (http://www.ni-wild.co.uk/forum/index.php?board=11.0).  I'm sure there's a lot of people who couldn't make the summit bivvy and are busting to get their first camp of the New Year.

 8)
Title: Re: Annalong wood overnighter 14/01/2011
Post by: Moxy on January 17, 2011
Sounds like scribble only wants me for my sticks lol It was by far my favourite overnighter and no midges this time - YAY! What were tiny streams on the way up were fast rivers on the way back down so was a bit tricky when you don't wanna get your feet wet lol sounds like there would be a few of us up for the craic. I'll see if i have any more night-off points with the gf and let u all know

Moxy