I want to go wild camping with my 5 year old daughter. We live near the edge of Dartmoor where wild camping is legal in certain locations, I’ve found this that defines where you can go:
I plan to get my wife to drop us off one morning, walk an hour or so to somewhere for lunch, then walk about hour or so to somewhere to camp. The following morning walk an hour or two to a pick up spot where my wife can collect us again.
I think I’ll wait until the weather looks good and take a couple of last minute days off during the school holidays.
I’ve not done this before, so have a few questions;
1. Kit – I’ll need to pick up a big rucksack. Will I be able to carry a tent, 2 x sleeping bags, 2 x self inflating mats, a trangia, water, food and some clothes? My daughter will be able to carry a small bag of her own but wont be able to take any weight. What size bag should I be looking for?
2. Tent – I’ve got a really cheap 2 man that I bought about 8 years ago for a motorbike camping trip in france, but it is pretty heavy. Any recommendations on a lightweight tent that doesn’t cost the earth would be great. I have another daughter who is nearly 3 who might want to join us in future years if this goes well, so it might be an idea to get something to suit all of us now if not too much of a weight / £ penalty.
I’m happy to look second hand for bag and tent once I have an idea what to look for.
3. Any advice on any particular places to do this would be great, I live on the Plymouth side of Dartmoor.
4. Any other advice on this type of trip, things to consider, be aware of, not to leave behind etc?! I want to keep it simple and safe, and if it goes well perhaps do a bit more.
I live the other side of Dartmoor and do the same thing ,although my kids are a little older ( one just participated in Ten tors and the other is 9).
I would look at a rucksack around 65liters to give you space for your kit , make sure that you carry warm clothes and waterproofs , as you know the weather on the moor can change in a second , just make sure no denim , chaffes and takes ages to dry.
You are allowed to wild camp for one night on most parts of the moor , just make sure that there is no live firing planned from the ranges at Okehampton , Willsworthy or Merrivale on the northern part.
As to a suggestion where , have a look at Teignhead farm which is a ruin just to the west of Fernworthy forest , it's fairly easy to find from either Fernworthy car park or Postbridge if you want a longer walk ,close to water and a little sheltered. I would suggest you invest in a Ordanance survey map ( OL 28) if you haven't got one .
My suggestion would be to do a couple of "family" walks first just to make yourself familiar with the moor itself , the terrain underfoot , and how your kids cope so you can gauge their stamina. My 9 yr old daughter is around 7-8 miles across open moorland before she starts lagging , my son on the other hand outs walks me , 20 plus miles are not a problem for him.
How's the planning going? I don't know much about Dartmoor, but have done a little wild camping.
As for a tent, I use a Coleman Cobra 2 and am happy with it. It’s as watertight as you will get at this price point. I would be tempted to recommend the Cobra 3 for your trip(s). It pitches in such a way that the inner will not get wet if raining. At 2.9kg it is a bit punchy for a backpacking tent, but would suit you + 1 or 2 little travelling companions. It has doors either side and accompanying porches, which are great for helping you organise your stuff, doubly important if you’re tidying for two. Can be picked up for under 100 on ebay at the moment it seems. The Vango Banshee 300 might also be an option. – whatever you buy put it up at least once in the garden to familiarise yourself with it.
I might even be tempted to go a bit bigger on the bag, especially if one day you might be carrying 3 bag/mats etc. Also it can get annoying if your bag is packed to busting and you need to get at things or have to do some origami every time you want to add/remove a layer.
You’re trip sounds really exciting. +1 for the map, maybe get one for your daughter so she’s ‘in charge’ of navigation. Great way to start to teach her a really great skill.
One thing I would say is have a contingency activity up your sleeve. The walking, cooking, making camp might well take up all your time, but equally you could be all set and twiddling your thumbs long before sundown.
A day of all things motorhome and campervan. The show is held both in the main indoor arena and across the grounds. Catering, hot drinks and food options are available. Easy access to the site and free parking included. Win one of five pairs of day tickets
Topic: Wild camping / kit advice / Dartmoor
