Ready to bivvy? My top 5 tips
The word ‘adventure’ often makes people think of multi day hikes or being away from home for weeks on end. I feel quite differently and believe adventure can be anything, it is subjective. I talk about this a lot to my 1:1 coaching clients and in The BeWild Membership. I like to think of adventure of as something that pushes us outside of that comfy zone and brings up the thought of ‘I’m not sure if I can do this’
We can get so tied up in waiting for our annual leave to start or the weekend to come but anywhere we can squeeze a little bit of wild in will do us the world of good.
It had been a busy week at work and I was looking forward to lighting the fire, curling up on the sofa and having well deserved glass of wine. Then I heard my phone ping.
“Mate, meteor shower- clear skies, no wind...wild camp?”
The warm cosy evening would have to wait!
I quickly typed back “Yes!”
I scrambled to get my kit together, adding the additional luxury item of a bottle of mulled wine in a flask and headed straight for the Shropshire hills. As I arrived in the car park, there was a glistening layer of ice covering the tarmac and I knew the mulled wine would come in handy on the crisp December evening.
There is something magical about lying out in the open air in a bivvy. Warm as can be, cocooned in a soft down sleeping bag with just your face peeking out to the elements. That feeling, staring up at the nights sky whilst snuggled down in your bag is what keeps me coming back time and time again, even in these winter months.
I am fortunate to live close to wide open spaces that allows for these types of adventures. Both the Berwyn mountains and the Shropshire hills are easily accessible when the laptop goes down at 5pm. A midweek bivvy adventure is a sure fire way to keep the stress demons away for the rest of the working week.
Any type of wild camping is illegal in England and Wales but is generally accepted if you follow the ‘leave no trace’ rules and ensure respect is given to the locals and the land. I have never had any issues, but if you are asked to move on you should do so without any fuss.
An overview of the ‘leave no trace principles’ are listed at the end of the article. Please be a respectful wild camper.
That night in December, my adventurous sidekick and I lay staring at the twinkling stars that danced across the night sky, talking about our busy weeks and sipping on warm liquor from the comfort of our beds. I often don’t sleep that well but I am happy to forfeit a few hours shut eye at the prospect of a beautiful sunrise.
Opening your eyes to the sky turning a light shade of pink to a blazing orange is a truly epic way to start the day. No effort required, you don’t even have to leave your bed!
Top 5 Bivvy Tips
If you have never tried bivvying and you want to give it a go, here are my 5 top tips:
· Have a decent sleeping mat- this is particularly important if you decide to go in the winter months. The cold can easily get through a thin mat, which won’t make it an enjoyable experience.
· Visit the spot prior to the night you are planning to stay there- this is useful for any wild camping but I feel particularly important for bivvying, to check you have a spot you feel comfortable with for the night.
· Sleep on flat ground- this may seem obvious but honestly sleeping in a bivvy on even the slightest incline is so frustrating (speaking from experience here!). Fighting with your slip sliding bag all night is really not the one. Lie down on the floor to test it out, any slope, find a different spot.
· Check the weather...on different reputable apps! For your first experience you want good weather, clear skies, low wind and the chance of a decent sunrise (if you are lucky!). Wind and rain are to be avoided, particularly wind, my bivvy bag has blown up like a parachute before and I can tell you it was not a relaxing nights sleep! Met Office, BBC Weather and MWIS (Mountain Weather Information Service) are what I usually use. ‘Windy’ is apparently great too however you have to pay a subscription for this.
· Take a flask of hot water- If you are worried about the cold, take a flask of hot water and fill a hot water bottle (or Nalgene bottle) this will keep you toasty!
Here is an overview of the Leave No Trace Principles (taken from WildernessEngland.com- full principles and information found on their website):
· Plan Ahead and Prepare
· Be considerate of others
· Respect farm animals and wildlife
· Travel and camp on durable ground
· Leave what you find
· Dispose of waste properly -“If you bring it in, take it out!”
· Minimise the effects of fire -when camping use a lightweight stove
Need some extra help to get you going on your wild camping adventure? The BeWild Membership is exactly what you need. This membership gives you the skills, knowledge and confidence to go out and have your own adventures…it is time to embrace your inner wild child!