Survival UK Forums

O.K. a little bit about my self.

I have a high pressure job which I won't discuss apart from that it puts me in a lot of high security situation regarding all types of security ,ranging from CP to risk assesment and area security.
I have a family and am prepped to an extent that we can survive 18 months without leaving the house for any reason.
I'm not going to discuss my preps or anything related to them.
I will discuss anything else.
My hobby is woodland living and outdoor survival with minimal kit,I enjoy long walks(upto 150 mile trips over a long weekend).I don't like carrying heavy loads and so try to keep my kit to the essentials for comfort.If I can make or use what I need from the stuff around me then I will.If I can find it when I'm out ,I won't carry it.It comes from being lazy but extremely mobile.
I do enjoy my comfort and won't spend the time I'm out being uncomfortable.
The kit I use is mostly top of the range,expensive and very durable and comfortable,a lot of my kit is cheap stuff that does the job.One thing I insist on with my kit is that it works,if it fails then it gets binned.

So what do I take with me and why.I'll break it down into easy to understand sections starting with shelter.

For shelter I use a 3x4 tarp in dark green.The reasons for this are as follows:

lightweight for the area covered
easy to pitch any where
many different ways to pitch
also can be used to build a raft,wind break,can be used to collect rainwater.
all you need to pitch it is a couple of trees(one will do),a couple of sticks(again 1 will do)
you can make pegs from small twigs
you can make a ridge line from ivy,honeysuckle or if you have time from nettles.
There are so many different ways to pitch a tarp that it would take a day to go through them all.I mainly use an "A" frame shape as it can be high of the ground or tight to the ground.It can be high on one end and tight on the ground at the other.It can be long and narrow or short and wide.The set up depends on terrain and weather.
A tent will always be the one shape no matter the terrain or weather and unless you spend hundreds of pounds it will always be heavier than a tarp and give less floorspace and headroom.


Sleeping.

I use a few different sleeping bags,but mostly take a 4 season down bag as it is very light and packs very small.I don't need to go into differences between down and synthetic because google is there.
I use a 4 season bag because it will always be war no matter how cold it gets.In summer it will be too warm,thats why it has a zip.You can open it right out and use it as a quilt or just sleep on top of it.
I use a lightweight bivi bag with a zip in mossie net.I use this because the sleeping bag will get wet through moisture in the air and mossies will find you at night.
For a roll mat I use a down filled inflatable mat made by exped,these are heavy but really comfortable and worth the extra weight to ensure a good nights sleep.Under this I use an IPK sheet.It's light and very tough as well as waterproof.
The total weight of my shelter and full sleeping kit is 3.2 Kg.
to find just a tent that has the same floorspace you be looking at 10Kg just for the tent.

Questions?

Is this thread to talk about who we are, or is it to ask you questions?

ask me

I don't know how you scale expensive but for me I needed a solution for my large family everything I bought had to be x7, When I first started going woods I went with snugpak elite 5 I paid £100 so do the math £700 just for bags, scary right so I had to look elsewhere and at this time I got hooked up with a few military folk and I found I could buy 4 season -30 bag for like £25 this is why I tend to have all army gear it’s just simple math in my case.

Sounds like you have an interesting job, I have had a few in my time Scotland yard (Lambeth) where the prime minister cars are parked and also the famous black museum, plus I worked in a place I cannot name due to sign off, but I was contractor in poisons and chemical industry, sounds well flash but basically I fitted poison extraction and fitted out chemical labs and forensics, pure resin worktops diamond drills all that thing.

I myself and two of my kids like tarp over tent, the rest like tent so I got them a wigwam and some other family tent.

That said there is a tent I would like to own only I don't know the name of it and can't seem to find one online, I have a pic some where I will try post it and see if anyone can offer help.

I read you are set to bug in so I won't ask what your BOB weighs in at but
What's the A.U.W. of your pack, including water and anything hanging off a vest or belt?

I'm guessing you wouldn't be wasting a lot of money on a BOV either as your'e planning to bug in but I'm still curious so what vehicle do you drive?

@ Wetandcold,If we go camping as a family we take a large family tent and all the kit that goes with it,my wife likes her comfort.As for the cost of kit I tend to go for quality and durability over cost,so for woodland camping not far from the car I take an isse dossbag.If I have to carry it any distance I take the down bag as it is so much lighter and smaller than the issue bag.I don't spend if I can help it but I will spend for the kit that does the job properly.

@Paul, yes I'm set to bug in.It's easier for to stay put than it is to bug out with the family,having said that I do have some other plans and places if bugging in becomes untenable.The car I drive is an MPV,it has the right amount of space for the family and the dog.I do have other vehicles that are suitable to bug out with.

Well I tend to go local so I can have my truck near always withing a few miles of camp, and as much gear as I want, my area of wood land is not vast it is scattered, as for farm land well as far as the eye can see in all directions.

I am going to post my tent question on another thread so I don't hijack this one.

Hello G79. thankyou for the info. What model of down sleeping bag and which bivi bag do you have? Ta, TL.