Fun in Dartmoor

[Scythe13]

Hi everyone

I know what you're all thinking..."WAHOO!!! SCYTHE13'S LEFT THE FORUM!!!!" haha. Well, sorry to disappoint.

I've been out in Dartmoor, on the moors, enjoying some awesome new gear! Can't say whose shop it's for, because he'll be getting some of in over the next few months, so don't get too excited. Every item on their website is HEAVILY tested....so you may be waiting for some of the stuff. If it doesn't pass testing, it doesn't go onto the site.

Woke up Saturday morning with my lovely wife grinning from ear to ear. Naturally I assumed she had enjoyed herself at my expense, while I slept through the whole thing. I was wrong. She hadn't been internet shopping with my bank card at all (what were some of you thinking...you dirty people haha). Turns out, she had a surprise for me. A LONG walk in on the Dartmoor Moors. Yes, she's an awesome wife, and as SD will tell you...WELL out of my league!!! 10 points for S13!!!

Before I fall out of bed, and start putting on my jeans and skate shoes (or Vibrams....I was opting for them more) she hands me a load of bags and parcels. Clearly I was concerned I was awaking from a 10 day coma and had missed all the chocolate in my advent calendar. Turns out it wasn't Christmas day. Some items were gifts from the wife (who amongst other things, didn't want me on the Moors in 'inappropriate footwear'), some were from our friend, for testing.

So, parcels opened and eyes nearly as wide as my smile, I put on my new boots (checked online, they're like £150.....Best wife ever!!!) and my new trousers, as well as a whole host of gear in the Bug Out Bag.

During my first year at uni in Wales, I was probably at my fittest, with a resting heart rate of 32bpm (it might have been 34, I can't remember which) a load of us used to have fun out in the Brecon Beacons. Most used to enjoy a leisurely walk. I used to pump out a run using a friends handheld GPS system incase I got lost. The weather was super volatile out there, and you'd go through a whole year's seasons in a 24hr period. Even had snow in spring once. Not loads of it, but enough to let you know it was snow and not rain or hail.

Well, it turns out, much to my surprise, that Dartmoor's Moors had a very similar weather system. Usually I can predict the weather with good accuracy. I have NEVER been so wrong in my life! Dartmoor TOTALLY took me by surprise, and I LOVED it!!! Was absolutely brilliant.

Anyway.....a few days before the trip, I had unpacked my BOB and was in the process of refining my kit, adding bits, taking bits away....the usual. Well, my BOB wasn't fully packed up, so on the Saturday I grabbed a load of stuff put it into BOB and relied on what I knew was in there. Turns out, it was what I 'thought' was in there.

At the Moors, I found out I didn't have my waterproof jacket, I had forgotten my gaiters (new ones coming in for testing soon, by the way), unpacked my torches to do battery usage tests, and a few other things. I looked upon myself as a poor excuse for a prepper....being totally unprepared! Thankfully, I'm not such a poor excuse for a survivalist, and was able to manage by making what I REALLY needed, then just forsake the things I didn't have, as luxuries.

One thing I will say, it's much easier to go without something, if you know how to compensate for that item! Instead of a waterproof, have a tarp ready and waiting. It might be overkill, but who cares? We were both super-dry. It might have been dark, but how far do you need to see? Will a glowstick/chem-light be strong enough? For this occasion, it was.

The weather fluctuations were crazy! The terrain was HUGELY variable and diverse, which made for great testing for my boots! I thought I'd also use this opportunity to test out my new 'adventure camera' and it's waterproof case that I had opened on Saturday morning. REALLY pleased I had ordered the waterproof case, and the postal timing was PERFECT! Would have been better the day before, because could have charged the battery for longer, and worked out how NOT to delete ALL my video over the last few days :-( but have some photos from the top of Hound Tore (not sure how the T part is spelt).

We started off at Hound Tore and parked near there. The journey took us quite some distance, towards Hay Tore (I think that's how it's spelt. Sounded like someone saying Hater, but with an O in place of the E, Hator) which is where my wife's late father had fallen from as an 18 year old and was evacuated by helicopter. We enjoying the views, testing clothing, gear, and the waterproofness of my new camera and it's case, which made it a damn romantic time for both of us!

We had travelled a fair distance, before my wife started telling me "Your pack is ridiculously heavy" after I had asked if she could hold it while I took my hoodie off. The bag went straight onto the floor from then on, when I was changing layers.

During the trip we enjoyed many a mug of hot soup....I say we, but she enjoyed the cuppa-soup, while I much more preferred the DairyMilk bars haha. As time progressed it dawned on us that we didn't have time to walk all the way back before night fall. Good old route planning, or lack of. But we figured it was a good way (excuse) to hang out together in the middle of nowhere, so we opted to enjoy my oversized waterproof (the tarp....which is 'prat' backwards, which really applied to me at that time for being so unprepared haha). So that's what we did. We were at the old ruins a little way from Hound Tore. We could have made it if we really pushed, but decided not to, for safety reasons. So on Sunday morning after a snuggled night in, managing to keep each other warm and exercising at the same time ;-) we started the last part of our journey back....the opposite direction to our car. More walking! These boots got a good wearing in! I am genuinely impressed with them, and will post up about them soon, with a full review.

When we finally did head back, we decided for a quick climb up the top of Hound Tore. Once again, the boots held up and kicked butt! Was jamming them between rocks to get stronger holds....but more on that in the boot review.

All in all, we completed 2 days of walking, and enjoyed a lovely burger (for me) and a goats cheese, spinach quiche (for her) at The Warren Inn, on Sunday evening!

After all that has been said, the only other thing to say is.....Thank you, to my wife for the love, support, and awesome boots!!! Oh, and Beardyman, you have some awesome gear, and I'll email the recommended items for purchase. Two items failed my categories of testing, but the rest were amazing!!!