I recently shared my bucket list of things I wanted to do before leaving Cornwall to head back up North. One of the top things on my list was a Dartmoor wild camp. I’ve only been to Dartmoor once whilst being down here, so it was great to be able to explore a little more and get another wild camp ticked off!
Location
Thankfully my friend Lauren has spent quite a bit of time out hiking and exploring Dartmoor and had a good idea of where to head and some potential camping spots. We parked up at Gutter Tor car park and headed off from there. One of the things that has stopped me going out in the past is the anxiety I get around finding a good spot. It did take us a little while to find somewhere suitable that was far enough away from the path, water and flat enough to camp on comfortably.
It worked out perfectly though, we had great views and were close to a spot for a dip in the evening, which was very much needed after the 30 degree temperatures and carrying a heavy bag. There were a lot of sheep about though and you could definitely hear them (or something else) wandering about in the night and munching on some grass.
Food
I didn’t have too much time to plan or pack for this trip, so I went very basic on food. I took a just add water super noodle pot for tea, a porridge pot for breakfast and a few snack bars. This did mean carrying quite a bit of water, which didn’t help with the weight of my bag. I think I’d ended up taking around 4 litres which did my for drinking water and both of us for tea, breakfast and a brew in the morning. A water filter is definitely something that I need to invest in for future trips to help keep the water weight down.
Kit
One thing I definitely need to work on is my lightweight packing. Knowing we weren’t going too far from the car meant that I overpacked and took a lot of bits that I didn’t really need. However I do also need to invest in some more lightweight kit (especially a sleeping mat). The kit I took with me included:
Bag: I’ve got the Osprey Renn 65 which I love. Even with massively overpacking, I still managed to find space and pockets to squeeze everything in. The pack was still really comfortable, even with all the weight and once I pack better, it will be perfect for multi day trips.
Stove: I use the Alpkit Brukit and can’t recommend it enough. It’s such a great, compact bit of kit. As we only took ‘just add water’ food, it meant no washing up was needed and all we had to do was boil some water, which is surprisingly quick!
Tent: I recently replaced my old tent with the MSR Elixir 1. I honestly love it so much. It is the perfect size for me and I can sit up inside comfortably, which was a must have. There is plenty of room for my kit inside and within the porch area and it packs down small. It is slightly heavier than the more expensive hubba hubba, however it’s more durable.
Sleeping bag: I’ve got the OEX EV Fathom 300 which is a three season bag. It was a pretty warm evening so I was perfectly comfortable and I find it big enough to move about in during the night.
Sleeping Mat: I currently have the Vango Trek 3 sleeping mat. It’s really comfy, but as previously mentioned, it doesn’t pack very small. As soon as I get back up north then I’ll be investing in a new mat, just because I need something a bit more lightweight.
Pillow: I have an inflatable pillow from Vango that packs down super small. I can’t find a link to tit, but it was pretty cheap from go outdoors.
I have bought all over this kit gradually over the past few years, slowly replacing things that didn’t quite work for me. Getting good quality kit can take time and seem expensive. There are cheaper ways to get good quality kit when you’re just starting out, you can check out my previous post for more info.
Swim Spots
We managed to take a dip in two beautiful swim spots whilst on Dartmoor. The first was not far from sheepstor and close to where we camped. We went for a sunset dip under such a lovely sky. I think this spot along the river is quite well known locally, so when we first walked past there were a few families enjoying the water. We decided to head off and set up camp first, then popped back later in the evening when it was much quieter.
In the morning we drove on a bit and went for a short hike up to Crazywell Pool. This was such an incredible spot and we were even joined by some Dartmoor ponies that came for a drink. The water levels in the pool were much lower than usual, due to the extreme heat, but the pool is still very deep and perfect for a swim and to cool off in.
I absolutely love being able to do trips like this after work and I am so excited to be in the Lake District and be able to do it more regularly. The drive to Dartmoor for me currently is about an hour and half, but it’s completely worth it for days like this. You can check out a video of the trip here.
I’m hoping to be able to get out for at least one more Dartmoor trip/camp before I head up North, so just hoping for another spell of brighter weather!
Happy adventuring x
Lisa Outdoors 