Multi day walk with camping.

shelly6

Hi,
I have done multi day walks before, and I have camped before but I have never done the two together...

I will be in Donegal next weekend and I'm wondering if anyone can recommend a route that has suitable camping sites along it.

I have never camped anywhere other than a campsite so I would also like to know what rules there are in relation to camping in the wild.

ClimberC

Dont know anything about Donegal but as to the camping,

Done a similar trip a month ago, weight is the main consideration. a bag might not seem heavy until 30km into the hike.
The camping is much better, its hard enough to get a place that wont leave a trace and is hidden but is more rewarding than a campsite (privacy, able to have a laugh etc...)

The best advice i can give is to get one of them swimming lilo things, they weigh practically nothing and make a great sleeping mat.

As for all the "rules" (leave no trace and what not), i find them very patronizing. Basically dont act the bollox and you will be grand!

shelly6

Thanks ClimberC.

ClimberC

If you have any specific questions, feel free to ask.

Also this is bound to be said so i might as well say it, Google leave no trace Ireland or something along them lines and you are bound to get some general guidelines on wild camping

shelly6

The only thing I'm worried about is rules about where to camp. Or more specifically where not to.

ClimberC

shelly6 wrote: »

The only thing I'm worried about is rules about where to camp. Or more specifically where not to.

Wander around a bit and see where other people have camped. If you see locals that look friendly ask them for some advice on where to camp.

If it comes to be that you cant find anywhere, go up to a farm house and ask can you camp in some sheltered corner of the farm and assure them that you will tidy up and what not. most of the time you will find somewhere to camp.

There is another thread on camping on coilte land. as far as i can remember your allowed to camp in their forests but you would have to look up that thread

candlemouse

Its been on my to list for a few years now and I'd like to get 7to 14 days in before summer ends.
My main stumbling block is what I need to bring i.e. weight. lets start with a 7 day trip.

Cloths:
3 to 4 pairs of socks
1/2 pairs of trousers & 1/2 pairs of shorts
4 pairs of boxer shorts
pair of swiming shorts
4 t-shirts
4 longsleeve t-shirts
flesse
rain jacket
rain trousers
cap
poncho

Toilitries:
tooth paste / brush
razor & foam / gel ?
rollon
nail clippers

Tent & Sleeping Bag (and mat)
worried about size - e.g. even with a 1 man tent

Food:
full dehidration bag
1 litre of water
bag of porrage *1 - breakfast
tea bags & dryed milk - breafast
cupa soup (knor ones with noodles) *7 - lunch
prepacked meals from camping shop - dinner
water purfication tables 7 to 14

How do people find drinking water from streams ?

Cooking utensils:
mug
small pot for cooking and boiling water
knife, spoon, fork & sharpe knife
stove - any recommendations - how did people fine the ones for 25 euro ?
how many spare gas canasters ?

1st aid
plasters ? any recommendations
blisters ? any recommendations ?
insect repellent
?

rucksack
what size to take all of the above ?

Other:
Watch - that tells time, and shows date and perhaps as a compas

Tabnabs

candlemouse wrote: »

My main stumbling block is what I need to bring i.e. weight. lets start with a 7 day trip.

Cloths:
3 to 4 pairs of socks
1/2 pairs of trousers & 1/2 pairs of shorts
2 spare pairs of boxer shorts
pair of swiming shorts
2 t-shirts
2 longsleeve t-shirts
flesse fleece?
rain jacket
rain trousers
cap - woolly hat and wide brimed hat
poncho not necessary if you have raingear

Toilitries:
tooth paste / brush
razor & foam / gel ?
rollon
nail clippers
Toilet paper
hand sanitizer


Tent & Sleeping Bag (and mat)
worried about size - e.g. even with a 1 man tent

Alternative to tent - 3x3m tarp and bivvy bag

Food:
full dehidration bag
1 litre of water
bag of porrage *1 - breakfast
tea bags & dryed milk - breafast
cupa soup (knor ones with noodles) *7 - lunch Very little nutrition here
prepacked meals from camping shop - dinner
water purfication tables 7 to 14

How do people find drinking water from streams ?
http://cascadedesigns.com/msr/water-treatment-and-hydration/expedition-water-treatment-and-hydration/category

Cooking utensils:
mug
small pot for cooking and boiling water
knife, spoon, fork & sharpe knife spork (titanium if the budget will stretch to it.)
stove - any recommendations - how did people fine the ones for 25 euro ?
how many spare gas canasters ?

One of these - http://cascadedesigns.com/msr/stoves/category

1st aid
plasters ? any recommendations
blisters ? any recommendations ?
insect repellent
?

rucksack
what size to take all of the above ?

something in the 60-75L range
eg http://www.karrimorsf.com/index.php/load-carriage/sabre-75.html


Other:
Watch - that tells time, and shows date and perhaps as a compas

and maybe a map?

Otherwise, a headtorch, two cheap lighters, camera

I'm sure there's more tweaking to be done before you're happy.

candlemouse

Thanks Tabnabs.

Found a great checklist to help guide me http://camping.about.com/xchklist.htm

My main concerns are:
will everything fit into the rucksack or is it common to have to attach items e.g. sleeping mat, etc ?
food - need to get the right weight / nutrision ratio e.g. not to much canned food.

See draft #2 - am sure the total bill will knock me sideways but I can always start shopping around when I know what it could cost.

Clothes
__ t-shirts *3
__ long sleeve t-sh *3
__ fleece *1/2
__ pants *2
__ socks *3
__ boxers *2
__ hat/cap *1 each
__ boots
__ gaiters *1 pair
__ camp shoes
__ rain jacket *1
__ rain pants *1
__ rain poncho *1
__ swim shorts *1
__ laundry bag *1
__ _____________

Personal Hygiene
__ tooth brush
__ tooth paste
__ wash rag(s)
__ towel(s)
__ soap
__ roll on
__ toilet paper *4
__ hand sanitizer
__ razor
__ shaving gel
__ _____________

Shelter and Bedding
__ tent *1
__ sleeping bag *1
__ sleeping mat *1
__ headrest ?
__ book/s *1/2
__ _____________

Cooking
__ camp stove *1
__ stove fuel *3/4
__ lighter / matchs
__ spoon/knife/fork
__ sharp knife
__ pot *1 - measure
__ mug *1
__ can opener *1
__ cooking spray *1
__ plastic trash bags
__ _____________

Cleaning Items
__ tea-towel *1
__ steel wool *1
__ strong bag

Food
__ water bottle 1L
__ water * ? L per day
__ water tablets *14

Breakfast
__ porraige *1 bag
__ tea bags *14
__ powdered milk ?
__ _____________

Lunch
__ cuppa soups *7-10
__ enegry bars *7
__ tins of tuna in sauce *5
__ any suggestions ??

Dinner
__ pre-packed meals *5-7
__ any suggestions ??
__ _____________

First Aid Kit
__ bug spray
__ plasters
__ solphidne
__ sun block
__ sunburn lotion
__ scissors
__ _____________

Miscellaneous Items
__ bungi cords
__ plastic ties
__ duct tape
__ fishing line
__ fishing hooks
__ fishing small weights
__ pen and paper
__ OS Map/s
__ Camera
__ Head tourch
__ Watch (time/date and compass if doable)

Ruck sack
__ litres ?
__ water bottle strap *1

ClimberC

Tabnabs pretty much covered everything!

About drinking from streams, I have done it all my life and it has never harmed me, but then again I know where to drink from and what not. I wouldn't recommend it if your not used to it but a good gauge if its drinkable is, how fast is it flowing? have you checked 100m up stream for dead animals

Tobias Greeshman

ClimberC wrote: »

I wouldn't recommend it if your not used to it but a good gauge if its drinkable is, how fast is it flowing? have you checked 100m up stream for dead animals

Good advice, I'd also add that, try and get as high up as possible before taking water from the stream, so a good 2-300 metres from the valley floor is normally a good measure. The waters bound to be pretty uncontaminated at that level.

ClimberC

Tobias Greeshman wrote: »

Good advice, I'd also add that, try and get as high up as possible before taking water from the stream, so a good 2-300 metres from the valley floor is normally a good measure. The waters bound to be pretty uncontaminated at that level.

I used to do that until I found out that what i thought was the source of a spring was actually water leaking from a crack in a mine shaft. Was drinking water contaminated with various metals and god knows what for about 3 months

Tabnabs

One thing I forgot to add to the suggested kit list is a small garden trowel.

For burying your morning constitutional

ordinary star

I have done a few of these trips before and from experience i would like to reccommend a lightwieght cooking stive using fuel tablets.

now i have never used gas so someone may correct me on this but i find the tablets much lighter and easier to carry than meths+trangia. They cook things (MUCH!) faster also!

happy hiking

earnyourturns

As someone who has just got over giardia, I would NOT recommend drinking from streams unless you're going to either treat the water with iodine or else boil it beforehand. Parasites = no fun.

earnyourturns

Also you can definitely cut down on some of this gear. You only need one set to wear, and one set spare, and just let the personal hygiene slide for the week - it's what being outside is about

candlemouse wrote: »

Thanks Tabnabs.

Clothes
__ t-shirts *2
__ long sleeve t-sh *2
__ fleece *1/2
__ pants *2
__ socks *3
__ boxers *2
__ hat/cap *1 each
__ boots
__ gaiters *1 pair
__ camp shoes
__ rain jacket *1
__ rain pants *1
__ rain poncho *1
__ swim shorts *1
__ laundry bag *1
__ _____________

Personal Hygiene
__ tooth brush
__ tooth paste
__ wash rag(s)
__ towel(s)
__ soap
__ roll on
__ toilet paper *4
__ hand sanitizer
__ razor
__ shaving gel
__ _____________

Shelter and Bedding
__ tent *1
__ sleeping bag *1
__ sleeping mat *1
__ headrest ? Use the stuff sack for your sleeping bag, and put your spare clothes inside it
__ book *1
__ _____________

Cooking
__ camp stove *1
__ stove fuel *3/4
__ lighter / matchs
__ spork
__ sharp knife
__ pot *1 - measure
__ mug *1
__ can opener *1 use the attachment on a Swiss Army Knife/similar
__ cooking spray *1
__ plastic trash bags B]use a heavy duty gardening bag as a pack liner, also get a pack cover[/B
__ _____________

Cleaning Items
__ tea-towel *1
__ steel wool *1
__ strong bag [??]

Food
__ water bottle 1L
__ water * ? L per day [pick it up as you go]
__ water tablets *14

Breakfast
__ porraige *7 x half cups [before you go, weigh out as much as need for each individual day into separate bags, throw in the powdered milk as well so when you're out there you can just dump in the pot, add water, and boil it up]
__ tea bags *14
__ powdered milk ?
__ _____________

Lunch
__ cuppa soups *7-10
__ energy bars *14
__ pita breads, cheese, salami

Dinner
__ pre-packed meals *5-7
__ couscous, noodles, tinned tuna, salami, more cheese, sachets of stir-in sauces, instant mash, bacon
__ _____________

First Aid Kit
__ bug spray
__ plasters
__ solphidne
__ sun block
__ sunburn lotion
__ scissors
__ _____________

Miscellaneous Items
__ bungi cords
__ plastic ties
__ duct tape
__ fishing line
__ fishing hooks
__ fishing small weights
__ pen and paper
__ OS Map/s
__ Camera
__ Head torch with extra batteries
__ Watch (time/date and compass if doable)

Ruck sack
__ 60-70 litres
__ water bottle strap *1

newyorker87

ClimberC wrote: »

Tabnabs pretty much covered everything!

About drinking from streams, I have done it all my life and it has never harmed me, but then again I know where to drink from and what not. I wouldn't recommend it if your not used to it but a good gauge if its drinkable is, how fast is it flowing? have you checked 100m up stream for dead animals

Good advice -- I'd probably make sure to bring along a few lightweight custom water bottles to avoid this issue.

mithril

earnyourturns wrote: »

As someone who has just got over giardia, I would NOT recommend drinking from streams unless you're going to either treat the water with iodine or else boil it beforehand. Parasites = no fun.

Sorry to hear that, earnyourturns.
Where did you drink the contaminated water?
I have been operating on the basis up until now that if you followed the basic precautions mentioned elsewhere on the thread, water from streams was pretty safe outside urban areas?

earnyourturns

Well actually it was in New Zealand (I live there now, just back in Ireland for Christmas). Could have picked it up on any number of trips, do a lot of overnight/multi-day "tramping", as they call hiking down there.

Either way, I reckon that you're asking for trouble if you go around drinking untreated water if you're below the treeline.

mithril

earnyourturns wrote: »

Well actually it was in New Zealand (I live there now, just back in Ireland for Christmas). Could have picked it up on any number of trips, do a lot of overnight/multi-day "tramping", as they call hiking down there.

Either way, I reckon that you're asking for trouble if you go around drinking untreated water if you're below the treeline.

What you have said seems to be generally accepted in Ireland but I never have come across anyone who believes they actually got ill from drinking untreated water in the wild. Just trying to get an objective measure for how risky it actually is.

Carawaystick

earnyourturns wrote: »

As someone who has just got over giardia, I would NOT recommend drinking from streams unless you're going to either treat the water with iodine or else boil it beforehand. Parasites = no fun.

I don't think there's any guiardia infections in Ireland in upland areas; I've always drank from flowing streams above cultivated land, there's a wee risk of a dead sheep but I've never got anything from it.

I know the new world has issues even at high remote locations( Rockies. Andies) and now the NZ alps. I haven't heard about it in the French Alps or Scotland or Ireland.


I got a dose of the trots from drinking from a stream that flowed across lowland fields with sheep once, but none of the other 8 lads with me did.