Riverside wild camp
With the hot dry summer we've had, I found myself investigating longer trips to take my paddleboard on than just pootling around at the beach.
A couple of weeks ago, I took a day trip up a river and back, and spotted a few areas of foreshore that looked like good candidates for a camp.
So I bought a waterproof bag, and last weekend with the clear forecast, and a tide that would support me making a trip downstream in the evening and then back upstream in the morning, I set off with my sleeping kit and some food and water.
Part of the appeal was in spots on the less accessible side of the river bank (from land), so more secluded / isolated and with very very low possibility of being disturbed by early morning dog walkers / farmers etc. Plus it felt very cool to be arriving and leaving by water.
Trip didn't go entirely to plan, the tide was a meter higher than when I'd done my scouting trips and the main spot I had in mind was underwater with access into the forest on the river bank looking pretty difficult thanks to the density of the trees so close to the water. I saw another spot that looked accessible but I didn't like that there was what looked like an occupied AirBnB type cottage on the river bank opposite. Luckily I found the spot in my photos, which was easily accessible from the water, had a decent sized clearing to camp in, and a sheer cliff behind it, making it very difficult to get to, aside from via the river itself.
Definitely going to be scouring OS maps and satellite photos to find other options to do something similar again.
Kit: Alpkit hunka bivvy bag and numo sleeping mat, sleeping bag.
Down jacket for evening warmth / pillow, plus spare t shirt and shorts to sleep in
Food: Pork pie and nuts for dinner. Cereal bars for breakfast. Couple of bags of sweets for snacks. Hip flask with a little rum. Meth stove, plus Moka pot and tin cup for coffee. Couple of bottles of water.
Left car at around 1845 and was back at the car at 0830 the next morning.
Edit: The remains of the fire pit were there when I arrived. It was a great scenic spot, and someone else had obviously been there earlier in the year and had a fire. I've no interest in starting fires, as I don't want to attract attention to my camp, and of course don't want to risk starting a wildfire or damaging the landscape.