So, I’ve really started to make some large changes to my life after many years of being a degenerate and all my money going on smoking weed and doing other drugs with friends etc.
It all started when I got diagnosed with ADHD, got medicated, since stopped as the cons were worse than the pros now I’m on a good track, re-trained as a software developer and have been in my first role a year and I’m late 30’s now.
Weed was the last thing to quit and it’s been almost a month and I’m finally able to do all the things I could never afford. Bought a nice watch and booked a session for a sleeve tattoo I’ve always wanted.
I still need something to focus on to keep me happy and I love being out in nature and just milling about, but I’m a city kid, north UK, so really don’t know anything about surviving outside; but I want to go out for weekends and see the stars and just explore and be self sufficient.
It all just seems so overwhelming and I have no clue where to start. I’ve been watching YouTube videos and still it seems so overwhelming. My plan is to start purchasing everything you would need with a view to start from April next year but I honestly don’t know where to begin. What do I buy, which tents should I be looking at, how do I learn about water supplies I can drink from, what about cooking; can I make bacon and eggs for instance, what sleeping bags, cookers, backpacks, shoes, etc.
The list goes on and on and I guess I’m just looking for good resources to consume over the next 10 months to make sure I can go out and be safe, considerate, and not a burden on anybody else.
Thanks for any tips you can provide.
Edit: I have a lot of comments here to reply to, but I’m pretty sleepy right now so will reply to you all tomorrow. Thanks.
Bushcraft is a good search term if you want to go as old school as possible. Ultralight is similar but using more modern equipment. Backpacking is the general term for long trips through the woods. Any of those will get you some good info on YouTube or various blogs to start with.
In warmer weather you can have a fine weekend with a very small amount of gear. A water filter, a dehydrated meal or two, and a small camp stove would be just fine for a beginner and shouldn’t cost too much for the basic version of any of them. Obviously many people would also want a tent and/or sleeping bag but you can decide how you want to handle that. Sleeping outside isn’t so bad and helps you appreciate a tent much more. Hammock camping is fairly popular as well so maybe consider that option if you want at least a bit of shelter without commiting to buying a tent right away.
I wouldn’t recommend foraging for food until you have some experience just being out there. Maybe bring a book about local plants on your first trip so that you can work on identifying them without the stress of them being your only food source.
The biggest piece of advice is just to get out there and see how it goes. Maybe you’ll love the freedom and challenge of having very little gear with you or maybe you’ll hate not having one specific comfort. Just pick a spot relatively close to civilization for your first trip so you can get out of any trouble you might find yourself in and you’ll be fine. Decide how you want the next trip to go based on the first one and just keep building from there.
Thank you. Particularly for the search terms that would be useful for each scenario.
I love this place as I’ve only just posted and I feel like it is a little less overwhelming now given that I should take it in baby steps.
No problem. I’m not an expert in any of these topics but I have been camping and backpacking for a good chunk of my life so feel free to ask any specific questions you may have now or in the future.
Thanks.
I will certainly take you up on that offer if I get any more questions, or I’m dying on a mountain and need some guidance lol.