Camping back in 2010 - Laughton Woods - March 13-15

I enjoyed planning this trip with Mark. As we live 200 miles apart, I created a spreadsheet so we could easily discuss what we'd be taking with regards to equipment and also so we could throw ideas around about food.

We'd decided to go to a spot where Mark and Steve had camped previously, as their old structures could be either reused or used for the fire.

We prefer to used standing dead wood, or as with pine, branches that are hanging off live branches.

Mark always likes to create an area off the ground, which is cool, but I prefer to be as close to nature as possible - and normally to my detriment! The structure that Mark is using here was a repatched version of what he'd used the previous time.

Mark chilling!

On the first night, we had baked potatoes, baked beans, topped with a lovely sprinkling of cheese. It's a nice easy meal after trekking to the spot and getting camp ready.

Baking the potatoes in the embers of the fire. The spuds were so soft, it was wonderful.

The second night we made a beef stew and let it simmer for a good long while. It always seems that food tastes so much better out here in the woods and cooked in this way. For me, it's the only time I really get involved with cooking and really appreciate the food.

Still a while before supper's ready :(

As you can see in the background of this photo, I put some of last years bracken under my bivvy bag. In my bivvy bag is a self-inflating mattress and my sleeping bag. I also had my tarp fairly high. I normally have it to the floor, but wanted to have a go with being able to see around me at all times. It was interesting and probably the approach I'd always take if I had a hammock.

It was great to be out in the woods. As always I enjoyed Mark's company. We did a lot of wandering around the woods which was great and managed to see some cool fungi - some of which had grown on the benches that had been made the last time Mark had camped here.

While the fungi is unidentified, I can tell you that from left to right they are, a jelly fungi, a pull ball fungi, and a bracket fungi.

As always, we took away more rubbish than we arrived with. It's important to appreciate the woodland, not just for accepting you for the weekend, but also for being an important habitat for such a diversity of life. We're not spot on with the no trace way yet - but we're getting there!

If I can find the memory card, I'll upload the photos from the 2011 camp soon!