I have a fond appreciation for hot beverages and outdoor spaces, but my “on the move” mentality means I don’t often stop to make a ritual of the experience . I have long known this to be true, blaming lack of a good hot water flask – though these things are easily acquired. Slowness and …
Mushroom foraging with John Wright in the New Forest
Highlights from a magical mushroom adventure in the New Forest led by mushroom hunter and foraging role model John Wright, accompanied by my great friend and solstice sister Emily Watkins (aka @deathandcaches) and a friendly group of fellow fungi enthusiasts. John is possibly best known for his recurring appearances on River Cottage. He’s also an …
Mushroom foraging with John Wright in the New ForestRead More
DIY Camper Cushions
Of all the van conversion projects I’ve completed so far, the one that’s had the most positive reception is my DIY camper cushions for my pull out camper bed! It seems that making camper cushions is a bit of a dark art – from sizing and cutting the foam to making cushion covers – so …
Book Review: Wilderness Weekends
This is less of a review and more of an homage to one of my favourite books and travel writers. Wilderness Weekends by Phoebe Smith was the first book I bought to inspire my early wild camping adventures. As the title suggests, this book is a guide to 26 overnighters across the UK in wild …
Ford Transit Connect Camper Conversion
This post documents my Ford Transit Connect camper conversion journey. I started the project in September 2020 when I sold my car and bought a 2012 Ford Transit Connect long wheel base high roof panel van with 55,000 miles and a lot of potential. I’ll keep this post updated along the way. Use the links …
Wild Camping Food: What To Eat On a Wild Camping Trip
This wild camping food guide offers some guidelines and ideas for what to eat on a backpacking trip. Specifically, what to eat if you want to eat well. This guide avoids processed prepackaged foods and focuses on real food high in both flavour and nutrition. I wrote this for people like me who want to …
Wild Camping Food: What To Eat On a Wild Camping TripRead More
Leave No Trace
Eat Sleep Wild endorses the “Leave No Trace” philosophy. “Leave No Trace” describes the 7 best practices for respecting the outdoors and protecting our natural spaces. It should go without saying that you should always leave a place the way you found it, but unfortunately this isn’t always the case. Even in the most remote …
Minimalist Car Camping Checklist (Printable)
This Minimalist Car Camping checklist was originally written in 2008 following a ten day tour of England with a tiny car. This is how to travel when you want to take a camping trip but still keep things pretty lightweight. “Minimalist car camping” is particularly great if you’re changing locations every day or every other …
Wild Camping Checklist (Customisable, Downloadable)
What should you pack for a wild camping adventure? The answer will of course depend on your specific interests and level of minimalism / maximalism, but there are quite a few basics that everyone should take. This is the wild camping checklist I use. You can download it as a PDF or WORD file (the …
Wild Camping Checklist (Customisable, Downloadable)Read More
Tips for Cycle Touring in Wales
I’ve just returned from an incredible (and way too short) cycle tour of Wales. In four days I covered just over 100 miles from Chepstow to the Elan Valley following various branches of the wonderful National Cycle Route the whole way. The distance is a testament to the challenge – there are hills a plenty …
Essential Foot Care for Happy Adventures
If you’re like us, then going on an adventure usually involves a fair bit of walking, be it on a long day out up a mountain or on a multi-day trek across country (also sometimes involving mountains!). There are two things we’ve found that can make or break a trip: proper foot care, and solid …
How to Take a Cycling Holiday in France & Spain
I’ve just returned from a 3.5 week cycling holiday through France and Spain, a journey of just over 1000 miles from Cherbourg to Santander (with a few stops and diversions along the way). I was a little nervous going into it. Would my legs poop out? What if my bike breaks? Are the hills going …