hi everyone.

[chris grace]

New to the site today and thought I'd give a little intro.
I'm from Swansea in south wales,married with 2 kids and have enjoyed all kinds of camping since I was a kid,I'm 43 now.
I have all kinds of equipment ranging from a solo tarp to an outwell indiana 8.Cookers ranging from a hole in the ground up to a twin gas burner with grill.
You get the picture
I enjoy all types of camping from lightweight solo backpacking to full family camping.I try to avoid high level camping and really prefer costal and woodland camping.
I recently had a bad trip where everything went wrong,I was using a tarp,bivibag and sleeping bag.I had made a sleeping bag for oscar(my dog) out of an old quilt and goretex bivibag.This was to keep him out of my sleeping bag.Anyway at about four in the afternoon the ground had thawed and was too soft to hold pegs so I started to make some longer ones from some wood.Whilst doing this I sliced my finger with an axe.Every time I used it it would bleed again so I couldn't re-set my tarp.Later in the night the wind really got up,I later found out we had freak winds recorded at 70mph. and gusting to 100 mph. My tarp went,the dog got wet and crawled in with me and we spent the night being severely buffeted by the wind.In the morning I was still warm and dry and so was the dog despite the rain and wind.We packed up and headed for home after breakfast.I was really happy with the kit I took with me as it worked perfectly(apart from the pegs).
Right ,I'm of for a read.

[Boris]

Hi and welcome

I've never tried tarp and bivi bag camping. I suppose I like my creature comforts too much.

Axes are dangerous in the wrong hands and when I've had a few beers round the fire mine are as wrong as anybody's Fortunately I've managed to avoid major injury so far but one day I suppose

[DaveS]

Welcome.
I've been banned from using the Axe for the same reason... normally end up bleeding.

A lot of people seem to like the minimalist camping with a Bivi and Tarp, but not me.
I think I may buy a tarp though especially as Boris has one.... I think I'm now the only person without one.

[chris grace]

I enjoy minimalist camping when I'm out on my own or with like minded friends.When we're on a family trip it time for the outwell indiana 8 to come out,my wife likes her comfort!We even have a carpet and flat screen telly for those rainy nights.