Wild camping & photography?

[Vaughn]

I had clothes! :munch:

I was doing some nude photography out in the desert some years ago, but some other people showed up so I put my clothes back on...

 

[ROL]

I was doing some nude photography out in the desert some years ago, but some other people showed up so I put my clothes back on...

Shecky will be here all week, folks.

 

[batwister]

I was doing some nude photography out in the desert some years ago, but some other people showed up so I put my clothes back on...

I'm just imagining a Mexican standoff. Did you at least have the common decency to wear a holster?

 

[Yamaotoko]

You wants a carry-on list!?

...do you even need to ask?! You were in my thoughts today mate, as I was rearranging me gear, making a new footprint for one of my tents, then stopping to decide which one to take... Weighing all my gas bottles, subtracting tare weights to figure out how many days each one has left (on my average of 27g's per day)... ALWAYS love seeing other people's pack lists and how they do it.

I'm heading away, probably after the weekend (meant to be really wet), and for the first time I'm making the conscious decision that photography is my secondary aim. I always go out with the intention of long days of quiet meditation, reading, journaling and strolling around, but it always turns into "oh, and I HAVE to take this camera, incase I come across this.. And if I see that, then ill need this kit too...". This one will be aaall about the time away, I'm not sure yet, but the camera kit might consist of, oh, I dunno, a 'Clack' or something!

 

[paul_c5x4]

Damit - Just booked some time off work and will have to go up to the Lake District first week of November. Should be nice and chilly up on the peaks which might discourage the casual tourist. Camera choice is already decided, as is the number of socks.... Should I take the -5C or the -10C sleeping bag..

 

[Yamaotoko]

Damit - Just booked some time off work and will have to go up to the Lake District first week of November.

...damn... What a shame!

Should I take the -5C or the -10C sleeping bag..

Lakes, November, from what I've heard (being a Sthn Hemisphere guy) that should be a no brainer, -10 +silk liner!

 

[batwister]

Just reading the Ansel Adams autobiography, who slept in the snow in his - in the Sierra(s). I'm guessing in the 1930s sleeping bags were sleeping bags and it was good clothes that really mattered. Does 'much ado about nothing' sum up modern camping mentality?

P.S. My sleeping bag is -15C.

 

[Poisson Du Jour]

The Lakes and Snowdonia were two places that left a big impression on me when the family visited the UK in 1988 (June): cold and wet and "out of season" like! Somewhere exists here Kodachrome slides of what I saw stepping out of the car in between "stream showers": an euphemism for chucking it down every 2 hours.

Snow is an insulator: you should not feel cold sleeping on it, but it will have mostly flattened or softened by morning. I've slept in the (Australian) alps at –6°C in a sleeping bag rated to –5, and it was effing cold!! Worse was being trapped in the tent by frozen zippers. Socks frozen, knickers frozen, beard frozen,. nose numb ... arrrrrrrgh—! The only thing that worked was the stove. Now it's Spring, warming up delightfully and I'm packing for a roadie.

 

[coigach]

Just reading the Ansel Adams autobiography, who slept in the snow in his - in the Sierra(s). I'm guessing in the 1930s sleeping bags were sleeping bags and it was good clothes that really mattered. Does 'much ado about nothing' sum up modern camping mentality?

P.S. My sleeping bag is -15C.

There is very little consensus on how sleeping bag makers rate their bags, and in my opinion, many are hopelessly optimistic.

And remember, there are different types of 'cold' - dry cold or damp cold. Here in the Highlands of Scotland, it's not the overall temperature you need to worry about, but the real-on-the-mountain temperature when you factor in windchill and damp. And, no matter how good your sleeping bag is, if it's filled with down, it will lose insulation when wet. Keeping kit dry in a tent when packing and unpacking in the p*ssing rain on a mountain far from home is a skill in itself...!

As for camping on snow - there are endless types of mountain snow too - hard packed from mountain freeze / thaw cycles, hard-packed with a damp sleety top-layer, soft unpacked which is a bugger to pitch on etc. And the joys of freezing tent pegs etc.

However, lest this all become too gloomy, the rewards as you rise from your tent at first light on a sharp morning high up a mountain outweigh hardship and make you forget all those trips where you wake up miles from anywhere, heaving rain, wind blowing a hooly, in thick mist

My overall feeling is that it's a little futile to offer opinions on suitability of gear etc from the comfort of a comfy seat indoors, another thing to wild camp high on the mountains a few times, find out both how miserable / rewarding it can be, then start working out what kit best meets your own needs based on your experiences...

 

[PentaxBronica]

I'd just take the smallest 35mm body with lenses around 28/50/135mm and as much film as you can sensibly fit into your pack (after the essentials, obviously). Don't take anything irreplaceable or seriously rare - for example, my SMC Pentax 120mm f2.8 never comes out if there's a real risk of damaging it, I use the common-or-garden Pentax-M 135mm f3.5 for those times instead. In fact the 28mm f3.5, 50mm f1.7 and 135mm f3.5 with an MX, ME Super or P30 would make an excellent outfit for this.

It really comes down to what the primary purpose of your trip is. I used to do a lot of 4x4ing, on those trips I'd just take something fairly indestructible and two or three easily replaced lenses. If you're driving, and especially if you're leading a group, you don't get time for photos as most people don't want to stop every five minutes. The primary aim here was to explore as many of the unsurfaced rights of way as you sensibly could before you ran out of daylight/weather/enthusiasm, any photos resulting were a bonus. At less than walking pace (as you don't want to damage the terrain or your vehicle) it takes a while to get anywhere, but that's part of the fun.

 

[Paul Jenkin]

Back in the days when I was a younger and much fitter man (with knees that worked) and living in my native north of England, I used to do a lot of fell walking in the Lake District, Yorkshire Dales, Peak District and, when I moved up there, Scotland.

So long as you have emergency rations, water, shelter, warm clothing and you know how to use a map and compass (especially in bad weather) you should be fine.

Wild camping is great fun but don't forget that it's not universally legal in the UK and it's always best to ask for permission (and tips on the best places) - especially in National Parks. One issue to become good at, is not leaving a mess. The link is a really worthwhile book that will ensure you are as enviro-friendly as you can possibly be.

http://www.amazon.com/Shit-Woods-Second-Edition-Environmentally/dp/0898156270

My suggestion for camera gear is start small and see how you get on. I used to find lugging a Mamiya C330 was a pain - but if you can manage a 5x4, then why not....?

Enjoy......

 

[paul_c5x4]

I'd just take the smallest 35mm body with lenses around 28/50/135mm and as much film as you can sensibly fit into your pack (after the essentials, obviously).
<snip> it takes a while to get anywhere, but that's part of the fun.

Got a (train) ticket to ride, so will be heading up to the Lakes for the first week of November. Camera of choice will be a Wista 5x4 along with 135/180/300mm lenses (haven't decided on the 90mm yet) and a tripod. Hopefully, the tent/sleeping bag(s) will weigh less than the camera gear.

Being on foot and most of the spots I plan on visiting are well away from roads or green lanes, I may be gone some time...

 

[coigach]

Got a (train) ticket to ride, so will be heading up to the Lakes for the first week of November. Camera of choice will be a Wista 5x4 along with 135/180/300mm lenses (haven't decided on the 90mm yet) and a tripod. Hopefully, the tent/sleeping bag(s) will weigh less than the camera gear.

Being on foot and most of the spots I plan on visiting are well away from roads or green lanes, I may be gone some time...

Have fun.

Look forward to seeing some pictures. Autumn colours are starting to turn nice here in the Scottish Highlands now, hopefully the same for you in the Lakes...

 

[Vaughn]

Well, depending on the weather I will be going on another backpack trip with one of my boys and his high school backpacking club. On the last trip I took with them (last month) I took the 4x5 and 5 loaded holders -- only took one shot and I think it is a keeper (proof will be in the printing!)

If the rain coming in holds off, we'll go -- up into the Trinity Alps (Canyon Creek, but short of the lakes). Just 5 miles in and I'll take the 4 holders I did not use last trip. They are still loaded up with the out-dated Tech Pan. It is working out well! It should be a little more photographically scenic for me than the last trip...tho it was beautiful. I was just too lazy to go the extra distance after arriving to reach something I was more interested in photographing.

Dang kids and their fit teacher! I'll be bringing up the rear -- you need a 'sweeper' to make sure you don't lose any kids -- the parents are a bear to deal with! LOL!

 

[Woolly]

Around the Keswick area in Cumbria before the end of the month hopefully. Pembrokeshire is a plan too. Then Cairngorms - but it's getting to that time of year where Scotland might be a bit of a gamble with the weather. The places I've chosen are relatively close to campsites, as a fallback plan. But just trying it out locally first.

Be _very_ careful with the Cairngorms at this time of year.

At over 4000 feet, the weather can change dramatically on the Cairngorm plateau in 30 minutes and I've seen snow in July.

This is not like the Lake district (fine though it is); the climate on the Cairngorm plateau can best be described as sub-arctic.

My late father, a very experienced hillwalker introduced me to these mountains in my teens so I have great affection for them.

But they're deceptively undramatic from ground level so for the above reasons, not for the inexperienced.

Having said all that, I wish you well with your journeys and look forward to seeing your images.

 

[Jeff Kubach]

I'm with Flying Camera, I don't like to walk very far.

Jeff

 

[Woolly]

Definitely plan on learning the 'art' of wild camping first and you're right about going along with others before solo. There's certainly a bit more to it in terms of remaining inconspicuous over here, as others have said. It can be frowned upon in certain national parks in the UK. Hence the term 'wild camping' - a bit of a taboo.

My rig for low-level wild camping is the bottom left photo on this page.

Using a DD hammock and DPM basha means I can setup 150 feet into the trees and the camp will be invisible to anyone from the trail.

Much nicer waking up surrounded by forest rather than enclosed in a tent and helps leave no trace.

Wood burning kettle means I don't have to carry fuel for cooking, leaving room for my Zero Image panoramic, Berlebach tripod, film, etc.

The more experience developed, the simpler your kit becomes.

But always go for the best quality you can afford for the items you carry.

 

[ntenny]

I think a TLR is the best performance/weight tradeoff for backcountry photography, on the whole. Large format is more of a "work out of the car" proposition, unless you have a really compact kit; I've carried a whole mess of plate-camera stuff miles into the desert on a hot summer's day, and while it *worked*, I have to say it wasn't really worth the blood, sweat, and tears as compared to medium format.

For me, water is the big contributor to weight and limits the length of a trip: one to two gallons per day, at eight pounds to the gallon, and it outweighs the camera gear mighty quickly. If you have access to drinkable water in the field, that makes an enormous difference in packing, and the pack space I devote to water would probably allow you to take a 16x20!

-NT

 

[PKM-25]

Be _very_ careful with the Cairngorms at this time of year.

At over 4000 feet, the weather can change dramatically on the Cairngorm plateau in 30 minutes and I've seen snow in July.

This is not like the Lake district (fine though it is); the climate on the Cairngorm plateau can best be described as sub-arctic.

My late father, a very experienced hillwalker introduced me to these mountains in my teens so I have great affection for them.

But they're deceptively undramatic from ground level so for the above reasons, not for the inexperienced.

Having said all that, I wish you well with your journeys and look forward to seeing your images.

Sounds like my kind of place, I live for that kind of weather..

 

[Jeff L]

I hiked 90 miles with nothing but a Rollei 35. Got some worthwhile shots...

View attachment 56881

nice!

 

[batwister]

My rig for low-level wild camping is the bottom left photo on this page.

Using a DD hammock and DPM basha means I can setup 150 feet into the trees and the camp will be invisible to anyone from the trail.

Much nicer waking up surrounded by forest rather than enclosed in a tent and helps leave no trace.

Wood burning kettle means I don't have to carry fuel for cooking, leaving room for my Zero Image panoramic, Berlebach tripod, film, etc.

The more experience developed, the simpler your kit becomes.

But always go for the best quality you can afford for the items you carry.

Thanks for the advice. A hammock does sound appealing.

It's just unfortunate in the UK that, because of the nature of our landscapes - plantations, reservoirs and agricultural lowlands - going out with the spirit of adventure, most people assume you've been reading too much Tolkien and can't see the reality. There's a certain stigma to it that has put me off thus far. Scotland appeals to me, not only for the photographic opportunities, but because there is less fantasy and anorak mentality it would seem - it's more of a serious and clear headed commitment; a challenge, adventure. Reading The Lord of the Rings in your tent, on a rainy night, on boggy moorland in the Pennines on the other hand is less romantic and more... tragic. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q_a1wxqloEs