My Essentials: My Wild Camping Gear For Summer 2024

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I know – I’m really late posting this – and I know that those who live in the northern hemisphere moved into autumn sometime ago. But, I’d just like to go over the kit which has kept me warm and dry and sheltered me over the summer of 2024.

I am by no means an expert and neither have I visited any extreme places during the summer, so my kit was suitable for what I needed on my trips out in the UK countryside in 2024.

I feel that it may be helpful to show that you don’t need the best and most expensive equipment to just go out for a night and try wild camping in the warmer months.

Shelter

Firstly, I’ll begin with the shelter. I’ve used a Dutch army hooped bivi for many years now. My first experience with a bivi was while cycling along northern Spain, the Pyrenees and the South coast of France back in the early 90s.

At the time, a friend of mine who was in the army, gave myself and two others some British army bivis. They were simple drawstring bivis and they provided us with enough shelter for the summer months in the environments we visited.

The only drawbacks with our drawstring bivis were dealing with mosquitoes and the heat. To keep the mozzies off, we had to hide completely inside, which made it hot and uncomfortable.

Since that trip, I have always dreamed of owning a Dutch Hooped bivi. So, a few years ago I bought one for under £100. I know bivis are not everyone’s cup of tea, but for me, they are a no-frills shelter and the simplest way to camp.

Bivis are back to basics and you cannot beat the Dutch army hooped bivi for simplicity and its stealth qualities. But, with everything, they do have drawbacks and compromises need to be made.

Space is probably the biggest issue along with the feeling of uncomfortable confinement that some people dislike.

I use the large sized bivi and it’s about 220 cm long. I am about 6’ 1” (185cm) and I can comfortably fit myself, my boots and my rucksack in it. On rainy days, I compliment it with a tarp to give me some extra protection and to widen the usable space.

It is heavy at around 1.7 kg/ 3.7 Ibs due to the gore-tex material and it does get condensation on the inside. There are two different manufacturers of the Dutch army hooped bivi and I have the brand which is well known for zip failures – and guess what? – the zip went this year on the mosquito net section of mine. I will be honest and say that I have had it for many years without any issues and it broke as I hurriedly jumped into it to escape the biting insects.

My second shelter I have been using this summer has been a hammock. I haven’t used a hammock since the same cycling trip to Spain and France, where I and my friends were put off by the cheap and badly designed hammock we took with us. Within days, we had all ditched them and had switched to the bivis.

I spoke to @coopzoutdoors (CoopszOutdoors1976) who suggested I try the DD Frontline Hammock and I decided to give it a go. It’s been a great piece of kit and it has opened up new camping environments. It means that I can now camp in areas with either waterlogged ground or messy, debris ridden and uneven ground, that would have been off limits with say a tent or bivy.

It’s light at 850 grams and very easy to set up, even in the dark. The first time I went out in it, I prepared myself by learning how to tie some knots. I learned that this was a waste of time and now I just use the same knot I use to tie my shoe laces.

 It comes with mozzie net which is a massive bonus and it feels like you are more attached to the forest and not cut off by a piece of material. I compliment it with a tarp/basha when it rains.

There is only one drawback that I have encountered and that is the common issue of a cold underside. In colder weather, the underside gets cold because the sleeping bag is compressed and can no longer work properly.

There is an underside blanket that clips onto the bottom and I’m told that it works really well. I bought a cheap blanket to put inside but it moved around too much. Since then, I have used my sleeping mat and it isn’t perfect but it did do the job.

Backpack

I took the plunge a few years ago and splashed out on a proper quality rucksack – the Osprey Kestrel 48 which was on sale and a bargain.

I was in desperate need of a new bag because the bag I’ve been using must have been at least 10 years old. I borrowed it from someone for a trip and they said that I could keep it. The bag was unbalanced on my back, rolling from side to side. The straps dug into my shoulders and made it clear it was no longer up to the job.

Unfortunately, I can’t give a fair comparison with the Osprey, as the previous bag was pretty old and outdated. All I can say is that I have had no complaints – it’s really comfortable, stable on my back and does the job.

It’s the perfect size for a long trek or a few nights out camping. There’s also has plenty of storage for water and ideal for the colder months as the amount of gear I carry increases. I do find it is slightly too large for a one night camp in summer – but I know I am digging really deep here to find a grumble about it.

Sleeping Mat

I have recently upgraded my sleeping mat, but for a few years – including this summer – I’ve been using a cheap run down foam mat, with cigarette burns. I bought it at the army surplus store at the same time I bought the basha.

I needed something to go on the underside of the bivy and this was ideal. It’s simple, rough and has a low R-value, but it’s light and I’ve become used to it.

I’ve used it in temperatures below zero, but now we’re into autumn, I’m looking forward to getting out more this winter than the last, so I have recently upgraded to a new mat. Since the upgrade, I can see the light and I won’t be returning to it or using it again.

Sleeping Bag

My summer bag is a down sleeping bag from The Mountain Warehouse. I’ve had this item for a number of years and again I bought it when it was heavily reduced in the winter sales.

I am happy with it and it has a few good points in that it is pretty light at about 800 grams and it packs down incredibly small. It’s described as a 2/3 season bag but it’s really just a summer bag.
I know the bag well and I know that it’s good down to a night temperature of about  10°C / 50°F. Even at this temperature, I have to go to sleep fully clothed, and that includes wearing my thermals.

Army Basha

I bought this 3m x 3m army basha at the same time as the foam mat. I’ve used it a fair bit and it’s definitely a must-have for the hammock in the rain but not a necessity for the bivi.

I don’t take it out all the time but if there’s going to be heavy rain, then it’s really great at increasing the usable area of the camping spot when using the bivi and it’s plenty large enough to cover the hammock.

Boots

I love my Scarpa boots and I never go anywhere without them. I wear them come rain or shine; summer or winter – and they are awesome.

My wife bought these for me and they are on a different level. I feel invincible in them and call them my tanks because they handle almost every terrain (except slippery stone/paving/rocks) and protect my feet from all sides.

I’ve had them for about seven years and recently had them resoled at no cost from Scarpa. It’s a free service and you can find more information on this here. They are like new and I hope they will be good for another seven years. While they were away being resoled, I didn’t go out camping as much and when I did go out, I really missed them.

Jacket

I have only included this jacket because it comes out with me on every trip in the warmer months and it’s so versatile and useful.

 It’s light and takes up no space and I use it during the warmer months.  Sometimes, I use it as a pillow, it’s also waterproof up to a point, windproof and it doesn’t get any condensation on the inside.

Apart from the hammock, everything has been with me for the last few years. I have never purchased anything at full price (my wife bought the Scarpa boots) and this has helped me upgrade my kit over time and kept the costs down.

Camping doesn’t have to be expensive and you don’t need top-of-the-line gear to enjoy a night under the stars. There are plenty of budget-friendly options, which are perfect for the warmer months and allow anyone to head out and experience a night of wild camping.

If you venture out, please take care of both yourself and the beautiful landscapes that give us so much. Respect the environment and let’s all do our part to keep it unspoiled for others to enjoy.

Please leave no trace.

If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact me via social media or the contact form which can be found on the contact page.

Your feedback is important to me. Let me know if you enjoyed the blog – and even if you didn’t, I’d love to hear your thoughts.

Thanks for taking the time to read the article.

Many thanks

Dan

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