A bit more detail about my journey

Hitchhike around and collect stories. It's a very simple idea and can be done in many ways. I'm going to do it on an absolute shoestring, and when I travel I enjoy bushcraft-style camping right in the wilds. Here's some examples:

That was on Chesil Beach in 2007. Here's the rest of the pictures from that trip.

Last year I walked a tiny portion of the Southwest Coast Path from Exmouth to West Bexington.

Here's another seaside "Basha" shelter:

So that's the sort of place I'm going to sleep. What I love about using a 'basha' rather than a tent is the contact with the open air at all times. If you use a tent you might feel safer (and stay drier - or so you might think) but the fact is that if you tuck your tarp or basha into the right place - using the natural features - you'll be every bit as dry as with a tent.

So what about safety? Look at it this way. You can't really see out of a tent, and being inside it also means you hear less. A tent has also got a clear profile and size. That makes it harder to make it vanish in the landscape.

The basha is a different proposition. You've got clear vision around you (which also means you see the wildlife in the late evenings and early mornings) and I guarantee you that if someone comes towards you in the night, you'll become aware of them long before they know you're there.

Another advantage is space: both the space you need to pitch it and the living space you get for it. You can take advantage of natural features both to conceal your shelter and to fasten it. I really enjoy the little challenge towards the end of each day of finding a nice spot and you actually need a lot less space than a tent. You don't need to find somewhere flat either. Under a tarp you've got so much more space than in a tent too. Moving around under it is so much easier too: you don't always bump into the sides of the tent.

However, my advice is to avoid pitching in the dark (unless you can't help it). Places look very different during the day!

Cooking under a tarp/basha is a breeze. Cooking in a tent is a nightmare!

Tarps are much lighter than tents. Tarps are easier to camouflage. Tarps are simple and easy to repair. Tarps are flexible.

Mine is a British Army standard issue one. My advice is to buy a decent secondhand one from an Army Surplus store. I've yet to see a new 'real' one for sale. The big difference between the real ones and the copies is the materials, the quality of construction and and the coating. The army ones are silicon-impregnated and the fabric itself is tough as old boots and doesn't absorb water, so if it's wet for a few days, it doesn't mildew anywhere near as readily. All in all, if squaddies can't fuck it up then it has to be OK.

I'm not a closet weekend warrior or anything but I do like being inconspicuous. The camouflage pattern is really good and military stuff is tough, although a bit heavier. I've got army goretex waterproofs as well for these reasons - as well as them being dirt cheap. You can get a jacket & trousers for about 70 quid. Look out for the better jackets and trousers: the jacket has pockets on the front, and the trousers have zippers on the legs, which are also double on the front from above the knee to the hem.

I'll write some more about gear later.

Ray Jardine is an amazing bloke who's taken the simple approach to the limit...