Wild Camping on the Path to Mindfulness

Ever had the feeling that there's something missing from your life, but you can't quite put your finger on what?  I have, and it really started to bug me - I have an amazing partner and am the happiest I've ever been, my children are doing well and are happy, I have a lovely home, good friends, I'm healthy and enjoy my job.  Everything seemed to be great, yet I had a nagging sensation that there was a gap in my life; an itch that needed scratching.

Now, I am one of those people who are naturally very reflective and am always searching for ways to try and further improve myself.  I continually try to better understand and explore my high-level values so I can align my life with them. I meditate regularly, keep fit (running marathons and open water swimming), continually try to expand my mind through continued education (whether with work related courses, attendance of the highly recommended Guardian Masterclasses, or numerous and varied online courses such as those through Oxford University or Future Learn).  I also enjoy unleashing my creative side through writing novels and blogs.  However, as complete as my life was, I still felt the annoying niggle that something wasn't quite right...

Luckily, in my quest for answers, I remembered a story I'd heard on the radio about some chap who had walked round the whole of the M25 and was trying to get everyone involved in something called microadventures.  After a few minutes of searching, I came across Alastair Humphreys - a very inspiring chap whose ideas turned out to be just what I was looking for.  If you've never heard of microadventures, the video below may well change your life:

What a great concept!  Stop looking at life from a 9 to 5 perspective and just turn the tables; think about your 5 to 9 life, the time that's truly yours.  Think about that time and use it to live life to the fullest you can - not every day, but just enough to touch base with your adventurous side.  The notion of microadventures filled me with optimism, excitement and ideas. Tbh, and like most folks, I was probably just getting a bit too settled in my life - getting into a bit of a routine and happy feeling 'comfortable'.  I became inspired and the idea of wild camping took hold - something I hadn't done since I was serving in the Army.  I retired from the Army eight years ago after having served for just over twenty years; when I left, my life changed in all sorts of ways and although the motivation to keep fit and do the best I can in whatever I tried had remained, I had perhaps lost my sense of adventure.  Well, maybe not lost it, but it had certainly taken a bit of a back seat. The danger with comfort zones is that they have a sneaky way of getting ever smaller over time, so if you're not careful, the world you engage with can keep quietly shrinking without you ever knowing - thus limiting the experiences and fun you can have.

Time to remedy things!  Wild camping is the concept of basically making your own little campsite wherever you want in the great outdoors, to momentarily free yourself from the constraints of life and enable you to just get away from things and enjoy nature at its best.  It's worth being aware that it is only legal in Scotland and specific parts of the UK and you should technically always ask the land owner's permission before you camp.  However, as long as you're considerate and follow some basic rules, you should be fine.

Taking Alastair's advice, the #microadventure concept is now firmly part of my mindset, and I'm much happier as a result of this little change - the small niggle I had that something was missing has now gone.  For our most recent experience, my partner and I finished work at 5pm on Friday and were in the car heading for the Norfolk coast by 6pm.  A quick stop at the local pub when we got there started our little seaside microadventure (it also passed a bit of time as you don't want to set up your campsite too soon as this could increases the risk of being discovered and asked to move on).  Setting off into the early evening with our two mid-sized rucksacks (containing our tent, sleeping bags, therm-a-rests, cooking gear, water, food and some all-important wine), we felt instantly relaxed.  A 2-3 mile walk through deserted woods and along the sandy beach in the setting sun couldn't have felt more liberating.  We found a perfect little spot in the sand dunes, set up our tent, opened the wine and sat mesmerised by the life around us - the sounds of birds settling down for the evening, the moonlit waves crashing on to the sand, fresh air and the storm clouds forming behind us.  Stunning!  Sitting there, with the love of my life, my senses were on overload - I was truly present in the moment and savoured the mindfulness of the whole experience.

At midnight the rain finally arrived and we hunkered down, feeling very snug, in our little two-person tent.  The sound of torrential rain pelting the tent and the waves crashing against the shore accompanied us as we fell asleep with smiles on our faces.  Luckily, the rain stopped early in the morning and we were able to share a pot of coffee in the morning while we relaxed and watched the world come to life.  Not a soul around, we packed the tent and headed off in the sunshine back to the car.  Home by 9am, we felt amazing - albeit a bit tired after only just over four hours sleep!

Was it worth it - you bet!  What did we leave? Nothing, apart from some flat sand where we had slept.  What did we take? Some photos and some plastic rubbish we found on the beach when we were walking back.  How did we feel?  Alive, truly alive!  Did we feel a bit apprehensive?  Before we went, yes, but as soon as we got in the car we were too excited to feel anything else.  Will we be doing it again?  You bet!  Weather permitting, next time we'll ditch the tent and sleep in bivvy bags (an even better way to feel one with nature).

Wild camping is a wonderfully mindful experience - I can't recommend it enough!  Be brave, try and expand your comfort zone, live life a little bit fuller and find the microadventure that inspires you 😀

If you know a great location for wild camping, or have tried another microadventure that made you feel alive, I'd love to hear from you.  Thanks!