Posted by 
Location: Foremark Reservoir Derbyshire
Distance: 5km
Date: February 2015
Kit: Alpkit Hunka Bivvy and DD 3×3 Tarp
The first #Microwildcamp! Although this was the tenth wild camp this didn’t follow the usual format of a long walk>wild camp>long walk, instead I wanted to try out a MicroAdventure. This is something Alastair Humphreys has invented which you can read all about (here). The general concept of a MicroAdventure follows these rules:
1. It must be overnight, 5pm-9am (opposite to the working day)
2. Cover a reasonable distance e.g. more than you’d typically walk to your local shops …ok we didn’t manage this one..
3. Use minimal equipment e.g. bivvy, sleeping bag
4. Walk from you front door…humm ok we drove, but I did walk from my drivers door if that counts?
5. If possible include a WildSwim…no chance in Feb!
What I came up with includes some of these rules and some of the attributes of a wild camp, hence I have coined the phrase MicroWildCamp.
The chosen spot was somewhere in the Foremark Reservoir grounds, the exact spot was to be decided on the night. I parked the car at the nearby village of Ticknall and headed up a short footpath to the reservoir entrance known as Carver’s Rocks. Arriving around 4pm Tim and I had a little search around and found a suitable spot for the night. We had a walk around and waited until it started to go dark and everyone had left before setting up camp. Keeping things basic I put my 3m X 3m DD tarp up in case the weather changed and I needed somewhere to retreat to. The rest of the evening was spent drinking red wine and putting the world to rights. The night was calm and dry for the most, it wasn’t until 4am when I woke to light rain so shifted myself under the tarp. The next morning was very pleasant, relatively warm for the time of year and sunny. Breakfast comprised of bacon butties with lashings of brown sauce before heading off back to the cars.
The is definitely something I’d try again, the advantages being it can be done in a short period of time and doesn’t eat into your weekend. The amount of kit required compared to walking the moors/mountains is significantly less and therefore far cheaper/lighter. For the next one I need to find somewhere very slightly more remote as it did have a hint of “yobs drinkin on the park”….