That was a bit of a rough night Giles, but fair play for giving it a go. The canal network nr where I live has a lot of history and some of the canals are still holding water and are navigable. I love trying to find a connection back to the past. Very enjoyable video to watch:) Thanks Sandy
Thank you kindly Sandy. Great to get such a nice comment from such an accomplished wild camper. Yeah, it is nice to dip into the past now and then. We live on an island which is stuffed full of history ! Thx again. Keep safe and well. Cheers 👍
I love exploring and seeing the history of an area. I try to imagine what things and people were like back in the 1800s traveling on canals and living with natural fibers. Thank you for giving us this rich experience Giles. Stay dry, lol.
Yet again great video m8 really e joyed it sumthing different with the bivi and you showed us sum local history aswell m8 really enjoyed watching it thanks again m8
I love your videos Giles. Really interesting every time. Its a pity that these old water ways are redundant. They would be very useful for transporting goods and people in our disfunctional modern world. Very brave trying the bivvy in the fickle British weather. You did very well. Cheers. Iain.
Thank you very much for those kind words Iain. Yeah, the canals are surely the peaceful way to go about business. Probably wouldn’t suit our modern hurry-up world 😐 Think those old natural fibre capes can still do a job 🌧😊👍
This is just North of my home town(B). I used to play around there before they put the new road in. I still go down that way as my Mum still lives there.👍
Loved the bivvy! Fair play for seeing that through, I would’ve been laughing to myself under there when it started raining, glad you didn’t get soaked 👍 Great video as always sir, look forward to the next 👍
Another enjoyable watch Giles. I admire your resilience, that couldn't have been a very relaxing night. I'm a big fan of the Trangia. Love it's silence and simplicity. Very interesting history there. Surprising that the canal had such a short life. Looking forward to your adventure. 👍
We have them pipes for off-gassing on an ex-landfill, now a nature reserve. I’d camp there if it wasn’t for the local herberts hanging around. You just had to walk that swing bridge, didn’t you? 😁 It’s a shame progress involves building more blimmin massive housing estates! To manage the night with just wet feet was a result I suppose. Can’t beat the woods, eh Giles! Some nice history in this one 😉👍🏼
Thanks very much Tim. Appreciate your support Mate. Yeah, had to cross that bridge but was a bit more of a struggle than I expected !!! Yeah, think I got off lightly considering 🌧💧☔️ ! Gonna check out your latest tonight Buddy - looking forward to it. Cheers 👍
Great video Giles, love the history. I was surprised that little stove was able to cook that meal. One good thing about the rain I suppose is youre less likely to get disturbed by anyone. 😆
Thank you very much. Yeah, the Trangia stove has stood the test of time. No disturbance luckily - the land off the pathways is very quiet there - apart from occasional agricultural vehicles. 👍
Thanks Giles another enjoyable video, I sometimes cross the old canal when i'm out on a run. I hope you didn't get bitten by an insects during your bivvy camp.
Great walk and camp out Giles it's good to see that there's still some remaining parts of the canal as the area is taking over by other structures good test of the tarp glad it didn't rain all night that would have been a uncomfortable night for you atvb Jimmy 😎😎👍👍
Cheers Jimmy. Thx for watching Mate. Yeah, those military capes are deffo versatile. Can’t wait to see your 3 day survival challenge videos. Take care Bud 👍
@@gilesbinyon It just proves how versatile the military capes really are. I have bought one because of your general setup. It’s neat and tidy with no fuss. It really works. I absolutely love them.
Nice outing. Reminds me of sleeping in a rubber poncho and wool blanket in the field don’t take the boots off it it’s gonna rain.or put on sneakers with the rubber overboots or just the overboots in case you need to get up in a hurry. Troops gotta stay comfortable and ready. Have fun stay safe.
Thanks for watching Kenneth. Really enjoyed reading that comment too. And you know I was tempted to leave the boots on - but after being in them all day (and damp socks due to water running slowly down from my thighs into my boots) ….. I thought my feet could do with some air !!! 😷Cheers 👍
In the North we are blessed to still enjoy our canals, although some routes have been lost. The industrial heritage here and leisure industry have kept them open. I think we can so quickly lose our history without noticing. Great camp - well done for sticking it out. 👏
Thank you very much Mark. We do also have some navigable canals in the south of England which, as you say, are being maintained for their leisure purposes. But you are right, we are losing so much of our industrial heritage. Yeah, think I got off a bit lightly considering the rain 🌧 Thx again 👍
Cracking adventure their Giles .Snug as a bug in a rug😂 . That reminded me of a wet night half under a rock in a leaky bivi bag in Snowdonia thirty years ago, I woke up about four in the morning in a puddle ,too tired to move I had about half a dry down sleeping bag . All best Will 🍻
Thanks very much Will. Always nice to read your comments. Sounds like your experience was worse than mine !!! 😳 And probably quite cold being Snowdonia too 🥶 Plus, I understand that down bags don’t insulate well when damp. Blimey Mate, that must have also been a helluva night !!! Thx again and take care 👍
Really enjoyed this one. It's quite surprising to consider how quickly rail superseded canal. Very interesting to see you trying a new set up. All the best for the next one.
That was really interesting. It reminds me of where I grew up in Ontario, Canada. I live in Northern BC now, and I wouldn't try camping like this here, but I used to walk and camp near streams when I was young. Thank you for the view.
Thanks very much I appreciate you watching and commenting. Yeah, it was interesting to find more of the old structures than I expected. The weather and environment can be a lot different to this in Canada I expect 🇨🇦🇬🇧 Cheers
Nice, very entertaining. I wish they would reopen those old canal routes for recreational purposes, but I guess it would cost a bomb and have a lot of local objections.
Thanks Robert. Hope you’re doing good Mate. Yeah, there are canals here open for recreational use. They are usually maintained by charitable trusts I believe. The one I tracked is almost certainly beyond repair. Keep safe and well Bud 👍
Another great video again Giles I enjoyed that as always. Pity it ended up raining in the night otherwise I think you would have had a nice night sleeping under the stars. Good effort for trying something new and different though! 😁👍
Hi Gile's, love a video that has a historical context, personally I find these things fascinating, if i'd come across the swing bridge concrete parts I would of had no idea what the were. Bought a dehydrator myself but still yet to use it, in fact I forgot about it until you did your dinner, must give it a try for the lightweight walking and camping. The shelter for the night, great idea, you never know until you do it, another notch of experience, has to be considered a success. I got wet feet when I went hammock camping, a small refinement is all that's needed I'm sure. Cheers for that Gile's.
Thanks very much Chris. Yes, wherever you go on our small island you stumble upon history - ancient and more modern. I hope you find the dehydrator useful. There is so much one can do with it - even drying complete dinners ! Great for hiking and hopefully where you camp you would have plentiful water supplies too. Ha ! Yeah, wet feet - not the end of the world - probably got off lightly !!! Cheers my Friend 👍
Thank you sir for another great video I appreciate your efforts you were talking about rain forecast it rained here in Arizona today it poured and it was wonderful! This is the monsoon season it lasts about 7 weeks give it a shame you could not have a fire. I would like to see you doing like 2 days somewhere. There is so much past with that canal it is intriguing. Stay safe I'm with you in spirit. Arizona Dave
Thanks once again Arizona Dave. Hope you are well. Wow, 7 weeks of heavy rain !!! Impossible to get out camping I suppose ? Thanks as always for your kind words. And yeah, I would like to get out for a multi-day trip. Just takes a bit more organising and even the editing takes a bit more effort too. I’ve got a couple of vids out of three day hikes/camps a few months back. Need to do some more. Take care Buddy 🍺🍺👍
Thanks for a great video Giles. Very much an endurance excursion.. When it comes to minimalism stealth camping you were outstanding in your field, or someones field anyway!. Take care Giles , I always look forward to you vids. Cheers, Ian
Thanks Ian - appreciate you watching and that comment made me laugh out loud !!! Yeah, after that long days hike through all the undergrowth I don’t know why I didn’t just camp in the middle of the field and act like a scarecrow anyway !!! 😂🤣😊🤣 Cheers 👍
Another great video Giles, thanks! There's lots of fascinating history out there, if we know where to find it. Looks like the bivvy bag needs tweaking, though you didn't say anything about being cold in the night without your usual fire. I guess you could take a cane and some cord with you, to create a tarp shelter? All the very best, Terry
Our great-great-ish-grand-parents were so amazingly resourceful and forward thinking to plan and build such structures. Let's not let them down. Thank you for another great vid, Giles, it reminded me of the great great Jack Hargreaves Country Ways series from the 1970's. That's the way to go.
Thanks very much once again. Yeah, I’ve heard that expression 🤔 and I’ve watched people put together a ‘cowboy bed roll’ too. I think the Aussies have a similar kind of traditional set up too. Thx again 😊👍
Another excellent video Giles. I love a good bivvy camp in the rain so long as you know your next night is going to be somewhere warm and dry... I lose my sense of adventure the morning after!
Looks like you put some extra miles in on this one Giles. Another entertaining and informative video and, because of the Trangia, no square dancing at the end. Cheers. 🙂
Thank you very much Hugh. Respect to you for using kit like this ‘for real’. I choose to got out in the wet or cold - you had to do it for your job. Thx again. Take care 👍
It looked like the trangia did well with the cooking,I do like those stoves.another great vid mate keep it up.i also noticed you do a bit around the south downs in your other videos.have walked it twice and wild camped along the way😂
Proper stealth camp that, cowboy style. I miss the leave no trace dance to finish Giles 😂. we don't have any waterways locally so this was a fascinating trek you took us on, love these shadows of a forgotten past.
Another enjoyable video Giles I feel I've watched months of you being not quite warm enough,I hope this isn't the start of months of you being not quite dry enough!
Thank you very much Sarah. Ha! I am always moaning about something in the morning 🤣😂🤣😂 I should have been happier it pretty much did it’s job in all that rain 🌧👍
Interesting bit of history with the canal and all. There is a canal here in Illinois that still has water in it and has a recreational area along it. The bivvy bag was also very interesting. Love to try something like that in a rain.
Thanks very much Steven once again Steven. I appreciate you watching so many of these videos and taking time to make a positive comment. Fortunately, in the UK we also have many canals which have been brought back into service, albeit purely for pleasure craft and enjoyable towpath hikes/bike rides 😊👍
Of course we have the famous Erie Canal here in New York State. Depending on the size of your boat, you can actually leave Florida travel up the Inter-coastal Waterway to the Hudson River. Then up the Hudson to the Erie Canal, which takes you to Buffalo, NY, where you enter Lake Erie. Crossing lakes Erie, Huron and Michigan to Chicago, IL, where you enter another canal which takes to the Illinois River. Thence to the Mississippi River, on down to the Gulf of Mexico and back to Florida. Kind of like sailing around England and Scotland. I use to sail a lot, some years ago. I am an old fashion sailor, like you are an old fashion hiker. Keep it up. Yep 👍
Great video as always Giles. Love the peaceful, calm approach - I think a lot of people need to calm down a bit just now... Also like the use of natural fibres - although the extra weight is clearly a challenge but I see you really go minimal to try and overcome that. I'm beginning to see how much plastic we all use and appreciating my metal, wood and canvas possessions a bit more - even proper sisal string and rope instead of the usual man-made stuff. Anyway, you got yourself another subscriber!
Thanks very much for watching and for your support Sean. Yes, you’re absolutely right - the non-synthetics can be heavy. But a lot can be done with just a few reliable and robust items made of natural fibres. Thx again. Cheers 😊
Another interesting and informative history lesson Giles, thanks. I felt for you as the rain landed on your cape, a horrible sound to be woken too, but as always you took it in your stride. Thanks again.
Thanks very much for watching and always good to read your comments ultrarunner. Yeah, a bit of a test this one but worked quite well considering 🌧 Cheers 👍
Thanks very much Marc. Really appreciate you watching and commenting. Yeah, the cape did a job okay in the end. Looking forward to watching the rest of your adventure with Andy. Got disturbed just when you finished putting up the Big Top Tarp - blimey if you could leave it up for a couple of weeks you might find me pitched up with my shelter inside it ! 😂🤣😂🤣. Thx again 👍
@@gilesbinyon I bet you could get your shelter in there haha there is so much space , more than I expected 👍. Also as I said before if you ever want to pop down here for a camp you are more than welcome👍. I have plenty of virage gear myself 👍
@@mdmoutdooradventures that’s a really kind offer thanks Marc. And I might take you up on it - your humour and excellent videos make me laugh and smile. I’m just an amateur eg all my filming/editing is done on my rather decrepit phone 📲 so not sure I could keep up with you guys !!! I’ve noted your email in the video descriptions 👍 Cheers Bud 👍
Interesting history and hike Giles 👌 Fair play and respect for trying the poncho as a sleep system. Reminded me of the Aussie type swagman rolls. I reckon with a little bit of tinkering, you'll have it well and truly dialled in 👍
Thanks very much for watching Ja. Yeah, bit of a test but, as you say, it does work to a point. Worth keeping as an option to have. Take care and Cheers Bud 👍
Thanks very much for watching. And appreciate your comment with those suggestions. I’m always looking to improve kit/set up. But try to stick to natural fibres too. Cheers 👍
cracking vidio Giles not sure if i could hack the cotton bivy bag, more of a modern british army bivy bag myself, never the less as you said it did the job. where i live we have the brecon and monmouth canal, i've been wanting to walk and camp it for some time now. thanks for the inspiration and all the shared history. please keep the vidios coming there great.👌🏻
Thanks very much indeed Gavin. Glad you enjoyed and thx for watching. Hope you get to follow along the Brecon and Monmouth and maybe get in a camp or two. Appreciate your kind comment. Thx again 😊👍
Thoroughly enjoyed that Giles . Cracking day out . I wonder if you've ever tried setting your cape up as a low A frame for stealthy camps 🤔. Anyway another cracking adventure . Love it . Take care bud 👍 🏕
Cheers Mark. Thanks for watching Mate. No I haven’t tried that configuration you suggest. But it sounds interesting and I might have a play around in the garden and check it out. PS how’s you getting on with the Honey/hive stove? I’m hopin’ to check it tonight on your review vid. Take care Buddy
You're welcome bud . Yes might be worth testing a low A frame. The honey stove is nice, can be a bit fiddly sometimes. Sometimes it slots together lovely other times can be a rigmarol. ( unless that's me ) It's nice when it's all set up though. Atvb to you Giles 🏕👌
Thanks very much for watching. Always appreciate your comments. Yeah, I didn’t know about most of those points either. It made it a fun day of discovery - quite a few miles on foot too 😊👍
Being chopped in half by the railway is symbolic of what happened to the canal system as a whole really. A huge amount of labour and investment quickly superseded by steam. Was walking a bit by the Kennet and Avon canal this weekend thinking about just this. Appreciated the different aspects of the landscape you showed this time around, I often don't film those bits even though I pass through many that are similar. Bivvying in the rain is tough, but each walk is a preparation for the next so they say and I'm sure you'll have some ideas for next time.
Thank you kindly Catherine. Yeah, it’s hard to imagine all that hard work and finance hardly being put to use really. And I thought expensive ‘white elephants’ were just a phenomenon of our modern society !!! I suppose labour was cheap in those days 😔 I just noticed you have uploaded another vid - really looking forward to it. Take care and thanks as always 😊
Enjoy your videos makes me want to come wander southern England with someone that know their way around. Also gives me much more appreciation for the open spaces I have here even in the populous Eastern U.S. always great seeing how people across the world make a way to enjoy the outdoors no matter where they are.
Thanks very much Bushcraft Virginia. Appreciate you watching and commenting. I agree - it’s great to see how people will try and find ways to enjoy the outdoors 👍
Thanks John appreciate you watching. And that’s a good point you make too. I think I misaligned one of the buttons on the foot end of the cape and water was able to run off the top fold and into the inside. Oh well, could have been worse I suppose Cheers 👍
Thanks very much Scotbot. Yeah, old men can be stealthy if they try. As long as the grey hair is hidden under a camouflage hat !!! 🤣 Cheers take care 👍
@@gilesbinyon Oh no, Giles. The grey-man reference isn't about age or the the colour of one's hair. Rather, it's about fitting in. I mean to say, you've got a look which is neither day-glo camper nor tacticool. You blend in seemlessly both to the wild camping and to the urban.
Fantastic vid Giles and very immersive👌👏Seeing you battle the nettles reminded me of why I made myself a hazel staff. It gave/still gives me huge pleasure👍KTF🙏
Thanks Marty. Always lovely to get your comments and thx for watching. That Staff sounds like a useful tool. Trouble is I’m carrying the phone camera stick which does a similar job to the Hazel Staff - but I have to leave it behind to do the filming just when I need it most !!! 🤣😂🤣😂 Cheers take care 👍
im new here, i enjoyed this stealth camp with old gear and minimal my sort of thing i want to try this year, not been for over ten years. love from cornwall my friend
Thank you very much Matt - appreciate you watching and your kind comment. Cornwall is beautiful but I haven’t wild camped there before. Glad you like the old school minimal type of setups and good camping Buddy 🌲⛺️😊👍
Lovely video Giles. Just a thought maybe you could get a short pole and rig your tarp up like a low profile bivvy/ A frame set up the pole wouldn’t weigh to much.
Thanks for watching and thanks for that suggestion. Yeah, perhaps I could have found a stick (I had my ridge line) and set something up. But at least I gave the bivvy a good test 😳☔️💧🌧Cheers 👍
Hi Giles once again tier 1 content with some great knowledge and I enjoy your enthusiasm for things of old interest. I understand you using your kit and it’s inevitable that you could get a bit wet now and again, which is also part of the journey in the outdoors. Your on top of your game and a thoroughly enjoyable video. Look forward to your next journey.
Thanks very much for watching. And that’s a very kind comment indeed - appreciate it. Yeah, I think the ‘old kit’ held out pretty well in the end. Let’s hope the ‘old git’ can do the same 😂🤣😂🤣Cheers 👍
Another cracking instalment Giles! I love the sense of adventure in your videos, it is why I go camping myself, for the adventure. Keep them coming my friend, always inspiring stuff. Will
Nice to see another style of camp on the show, sad see the weather folding in . The canel seems something designed for the army during the war with France 🇫🇷 and built after the war and then discontinued with and then replaced by the railway bringing it to a final end .
Hello Giles, do you have someone following you playing the banjo or do you add it later. 😂😂🤣🤣 On the subject of the insect repellant, Over here in NZ we have 'Sand flies' a lot like your Midges (only our ones carry knives) they can make you wish you wasn't there. When I was a ranger we mixed Dettol with baby oil (we would make up a couple of litres) and rubbed that into our arms and legs and it worked really well and one smells nice and fresh like a hospital. 🤣🤣
A really interesting & informative video Giles. We're very lucky to have them in this country as they're excellent for all manner of activities; whether it's walking, running, fishing, paddling, cycling or boating. As such it's always a shame to see one long since gone. I try to wonder what it would look like, & how popular would it be if still working today? Great little camp out too. I don't think it can get more basic than that. Loved it. Thx
Thanks very much Dug. Yeah, was an interesting day alright. At least we have a number of canals restored and working in the UK. I try to rely on a few reliable basic bits of kit - it helps to keep the pack size/weight down. Thx again 👍
Thanks very much Terry. I keep looking into the idea of customising the shoulder straps. But as it seems comfortable I haven’t got around to it yet. Appreciate you watching and commenting 😊👍
Nice one Giles, we're lucky to have this on our doorstep. Did you start down in our village or North of the bends before the farm shop? I walked some of this back in January so I could see the canal more but it was so muddy ..
Really enjoyed this one. I zeroed in on your location from some of the info seen along the way in Yapton and was able to trace the canal and your journey for most of the way. A lot of 'glamping' sites in that area... can't imagine you rocking up and renting a pitch for the night! The good thing about following an. old canal is there are no uphill climbs to worry about. I'm curious as to why you chose to camp in the open rather than tuck under a hedgerow or a few trees?
@@TheTerryMarsh1 fair comment but being the highest thing in an open field isn't the best strategy either. I would have thought some of those patches of scrub along the canal would have given more shelter, while keeping widow makers in mind, of course.
Thanks very much. Ha! Not sure I fit into the glamping category just yet 🤣😂🤣 As you say- a bit easier to knockout the miles with only a flat towpath 👍 Trouble with the shrubs and trees by the canal was that it was very close to the towpath itself. It did cross my mind though as it is a very quiet path. Also, as you probably know, there are a few disused industrial type waste lands. But a quiet meadow just seemed attractive at the time Thx again 😊👍
@@gilesbinyon I keep forgetting wild camping is pretty much illegal in England for the most part so getting sprung by some pillock of society might be more trouble than it's worth.
i wonder if you fold the very bottom part under a couple of inches and then peg it down, will help with keeping your feet dry., you could add a a grommet on one side and a loop on the other to keep it in place.
Thanks very much John. Appreciate you watching and making that interesting point about folding in the feet end of the cape. Yeah, in hind sight I think the leak was my fault - there was one button not done correctly at the foot end and think it allowed water to run in between the two layers 😐 Cheers 👍
Hi Giles, that was a bit different to your usual fayre, though no less enjoyable and just as interesting as ever. I wondered what that curved or distorted brick structure was with the holes in it at the beginning while Saint Anne's was still playing. Was it the remains of an old bridge, perhaps, or is it a complete mystery? It certainly looked more of a challenge with the way you were sleeping this time. Was it a new/different military cape you were testing, or was it just the bivvy-type arrangement that you were wanting to try out? I remember once about eighteen years ago I slept out without any shelter in February. It was in some woodland and I just had my coat. I lay curled around a tiny fire next to my stomach. I was very lucky it was dry weather, but I was still surprised how comfortable I was. There was certainly a different feel to this one, with more industrial sights and sounds, and with it being more of a linear walk. I enjoyed following the course of the canal with you, it reminded me of the sort of thing I used to do in England before I moved away. There must have been a lot of work involved in digging the canal manually, and to think it would only end up being used for such a short period! Thanks again Giles for another wonderfully entertaining video. Take care, and I look forward to seeing you again!
Thank you so much Adrian. As always it’s such a delight to read your comments and I thank you very much for all the support you give me. Yeah, this was the usual Zeltbahn I use - just in a sort of bivvy configuration which seemed to work reasonably okay considering (🌧). Thanks for following along as I tried to trace the canal. That first brick structure is the remains of a bridge and the first recognisable point close to the start and also to where I live. It just looks so weird stuck in between arable fields and the canal cut completely filled in. In fact if you didn’t know there used to be a canal there you may think it is some kind of folly or something !!! What a wonderful thing to try camping in February in just a coat and a small fire - you were very brave but it’s amazing how a fire can keep you warm - just requires topping up throughout the night 🫤 Hoping you get out soon and the weather is good in Wales. Take care my Friend 👍
Wow Nick ! I had to play back the video and crikey ! The song was so loud and clear - well done for picking that up - I honestly would not have been able to put song to bird without your observation and comment - thank you. And thx for taking the time to watch the vid too. Cheers 👍
Hello mate,just thinking about your problem with the water coming in the bivvy. What about rolling or folding,maybe gathering and twisting and tying off 🤔 at the bottom just trying to help buddy cheers Mark.
Thanks very much Mark. All of your ideas are good. Although the gathering and twisting may shorten the whole thing a bit too much - even for me !!! I reckon I didn’t do a button up in line with all the others and so the overlap wasn’t weathered correctly - so fingers crossed that will get it next time. Thx again Bud 👍
I still cannot believe how little kit you carry. It's inspiring me to go a foot with less gear. Don't be worried about if you can or cannot camp somewhere, no man should be able to tell another he is not able to lay his head down to sleep at night. You are one bloke you leave no trace you will be fine. With the stew why not put some meat in it? Are you a vegan or something?
Thanks very much. I always appreciate you watching and commenting. And I agree with your sentiments there. Yeah, I’m not totally sure about the nomenclature. But I don’t eat meat and hardly much dairy or eggs. But I do have leather boots, sleep rug etc. Anyway thx again 👍
Hi giles, my dad is a big fan of your videos. He noticed around 3.50 theres a strange red thing that appears by your head behind the bushes. Its here and gone in 15 seconds, do you know what it was? Weve been trying to make it out but are so far unable and quite confused haha
Hi Amy. Thanks for your comment and kind words and please pass on my appreciation to your Dad. I’m very glad he likes the videos. Yeah, I only noticed this red thing looking strange behind the trees to my left when I was editing the footage. But there was a water reservoir with brightly coloured life buoys spaced along it’s built up bank. There is quite a lot of intensive agriculture in the area and the farms use man made reservoirs for irrigation. So I’m pretty sure the strange thing is one of these life buoys fixed to it’s post. I hope that’s what it was anyway …..👽🛸😳. Thx again 😊
Thanks for watching and commenting Robyn - appreciated. Yeah, that structure is part of a bridge that used to span the old canal - hence it is curved over. But it’s all very solid from what I could make out. Cheers 👍
Thanks Gordon, appreciate you watching. Yeah, I don’t count but guess I would average somewhere between 10 and 16 miles usually. When I am not filming more is possible of course. Cheers 👍
That was a bit of a rough night Giles, but fair play for giving it a go. The canal network nr where I live has a lot of history and some of the canals are still holding water and are navigable. I love trying to find a connection back to the past.
Very enjoyable video to watch:)
Thanks
Sandy
Thank you kindly Sandy. Great to get such a nice comment from such an accomplished wild camper. Yeah, it is nice to dip into the past now and then. We live on an island which is stuffed full of history ! Thx again. Keep safe and well. Cheers 👍
I love exploring and seeing the history of an area. I try to imagine what things and people were like back in the 1800s traveling on canals and living with natural fibers. Thank you for giving us this rich experience Giles. Stay dry, lol.
Thank you very much Craig. Sounds like we are similar minded. We are lucky to have so much history. Appreciate your comment. Cheers 👍
Very interesting. A true bushcrafter
Thanks very much for those kind words 😊
Nice one Giles back to basics keep them coming 👍.
Cheers Mark. Yeah, keeping it simple and natural. Appreciate you watching and commenting 👍
Yet again great video m8 really e joyed it sumthing different with the bivi and you showed us sum local history aswell m8 really enjoyed watching it thanks again m8
Thanks once again Keith. Always appreciate your kind support. Take care my Friend 👍
I love your videos Giles. Really interesting every time. Its a pity that these old water ways are redundant. They would be very useful for transporting goods and people in our disfunctional modern world. Very brave trying the bivvy in the fickle British weather. You did very well. Cheers. Iain.
Thank you very much for those kind words Iain. Yeah, the canals are surely the peaceful way to go about business. Probably wouldn’t suit our modern hurry-up world 😐 Think those old natural fibre capes can still do a job 🌧😊👍
Made my Friday night 🌙
Thanks very much Keith - glad you enjoyed 😊
This is just North of my home town(B). I used to play around there before they put the new road in. I still go down that way as my Mum still lives there.👍
Thanks Mr E. I guess you know it well - might see you out on the trail !!! Take care, thx again
Loved the bivvy! Fair play for seeing that through, I would’ve been laughing to myself under there when it started raining, glad you didn’t get soaked 👍
Great video as always sir, look forward to the next 👍
Thanks once again Buddha Bushcraft. Always appreciate your support. Yeah, think I was lucky considering the rain - deffo worth a go. Cheers 👍
Another enjoyable watch Giles. I admire your resilience, that couldn't have been a very relaxing night. I'm a big fan of the Trangia. Love it's silence and simplicity. Very interesting history there. Surprising that the canal had such a short life. Looking forward to your adventure. 👍
Thank you very much Dougy. Yeah I agree. The Trangia has stood the test of time alright. Thx for watching. Take care 👍
thank you Giles, good on you for giving the makeshift bivvy a go. 👍👍
Thanks very much Tee Elf. It was worth a try and worked quite well considering 🌧💧☔️Cheers👍
I've had the exact same plan to walk this section as it was 200 years this year. Still hope to before the end of the year.
Thanks very much Rob. Yeah, it does make an interesting walk - Hope you get to do it soon. Cheers 👍
We have them pipes for off-gassing on an ex-landfill, now a nature reserve.
I’d camp there if it wasn’t for the local herberts hanging around.
You just had to walk that swing bridge, didn’t you? 😁
It’s a shame progress involves building more blimmin massive housing estates!
To manage the night with just wet feet was a result I suppose. Can’t beat the woods, eh Giles!
Some nice history in this one 😉👍🏼
Thanks very much Tim. Appreciate your support Mate. Yeah, had to cross that bridge but was a bit more of a struggle than I expected !!!
Yeah, think I got off lightly considering 🌧💧☔️ !
Gonna check out your latest tonight Buddy - looking forward to it. Cheers 👍
Great video Giles, love the history. I was surprised that little stove was able to cook that meal. One good thing about the rain I suppose is youre less likely to get disturbed by anyone. 😆
Thank you very much. Yeah, the Trangia stove has stood the test of time. No disturbance luckily - the land off the pathways is very quiet there - apart from occasional agricultural vehicles. 👍
Thanks for this , Giles. Love the history lessons. 👍🙂🏕️
Thanks very much once again Brian. Glad you enjoyed 👍
Thanks Giles another enjoyable video, I sometimes cross the old canal when i'm out on a run. I hope you didn't get bitten by an insects during your bivvy camp.
Thanks once again Keri - always appreciated. Just got a few bites but not too bad. Might see you out running !!! Take care 👍
Great walk and camp out Giles it's good to see that there's still some remaining parts of the canal as the area is taking over by other structures good test of the tarp glad it didn't rain all night that would have been a uncomfortable night for you atvb Jimmy 😎😎👍👍
Cheers Jimmy. Thx for watching Mate. Yeah, those military capes are deffo versatile. Can’t wait to see your 3 day survival challenge videos. Take care Bud 👍
@@gilesbinyon that was a experience in a half took 2 days to edit my footage it will be out on Sunday thanks Giles 👍👍
Thanks for a great video. I liked the brickwork in the the old arches. The camp was something else. 👍
Thanks very much. I’m really glad you liked the vid and thank you for the kind words and support. Cheers 👍
Giles love that video exploring our history never stops, thank you for sharing
Thank you kindly- appreciate you watching and commenting 😊
Wonderful Giles, beautiful scenery and history. The Bivvey was nearly a success.
Thank you very much. Always appreciate your support. Ha ! yeah, nearly a success but I probably got off lightly considering the rain 😳 Cheers 👍
@@gilesbinyon It just proves how versatile the military capes really are. I have bought one because of your general setup. It’s neat and tidy with no fuss. It really works. I absolutely love them.
Nice outing. Reminds me of sleeping in a rubber poncho and wool blanket in the field don’t take the boots off it it’s gonna rain.or put on sneakers with the rubber overboots or just the overboots in case you need to get up in a hurry. Troops gotta stay comfortable and ready. Have fun stay safe.
Thanks for watching Kenneth. Really enjoyed reading that comment too. And you know I was tempted to leave the boots on - but after being in them all day (and damp socks due to water running slowly down from my thighs into my boots) ….. I thought my feet could do with some air !!! 😷Cheers 👍
In the North we are blessed to still enjoy our canals, although some routes have been lost. The industrial heritage here and leisure industry have kept them open. I think we can so quickly lose our history without noticing. Great camp - well done for sticking it out. 👏
Thank you very much Mark. We do also have some navigable canals in the south of England which, as you say, are being maintained for their leisure purposes. But you are right, we are losing so much of our industrial heritage.
Yeah, think I got off a bit lightly considering the rain 🌧 Thx again 👍
Another excellent night out Giles. Hats off to you.
Thanks very much Allen - appreciated 😊
Cracking adventure their Giles .Snug as a bug in a rug😂 . That reminded me of a wet night half under a rock in a leaky bivi bag in Snowdonia thirty years ago, I woke up about four in the morning in a puddle ,too tired to move I had about half a dry down sleeping bag . All best Will 🍻
Thanks very much Will. Always nice to read your comments. Sounds like your experience was worse than mine !!! 😳 And probably quite cold being Snowdonia too 🥶 Plus, I understand that down bags don’t insulate well when damp. Blimey Mate, that must have also been a helluva night !!! Thx again and take care 👍
Really enjoyed this one. It's quite surprising to consider how quickly rail superseded canal. Very interesting to see you trying a new set up. All the best for the next one.
Thanks very much Frank. Glad you enjoyed. Yeah, rail helped sign the death bell for commercial canal traffic methinks. Thx again. Cheers 👍
"Great vid. Giles, the salt & peppers used to keep the boots dry well done"!
Thanks very much Barry. Ha !, dry boots - shame about the feet 😂🤣😂🤣 Cheers👍
That was really interesting. It reminds me of where I grew up in Ontario, Canada. I live in Northern BC now, and I wouldn't try camping like this here, but I used to walk and camp near streams when I was young.
Thank you for the view.
Thanks very much I appreciate you watching and commenting. Yeah, it was interesting to find more of the old structures than I expected. The weather and environment can be a lot different to this in Canada I expect 🇨🇦🇬🇧 Cheers
Nice, very entertaining. I wish they would reopen those old canal routes for recreational purposes, but I guess it would cost a bomb and have a lot of local objections.
Thanks Robert. Hope you’re doing good Mate. Yeah, there are canals here open for recreational use. They are usually maintained by charitable trusts I believe. The one I tracked is almost certainly beyond repair. Keep safe and well Bud 👍
Great video Giles , Wonderfull information about the Canal , and beautiful scenery also , Be Well my Friend , Strength , Honour and Respect .
Thank you kindly Bob. I always appreciate you watching the videos and your very kind comments. Stay well and safe yourself Good Sir ⛺️🔥😊👍
Another great video again Giles I enjoyed that as always. Pity it ended up raining in the night otherwise I think you would have had a nice night sleeping under the stars. Good effort for trying something new and different though! 😁👍
Thanks very much Mike. Yeah, I was hoping for a night under stars …. but hey ho …. still lovely to be out. Cheers 👍
Hi Gile's, love a video that has a historical context, personally I find these things fascinating, if i'd come across the swing bridge concrete parts I would of had no idea what the were. Bought a dehydrator myself but still yet to use it, in fact I forgot about it until you did your dinner, must give it a try for the lightweight walking and camping. The shelter for the night, great idea, you never know until you do it, another notch of experience, has to be considered a success. I got wet feet when I went hammock camping, a small refinement is all that's needed I'm sure. Cheers for that Gile's.
Thanks very much Chris. Yes, wherever you go on our small island you stumble upon history - ancient and more modern. I hope you find the dehydrator useful. There is so much one can do with it - even drying complete dinners ! Great for hiking and hopefully where you camp you would have plentiful water supplies too.
Ha ! Yeah, wet feet - not the end of the world - probably got off lightly !!! Cheers my Friend 👍
beautiful misty meadow toward the end. It rained overnight but you stayed pretty dry with your old gear, well done.
Thank you Lucy. Yeah, I think I got off lightly in the end !!! Take care 😊👍
Thank you sir for another great video I appreciate your efforts you were talking about rain forecast it rained here in Arizona today it poured and it was wonderful! This is the monsoon season it lasts about 7 weeks give it a shame you could not have a fire. I would like to see you doing like 2 days somewhere. There is so much past with that canal it is intriguing. Stay safe I'm with you in spirit. Arizona Dave
Thanks once again Arizona Dave. Hope you are well. Wow, 7 weeks of heavy rain !!! Impossible to get out camping I suppose ?
Thanks as always for your kind words. And yeah, I would like to get out for a multi-day trip. Just takes a bit more organising and even the editing takes a bit more effort too. I’ve got a couple of vids out of three day hikes/camps a few months back. Need to do some more. Take care Buddy 🍺🍺👍
Thanks for a great video Giles. Very much an endurance excursion.. When it comes to minimalism stealth camping you were outstanding in your field, or someones field anyway!. Take care Giles , I always look forward to you vids. Cheers, Ian
Thanks Ian - appreciate you watching and that comment made me laugh out loud !!! Yeah, after that long days hike through all the undergrowth I don’t know why I didn’t just camp in the middle of the field and act like a scarecrow anyway !!! 😂🤣😊🤣 Cheers 👍
Very good joke!
Another great video Giles, thanks! There's lots of fascinating history out there, if we know where to find it.
Looks like the bivvy bag needs tweaking, though you didn't say anything about being cold in the night without your usual fire.
I guess you could take a cane and some cord with you, to create a tarp shelter?
All the very best, Terry
Thanks once again Terry. Although wet, luckily it wasn’t cold that night. Think I got away lightly considering the rain !!! Cheers 😊
Pleasure to watch.
Chef idea...make broth instead of stew. Adding beans and leafy greens to the root veg, with a chunk of crusty bread.
Thank you very much for watching. And appreciate that useful comment - sounds very tasty. I really need to widen my menu 🤔 Cheers 👍
Our great-great-ish-grand-parents were so amazingly resourceful and forward thinking to plan and build such structures. Let's not let them down. Thank you for another great vid, Giles, it reminded me of the great great Jack Hargreaves Country Ways series from the 1970's. That's the way to go.
Thank you very much. Yeah, this small island of ours is packed full of history from our previous generations. Appreciate your support - thx👍
Another great video. Going to get out tomorrow for a few hours . Some food and nature's healing. 🙂
Thanks very much Barry. Good luck with your trip out. Hope the weather smiles on you. Take care ☀️😊
Hi Giles! Here across the pond some folks call it cowboy camping. 🤠🖖
Thanks very much once again. Yeah, I’ve heard that expression 🤔 and I’ve watched people put together a ‘cowboy bed roll’ too. I think the Aussies have a similar kind of traditional set up too. Thx again 😊👍
Another excellent video Giles. I love a good bivvy camp in the rain so long as you know your next night is going to be somewhere warm and dry... I lose my sense of adventure the morning after!
Ha ! Yeah, the sense of adventure can wane somewhat the wetter (and colder) you get !!! Thanks for the kind words Darren 👍
Looks like you put some extra miles in on this one Giles. Another entertaining and informative video and, because of the Trangia, no square dancing at the end. Cheers. 🙂
Thanks very much John. Glad you enjoyed. Yeah, a bit sad there was no fire - but the Trangia is great too. Take care 👍
hats off to you i was in the army infantry all through the 80s germany cold war i remember the kit and the standard of it very good effort nice one
Thank you very much Hugh. Respect to you for using kit like this ‘for real’. I choose to got out in the wet or cold - you had to do it for your job. Thx again. Take care 👍
It looked like the trangia did well with the cooking,I do like those stoves.another great vid mate keep it up.i also noticed you do a bit around the south downs in your other videos.have walked it twice and wild camped along the way😂
Thanks for watching and commenting Lew. Blimey, the SD Way twice ! That’s going some - well done 👍
Proper stealth camp that, cowboy style. I miss the leave no trace dance to finish Giles 😂. we don't have any waterways locally so this was a fascinating trek you took us on, love these shadows of a forgotten past.
Thanks so much Allan. Glad you enjoyed. Don’t worry - I’m sure the LNT Stomp will return 😂🤣😂🤣Cheers 👍
Another enjoyable video Giles
I feel I've watched months of you being not quite warm enough,I hope this isn't the start of months of you being not quite dry enough!
Thank you very much Sarah. Ha! I am always moaning about something in the morning 🤣😂🤣😂 I should have been happier it pretty much did it’s job in all that rain 🌧👍
Interesting bit of history with the canal and all. There is a canal here in Illinois that still has water in it and has a recreational area along it. The bivvy bag was also very interesting. Love to try something like that in a rain.
Thanks very much Steven once again Steven. I appreciate you watching so many of these videos and taking time to make a positive comment. Fortunately, in the UK we also have many canals which have been brought back into service, albeit purely for pleasure craft and enjoyable towpath hikes/bike rides 😊👍
Of course we have the famous Erie Canal here in New York State. Depending on the size of your boat, you can actually leave Florida travel up the Inter-coastal Waterway to the Hudson River. Then up the Hudson to the Erie Canal, which takes you to Buffalo, NY, where you enter Lake Erie. Crossing lakes Erie, Huron and Michigan to Chicago, IL, where you enter another canal which takes to the Illinois River. Thence to the Mississippi River, on down to the Gulf of Mexico and back to Florida. Kind of like sailing around England and Scotland. I use to sail a lot, some years ago. I am an old fashion sailor, like you are an old fashion hiker. Keep it up. Yep 👍
wild camping -- in the rain - very cool - thanks for sharing
Thank you very much Ken. Appreciate you watching and the kind comment. 🌲⛺️👍
Great video as always Giles. Love the peaceful, calm approach - I think a lot of people need to calm down a bit just now... Also like the use of natural fibres - although the extra weight is clearly a challenge but I see you really go minimal to try and overcome that. I'm beginning to see how much plastic we all use and appreciating my metal, wood and canvas possessions a bit more - even proper sisal string and rope instead of the usual man-made stuff. Anyway, you got yourself another subscriber!
Thanks very much for watching and for your support Sean. Yes, you’re absolutely right - the non-synthetics can be heavy. But a lot can be done with just a few reliable and robust items made of natural fibres. Thx again. Cheers 😊
Another interesting and informative history lesson Giles, thanks. I felt for you as the rain landed on your cape, a horrible sound to be woken too, but as always you took it in your stride. Thanks again.
Thanks very much for watching and always good to read your comments ultrarunner. Yeah, a bit of a test this one but worked quite well considering 🌧 Cheers 👍
Another good one as always and glad to see you didn't get to wet as that could have made it very miserable for you .
Thanks very much Marc. Really appreciate you watching and commenting. Yeah, the cape did a job okay in the end. Looking forward to watching the rest of your adventure with Andy. Got disturbed just when you finished putting up the Big Top Tarp - blimey if you could leave it up for a couple of weeks you might find me pitched up with my shelter inside it ! 😂🤣😂🤣. Thx again 👍
@@gilesbinyon I bet you could get your shelter in there haha there is so much space , more than I expected 👍. Also as I said before if you ever want to pop down here for a camp you are more than welcome👍. I have plenty of virage gear myself 👍
@@mdmoutdooradventures that’s a really kind offer thanks Marc. And I might take you up on it - your humour and excellent videos make me laugh and smile. I’m just an amateur eg all my filming/editing is done on my rather decrepit phone 📲 so not sure I could keep up with you guys !!! I’ve noted your email in the video descriptions 👍 Cheers Bud 👍
@@gilesbinyon nothing wrong with your content 👍 how you film and edit your videos is your personal preference and what works for you 👍
Brilliant video thank you Giles!
Thanks very much - appreciate you watching and glad you enjoyed 👍
Interesting history and hike Giles 👌 Fair play and respect for trying the poncho as a sleep system. Reminded me of the Aussie type swagman rolls. I reckon with a little bit of tinkering, you'll have it well and truly dialled in 👍
Thanks very much for watching Ja. Yeah, bit of a test but, as you say, it does work to a point. Worth keeping as an option to have. Take care and Cheers Bud 👍
You need the Swagman Roll and their military poncho by Helikon-Tex, you'd never get wet plug you stay warm.
But I enjoy your videos anyways.
Thanks very much for watching. And appreciate your comment with those suggestions. I’m always looking to improve kit/set up. But try to stick to natural fibres too. Cheers 👍
cracking vidio Giles not sure if i could hack the cotton bivy bag, more of a modern british army bivy bag myself, never the less as you said it did the job. where i live we have the brecon and monmouth canal, i've been wanting to walk and camp it for some time now.
thanks for the inspiration and all the shared history. please keep the vidios coming there great.👌🏻
Thanks very much indeed Gavin. Glad you enjoyed and thx for watching. Hope you get to follow along the Brecon and Monmouth and maybe get in a camp or two.
Appreciate your kind comment. Thx again 😊👍
Thoroughly enjoyed that Giles . Cracking day out . I wonder if you've ever tried setting your cape up as a low A frame for stealthy camps 🤔. Anyway another cracking adventure . Love it . Take care bud 👍 🏕
Cheers Mark. Thanks for watching Mate. No I haven’t tried that configuration you suggest. But it sounds interesting and I might have a play around in the garden and check it out. PS how’s you getting on with the Honey/hive stove? I’m hopin’ to check it tonight on your review vid. Take care Buddy
You're welcome bud . Yes might be worth testing a low A frame. The honey stove is nice, can be a bit fiddly sometimes. Sometimes it slots together lovely other times can be a rigmarol. ( unless that's me ) It's nice when it's all set up though.
Atvb to you Giles 🏕👌
Loved this alternative approach. I didn’t know about all those canal points you discovered. 👍
Thanks very much for watching. Always appreciate your comments. Yeah, I didn’t know about most of those points either. It made it a fun day of discovery - quite a few miles on foot too 😊👍
looks nice place to lay back and forget about troubles and strith, you could have checked iff ber works lol
Thanks for watching and commenting too. Yeah, was quite relaxing until the rain came 😳💧👍Cheers
A interesting camp I live under a mile from a busy canal ( one off my quick over night camps )
Thanks very much Tim. Probably insect repellent is required for those camps ? Take care thx again 👍
Being chopped in half by the railway is symbolic of what happened to the canal system as a whole really. A huge amount of labour and investment quickly superseded by steam. Was walking a bit by the Kennet and Avon canal this weekend thinking about just this. Appreciated the different aspects of the landscape you showed this time around, I often don't film those bits even though I pass through many that are similar. Bivvying in the rain is tough, but each walk is a preparation for the next so they say and I'm sure you'll have some ideas for next time.
Thank you kindly Catherine. Yeah, it’s hard to imagine all that hard work and finance hardly being put to use really. And I thought expensive ‘white elephants’ were just a phenomenon of our modern society !!! I suppose labour was cheap in those days 😔
I just noticed you have uploaded another vid - really looking forward to it. Take care and thanks as always 😊
Enjoy your videos makes me want to come wander southern England with someone that know their way around. Also gives me much more appreciation for the open spaces I have here even in the populous Eastern U.S. always great seeing how people across the world make a way to enjoy the outdoors no matter where they are.
Thanks very much Bushcraft Virginia. Appreciate you watching and commenting. I agree - it’s great to see how people will try and find ways to enjoy the outdoors 👍
Gran plan!👏👏
Gran vídeo!!💪💪
Thanks!
Thank you very much Felix. I do appreciate your support 😊👍
I seen the weekness in the foot end when you didn’t tuck it under like an envelope, enjoyed the video, many thanks
Weakness
Thanks John appreciate you watching. And that’s a good point you make too. I think I misaligned one of the buttons on the foot end of the cape and water was able to run off the top fold and into the inside. Oh well, could have been worse I suppose Cheers 👍
Superb again Giles ! 👍🏻
Thanks Martyn. Very much appreciate your support and glad you liked it 👍
Great video Giles nice to see you mixing it up, that was a great stealth camp👏
Thank you kindly Bulldog Badger. Glad you enjoyed the vid and yeah, had to be stealthy on this one 😳 Cheers 👍
Nice wee sleep system you've got there. You're stealthy and grey man at the same time.
Thanks very much Scotbot. Yeah, old men can be stealthy if they try. As long as the grey hair is hidden under a camouflage hat !!! 🤣 Cheers take care 👍
@@gilesbinyon Oh no, Giles. The grey-man reference isn't about age or the the colour of one's hair. Rather, it's about fitting in. I mean to say, you've got a look which is neither day-glo camper nor tacticool. You blend in seemlessly both to the wild camping and to the urban.
Fantastic vid Giles and very immersive👌👏Seeing you battle the nettles reminded me of why I made myself a hazel staff. It gave/still gives me huge pleasure👍KTF🙏
Thanks Marty. Always lovely to get your comments and thx for watching. That Staff sounds like a useful tool. Trouble is I’m carrying the phone camera stick which does a similar job to the Hazel Staff - but I have to leave it behind to do the filming just when I need it most !!! 🤣😂🤣😂 Cheers take care 👍
im new here, i enjoyed this stealth camp with old gear and minimal my sort of thing i want to try this year, not been for over ten years. love from cornwall my friend
Thank you very much Matt - appreciate you watching and your kind comment. Cornwall is beautiful but I haven’t wild camped there before. Glad you like the old school minimal type of setups and good camping Buddy 🌲⛺️😊👍
Lovely video Giles. Just a thought maybe you could get a short pole and rig your tarp up like a low profile bivvy/ A frame set up the pole wouldn’t weigh to much.
Thanks for watching and thanks for that suggestion. Yeah, perhaps I could have found a stick (I had my ridge line) and set something up. But at least I gave the bivvy a good test 😳☔️💧🌧Cheers 👍
Hi Giles once again tier 1 content with some great knowledge and I enjoy your enthusiasm for things of old interest. I understand you using your kit and it’s inevitable that you could get a bit wet now and again, which is also part of the journey in the outdoors. Your on top of your game and a thoroughly enjoyable video. Look forward to your next journey.
Thanks very much for watching. And that’s a very kind comment indeed - appreciate it. Yeah, I think the ‘old kit’ held out pretty well in the end. Let’s hope the ‘old git’ can do the same 😂🤣😂🤣Cheers 👍
Great piece of industrial history you found there Giles 👍
Thanks for checking out the video John. And great to have your comments. Yeah, this little island is full of history alright 👍
Another cracking instalment Giles! I love the sense of adventure in your videos, it is why I go camping myself, for the adventure. Keep them coming my friend, always inspiring stuff. Will
Thank you very much Will. Appreciate those kind words. Yeah, it’s always fun to find new things and places. Cheers , take care 👍
Nice to see another style of camp on the show, sad see the weather folding in .
The canel seems something designed for the army during the war with France 🇫🇷 and built after the war and then discontinued with and then replaced by the railway bringing it to a final end .
Thanks very much Owen. Glad you liked this vid. Yeah, I think you pretty much summed up the fate of this (and I suppose other) canals. Cheers 👍
Hello Giles, do you have someone following you playing the banjo or do you add it later. 😂😂🤣🤣 On the subject of the insect repellant, Over here in NZ we have 'Sand flies' a lot like your Midges (only our ones carry knives) they can make you wish you wasn't there. When I was a ranger we mixed Dettol with baby oil (we would make up a couple of litres) and rubbed that into our arms and legs and it worked really well and one smells nice and fresh like a hospital. 🤣🤣
Ha ha ! Not sure any one would want to follow me - especially with that tune ringing in your ears 😂😂😂😂👍thx for watching this vid tho 👍
wonderful video Giles.
Thank you kindly yeti dodger. Glad you enjoyed. Cheers 👍
Love the history!
Cheers Roland - much appreciated 😊👍
A really interesting & informative video Giles. We're very lucky to have them in this country as they're excellent for all manner of activities; whether it's walking, running, fishing, paddling, cycling or boating. As such it's always a shame to see one long since gone. I try to wonder what it would look like, & how popular would it be if still working today? Great little camp out too. I don't think it can get more basic than that. Loved it. Thx
Thanks very much Dug. Yeah, was an interesting day alright. At least we have a number of canals restored and working in the UK. I try to rely on a few reliable basic bits of kit - it helps to keep the pack size/weight down. Thx again 👍
Fantastic mate. Just a little tip I think you should make your rucksack a little higher on your shoulders and put the heaviest stuff at the top 👍
Thanks very much Terry. I keep looking into the idea of customising the shoulder straps. But as it seems comfortable I haven’t got around to it yet. Appreciate you watching and commenting 😊👍
@@gilesbinyon 👍👍
Beautiful people land, I hope you all live forever.
Thank you for watching Christopher. And making that lovely comment too 😊👍
Nice one Giles, we're lucky to have this on our doorstep. Did you start down in our village or North of the bends before the farm shop? I walked some of this back in January so I could see the canal more but it was so muddy ..
Thanks very much. Yeah, picked up at the road bends. Our little island is stuffed full of history!!! Cheers 👍
Really enjoyed this one. I zeroed in on your location from some of the info seen along the way in Yapton and was able to trace the canal and your journey for most of the way. A lot of 'glamping' sites in that area... can't imagine you rocking up and renting a pitch for the night! The good thing about following an. old canal is there are no uphill climbs to worry about. I'm curious as to why you chose to camp in the open rather than tuck under a hedgerow or a few trees?
Good question - though camping under trees in a thunderstorm is not recommended! Also be careful of falling tree branches.
@@TheTerryMarsh1 fair comment but being the highest thing in an open field isn't the best strategy either. I would have thought some of those patches of scrub along the canal would have given more shelter, while keeping widow makers in mind, of course.
Thanks very much. Ha! Not sure I fit into the glamping category just yet 🤣😂🤣 As you say- a bit easier to knockout the miles with only a flat towpath 👍
Trouble with the shrubs and trees by the canal was that it was very close to the towpath itself. It did cross my mind though as it is a very quiet path. Also, as you probably know, there are a few disused industrial type waste lands. But a quiet meadow just seemed attractive at the time Thx again 😊👍
@@gilesbinyon I keep forgetting wild camping is pretty much illegal in England for the most part so getting sprung by some pillock of society might be more trouble than it's worth.
i wonder if you fold the very bottom part under a couple of inches and then peg it down, will help with keeping your feet dry., you could add a a grommet on one side and a loop on the other to keep it in place.
Thanks very much John. Appreciate you watching and making that interesting point about folding in the feet end of the cape. Yeah, in hind sight I think the leak was my fault - there was one button not done correctly at the foot end and think it allowed water to run in between the two layers 😐 Cheers 👍
I will always cheer for you in Korea I'm looking forward to a great video. Have a nice day.
Thank you kindly Korean Nature Trip. I really appreciate your kind support from Korea. Have a nice day too 😊👍
Hi Giles, that was a bit different to your usual fayre, though no less enjoyable and just as interesting as ever.
I wondered what that curved or distorted brick structure was with the holes in it at the beginning while Saint Anne's was still playing. Was it the remains of an old bridge, perhaps, or is it a complete mystery?
It certainly looked more of a challenge with the way you were sleeping this time. Was it a new/different military cape you were testing, or was it just the bivvy-type arrangement that you were wanting to try out?
I remember once about eighteen years ago I slept out without any shelter in February. It was in some woodland and I just had my coat. I lay curled around a tiny fire next to my stomach. I was very lucky it was dry weather, but I was still surprised how comfortable I was.
There was certainly a different feel to this one, with more industrial sights and sounds, and with it being more of a linear walk. I enjoyed following the course of the canal with you, it reminded me of the sort of thing I used to do in England before I moved away. There must have been a lot of work involved in digging the canal manually, and to think it would only end up being used for such a short period!
Thanks again Giles for another wonderfully entertaining video. Take care, and I look forward to seeing you again!
Thank you so much Adrian. As always it’s such a delight to read your comments and I thank you very much for all the support you give me.
Yeah, this was the usual Zeltbahn I use - just in a sort of bivvy configuration which seemed to work reasonably okay considering (🌧). Thanks for following along as I tried to trace the canal. That first brick structure is the remains of a bridge and the first recognisable point close to the start and also to where I live. It just looks so weird stuck in between arable fields and the canal cut completely filled in. In fact if you didn’t know there used to be a canal there you may think it is some kind of folly or something !!!
What a wonderful thing to try camping in February in just a coat and a small fire - you were very brave but it’s amazing how a fire can keep you warm - just requires topping up throughout the night 🫤
Hoping you get out soon and the weather is good in Wales. Take care my Friend 👍
I think it coped with the rain pretty well considering how exposed you were. Would probably have done better under the canopy of a tree.
Thanks very much. Yeah, I agree with you there. Cheers ⛺️😊👍
While you were pegging out your bivvi, Cettis Warbler singing!, good tick
Wow Nick ! I had to play back the video and crikey ! The song was so loud and clear - well done for picking that up - I honestly would not have been able to put song to bird without your observation and comment - thank you. And thx for taking the time to watch the vid too. Cheers 👍
Hello mate,just thinking about your problem with the water coming in the bivvy.
What about rolling or folding,maybe gathering and twisting and tying off 🤔 at the bottom just trying to help buddy cheers Mark.
Thanks very much Mark. All of your ideas are good. Although the gathering and twisting may shorten the whole thing a bit too much - even for me !!!
I reckon I didn’t do a button up in line with all the others and so the overlap wasn’t weathered correctly - so fingers crossed that will get it next time. Thx again Bud 👍
👍👍👍
Thanks very much Tommy - always appreciated 👍
@@gilesbinyon 👍
I still cannot believe how little kit you carry.
It's inspiring me to go a foot with less gear.
Don't be worried about if you can or cannot camp somewhere, no man should be able to tell another he is not able to lay his head down to sleep at night.
You are one bloke you leave no trace you will be fine.
With the stew why not put some meat in it? Are you a vegan or something?
Thanks very much. I always appreciate you watching and commenting. And I agree with your sentiments there.
Yeah, I’m not totally sure about the nomenclature. But I don’t eat meat and hardly much dairy or eggs. But I do have leather boots, sleep rug etc. Anyway thx again 👍
Cool👍
Thanks. Cheers 😊👍
Hi giles, my dad is a big fan of your videos. He noticed around 3.50 theres a strange red thing that appears by your head behind the bushes. Its here and gone in 15 seconds, do you know what it was? Weve been trying to make it out but are so far unable and quite confused haha
Hi Amy. Thanks for your comment and kind words and please pass on my appreciation to your Dad. I’m very glad he likes the videos.
Yeah, I only noticed this red thing looking strange behind the trees to my left when I was editing the footage. But there was a water reservoir with brightly coloured life buoys spaced along it’s built up bank. There is quite a lot of intensive agriculture in the area and the farms use man made reservoirs for irrigation. So I’m pretty sure the strange thing is one of these life buoys fixed to it’s post. I hope that’s what it was anyway …..👽🛸😳. Thx again 😊
I was going to do a overnight camping trip but where I'm at in Tennessee it's 105 heat index it's just too hot
Thanks Andrew. Wow, that’s very hot. Only chance you have, I suppose, is to get to the beach or lake. Hope you get out soon 👍
I always take an umbrella.
Thanks Jay. That’s an interesting idea. Cheers ☂️👍
That brick thing needs taking down before it falls on someone.
Thanks for watching and commenting Robyn - appreciated. Yeah, that structure is part of a bridge that used to span the old canal - hence it is curved over. But it’s all very solid from what I could make out. Cheers 👍
Thanks very much - always appreciated.
Brave or stupid !?!?! 🤣😂🤣😂Cheers 👍
Fold and peg the bottom seam, under?
Thanks for watching and thanks for that good advice. I think it was my fault - I didn’t do up a button correctly in line with the others. Cheers 🌧
What is that red,orange object at 3:58....:)
Thanks very much. Yeah, there was a reservoir for agricultural use behind the hedge and that (I think) is a rescue throwing buoy 🛟 Cheers 😊👍
How far do you normally walk when out on these treks?
Thanks Gordon, appreciate you watching. Yeah, I don’t count but guess I would average somewhere between 10 and 16 miles usually. When I am not filming more is possible of course. Cheers 👍