So, I’ve really started to make some large changes to my life after many years of being a degenerate and all my money going on smoking weed and doing other drugs with friends etc.
It all started when I got diagnosed with ADHD, got medicated, since stopped as the cons were worse than the pros now I’m on a good track, re-trained as a software developer and have been in my first role a year and I’m late 30’s now.
Weed was the last thing to quit and it’s been almost a month and I’m finally able to do all the things I could never afford. Bought a nice watch and booked a session for a sleeve tattoo I’ve always wanted.
I still need something to focus on to keep me happy and I love being out in nature and just milling about, but I’m a city kid, north UK, so really don’t know anything about surviving outside; but I want to go out for weekends and see the stars and just explore and be self sufficient.
It all just seems so overwhelming and I have no clue where to start. I’ve been watching YouTube videos and still it seems so overwhelming. My plan is to start purchasing everything you would need with a view to start from April next year but I honestly don’t know where to begin. What do I buy, which tents should I be looking at, how do I learn about water supplies I can drink from, what about cooking; can I make bacon and eggs for instance, what sleeping bags, cookers, backpacks, shoes, etc.
The list goes on and on and I guess I’m just looking for good resources to consume over the next 10 months to make sure I can go out and be safe, considerate, and not a burden on anybody else.
Thanks for any tips you can provide.
Edit: I have a lot of comments here to reply to, but I’m pretty sleepy right now so will reply to you all tomorrow. Thanks.
Read a good book on the subject (or two). In my experience that’s way better information and more comprehensive than gathering info on the internet.
And I’d agree, start small. Practice first and raise the bar as you learn.
With the equipment, that’s indeed a bit difficult. You’d need to learn the specifics and how to decide, or ask someone in the shop and hope they tell you the truth, or join a group or have friends who can help. You can buy cheap stuff and learn with that. But you’re bound to buy things twice that way. But the more professional equipment is all specialized stuff. You’d have a different sleeping bag depending on season plus extras like if it needs to repell water and what makes you comfortable. And there are a lot of tents. Some are lightweight so you can carry them on your backpack, some are larger and you can sit inside and cook during a rainstorm, some can withstand storm and lots of rain. Lots of requirements are mutually exclusive. And it can get really expensive anyways, so you have to decide. And with backpacks: I’d go to a store and try a few, it needs to be large enough to fit your stuff but it also needs to fit you.
About water supplies etc you can read in a book. And you should have a try with a cooker and food at home (probably outside). It’s easy to forget salt/margarine/a spatula or a suitable bowl for soup if it’s your first try. Or misjudge how much fuel to carry for the cooker. Or what kind of (dry) food is lightweight, tasty and fills your stomach after a tiring day in the woods. I mean you should test your equipment anyways, maybe for a weekend first, maybe in proximity of your home or on a camp site. And see what’s missing before walking into the wilderness.
And you should also read about how to care for the environment, what kind of soap and toothpaste to use, how to poop…
Also don’t buy too much unnecessary stuff. I’d say it’s not always obvious what kind of equipment is super handy and which is just dead weight. And not everyone needs the super expensive tent or cooker that can burn almost everything…
Thank you.
I will have a look at some books that I can consume, although with ADHD reading has been a struggle for me to focus on for some time now, but perhaps with me being interested in the topic it might be easier.