By: Blonde Two

One of the aspects of wild camping that doesn’t get easier as you get older is the comfort factor. Inflatable thermal sleeping mats make life a lot warmer but an inch of mat (even a £70 one) doesn’t always stop bits of you hurting and waking you up.

It is usually hips with me, or my back. It often feels like I spend the night on a constant slow-spin cycle. I think Blonde One does too although we are rarely awake at the same time, so are probably not Synchronised Spinners!

On Saturday night we were wild camping with our (very impressive) Ten Tors youngsters. We were on North Dartmoor and not in one of our usual spots. It was bone numbingly cold in the wind and very bleak looking; but our new site had one unexpected advantage, the most bouncy of long grass mattresses.

My mattress was conveniently shaped like one of those posh lay-back recliner chairs, with a hole for my bottom and a bulge for my pillow. A palliasse without a bag to contain all of its lovely hay-ness.

What a shame I was too cold to fully appreciate it!