The Outdoors Station

"When I set off to walk from Munich to Paris in early November 2014 one of the aspects of a long winter trip where I would be sleeping out in a hammock under a tarpaulin for more than a month were the long hours of darkness. I was apprehensive that spending more than 14 hours a day in darkness would be oppressive, or boring, or genuinely take me off into corners - dark corners - of my mind that I'd rather not visit or revisit" Is the opening paragraph from Jasper's website relating to this recent slow Winter adventure in Germany and France. This is part one of an interview looking at the various aspects of such a long walk through the landscape.

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On 5th August 2014, Ash Dykes age 23, from Wales U.K, became the first known person to complete a solo & unsupported walk across Mongolia, the second largest landlocked country in the world. He pulled all of his provisions on a wheeled cart weighing 120kg, from West to East, covering 1,500 miles in just 78 days, knocking a staggering 22 days off his predicted time. The threat from Wolves, snakes, guard dogs, dehydration, sandstorms and snow blizzards, are only a few of the many dangers he faced whilst traversing the Altai Mountains, Gobi Desert & Mongolian Steppe. I caught up with him on the first night of his UK theatre tour to hear more about his unique journey.

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To make this experience different the two ladies in my life joined me as I headed into wet Wales (once again) to Llantony Abbey. Rose and Pip our Springer Spaniel 18 month old dog. It was the Pip's first time wild camping and we hoped she would enjoy it. Camping in the snow and sub zero temperatures was the only concern as we didn't want to put her off future adventures. We survived and here's the podcast to tell the tale. Includes a review of the Aarn Featherlite Freedom Pack.

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The Wild Camp series continues and in this episode I’m going back in time, yes even before Goretex and Dyneema. I’m going back on this particular walk some 4500 years! Taking inspiration from a listener who wrote early on in this series and suggested I should combine the walk with some history I visit the Neolithic area of Avebury a World Heritage Site some 14 times the size of Stonehenge, but considerably less well known. We take in West Kennet Barrow, Silbury Hill, Avebury Stones and the Avenue and combine it with a walk along the ancient drovers route The Ridgeway, for a wild camp one frosty cold night. Come and join me and see how I get on using a quilt in a bivvy bag, under a tarp, under a night sky full of stars.

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The first podcast of 2015 and we are now into our 10th year of producing quality content for the outdoors enthusiast. However we are in a dilemma of where to go next. What do our listeners want to hear or see and how do we get there? This podcast is part of our SWOT analysis and we are seeking your help to put us on the right track. It is easy for us to assume we know the answer, but without a survey where you tell us your thoughts it is easy to be very, very wrong. Please take part in the survey, your views are vital to what happens next. http://www.theoutdoorsstation.co.uk/2015/01/listener-and-viewer-survey-the-outdoors-station/

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And so our Christmas meal in a wet, windy Wales continues as Andy Howell and I continue to enjoy our 3 course Christmas meal, cooked from ‘fresh’. Your join us in part 2 on the Digestif course, with some of Rose’s Sloe Gin and white chocolate as we continue the banter relating to the outdoors and Social Media. The night was very, very windy and wet so the rain was driven hard against the side of the WickiUp3. So much so that the water went ‘up’ through the air vents and dripped inside in small amounts onto the sleeping area. It wasn’t the end of the world, but my sleeping quilt was a bit damp in the morning. Thankfully as it was only for one night, it was no big issue.

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It finally happened, 3 years after our first epic 3 course Christmas meal in a storm, in a tent, in Wales my memory faded and I suggested we try and do the same thing again. A Masterchef inspired 3 course Christmas meal in another tent, in another storm but still in Wales. This is part one of a two parter as Andy Howell joins me on my Wild Camp series as we leave late in the day to get going, get misplaced in darkness and then set up camp before starting to cook and eat our seasonal extravaganza.

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Well the second Wild Camp adventure is now under my belt. Venturing further from home each time, with the first (No 378) being on my local Malvern Hills, and the second walking away North from the same area on the Worcestershire Way, almost to the half way point, before returning back to base. I'm approaching these Wild Camps from a novice point of view trying to show the typical circumstances you might have to face as you build up your confidence in the adventure recording as they happen, typical problems of weather and kit you might have to overcome on route.

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The first in the 12 part series, this wild camp takes place virtually on my doorstep on the Malvern Hills. Arriving late, using a bivvy bag and leaving early meets the requirement of keeping wild camping as low impact as possible. I chose to keep the equipment simple and cheap, typical for someone trying it for the first time. With an ex Army bivvy bag and an old 2/3 season sleeping bag on top of a small sleeping mat. The weather wasn’t unkind, but it was a bit dull sleeping and waking in a grey cloud. Please check out the website to see the equipment and what little is needed to enjoy a nights rest like this. Keeping it simple for the first Wild Camp is important and I hope this journey will encourage people to try it for themselves, but respect their environment in the process.

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Almost 10 years of podcasting and 10 years of retailing in the Outdoor Industry I’ve noticed some significant changes in shopping patterns and where and how people research their gear. This podcast looks back at those 10 years and the effect our habits have made in the retail world as we know it. Do you feel happier to be able to talk to a retailer, or do you prefer a bargain, no matter where it’s come from? Also Rose takes one of her friends wild camping for the first time and reflects on her fears and concerns. This leads me nicely into my personal challenge of 12 months wild camping using either a bivy, tarp or hammock, but keeping it lightweight and simple, no matter the weather!

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