Best camping spot in Dartmoor? - Great Staple Tor's ledge - Abisko Lite 1

Wild camping on a windy Great Staple Tor in the Fjallraven Abisko Lite 1 over the Christmas period. This could be the best wild camping location in Dartmoor and I had amazing morning views across Merrivale. The day before however it was foggy and windy for the hike up there. 17 hours of darkness for this trip!
All equipment fared very well and kept me warm and dry. I am suffering a little from asthma for the start of this trip but it improved throughout. To answer questions about my hands and face- yes a little wrinkled due to childhood eczema but it looks worse than it is, promise!
Dartmoor camping map: www.dartmoor.g...
Always pick up litter and dog poo - let's keep Dartmoor wild campable!
Filming equipment:
Samsung S24
iPhone 14
DJI Osmo Mobile 6
(no drones allowed on Dartmoor, sorry!)
Music: (A huge thanks to the excellent composers below - I am not monetised so hopefully this video benefits them financially in some way, I certainly listen a lot to your music and I encourage others to!)
"Eleutheria" by Thomas Bergensen
• Thomas Bergersen - Ele...
"Barn Cat" by Anon
(if anyone has more details on this song please let me know!)
"Warped by Light" by Jay Varton
• Warped by Light
"Dude, Where's My Horse?" by Nat Keefe
• Dude, Where's My Horse?
Tent: Fjallraven Abisko Lite 1 - • Fjallraven Abisko Lite...
Sleeping mat: Exped Dura R5 - • Exped Dura 5R | Sleepi...
Sleeping bag: Qezer down bag - • Value Down Sleeping Ba...
Head torch: Ahhh now here's something. My head torch is awesome, shall I review it? Great value, strong, bright and lasts up to 50 hours...

[@Linleys]

Fantastic video, great location, epic views and all round lovely record of your adventure. And during the Premier, good chat along the way too. Cheers, Warren :)

[@hedleythorne]

@Linleys thanks Warren! Just such a magical place.

[@peterrobertson8141]

Living in Scotland (and aged 71), I’ve never been to Dartmoor. I feel I’m really missing out now! Must try to get down soon while I still can. My wife and I both loved the mustard sketch @ 2:40 BTW and have now subscribed 😊

[@hedleythorne]

@peterrobertson8141 thank you so much. Dartmoor is really, really special in places and it is about getting the right area really as in other places it is very remote. My son and I did a super little walk around this area yesterday in amazing weather. That mustard stunt made for an uncomfortable hour afterwards...

[@pshearduk]

New subscriber here, sent via Fellman Dave, looking forwards to catching up with your camps and travels. atb

[@hedleythorne]

@pshearduk thank you so much, really appreciated. Dave is great isn't he!

[@RamblingOn]

I love your thumbnail 🙌🍀

[@hedleythorne]

Thank you! This was a special camp.

[@davidberlanny3308]

Merry Christmas Hedley!! Great opening sequence and music!! What a wonderful tor that was looked great in the mist!! Great gag with the condiments, I would say mustard!! but it wasn't that great🤔🤔🤣🤣🤣🤣 Hope you're having a great day. All the best!!

[@hedleythorne]

@davidberlanny3308 thank you so much for watching, and have a lovely Christmas

[@tweedyoutdoors]

Very nice work Hedley! I watched this just after publishing my most recent video, which theoretically is also a wild camp, and compared to yours I wonder what planet I'm living on! Your video actually gives a real sense of what it's like to have this experience. My video is a bizarre fever dream of a disastrous cloning experiment which tried to combine DNA from a low budget Ray Mears with a low budget Keith Floyd. Lots of really beautiful shots here despite the challenging weather you had to begin with. Really good use of music as well - I particularly enjoyed the choral music in the intro - and I'm saying that from the point of view of one of those grumpy old sods who doesn't normally like a lot of music in videos (Mr WC21's fine work being another notable exception, of course).

[@hedleythorne]

Thank you so much Tweedy! Your video was superb and I really enjoyed your cooking - mine isn't even worth showing! I have a lot to learn there. Yes I am in love with the piece at the start - Thomas Bergersen has produced some very pleasing music and this is my favourite piece of his. As I filmed the intro it was in my head and so it ended up timing quite well with the piece. As I have a small, therefore non monetised, channel I am collecting copywrite strikes on every video but doing my best to promote the pieces that I use and the associated artists. If I were a channel with 50,000 subscribers which paid me money then I would resort to the DRM music within my meagre PowerDirector editing app, but until I get there (optimism there) then I will continue to use music that I myself enjoy! Thanks again for watching; I am still in the twinkly-eyed honeymoon period of wild camping (started April and this was number 11) and I hope that I enjoy it just as much in years to come.

[@lntkernow]

Great vid Hedley, really enjoyed it mate. Not been up the moor for too long, off up Arms Tor on Sunday, can’t wait!

[@hedleythorne]

@lntkernow nice one, thanks for watching. Arms Tor looks amazing, nearly stayed there once myself. Great Links looks good too. Let me know if you want a joint camp sometime.

[@lntkernow]

@ yeah arms tor looks ace, we checked it out on the way back from great links back along. Deffo mate, you come down fairly often?

[@hedleythorne]

@lntkernow not often no, once every 3 months or so. Will be there potentially mid February for a camp.

[@PaulTimlett]

You were right about that opening piece of music. Beautiful

[@hedleythorne]

@PaulTimlett wonderful piece isn't it. Happy new year

[@PaulTimlett]

@ You too mate. See you on the other side. BTW it was a cool video 👌

[@hedleythorne]

@PaulTimlett thanks!

[@TheOutDoorMan101]

Top video and smashing location . 100% Gleaming 😁😁👍👍👍👍

[@hedleythorne]

@TheOutDoorMan101 thank you so much, happy new year

[@davie941]

hello Hedley , *Happy Christmas* , great video and what a lovely spot , well done and thank you 😊

[@hedleythorne]

@davie941 thank you so much for watching! Happy Christmas

[@TheSummitexplorer69]

Nicely filmed Hedley, really intriguing rock formations almost like some giants had balanced rocks on top of each other. Pork pie and English mustard that’s a heavenly combination, English mustard on its own err NO 😂😮, atb for the new year pal. Cheers Karl 👍

[@hedleythorne]

@TheSummitexplorer69 thank you so much for watching! Yes, the mustard didn't settle very well. Ahem. Have a wonderful Christmas. Looking forward to watching your 2025 adventures.

[@Chilternwildcamper]

Wow the music's great, sweeping. Looks a dramatic spot.... mustard as a starter?! 😅. Place reminds me of Wheelstones in the Peak District. Really entertaining video.

[@hedleythorne]

@Chilternwildcamper thank you so much, this was a fun (albeit long) night. Yeah, the mustard didn't sit well...!!

[@tim1289r]

Thank you very much for modifying the "Leave no trace" expression, which I agree with, but now grates every time I hear it. New subscriber

[@hedleythorne]

@tim1289r thanks, yes I had the same feeling. I agree with it's purpose but it needed tweaking! Thanks so much for the sub, it means a lot.

[@phill2383]

Thanks for another great video Hedley, Best Wishes for the New Year and Xmas, Phill

[@hedleythorne]

@phill2383 thanks so much for watching. Have a happy Christmas and a wonderful new year.

[@Fellmandave1]

Great intro and thumbnail Hedley. Will watch tomorrow.

[@hedleythorne]

@Fellmandave1 thank you so much. Naturally you get a mention.

[@hiddenwiltshire]

That looks like a great tent Heds, I'm almost tempted to do a spot of camping myself after this - but only in the summer months ! Did a great walk in the Merrivale area a couple of years ago. Must get back to Dartmoor.

[@hedleythorne]

I do love Dartmoor so much. In spring or summer do say if you want to come on a wild camp, it would be great!

[@IchGlaubEsHacktWohl]

First time ever that I subscribed a channel just for the opening music and I am on YT since 2006

[@hedleythorne]

@@IchGlaubEsHacktWohl Bergensen's music is just so evocative and timeless. Thanks for subscribing

[@WC21UKProductionsLtd]

As a wild camping agnostic, I learn three things from this video: 1). Don’t spoon mustard into one’s mouth. 2). Pitch where horses can’t get you. 3). I am still agnostic. The composition of shots and editing was superb. You’re raising the bar for wild camping videography here. Any idea what that cross was?

[@hedleythorne]

@WC21UKProductionsLtd thank you so much, I can still taste that Colemans Mustard if I burp hard enough. The cross is "Windy Post" which is a late medieval granite cross beside the Grimstone and Sortridge leat.

[@steveoutdoors6522]

Thanks for really good video love that spot 👍

[@hedleythorne]

@steveoutdoors6522 thank you so much for watching Steve. Superb little spot that. But windy!

[@barryconway]

Nice one, Mr. T. What an amazing landscape. Quite surreal. Lols with the mustard. I’ll just say this: Tracklements Spitfire Chilli Mustard (actually any Tracklements product). Hashtag NotSponsored. Can I just say that, somehow, this felt like your most ‘complete’ production yet. Chapeau. Not Chateau, that’s for Teh Tweedy.

[@hedleythorne]

@@barryconway thanks so much for watching! Spitfire Chilli mustard sounds amazing!!

[@barryconway]

@Hedleythorne that one is a bit fierce, not for the faint-hearted, but any of their mustards are super (as are their jellies, chutneys etc). I find myself wondering whether you are now tempted by a new tent… roomy, resilient, light, multi-season… future content?

[@hedleythorne]

​@barryconway Will look into those mustards. For now this little tent does me proud. I was worried that 17 hours in such a small shelter would be horrible but it is so cosy and comfortable that I am happier with it. I have a larger tent but it is a 3 season tent. Ultimately yes I will get a new one in the future, considering a Hilleberg Soulo but they are expensive.

[@barryconway]

@ mustards? Report back 😂 - yeah, those Hille’s are silly money. The online chaps talk well of the larger Helm’s, and the new breed of lighter jobbies from Durston, Gossamer, etc. The world’s your mussel when it comes to tents. Good luck. PS, Mrs. T? Don’t read this.

[@hedleythorne]

​@@barryconway Haha no, if she asks, my tent was "on sale at Argos"...

[@evachjourney]

Oh wow must have been heavy to carry all…but looks good.

[@hedleythorne]

@evachjourney Eva it was wonderful! A proper solo adventure for me in beautiful scenery.

[@caskwith]

Lovely view, driven past many times but never walked it. Will have to change that.

[@hedleythorne]

@caskwith Definitely worth the walking diversion if the views are there!

[@timmonaghan3219]

Eating English mustard straight from the jar is wild 😂

[@hedleythorne]

@@timmonaghan3219 I did suffer for a while. You know, “inside”…!

[@Fantic156]

"Keeping the tent tidy on these long winter nights" ... So that took up four or five minutes, what did you do for the rest of the night? 😜

[@hedleythorne]

@@Fantic156 that's between me and EE. 😀

[@hedleythorne]

Sorry, not a great answer! I needed down time, so once the filming was over at about 8pm I watched some videos, Netflix, and spent an hour listening to Bill Bryson. I then managed a near 10 hour sleep!

[@mattlloyd9173]

Can we wild-camp on Dartmoor again now?

[@hedleythorne]

@@mattlloyd9173 we can yes. The decision was overturned last year and the national park has published a map on their website of permitted camping areas! Superb isn't it

[@benny_vanlife]

Was eating mustard straight out the jar just banter? I mean, that's not normal 🫢

[@hedleythorne]

@benny_vanlife It was yes. I eat mustard so regularly that it's the only hot food that I could play that prank with. That said, my insides were burning horribly all evening and it killed my appetite!