Life Below Zero - Wild Camping Northumberland: -3 in a 3 Season Tent...

[@hikermikem8]

👍😁👍 Hiya Donna x ive been completley off radar the past 3 or so weeks, off work, 3 hospital emergency visits and even a heart scare 🙄🤣 very bad dose of sepsis on the lungs caused havoc. Im in the clear now and on the mend. But thanks for cheering me up with this video dvs 😁 i love autumn and winter wildcamping. My lowest temps were also -6 up at loch valkey dumfries n galloway and once in the peak district 🥶 loved it.. Really good pitching spot , cracking views and the F10 ul 3 season tent was a steal.. Ive also been buying whilst off 🤣 not 1 but 2 tents 🤣🤣 the firemaple 2p jobbie and a bargain of a find brand new terranova laser compact AS 👍 plus other stuff. Itching to get out myself, but need to get my fitness back first 😁 Cant beat permafrost underfoot and no devil midges until next spring whoo Hoo 🤣🤣😁 Goodluck with the knee op donna and do as the specialist's say.. Takecare dvs x 🤗 coffees on the way ☕️☕️

[@donnavansenior]

Bloody hell Mike, I'm really sorry to hear that you've been ill, I thought I hadn't heard from you online for a while, or seen anything posted. It sounds like you've had one helluva time, and one helluva bad scare. You're going to have to take it very easy for quite a while, let those lungs get strong again. So no heading out in sub zero temps with your new tents - and not one but two of the little beasts! I've looked at the Fire Maple - I'm not keen on the colour or large branding on it though, but it's fairly similar to a Hubba Hubba design. And a bargain TN Laser Compact! Well done, take it easy Mike, but hopefully you'll be able to get out before the Return of the Midge 😬😁 And thank you very much for the brews/coffee's Xx

[@hikermikem8]

@donnavansenior hiya donna and thanks 🤗👍 yeah it was a proper scare and I was put on alsorts of drugs and feeling really bad I barley looked at social media as my head was allover the place. On the mend now 😁👍 had my scare and have to behave now 🤣 Got loads of new gear to try out. The firemaple is definatley a 3 season only for me so the new TN is a bit of winter luxury 4 seasoness 😁 I'll be back on the socials soon weather permitting and can't wait to get outside proper again 😁 I've kept my X-Mid solid for multidayers as it's so lite 😁 Just need to get planning 🏕🥾😁 Takecare donna catch you soon x

[@MarkSweeting_]

Oddly enough as much as I've been up that way I've never found that spot. Or at least I can't remember it. Lovely vid as always Donna 😁👍

[@donnavansenior]

Cheers Mark, it's been a good while since I was up that way, and plenty of the forest is still down, you can see that it's a bit of a mission to get to this place. Some of my old favourite spots are completely destroyed and that's such a shame. Enjoyed this camp though, as chilly as it was, and it's always nice to be out with a new tent :)

[@Greenmanure62]

Hello there! Not watched for a while. You're looking well. Good luck with the knee op. I've had both mine done. Bouncing on a small trampoline these days to build up muscle. It's great...apart from the need of upper scaffolding (if you know what I mean!)😂😂 Enjoy Scotland with your lad. Mine has just been for a visit with his girl friend. Lovely. I'm off to Scotland in December. I will NOT be camping! Lovely spot you have there. Good music. Cheerio😊 From psoriatic arthritic veggie grower!😂😂

[@donnavansenior]

Hya @Greenmanure62, great to hear from you, and have a smashing time in Scotland when you head up - cheers re: the knee op, I'm a little bit apprehensive, but I'm sure it'll be fine. Great to hear you've had both of yours done - what's your recovery time been like? I scored for a 2nd hand exercise bike from a lady that watches my vids, which was really decent of her, so I'm hoping that'll help me recover a tad faster - without the need for the upstairs scaffolders to be involved 😂 This getting older malarkey wasn't supposed to happen as fast - 58 and needing new body parts! Oh the shame hahaha. I'll be missing a few months camping no doubt, but at least it's the dark cold nights I'll be missing ;-) Ciao for now X

[@fraserconnell21]

Aye. Yer a real pied piper😊. Blues muzak ist mahico mind😊. Crack on Deep Vein Strombola.😮 D.V.S Great stuff wor Donna K'bab 😁😁

[@donnavansenior]

You always have me laughing with your mad comments Fraser. Good to hear you enjoyed the music as well as the video - I was chuffed to find that song, it seemed to suit the mood nicely. And I was proper chuckling at your Deep Vein Strombola line 🤣🤣

[@sassyshewolf2784]

Dave loved that spot too.... we used to stop there for our picnic ❤

[@donnavansenior]

It's a lovely little spot - and would make a great picnic stop. It's one of the few areas along the front of the forest that didn't get felled by the storms.

[@Chilternwildcamper]

It even went briefly below zero down South here. I'm camped out tonight but will watch this tomorrow, I am a fan of Vango, it's part nostalgia and loyalty but also nice tents!

[@donnavansenior]

Have a great night Lesley - I'm guessing you'll be snugged up in your Storm Star. I wish I'd had the Kuiu with me on this camp, it's a warmer tent by far! I've got a soft spot for Vango as well - I've had countless tents of theirs, they do some really good budget gear as well as higher end stuff.

[@otf.outdoors]

Spot on Donna 👍, great little wooded spot that, mind you a would never get any sleep with that creaky tree in them kind of winds 🤣 tent looks a good one too, can’t refuse for that kind of money Donna, having the options to brace it with poles is a good feature, although like you said they might aswell make all the poles to the ground🤷‍♀️ looked a cold one for sure, but a good one, take care and keep fit for your op, atb Mick 👍…oh and yeah that was bang out of order by her 🤣

[@donnavansenior]

That creaky tree actually made me bail camp from there a few years ago....so this time when it creaked I thought 'what are the odds' it's been doing that for years 😂 and a pair of earplugs at bedtime cut the sound out, so happy days 😬😁 mind it was a cold windy night, icy cold. So far so good with the tent, it took a couple of good gusts with little fuss that night, but it'll need a night up a hill in a stiff breeze for me to get a proper idea of what it can or can't do. It's got little pockets near the door zips to wedge hiking pole handles in, which is neat, but I'd love to see someone produce a budget fully free-standing tent - they're only free standing if all the poles touch the earth... Cheers Mick, hope your out somewhere tonight, weather's gone really warm, it's weird :)

[@otf.outdoors]

@ yeah I know, I checked weather the other day, and thought to give it a miss, so had a night out in van in Northumberland instead, when I woke this morning the sun was out and it was warm, ‘tis weird 🤔🤣

[@Chilternwildcamper]

I'm 59 and feel the cold so I'm going to see about heated gloves etc I didn't think of that. I use the hand warmers in various places lol, and like you I use sleeping bag as a quilt except when really cold. I agree about the comfort ratings, for me I add 10 degrees!. I would love to camp there with the Scots Pine. Great video!

[@donnavansenior]

I've always been a cold sleeper, nothing I can do about it apart from take extra gear. The heated socks are coming down in price as compared to last year, and I highly recommend them, having toasty warm feet in icy conditions is a lovely feeling. They're even comfortable for hiking in. Where I camped on this video is an amazing old woodland of trees, they've survived all the major storms, but that tree creaking nearby was still a but unnerving 😬😂 Cheers Lesley, hope you had a good camp t'other night.

[@kathwaterston3505]

You’re braver than me 😂. Hope you kept warm enough.

[@donnavansenior]

Yeah I managed to keep warm enough to last til morning - and I grabbed a few hours sleep as well thanks to some earplugs 🥶😂 Thanks Kath, have a good weekend :)

[@Geordiewildcamper]

Good video and music as always ! Cracking band playing The Cluny in Newcastle this Sunday afternoon, Smoking Spitfires, with Kisses supporting ( Charlie Hardwick's group, her from Emmerdale) We've seen them before, Iv'e told them they could be Van Morrisons backing band ! All the best pet 🕊🙏

[@donnavansenior]

Cheers Fred - good to hear you enjoyed the vid and the music choices. Picking suitable tunes always takes me the longest. Just having a listen to the Smoking Spitfires on KZbin, that's a nice sound they've got, but it'll be a squash to get them all on stage at The Cluny lol. I'm an old school punk, off to see The Damned on Wednesday 😎😁 original line-up as well :)

[@Kev_Russ]

Tough shift that pushing the Ebike thru the frozen bog. Lovely spot that Donna... Looked a cauld yin but plenty o heated stuff oan ye ya Power Ranger 😂 yer no a wimp 😉 aw the best on you op.

[@donnavansenior]

Aye pushing 38kg of E-Bike through frozen bog isn't very glamorous Kev 😂 but well worth it to reach that nice spot. Pleased I had all my wimpy gear with me, I was plugged in to the max! Those heated socks are great mind, and they lasted all night on the low setting 🔥 Cheers Kev :)

[@paulcompton9264]

Another great one Donna , loved the music also . It is always a good laugh to watch you , just love your humour . That was certainly a cold one . Even your dreadlocks were frosted up .😂. As far as that woman that didn't speak to you , it takes all sorts, some ignorant people around . Take care .

[@donnavansenior]

Morning Paul - and thanks for watching. Good to hear you liked the music, it took me a few hours to find suitable tunes, so I always appreciate hearing that other people like my choices. And yip - this was chillier than expected with that icy wind blowing straight in. In hindsight I should have pitched further back and taken a four season tent 🥶😂 Never mind, I survived to tell the tale and got home to do a lot of battery recharging - hurrah for heated clothes! Heated socks are the absolute biz mind, utter Geordie wimp that I am 😂 Have a good weekend Paul :)

[@paulcompton9264]

@@donnavansenior As it happens I've just been buying some heated socks, mainly for cycling but I used them while camping in the lakes during storm Bret last week and they were great in my sleeping bag .

[@donnavansenior]

@@paulcompton9264 Heated socks are amazing - used them last winter for the first time and was hooked straight away. I now have a few pairs - I've been lucky enough to have had them sent out for free 😊

[@paulcompton9264]

@@donnavansenior The free ones are the best ones Donna , might see you in aldi again one day .

[@Roam.Outdoors]

Fair play Donna! Smashed that in that temperature! Well done.

[@donnavansenior]

Cheers @Roam.Outdoors 😎 I had the full winter kit out on this one - but I still didn't think the temps would drop as low, and having to put the fire out early on made for an even colder night. Enjoyed it though, always do 😁🏕️

[@thegeordiefellwalker8878]

out braving the elements Donna 🥶 the snow didn't hang around for long.good luck for your opp 👍

[@donnavansenior]

If truth be told I hadn't expected it to be that cold in the forest Geordie - that icy wind was whipping straight through, it was bitter. And then having to put the fire out early due to safety concerns didn't help either. A full mesh inner tent wasn't the brightest of ideas for a night like that 🥶🥶 Yeah we got off easy with the snow up here, nice to see a dusting though. Have a good weekend - I'm hoping to get out on a few more before my op, so I've got some footage to play with when I'm laid up :-(

[@cheviotoutdoors]

Rough night that Donna, bet you still loved it though 💪🏼❄️⛺️

[@donnavansenior]

It was a cold night Dave....but yeah, I always enjoy them 😎🏕

[@becks400]

Wow that's a cold night! I recently tried out an e bike in the lake district, which was amazing until the roads got too steep and then i ended up pushing it up to the top of Newlands and Honister pass, bloody hard work, so heavy! Cycling will be great for your knee strength, I've had an acl reconstruction in the past and cycling was fantastic for my rehab 😁

[@donnavansenior]

Cycling has been like total freedom this year after my knee started getting really bad - even the push parts aren't so bad, but occasionally I do have a right struggle over boggy ground, as demonstrated on this vid - and with all my gear that bike weighed around 38kg. They're great fun though e-bikes, and this Cube one has had me up some near vertical tracks - hitting that Turbo button in 1st gear is like a superpower 😂 I'm hoping to get an exercise bike to help with recovery time, and as soon as possible I'll be back in the saddle. Cheers Becks, good to hear your acl recon worked a treat 😁

[@DaveandBuddyOutdoors]

Nice one Donna, Bit of a slog to get there but looked an alright pitch tbf, Wise call in letting the fire die down, not only could it have caused destruction, it could've also damaged your new tent! Bud and I were out too in -3 (21/11) felt like -6 at half 4 in mornin' when nature called! 😳 In what looks like a full mesh inner, I recommend getting yourself in a bivvi bag as well as your sleeping bag. I use the Snugpak Special Forces Bivvi 👍 I've had a pair of those Crane gloves, the fingerless ones.. unfortunately they started ripping at the seams, didn't last long, couple of months.. 😐. Were good while they lasted though. Cheers for sharing, Take care All the best D & B 👍

[@donnavansenior]

Good evening guys 😎 sounds like you two have been out freezing your asses off as well for the love of camping 😁 I had to miss last week due to car woes, and this week I'll be at a bothy with a pal to keep warm and social, so that'll be 2 tent free weeks for me. But it's not much fun being out in conditions like I was in this video. Having to put the fire out early was the killer on this one, I'd cut loads of wood, enough for a toasty sit out for a few hours, so being stuck in the tent from 6pm ish made for a cold old night. I've got a lightweight tyvek bivi/sleeping bag cover that I use religiously on colder camps, it really makes a difference and only weighs 200g, been using it for a few years now. It's a 3FUL Flames Creed one. Cost under £20 when I bought it and it's nice and breathable as well. I'll keep an eye on my Crane gloves, I use neoprene socks / booties sometimes as well - handy for crossing streams and they're cheap and insulating. Right, best go and sort something out for tea :)

[@stigfloberghagenphotography]

Nice and cold 🙂👍

[@donnavansenior]

It was quite 'fresh' as we say up north 😉😁🏕

[@mickjames1609]

My goodness you do not do things by half. Been cold here in Hampshire but nothing like that. Being where you are there must be great sunsets and sun-rises to see. Keep warm my dear where ever you may be... Regards Mick.... Chef-on-the-wild-side... X

[@donnavansenior]

Yeah we get some amazing sunrises and sunsets Mick. I just missed catching the sunset on film on this one due to running late getting to that spot, so I just had to pop the tripod up nearby and catch the clouds change colour. It's a great spot though, but damn it was cold there last week! I was froze to the bone 🥶 that icy wind was coming straight at me. I didn't get out this week due to car troubles, so hopefully back out next week. TFW Mick X

[@999shaznay]

Bah, that looked a chilly one! It was about this time last year that I met you in New Galloway. Let's plan another van night once you have recovered from your operation.

[@donnavansenior]

I'd love another van night Shaznay - or even a couple after I'm back on my feet with the new knee. Yeah it was brass cold in D&G when we met up last year - well your van wasn't but my Lingo was icy cold 😂😂 ah to have the luxury of a diesel heater! This was another chilly one, but good to be out taking the bike to places it never even dreamed of lol. I hadn't reckoned on it being that cold though, or that windy - having to put the warm fire out early on and head back to the cold tent wasn't in my plans 🥶 Hurrah for heated clothes! haha Cheers Shaz X

[@tracymcgregor459]

There’s no way anyone can accuse you of being a Geordie wimp. You’re one tough cookie camping out in that weather. I definitely couldn’t handle being outside overnight in those temperatures. I think I’d be a spring and summer wild camper!😅 The grumpy dog walker lady must be a southerner. We northerners are a friendly bunch.😊

[@donnavansenior]

Hya Tracey and thanks for that nice comment 😄 TBH I wasn't expecting the wind chill to be as chilly - and I wasn't expecting the forest to be snowy and icy lol - so I was super chuffed I'd brought all my plug in clothes 🤣those heated socks are an absolute gamechanger, my feet were the warmest part right through til morning. I enjoyed it mind, I always do, and it's a lovely place to call home for the night, those trees are very atmospheric, it looks spooky, but it's actually got a nice feel to it in that part of the forest. And yip - I agree, the ignorant dogwalker must have been a southerner 😂

[@tracymcgregor459]

@ those heated socks sound amazing, and I would think they’re a must at this time of year. I always really enjoy your videos, so please keep them coming. I’m relocating back to Northumberland in the new year, so if I’m ever out and about and I see a warm glow on the horizon, I’ll know it’s you and all your heated clothes! Who needs Ready Brek??😁

[@procha7594]

У нас лежит снег🕸🕸🕸... Мне даже представить страшно - как ХОЛОДНО, Донна, тебе было ночью на ветру в этой палатке!!! 😨😨😨Хорошо, что электрогрелки были 😊. Всё-таки, хорошую палатку и тёплый спальник - ни что не заменит! ☝ Донна, береги себя! А то чьи видео я буду смотреть и завидовать? ? ? 😄😄😉😉🌺🌺🌺🌺

[@donnavansenior]

Procha that is a lovely comment and it's put a large smile on my face 😁Yes, it wasn't the right tent for the conditions - so the inside of the tent was cold, a steady -3 dipping to -4 when I was checking. Which must have meant the outside temp was -5 or -6. It's not a bad tent for the money though, but it needs more testing - hopefully next week up a hill so I can see how it handles steady winds. This camp was too cold, I had all my warm gear but I was still cold. I even zipped my sleeping bag up to sleep in and I usually use it as a quilt 🥶🥶 I survived though, I always do (well so far anyway 😂) TFW Procha :)

[@procha7594]

@@donnavansenior Конечно, ты "tough nut to crack" 😁 НО☝ может, перед январём - don't experiment??????🤔 В любом случае - желаю ТОЛЬКО УДАЧИ!!! ✌✌

[@donnavansenior]

@@procha7594 I have my knee operation on Jan 8th, so there'll be no camping for me for a few months after that - I've got to squash as much in now as possible 😁💚🏕

[@procha7594]

​@@donnavansenior Тогда - "Безумству храбрых поём мы песню!!!..." 🔥🏕🙏

[@procha7594]

@@donnavansenior Привет, Донна ! Я подумала: у тебя после операции будет период восстановления, т.е. - без путешествий. Будешь "скучать у причала" ... А если в это время тебе делать небольшие видео о своём снаряжении? Много что есть, чем пользуешься, о всём сложилось мнение. Рассказать отдельно о каждом, с небольшими нарезками из прошлых видео. Уверена, друзьям и подписчикам будет ОЧЕНЬ интересно! 👍 👍👍 Мне - точно 😉 И - пусть будут успешными все твои дела!!! 🙏

[@kevinwilde]

canny crack you take care.

[@donnavansenior]

Cheers Kev. Never got out this week, so hoping to test this tent out a bit more next week up a hill :)

[@anthonykelly5]

ill watch this later thanks Donna must share it.wow that was fantastic your as hard as nails im sitting here with heating on full blast.Donna what height are you just wondering the size of your bike, couple years back i bought the Cube Touring bike 2500 smallest size im 5.5...the bike would suit someone six foot i sent it back next day.anyway did you do a video on the bike just curious.thanks for video enjoyed it.

[@donnavansenior]

Excellent, I hope you enjoy it Anthony. I was quite pleased with how it came out - and the music is pretty good 😎😁🏕