WILD CAMPING WITH A 4 YEAR OLD
WILD CAMPING WITH A 4 YEAR OLD
Hi, I’m Jen…
I started hiking about 18 months ago and now I am hooked.
For me, the mountains provide peace and calm from everyday routine but also the opportunity to get outdoors and make memories with my children.
As the welcome sign in my kitchen says…
‘Going to the Mournes is going home!’
GUEST ADVENTURE
Through social media, we’ve got to know some like-minded adventurers; their pics, vids and stories making us want to join them on an adventure.
For now, we’ve asked them to take over our channels. Enjoy… 🤘
When the NI heatwave struck last summer we had several adventures as a family in the Mournes; camping at a few local campsites and then further afield in Donegal for a few days of exploration.
As that summer ended, I promised myself that in summer 2019 I’d ‘wild camp’ in the mountains. Wild camping involves setting up camp in a rural area (not at a campsite) and sleeping under the stars, enjoying the natural beauty around you.
And so, sitting in the house a few weeks back (before the chilly weather returned), I thought ‘Carpe Diem’. Let’s wild camp in the Mournes tonight .
It gave my youngest an opportunity for an adventure - I don’t think I’ve ever seen a 4-year-old more excited when I told her we were going to camp in the middle of the Mournes for a night!
After work, we had our dinner, packed up the tent, rucksacks and off we went!
Considering it was our first wild camp we decided to aim for the shore of Loughshannagh as our resting place for the night. The Lough is nestled just below the foot of Doan, in the central area of the higher Mournes.
Fab views, peace and tranquillity for our overnight stay.
“The key to wild camping successfully is to set up in that window just before the sun goes down, and then pack up and go as the sun comes up.”
DIRECTIONS
The most direct route for this is from Ott carpark on the Slievenaman Road (check it out on Google- a great starting point for many hikes). Cross the road, over the style and head up the stone track.
At the fork in the path, take the right hand ascending path and follow it until you reach the grassy worn-down path heading for the saddle - Slieve Loughshannagh on your left and Carn on your right.
Once you reach the saddle you will see the Mourne wall and style.
Simply cross the style and straight ahead of you there will be worn down paths - these lead down into the bog and you will see Loughshannagh directly below.
We opted for a path to the right of the three as it looked more direct and quicker. It turned out a little wet and with a few hidden holes in the ground, so watch out for these, especially with kids!
My daughter absolutely loved the hike to our camping spot, she has walked this route many times but this time had her backpack which she packed with HER essentials (mostly teddies, sweets and juice!), her walking pole and led the way! She was full of smiles and adventure!
We reached Loughshannagh about an hour before sunset which was perfect, we had enough time for a quick swim in the lough before bed!
For a 4-year-old this was like all her Christmases had come at once. There’s nothing more tranquil than a dip in a lough, surrounded by the mountain peaks all around you as the sun goes down! My husband set up our tent as we splashed in the water, explored and even found a little frog hopping through the long grass.
The actual camping was great too; our daughter was asleep within 5 minutes and slept the whole night (that child could sleep anywhere). The fresh mountain air clearly worked!
Nothing beats listening to nature as you fall asleep. We could hear birds singing, some ducks somewhere nearby, rustling in the grass.
NEXT MORNING
Alarm set for 5am we arose bleary eyed, opening our tent to the stillness of the lough! It was beautiful.
We sat watching the sky change colour as my husband packed up, then hiked back as the sun rose up past Slieve Bearnagh.
Everything was so still and my daughter loved the sense of adventure that came with being up so early!
‘We can never have enough of nature’
We will definitely do it again, maybe next time on top of one of the peaks!
ADVENTURE ADVICE
My Checklist:
Tent and pegs
Sleeping bags
Ground mats
Extra layers- remember it gets cold at night especially for little ones
Water and snacks
Spare change of clothes
Towels and swimwear for a dip
All your usual hiking gear- appropriate footwear, waterproof coat, first aid kid etc.
DON’T FORGET THE BUG SPRAY!
Always remember to check the weather before you go. I highly recommend the Met Office app as they do a specific forecast for the Mourne Mountains and any weather warnings or hazards that are in place.
Also be sure to let family or friends know of your plans and what time to expect you home.
Always carry a mobile phone and make sure it’s fully charged in case of an emergency. I like to put my phone in Airplane Mode overnight to prevent the battery draining as it searches for a network (the mountain valleys in particular are notorious for having no phone reception).
EMBRACE IT
When you’re out wild camping, you need to embrace the fact you’ll be slightly colder than you would be in your own bed.
It sounds a bit obvious, but you need to embrace the fact there’s no en-suite bathroom and no kitchen in which to rustle up food. You need to embrace the great outdoors, embrace waking up to a sunrise in the middle of nowhere, embrace nature and most important - embrace the sheer fun of it all.
It is definitely an unforgettable experience!
AND DON’T FORGET
Tidy up after yourself. Whatever you take to your wild camping spot should come back to civilization with you.
Food, litter, that hiking sock with a hole in it! All of it! Nobody likes a litterbug. Remember the ‘leave no trace’ ethos!
GUEST ADVENTURES
Each week we’re sent and tagged in SO many brilliant photos on social media, from your travels around Northern Ireland. We try to feature as many locations as possible in our Fan Pic Friday feature each week, giving others lots of ideas for places to visit.
Along the way, we’ve spotted some like-minded adventurers who we really want you to know about. Their photos, videos and stories pop up each week, instantly making us want to stop what we’re doing… and go join them on an adventure.
Get in touch, if you’ve an adventure or story you think our readers would love.
hello@niexplorer.com
ALL GUEST ADVENTURES >>>
“…I don’t think I’ve ever seen a 4-year-old more excited…we were going to camp in the middle of the Mournes…”