A couple of weekends back we decided it was high time to load up the tandem and head out for a nice long journey. The aim being to work out how long it will take us to hit our daily 100 mile target as well as have a go at wild camping and test out some of our kit.
We won’t witter on too much about the weekend. All that needs to be said is that we made it from Woking to East Wittering and back again. However, there were some important lessons learned, so here comes a list. More sensible and organised people than us may not learn much:
- Check your kit before you pack it – 1 tent-peg is not enough
- Surrey is amazing for cycling!
- Double check that Mat has moved the Porridge from the kitchen counter to the panniers.
- Don’t hang your socks up to ‘air’ on top of the tent – they WILL get wet
- 100 miles in one day is quite tough
- Wild camping is really fun (but try not to camp right next to a train line)!
- Remember where you put the key to the D-lock
- Do melt a Snickers bar and Nutella into the milk that would have been used for porridge – Delicious, do it!
- Do ask if you can’t find a cucumber in a shop, you may get directed to the ‘Vegetable Department’
- Don’t stop in East Wittering for a picturesque lunch break, picturesque it is not!
Wet socks
I can see the sea!
Despite the lessons fate saw fit to teach with her typically heavy hand, it looks like a great first venture. Primitive camping is one of the best things in the world, assuming you have some nice porridge (or chocolate equivalent?) to heat up over the fire in the morning.