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Gear I Own & Use

Fancy a treat? Here's the wild camping & hiking gear that I'm using.

​What I'm using will vary according to the time of year and conditions, but I try to keep this as updated as possible

Please click on the buttons or photos to view each item in amazon :) These are affiliate links - this means that WildBeare makes a small commission from any sales made via these links, at no extra cost to yourself - a great way to support the channel. Thank you so much

My Tents

I'm also using the Hilleberg Soulo for winter or bad weather camps and am currently getting to know the Durston X-Mid tents
I used this 2-person tent for my first ever multi-night hiking trip - so this tent holds a special place in my heart. However, it's pretty heavy at over 2kgs, so I prefer it for local woodland camping now. Spacious and a great colour.

Dislikes: rain drips inside if you have the door open. Shown here using a DD Magic Carpet over the doorway.
A nice, lightweight 1-person shelter at 1610g. Great stealthy colour on the outside. 

Dislikes: it pitches inner first - not ideal in rain. The poles have also snapped in extremely strong wind - although these were likely the strongest gusts I have even camped in and far stronger than gales. It has performed well in normal strong winds.
Requires seam sealing - I use McNett Seam Sealing Repair, applied with a syringe.

​A tiny, low-profile shelter. Ideal for stealth but can feel pretty cramped inside.

​For 1 person, but room for 2 in an emergency

My Tarps

I love tarps! Either on their own, over a hammock or with a bivi bag. Loads of fun
Light at under 500g and incredibly versatile, 3m x 2.9m tarp with a small pack size. I've used these in many, many different configurations and weathers - they've never let me down

I have this in both Coyote Brown and Olive Green

(Superlight - so may get torn on sharp rocks)
Just like the DD Superlight but smaller and lighter; just 260g and measuring 2.8m x 1.5m

Ideal for superlight nights out or as an emergency shelter - although of course, not as versatile as the full size

My Bivy Bags

I loooove bivy bags! I use them for most of my tarp camps, in tents to prevent condensation getting my sleeping bag wet, and always carry one as back up in case of tent failure or emergency - one of these could save your life.

​I use my Hunka when I don't need my mat inside my bivy bag.

Impressively waterproof and has never let me down.

​I use my Hunka XL when I want my entire sleep system inside it, including my mat. 

Plenty of room so that my sleeping bag doesn't get compressed and impressively waterproof. I've used my Hunka XL in literal puddles and it hasn't let a drop of water in
Lighter (and more expensive) than my Hunka's, the Kloke has an amazingly useful hood, which allows me to camp out in the rain with no other shelter, without my head or face getting wet. However, it's not as waterproof as the Hunka's; in my experience letting in a small amount of water during my overnight survival tests. This is not enough to soak your sleeping bag, and this bivi remains my favourite for lightweight hiking trips or as an emergency shelter

My Poncho Shelters

Fun, multi-purpose bits of gear, although I don't find them as practical as a tent + waterproofs combo.
​I've also been playing with the Bach lightweight poncho shelter

Fun, but has it's limitations. Great as an emergency hiking shelter. I've made a video about this one - check it out here

Emergency Shelters

to chuck in your day hiking rucksack - some form of emergency shelter could save your life in a bad situation
While it felt grim at the time, this tiny, 300g shelter provided me with over 2°C heat difference compared to outside the shelter (that's more than many of my tents can provide). Combined with movement and eating, I was able to avoid hyperthermia for over 9 hours despite being wet, and could have gone longer in a real emergency situation, if I didn't have a choice! Survival is never going to be easy, but something like this gives you more of a fighting chance

Other Shelters


​Fun to try but unfortunately it did let water through the un-taped seams during a thunderstorm. Modded to make extra, stronger attachment points with black 1-inch webbing & metal D-loops

​Shown being used here with my Alpkit Hunka Bivi Bag. For more info, check out the video here

My Hammocks

I currently have 3 hammocks - the DD Travel Hammock Bivi which is heavier, but can be used as hammock or a bivi on the ground. And the DD Frontline Superlight hammock, which is lighter, and easier to set up with the included whoopie sling suspension system and has a bug net. And then the DD Superlight Hammock which is lighter still but has no bug net. I always use a DD Underblanket for warmth - even in summer. I find the underblankets so much more comfortable than a mat sliding about underneath me.

I sometimes use a DD Superlight Tarp over my hammock - but if I can, on a dry night, I love to go tarpless under the stars
This hammock has a full bug net and a waterproof base so it can also be used as a bivi.

As a bivi, it can be erected with cordage to trees, or with trekking poles

​It's not as light as my other hammocks but it's pretty versatile

My Sleeping Bags

My current favs for my adventure-bed.. listed lightest to heaviest:
My newest bag and also my lightest.. at just 340g with a packed volume of only 1.5L, this bag should be amazing for my lightweight summer backpacking trips. So far I've only tested it out in my local woods, on a 14°C night, but it seems great so far and I was definitely warm enough in it. I wouldn't want to use it in temps lower than 12°C though. RDS down

​340g

​I use my Rab 500 down bag for summer camps. Feels lovely and light compared to my autumn/winter bags but doesn't keep me warm in anything cooler than summer temps - I don't like to use this bag in anything lower than 10°C.

​1060g
My first choice for mild spring and autumn camps. I've had this down bag bag for years, used it loads and it remains floofy and wonderful. RDS down. A firm fav although it doesn't keep me warm enough in cold winter conditions - I'll use this bag down to 6°C.

​​1340g

I tend to use my Rab 900 down bag for autumn, winter or early spring camps that are cold, but just above freezing. 

​1492g
​I love my Rab 1100 down bag for cold winter camps around freezing or below. My go-to bag for snowy, frosty adventures. It's a bit of a beast but totally worth it for me to stay toasty warm. My lowest overnight temperature camping with this bag has been -6​°C (with handwarmers)

​1725g

My Blankets

A lovely down blanket for warm summer nights. Has poppers, so you can wear it around your shoulders like a floofy shawl. This is good for me for nights that are 14°C or warmer (which can be quite rare in the UK!) Packs down nice and small

Dislikes: being down, I'd be worried about getting this wet. I only use it on good weather, summer camps.
A great synthetic blanket for warm summer nights. ​Water resistant on one side, and being synthetic, I don't have to worry so much about it getting wet. This is good for me for nights that are 14°C or warmer (which can be quite rare in the UK)

These are handy lil blankets - I also like to keep one in my car.

My Sleeping Mats

For most camps you'll see me using my Thermarest mats on a foil or foam mat. I'm also loving my light AF mat from Outdoor Gear Essentials, which I use under my mat and also as a sit-mat
Great for warm summer nights, and can also be used as a sit mat. No worries about anything popping or deflating, and it can also be used under an inflatable mat in the winter, for extra insulation. Dislikes: it's kinda bulky, and not the most comfortable on hard ground. 410g

​R Value 1.7
This is my go-to mat for most late spring, summer & early autumn hiking trips. Real light at just 370g and just perfect for my needs - it has never let me down. Dislikes: it's a bit brightly coloured for my liking, but I love everything else about it.

​R Value 4.5
My go-to mat for winter camping and hiking trips. Sometimes I swear I can actually feel this mat reflecting heat back up at me. I got the 'max' size for winter, so there's lots of room on it to stay snug.  A winter essential for me.

R Value 6.9
Not intended as a full sleeping mat, but rather as an extra layer to go underneath my main mat. This reflects some heat back at me and protects my sleeping mat from any sharp bits or twigs on the ground.

Nice and light, inexpensive and can also be folded up to use as a sit mat. ​I like to cut the edges off for extra weight saving.
** The rest of this page is currently being constructed and is a bit of a hot mess.
Apologies and thank you for 🐻ing with me while I add on all my gear **

My Pillows

I tend to use small inflatable pillows when hiking, or bigger, floofier pillows for local camps in the woods

Cordage

Great for fair weather camping, but has snapped on me in high winds. Love to use this to make clothes drying lines in lightweight hiking tents

​For tarp camping, making guy lines, creating ridgelines, prusik knots, emergency bootlace, all kinds of things

Clips & Carabiners

Useful bits & bobs
These come in various sizes.

​I love using these to hold tent doors open, attach camo netting to tarps and lots of other uses - I tend to carry a few with me now as they're so useful. I do sometimes I use wooden laundry pegs, but I find these binder clips more reliable

I use these to clip my water filter bottles or filming gear to myself or my rucksack, and always keep a couple handy - so useful when you need to clip something securely

​(For securing things - not for climbing)

​I use these mini carabiners to join things together so that I don't loose them, or so that they can't fall out of one of my many pockets. Here shown joining my DCF drone pouch to my waist bag. I have them in many colours as I'm a massive dork and like to match the carabiner colour the thing they are attached to. ​​(For securing things - not for climbing)

For Condensation

Great, lightweight options for mopping up tent condensation in the morning
 A swedish dishcloth is only 7g - and after use, on a dry day,  I just clip it onto my rucksack to dry out during the days hike. Reusable and washable

Sit Mat

Great for keeping my bum warm and dry, and I also use this to insulate my electronics from the cold ground during the night

Camo Fun


​Perfect for camouflaging my shelters for super stealth camping

​This colour is great for blending into fallen leaves on the ground

​I use this colour for blending into greenery.

I use mini binder clips to attach the camo netting to my tarp.

Pegs & Stakes

I always take extra pegs out with me. I'm also loving Delta Ground Anchors for camping in high winds

​Used these for ages. Black, light (10g), what's not to love

​If you like your pegs to be a bit more visible

Ground Sheets

I use these on the ground when hammock, tarp or bivi camping.

My current fav for my multi-night adventures is my new 46g DCF ground tarp from Wild Sky Gear, used along with with 2g titanium pin pegs for an ultra-lightweight area to sit on for lunch, dry off on when I get out of the water, or pop on the ground outside my tent.

Rucksack & Packing

I am also currently a bit obsessed with the lightweight DCF dry bags and zip pouches from Wild Sky Gear. 
I adore my rucksack! My partner in crime since spring 2022, it has been dragged along, scraped down rocks, chucked over walls, dropped into gullies and it has never let me down. Now in 2024 it might be grubbier but it is still in top notch shape

I get everything into this 70L pack, including my 18kg full winter load-out.

Navigation, PLB & Emergency

Comes with me on every wild trip; for contact with friends & family when I have no phone signal, weather forecasts, navigation and - hopefully I've never need to - but I can initiate a rescue in a dire situation. The tether keeps it attached to my rucksack, so I can't drop it off a cliff or into a bog (good stuff)
I keep this attached to my waist bag in case I need to try to attract attention in an emergency - always carry a whistle, and always keep it accessible

Maps

I adore paper maps! I like to use these big maps to look over large areas and plan trips, then when I've decided on a location, I order a small custom map of the area that I'll be heading to from Custom OS Maps

Repairs

​Seam sealing is a mucky business (that I hate) but some tents do require it. ​I use McNett Seam sealant, applied along the seams with a dental syringe, because the applicator that comes with the sealant makes a right mess.
I have tenacious tape at home, and I also carry a few pre-cut pieces of it with me out in the wild for repairs on the go. Shown here mending a tiny fire-ember burn-hole in one of my bivi bags, but I also use it to patch up tents, waterproofs, or anything else that gets ripped or damaged. Great stuff, waterproof and reliable.

Cooking | Gas Hiking Stove


​I have 2 of these stoves, both of which I've been using for years and neither have ever let me down

Cooking | Trangia Alcohol Stove

Cooking | Fire Boxes, Fire Pits, Grills & Fire Lighting

A cracking firebox! The XL was my first proper firebox. I've cooked many beautiful steaks on this! My favourite is lamb with rosemary, salt & pepper. I can also place my Trangia alcohol stove inside it.

A little heavy at 800g, but worth it

​Just like my XL, but only 490g.. how perfect!
A larger grill plate.

For when your steak is too big to fit on the regular grill plate (yay)

​Love my pretty lil tins! I use this one to keep matches in, but also use them to store herbs and other bits & bobs

​I cut this match striker sticker sheet to size and stick it inside my match tins, or wherever else I might want to strike a match

Cooking | Utensils, Cookwear & Food Storage


​Holds my cook set together nicely

Knives & Saws

Water & Hydration


A potentially life-saving lil gadget, ideal to chuck in your rucksack for emergencies, or great to use on hikes where you know you'll frequently be around water
This is a squeeze filter bottle that I've been using for a year now. Absolutely love it, filter and bottle in one, no faffing about with separate filters. Safe, clean water on the go. I use this 650ml size in winter.

I attach it to my rucksack with a carabiner for easy access while I'm hiking

Personal Care

If you like to wild swim - natural & non-toxic personal care products are better for the wild water :)
 I bring mini toothpaste, a kids bamboo toothbrush (with half the handle cut off and filed down). I take care of my skin in the wild just as well as I do at home. I use mini pots and mini dropper bottles for my lotions and potions. I use aloe vera gel to sooth my skin and help wake me up in the mornings. I also bring a tiny mirror, mini tweezers, a nail file, hair bands, palm brush, and sensitive baby wipes

My toiletries pouch is made of DCF, is 10g and is from Wild Sky Gear (Regular Packing Cell)
For digging cat holes - just 17 grams
Essential for a nice sleep out in the woods or up mountains, alone with a sleep mask

 Med Kit

In my med kit I carry; painkillers & anti-inflammatories, antihistamine, plasters, blister plasters, nasal spray (quite often I'm allergic to something and I find it hard to sleep if I can't breathe through my nose), wound closure strips, wound dressing, small bandage, alcohol wipes, tourniquet (get the training how to use it first!), and a tiny pot of ibuprofen gel

My med kit pouch is made from DCF, is 9.5g and is from Wild Sky Gear​ (First Aid Kit Zip Pouch)

Wild Swimming & River Crossings 

Back at home between trips, consider washing your swim clothes and swim shoes in products that are kinder to the water..

Tick, Mozzie & Midge Prevention

💧 It's best not to enter wild water if you have bug sprays applied to your skin. Due to repeatedly receiving tick bites (I got as many as 50 during one summer!) I do treat my outer hiking clothing that will be in contact with long grass etc, with anti-tick treatment. I also treat my rucksack. Ticks can transmit disease and pose a serious risk to your health. It's really important to check yourself over thoroughly at the end of each day. Use a hand mirror to check in all the nooks and places you can't see. I do sometimes use bug sprays and lotions on my skin in my local woods when I won't be in any water, and also use candles, incense and natural oils

​An absolute essential for me all year round. In summer they stop the mozzies and flying bugs getting at my face at camp, and in winter they allow me to bivi camp without slugs getting in my face and hair. I also keep one in my day hiking bag to wear while hiking through midgie woodlands or wetlands etc

Boots & Socks

I wear these in winter, underneath my waterproof knee-length socks. They keep my tootsies nice and fresh and add an extra layer of insulation

Hiking Clothes

Gloves

Accessories


​Love these in all seasons! Big and wide to shield my eyes and cheap as chips so I don't care if I scratch them, drop them or sit on them - as my dear nan would say.. 'like a bull in a china shop' - and she would be correct. I have a few pairs dotted about my home, hiking stuff and car.

Coats & Waterproofs

These are super lightweight and I love them for summer, however I have never stayed completely dry in them, and they do rip easily as they're so thin - I've had to patch them up a few times. 99g and 80g respectively - fantastic for packing

​Absolutely loving this rain jacket! It's my first 'proper' waterproof jacket (previously I have been using lightweight waterproofs that will only really keep you dry in a light shower)

Still lets some water through eventually in prolonged heavy rain - but I've never found anything that doesn't so far

Winter Essentials | Snow & Ice Hiking & Camping

Heat

Hot Hands are absolutely amazing. Chuck a pair in your sleeping bag and they will keep you warm all night. They're single use, so these days I try to mainly use my rechargeable hand warmers as they're more economical. But I still always carry hot hands for emergencies - they could make all the difference if the temperature drops colder than you anticipated or your sleeping bag isn't as warm as you'd hoped
I just love these. They throw out heat all night long on the medium setting and make such a difference on cold winter nights. Nice rubbery feel. Charges by both micro & C cables. Can also be used as a power bank

200g
Burns fuel, which you refill once it's burned off. These are great, can last 10-12 hours but they can get hot - hot enough to burn. It's fun to watch the element glowing inside. There's always a risk that the red hot element could catch light to something. Best used attended (ie not while asleep)

​95grams + fuel

Trekking Poles

Real light at 158g each! I love these poles, and have a set in both red and black. They help me prevent injuries due to my hypermobility spectrum disorder and provide me with loads of stability. I also find them essential for prodding the ground to test for hidden bogs. Dislikes: they can get stuck - take them apart to dry. Also not extendable enough for a nice taught tarp tent

Power Banks


​20000mAh. This has 2 ports so I can charge 2 devices at once. I take one with me on overnight trips (only because I need to charge my camera gear) and I take 2 with me for my 3-night adventures as I have a lot to charge

Other Electronics


​I like to know the temps of things. I use this to measure the difference in temperature between inside and outside of shelters, and to measure water temperatures

A fun little extra if you like to know what kind of wind speeds are threatening to flatten your tent

Camping Lights & Lanterns

Easy, compact, warm lighting out in the wild. I always have a carabiner attached so that I can clip it on to things. Dimmable, and also has a handy torch setting
​Absolutely adore this gas canister lantern! It brings a cosy warm glow to my camps and puts those half-empty gas canisters to good use. Nothing but good things to say about it

SUP

Filming | Sony ZV1 Camera & Mics

I've had to learn how to baby this camera as it's not waterproof and not really designed for being in the mountains in the rain. I use a rain cover to keep it dry and I keep it in a dry bag on really wet hikes. Lovely quality video for a small camera and I love using it to take night sky photos

​I take out 5 batteries with me for filming, so that I have full ones to use when the empty ones are charging
I use this lens on my Sony ZV1 camera 99% of the time. It widens the field of view so that I can fit more in (and more stars in the night sky photos!) It also has a macro ring for all those beautiful details. Not light but for me it's a worthwhile carry
I've been using this since summer 2023, not so much on the go but usually at camp when I'm more able to fiddle about with wires and clips. It has vastly improved the audio of my talking-to-camera-at-camp bits. I lost the original wind cover and clip pretty fast, so I'm now using these cheap lav mic clips & wind covers, which work really well
567g - Nice and light and folds down small so that I can tuck it above my waist bag when I'm hiking. This is not a sturdy or high quality tripod - but it serves me fine for filming my hiking trips with a small camera

Filming | GoPro 10's

I'm currently using 2 GoPro 10's. Love these for wet weather, when I need to be hands-free or just for simple, easy filming on the go. I really put these through it and they just keep taking it
Essential for filming outdoors. I get through quite a lot of these as they do eventually rip due to constantly taking them on and off
Love these waterproof LED lights - really bright, long battery life and perfect for filming in bad weather (or good weather) at night
One of my GoPro's is always fitted onto my GorrilaPod, so that I can quickly stand it on the ground, on rocks, attach it to a tree, my tent, or anything I like really. The bendy, grabby legs make this a real useful bit of kit
I use both the standard GoPro batteries and the Enduro batteries, which last a little longer in cold weather

Filming | DJI Mavic Mini Drone

Meet Sam the drone (named after Sam from Lord of the Rings - his predecessor Frodo got damaged but has been repaired and is now my spare)
​
Great bit of kit when I'm not crashing him into the side of a mountain. Drawing a face on is compulsory. ​249g

Filming | Trail Cam


​Allows me to film animals in the dark close to my camp while I'm sleeping. Not sure what the hell this creature is

Computer & Editing

I edit with Davinci Resolve software, and the following hardware..

​A recent upgrade - much bigger screen than I was previously using, which I wasn't sure about at first but now I don't know how I managed on my small one! Great colours and I love how the ergonomic stand frees up my desk space 
Recently upgraded my PC to this. It's making short work of rendering and uploading videos and so far is making my editing life a lot faster and easier, yay. I'm pretty clueless with tech but Vibox customer support has been very patient and helpful. It has flashy lights (because it's a gaming PC) but you can turn them off

​I need a lot of storage so I use external hard drives. I'm currently using a 12TB, but have previously used the 10TB and lower too. Never had any issues with Seagate drives

I also use this to connect my phone to my PC via USB/C

​I use this to connect my various SD cards and Micro SD cards to my PC
​I live in a busy area so these help me to block out the noise and focus on what I'm doing. Lovely sound quality and comfortable to wear for many long hours editing
Clips onto my desk - well handy.

Purchased this in summer of '23 so that I could write and draw on my photos and videos. Really good, fun it of kit and easy to use (although my handwriting is rubbish on it haha)
simple, dinky and reliable, along with..
I had this made up with a photo that I took of the low slopes of Caider Idris

Fun Things for Camp


​I'm a bit obsessed with these lil Sudoku books at the minute! They start easy and get harder as you work through the book. I'm currently on the mediums which I'm finding quite hard but hopefully a good lil brain workout and these keep me thoroughly entertained at camp :) 

My Happy Helper

Frank is my happy helper, he likes to help me assess space inside camping shelters. Always has a smile and only moans now and again - cheers Frank

Warning: Frank comes without pants on so you might want to avert your eyes

Animal Onesies

Sometimes it is appropriate to dress like a big floofy creature

​It's either Easter again or you've been snacking on psychedelics

​A bear in the woods. How lovely

Music

The music in my videos is from Epidemic Sounds - join Epidemic Sounds here [affiliate link]

I am also using music from FilmStro, Bensound, Artlist and Uppbeat
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