Tonight I’m wild camping on Dartmoor in proper grim conditions — wind, driving rain, and ground so saturated it’s basically a sponge. I headed out to Feather Tor (near Windy Post Cross) to meet Neil from Forzians Hikes, Camps, and Outdoors, and before I’d even reached the pitch I’d already fallen over and plastered myself (and my roll mat) in mud. I got the Naturehike Cloud Peak 2 up in worsening weather, admitted it wasn’t my neatest pitch, and then realised the tent had a musty smell — my own fault for not airing it properly after my New Year’s camp. Once the rain really set in, it was very much a “batten down the hatches” kind of night. I cooked dinner in the vestibule, tested a Wayfayrer black bean chicken and rice meal (decent, but still not beating Firepot chilli con carne for me), and then settled in. The funny thing is: despite the storm, I slept brilliantly — probably my best night on camp — warm and comfy on the OEX Flux 7R, even if I did wake up to put a Buff on and later gloves. In the morning I found out why it was so comfortable: a puddle had formed under the tent overnight, and I’d basically been on a water bed. Lesson learned — in heavy rain, your “flat spot” can turn into a quagmire fast, so be picky with your pitch. Packed up quickly in a break in the rain, left no trace, and yes… I skipped breakfast again and headed for a Greggs.