OOooooo now there's a question!
​So this year we have been doing quite a bit of hiking (not so much of the pitching unfortunately) in and around Kent (our Walks playlist is here)...some of these walks have been seemingly remote and, yes we have gotten lost a few times!

One of the issues being when you are working from a book (Kev Reynolds walks in Kent is the one we're using at the mo), sometimes the instructions are not that clear...due to tiredness or forgetfulness on the part of the author. So, there have been times when we were stumped, and the GPS our friend wears had no signal.....

....ta tadaaahhhh Enter the olde paper map! Of course, reading a paper map takes some practice, but that's part of the charm, eh?! A paper map (and compass if you're out in the true sticks) will save your bacon! ALWAYS, Always, always take a paper map!
Lecture over...enjoy the following vid on the last walk we did in deepest greenest Kent :D

That's it for now
Take care my friends
Ramble On! 🏕

#ramble #rambleandpitch #walksinkent #kentwalks #kevreynolds #shoreham #romneystreet #hiking #nature #naturelovers #wildlife

I finally bought a pair ☝️ back in November last year...after months of to-ing and fro-ing...and being very uncomfortable in all other walking shoes and boots.

You see, I'd been experimenting with barefoot(ish) type shoes.....o, you silly girl LOL Which consequently led to my feet hating any other shoe or boot which dared to go near my feet! So...I took the plunge!

And I have to say...why the frell didn't I do it earlier! LOL I was always scared my legs would fall off! Well, maybe not fall off...but you know that tearing sensation in your calf muscles when you wear flats...times that by 100...and I hate that feeling! However, I have persevered and...well...the boots are covered in mud!

They are very lightweight...however, they can easily handle mud, ice and heavy rain. Most of my previous walking boots/shoes would get slippery on certain surfaces when it was wet, but these cope really well...even in thick mud!

​I freakin' love the toe box....and so do my feet! No more toes hunching up on each other and toenails digging in...blood everywhere. None of that! My feet have never been so happy!

I still have pressure points on my feet which can be painful if my feet get hot...but so far, this has only happened (with these boots) when I wear the wrong socks for the weather...ie thick socks when it's warm! 🙃

​These boots have also held up in quite extreme weather...freezing cold & ice (wear thicker socks!), torrential rain (with only damp feet on arrival home), crazy slippery mud (dry feet and minimal sliding about). I'm looking forward to getting these into the warmer weather with some bamboo socks!

Something I did experience when I first put them on was a rubbing on the inside ankle (the sticky-out bit...which on my ankle sticks out quite a lot) bone left side. A slightly raised seam was the culprit. So, I padded it up whilst my feet got used to the boots....I would like to mention here that my feet don't like shoes, so they resist most footwear!
​
Once my feet knew the boots were ok, the rubbing subsided. I also swapped out the original insole for my ones from my old boots which I was using to manage some foot pain. Those old insoles did not work well with the Altra boots...see the Altra boots are flexible...my old insoles were quite solid, so after a couple of months trying them together, I went back to the original insoles. They may seem flimsy, but here's the thing...these Altra boots are zero drop, close to barefoot, so the insole needs to be thin and flexible...and if your feet are strengthening by wearing these boot, then you won't need a fancy insole...your feet will be working as they were designed to! 

My suggestion is do a google search! You can get them on Amazon and sports-type sites...but shop around...these seem to be very trendy right now and the price has gone up...shop around and keep your eyes open for the bargains!

That's it for now
Take care my friends
Ramble On! 🏕

I know 2023 isn't done yet, but it's been a bit of a doozy...so time for a review...of things aplenty!
Getting back to regular walking is proving to be a challenge....heck knows why....we have the will, the kit, the time...it's kinda odd. Anyway, one of the reasons I was (personally) putting off the winter walks was footwear.

Back this Summer I began experimenting with barefoot footwear in an attempt to see if it made a difference to my walking experience and how...you see, my feet hate shoes...of any kind LOL And I think they always have. I sometimes (until trying barefoot shoes) felt like my feet were screaming at me to get out of the shoes I was wearing ROFL  Feet are soo funny!

So, yes, barefoot shoes...I was a bit wary at first, buying a £20 pair of barefoot/beach type Summer shoes...which were pretty good (minus the screaming calf muscles which indicated just a little tension in that area LOL), so I upped the ante a little and bought a £30 pair (you can really see my fear in this area...mainly to do with the prior mentioned screaming calf muscles (really NOT my favourite thing LOL), but also the fear of treading on something sharp...OUCH!).
Then....wooooaaah....last week I just went right ahead and bought a pair of Altra Lone Peaks....steady on there! More for the cold which has presented itself quite quickly, taking me by surprise.....really Ange? errr.....
So, I now have 3 pairs of bare foot/zero drop shoes/boots which allow for no  more putting off the daily walks...you would think hahahahaha

I do have to say though, these shoes are pretty amazing, even after just a few months of wearing them...I shall keep you updated!

That's about it for now...I do have some camping videos to organise and get on here...so keep 'em peeled!

Until then
Take care my friends
Ramble On! 🏕

We finally got away for a 4 night camp at South Down way campsite! And, although the weather was pretty wet and windy, there was a break when it was gorgeous sunshine and hot!
We took the opportunity for a lovely 10 miler!
Enjoy!

Years ago we embarked on a couple of Halloween camps at one of our old haunts (pun absolutely intended!) in Canterbury. They were always, without fail, wet, damp, windy and cold.

So, this year, when we finally got the chance to go for a short camping break, it was October...the month of the damp smells, right?!

Err, actually, this October camp was just the opposite...warm sunshine during the day, very little rain...heavy dew, but very little rain (and wind)...but the nights were pure Winter! I'm talking, even with reflective blankets under our sleep mats (usual practice) and our mummy sleeping bags done up to the max, we still had to break out the emergency reflective blankets (the type that runners use after they've crossed the finish line). I reckon they literally saved our bacon! Especially when the condensation on the inside of the tent is ice!

Walks, walks and more walks...in the next few days we'll post some videos on here, so you can follow us as we wander the South Downs 🌄

Until then
Take care my friends
Ramble On! 🏕 

I'm not going to entertain the narratives which are out there in regard to the fires which have popped up this last week or so...what I will say though, is under this Ascension Umbrella, this L💚VE Consciousness energy...there can only be silver linings! 🥰

How Renewal Works
So when/if you watch the video below, please remember that whilst we are exploring how and why it happened, we also recognise that the Element(al) Fire is an integral part of the renewal process. It clears the old to make way for the new...in this dualistic world, this is how it happens...in a world of non-duality, who knows...we can't see it yet!

Don't Forget To Breathe!
If you find the following video hard to watch...I get it, but it was even harder to walk through it. It effected parts of my etheric system (chakras) and you'll see in the video how Ian was effected...even Smurf was restless for two nights after walking through the devestation. So, take heart and breathe if you find this challenging, and know that when the marvelous nature returns, it ill be with the utmost splendour! 😘

Take care my friends
Ramble On! 🏕

Doing what we love is what we're doing here...and sharing that love with you!
Walking and camping are two of our passions and we do both as often as possible...in fact we endevour to get out walking everyday.
Our local marshes provide our daily 6 mile walk and the surrounding Kent countryside is where we do our more expansive wanderings....unless of course we are away in a tent! :)

On here you will find me (Angie) rambling about our ramblings :)
Reviewing bits of kit is something I particulary enjoy...hey, if it doesn't do what it says on the tin, folks need to know...right?!
Campsite reviews, even how accessible the walks are that we do.
We are doing this for fun, with affiliate links possibly in the future :)

For now though, we will be sharing our experiences...we trust you'll enjoy the ride!