I decided I would walk the 1066 walk with my sister Vicky. This is a pathway I have always wanted to walk but have never got round to it. It is supposedly the route that William the Conqueror took over Sussex. From Normandy, France, he came over and his army managed to shoot Harold, the Anglo-Saxon King in the Eye, with fatal consequences. William then was made King of England.
The 1066 walk has varied scenery, On out journey we walked through fields, marshes, woods towns and villages. We passed farms, cows, sheep, maize, rivers and barley.
It is a beautiful walk, something I would like to repeat in the autumn when all the leaves are starting to go brown and fungi awaken out the ground.
The fact we went during one of the hottest day of the year did not make the journey easy. I believe I suffered from mild heat stroke the day after our return.
It was unbelievably hot, we were out for three nights and we wild camped for two of those. On the nights we wild camped I admit I did not sleep very well, I felt rank and clammy. To hot and sweaty to sleep, it felt nightmarish being in a small smelly tent.
I have therefore given some tips that I have learnt while walking and wild camping in hot weather.
Stay hydrated
Although this might seem obvious, hydration does not just cover pure water. Make sure you are getting enough electrolytes. We carried Dirolyte with us, medicinal power that is helpful if you have diarrhea but it also helpful both to cure dehydration and prevent it. You can also get other dis-solvable tablets with electrolytes in them that you can easily add to you drink.
Top up your water bottles where ever you can
The worse eventuality would be to run out of water, leading to illness and possibly death. Make sure the route you are walking has plenty of pubs where you can top up your water supply. There is also a technique for getting fresh water out of troughs if necessary. See the know how video below.
As you can see from the video, Vicky pushes down the float in order to access fresh water.
Don’t walk in the middle of the day
We did not walk in the middle of the day, it was way to hot to do so, instead we found somewhere shady and rested until it cooled a little. Its better to walk in the evening and morning when it is not so hot. I recommend you wake up early, walk all morning, then after lunch take a siesta, then resume late afternoon, early evening.
Wear a hat, sunglasses and suncream.
These prevent sunburn, which will make you feel hotter.
Choose walks that are through shady areas or are near the coast.
This was a mistake we made and we underestimated how hot it would be. Check the weather forecast before you go. If you are going wild camping and it is hot chose a walk were you can dip into the sea, to self wash and use a eco-friendly and biodegradable soap, otherwise you will stink and feel vile. Otherwise choose a walk where it is heavily forested to stay cool.
Wear wet clothes
This is a very good technique, if you pass a trough, wet your clothes in the fresh water that comes out. It definitely keeps you cool.
Snack when walking
Eating large meals means your digestive system heats up as it digests food, it is best to snack and only eat a large meal if you are stopping in a cool place for a significant amount of time. Cucumbers are good to take on a walk, they don’t overly ripen like fruit and they are packed full of water.
