Midweek Microadventures: 7 Top Tips

First of all, I’m really sorry to all you folk who wanted to read a guide to midweek microadventures, back when we had longer days… you know when we had something that resembled summer! I meant to finish writing and publish this post a lot sooner, but as always, life got in the way…

And that’s exactly the reason I wanted to publish this guide. Ever feel like life is on top of you, like you’re struggling for time during the week. Yet you crave adventure; a sunset viewing followed by that fresh morning air, the smell of coffee and that brief pause from life. Yup, welcome to my world.

This is the digital era where we’re all permanently busy with the world of life and work problems. It seems with ever increasing connectivity, we’re forever engaged in our commitments. Spare time is a thing of the past.

Oh how times have changed. From the days you thought you’d never get older, life just passes you by and you’re stuck in routine. Monotony is my worst enemy, I hate it. It’s a life I promised myself I would never lead.

But fear not, midweek microadventures are the answer. It’s the perfect way to break up the weekly grind and satisfy your adventure cravings. Here I outline my 7 top tips on how to make midweek microadventures work around a 9-5 job.

1. Time is key. You have 24 hours in a day, no more and no less. You have to reserve time for adventures and make time available.

Top tip: Use a diary, in pen write the things that cannot move… work, family commitments, appointments etc. It’ll be visually obvious where your blocks of free time are from there.

2. Efficiency. You’re on limited time. This isn’t going to be the next biggest worldwide expedition. Make sure your route maximises the time allotted, but keep it simple. This isn’t the time for too much unfamiliarity. Stay local. Know your parking spot. Pack the night before. Be clear on what your plan is and stick to it.

Top tip: Recognise all the little things that add up to a big fath. Consider all risks and variables to your schedule and minimise them – you can’t be late.

3. Kit. You need to pick your pack up and go. Be strict on what you really need, taking only essentials. You don’t need much for one night. Recognise you’re doing this to scratch the adventure itch and getting it done. This is adventure in its purest form. For the next few hours its just you, disconnected from life and connected with the real world. You’ll soon be home and warm and fed again – you can live without a lot of so called essentials.

Top tip: Keep your pack small. The bigger it is, the more stuff goes in it… the more you have to think about and the longer it takes to pack. The aim is simple and efficient, you want adventure and you want it quick. You need to sacrifice luxuries.

4. Route. It probably isn’t the time for exploring new routes. This is about quick and efficient adventuring. Realistically it needs to be local.

Top tip: Plan a route you know fairly well (or minor variation of) and camp 65% of the way round. Minimise navigation fath, you want to be moving quick, not dicking around working out where you’re going.

5. Planning. It’s likely you’ve got a million route ideas in your head already, you’re just figuring out how to make it work. Main things I consider;

• Weather – we live on such an unpredictable island! High winds & torrential rain can scrap even the best made plans. Know your kit and your own limits. Keep an eye on the forecast, pack accordingly and make an alternative backup plan.
• Food & water – How do I carry both my food and water? Do I need to resupply? Take always food you know you like. This isn’t the time for experimenting.
• Where do I need to be afterwards – consider your commute the next day, know your way back to wherever you need to be and how long it takes. Work out how long you’ve got and plan backwards. It’ll become obvious what is feasible.

6. Self-sufficiency. You and you alone are responsible for getting back on time. Don’t make plans which rely on others or external support. Sharing tents and kit could slow you down when you need to pack away. Okay this one is selfish, but it’s how I make it work.

Top tip: You need to be efficient & familiar with use of your kit i.e. sleep system, cooking system, electricals etc. Decamping is as important as pitching up.

7. Commit. You made the time available to get out and pursue adventure. Don’t let anything stop that. Stick to your guns, don’t change plans unless you absolutely have to. Have a bit of faith. Get out there and embrace the midweek microadventure!

Oh yeah – hygiene. Smell can be masked with deodorant. Mud can be washed off. But always take a toothbrush. You’ll be no-ones best friend the next day if you aren’t looking vaguely presentable!

This is by no means an exhaustive list on how to make your midweek microadventure a success. Success will happen when you make it happen. Be bold and trust yourself. My time keeping skills are woeful – if I can suss this out, you should have no issue at all!

Please bear in mind I don’t have a family or people who are dependent on me to consider when planning midweek microadventures. If I make it sound it easy, I can only apologise – but that’s the scenario I’ve chosen to position myself in. I frequently adventure alone, as I consider solo adventure better than no adventure. My path in life had led me to be comfortable with that – however I recognise wild camping and solo adventures can make some nervous.

My last top tip: Do what makes you feel fulfilled. Adventure is a feeling, not a thing. Pursue your own adventure, not how others define it. Enjoy it!