24 Hour Mini Adventures

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Polaris Overland

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Pioneer I

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Newtonhill, Stonehaven, Aberdeenshire, UK
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Dave
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Spinks
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Royal Navy Veteran
So what makes an adventure.

In my mind its a mix of new experiences, new places, new camp spots and the chance to explore.
And we have done that on our longer trips living out of a roof tent on the road and travelling in excess of 24k miles per trip.

But its not always easy or possible to get away on long adventures but we still need the fix of an adventure or trip. To this end we have completed trips to Europe and the Alps or the Abentuer Allrad and since Covid the likes of the Scottish North Coast 500 or the Outer Hebrides Tour all completed on shorter trips over 2 to 3 weeks.

And then there are the shorter weekend trips where we have met up with other members and Overlanders for shorter weekend tours of 2 to 3 nights like the recently completed tour around the Southern Cairngorms Mountains of Scotland.

You would think that was the limit but no just recently I was given a 24 hour free pass to head out. But what can you do with just 24 hours. Well using the principles of what makes an adventure I first headed to somewhere new. I have always wanted to find Rattray Head Lighthouse built in the 1800's so that was my first challenge. Its situated on the North Buchan Coast of Scotland and about a couple of hours and some rough tracks away.
Next I wanted to find somewhere in a forest to camp up. So with the lighthouse ticked off I headed to a forest in Royal Deeside a few miles from Balmoral Castle home of Queen Elizabeth.

With the camp spot found it was just a matter of getting a fire going, cooking some steak and sitting back with a cider and enjoying the star filled sky through the tops of the trees in the clearing I was camped up in.

That was followed by a sleep of the blessed in the forest before waking up to a chilly but sunny morning with the sun streaming through the trees. after coffee and breakfast I headed home arriving home pretty much 24 hours from when I had initially set off.

So the question you might ask is was this really overlanding and was this really an adventure. Depending on your own personal definition of overlanding and adventure although it didn't meet the extended trip definition of overlanding it did involve visiting new places, off the tarmac and did involve a night wild camped and cooking over an open fire so certainly an adventure.

But what you call it isn't important its how it makes you feel. That 24 hours was an opportunity to clear my head , it was an escape albeit for only 24 hours from the stress of work and modern living and a chance to enjoy no matter how short a mini adventure.

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Rattray Head Lighthouse

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Cave man dinner

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Forest Clearing

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Sunny Mornings
 

Polaris Overland

Ambassador, Europe
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Member

Pioneer I

11,171
Newtonhill, Stonehaven, Aberdeenshire, UK
First Name
Dave
Last Name
Spinks
Member #

3057

Service Branch
Royal Navy Veteran
quick trips force you to be creative and perhaps minimalist. You don't have to think too far ahead. Go-fresh air-peace. Great stuff...
They are a good way to et a quick fix adventure for sure and in many cases need pretty much no planning so just jump in and go
 

El-Dracho

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Even though I prefer long trips, such small excursions are great and can be a nice escape from everyday life. It can be even less than 24h. Like we did for example our MidEurope new year meetup at the beginning of the year. Just a few hours with open-minded people with good conversations and good food sitting around the campfire - a perfect day.

Great contribution, Dave. Thank you.
 

CR-Venturer

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I feel that! With 5 kids and one on the way, I don't have a ton of time to get out there. Sometimes I have to try to sneak in overnighters like this one. I would say you had an adventure!

My most recent overnighter was up in the mountains near my house, deep down a very old and decommissioned forest road to an old gravel pit where I camped solo in -10 or colder weather. It was gorgeous, and the sound of the night wind roaring down the river valley a few hundred meters behind my tent was amazing.
winterbushcamp.jpg
Keep adventuring!
 
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Mtnmn99

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Chamberlain, SD, USA
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paul
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Even though I prefer long trips, such small excursions are great and can be a nice escape from everyday life. It can be even less than 24h. Like we did for example our MidEurope new year meetup at the beginning of the year. Just a few hours with open-minded people with good conversations and good food sitting around the campfire - a perfect day.

Great contribution, Dave. Thank you.
I agree 100%. Due to work it is often hard to get our for a long excursion. So mini-adventures make up often provide the escape and adventure to keep my sanity. Often due to the limited time they make for a eventful adventure.
 
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