I was really lucky this Easter and had the whole 4 days off. No work for the whole of Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday! I woke up Thursday morning with a virus. Head cold, snot, ear ache and generally lack of energy….Thank you body! don’t deal with being ‘ill’ very well, I really hate the idea of lying in bed ‘recovering’ instead of getting out and about doing fun things, ESPECIALLY when I have just been given 4 days off work. I HATE that feeling so much I promised myself regardless of how I was feeling I would put in the effort and go ahead with a camping trip as originally planned. Now, I couldn’t commit to multi location camping spots, coastal path runs and long wild swims in this state but I knew I could tick off the main boxes that a camping trip has to tick for me . Things like being in the fresh air and discovering somewhere new, all very do-able even when feeling shit!
This 12 hour micro-adventure really satisfied my need for a bit of adventure during my time off and I literally slipped it in the middle of my weekend. I wanted to do this post so you could see how to fit an adventure in only 12 hours! Here’s a few tips on how to cram in all the cool stuff!
1: Find a top location to watch a sunset en route to your camping spot. This ticks a few boxes for me. You get to watch the sunset (which I never ever ever get bored of ) and you break up your journey starting the adventure a little earlier! 
We spotted this beauty of a sunset on our way to St.Mawes so pulled over, sat on the gate and enjoyed the view with a beer we bought from the garage earlier!
2: Get a take-away – BBQ’s are amazing, I live off them around 4 times a week during the summer but lets face it they are not always quick and easy, especially when you have to buy all the coals, burgers and condiments, then realise you have forgotten the lighter at camp so you have to go and pick one up from the closest store to your ‘secret beach’ miles from anywhere. So, when you don’t have the time go grab a cheeky take-away and enjoy it somewhere with a view or back at your tent. 
I was not up to the task of starting bbq’s in the dark and lugging our usual 3 full sainsbury’s bags to the beach so Fish n Chips in the charming fishing village St.Mawes by twilight seemed like a perfect solution.
3. Pick an easy to reach camping spot – I love going on a mini kayak journey or a rock ramble to find a secluded camping spot but sometimes the time schedule, unforeseen weather (or being ill) doesn’t allow it. So if you are strapped for time pick somewhere that easy to walk to with your kit. 
We’d camped at this secluded beach spot for valentines day this year, it’s a 3minute walk from a National Trust car park and has a beauty of a sunrise view. Not having to plan or trek to find a new spot meant we saved time and energy and could focus on the actual camping. Bingo!
4. Discover some place new! – For me this is what makes an adventure bei ti camping, running, swimming or kayaking. I get bored fairly easy and have constant itchy feet for experiencing somewhere new. We camp in a lot of the same spots over and over again because we’ve found some perfect locations but also because sometimes its just easier!
But when we do this I like to try and link in a new discovery through exploring a little too. We are very lucky to have some stunning beaches on our doorstep and these are our usual camping spots but you don’t need a beach for great views. Alastair Humphrey’s has found some epic spots camping on a hill!
After out night of camping at a familiar beach we went for an early morning walk to see Antony’s Head Lighthouse and stumbled across this hidden beach which is now on our list of places to camp this summer! And there you have it, some easy tips for making the most out of a short amount of time! Where would you go for a 12 hour adventure?
into the wild swim 