If I could take a snapshot of our summer, it would be sitting in the evening sunshine beneath the towering summit of Kellejoch mountain in the Austrian Alps. Our bivvy bags were laid out on the little level-plateau we’d discovered and the camping kettle was gently simmering to make a brew. The view of the mountains at sunset was almost too beautiful to be believed. At that moment, two Golden Eagles soared above us, catching the last thermals of the day. This was our campsite for the night, there was no one else in sight, just our little family.
Our family bivvy bagging adventures had begun tentatively a few years before. We’d camped in a tent countless times since our sons, Max and Charlie, were babies, but I’d always wanted to sleep out under the stars. When I stumbled across the Hunka bivvy bags, I decided to give it a go.
Our first bivvy bag ‘wild camp’ was a not-so-wild camp in the garden. I thought that if the children didn’t enjoy it, or if it suddenly started to rain, we could abort the mission and head back indoors. Of course, there was no need for my caution. The children were thrilled to be sleeping in the open air and I was amazed when they asked to get into their beds! A child wanting to go to bed? As dusk turned to night, we all tucked into our bivvy bags and talked about the stars and the owls that we could hear hooting nearby. It was the most idyllic way to drift off the sleep; there was no rain and no slugs slithering into my mouth (a previous fear). Waking early the next morning, we all agreed that this was definitely an adventure to try again!
For our second bivvy bagging night, we ventured a little further afield to sleep out in the local ‘wild’; a little patch of woodland near our home. We packed lightly, just sleeping and cooking equipment. Hiking out across the fields to reach our chosen spot, we could all feel the thrill of excitement. This felt more adventurous than the garden! It was another wonderful night; we watched a barn owl swooping low over the surrounding meadow, hunting for voles, and saw a badger shuffling down to the nearby stream.
With a few bivvy bagging trips under our belts, we decided to take it to the next level this summer to hike and camp high up in the Austrian mountains. The boys, now 11 and 9, were able to carry much of their own gear which helped on a multi-day trip. By now, we’d upgraded to the hooped Elan bivvy bag so we didn’t need to worry about rain or the storms that were threatening the region. Fortunately, the sunshine held and we spent two blissful days walking in the mountains, spying ibis, chamoix and marmots and enjoying the occasional schnapps and schiwasser in remote mountain huts.
For all of us, this was our greatest adventure to date. It was back-to-basics fun; no screens, no work emails, no over-priced tourist activities, just views, mountain air and a good slice of wilderness.
On our second night, as we watched the Golden Eagles circle overhead, I felt blissfully content yet sad the adventure would have to end. Now the only question to consider is, where will our bivvy bags take us next?
Our Family Wild Camping Kit List
- Bivvy bags; either Hunka or Elan hooped bivvy
- Sleeping bag
- Sleeping mat
- Spare clothes
- Warm hat
- Camping stove
- Cookware and cutlery
- Food and plenty of water
- Arlo Trowel (for burying your business)
Follow the adventures of Georgie and her family, or visit @gowildgowest on instagram and facebook.
Always remember to leave no trace.
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