I knew this day would come.

For my second campsite I decided to give my trusty old Vaude Hogan a run out. It needed some maintenance after my travels of last year. What I really need is a new Hogan.

Waking up damp isn’t a great experience. After I cleaned and scrubbed the inside last year, I removed all of the flacky green stuff that got everywhere and I knew the waterproofingwas lost. But I had the footprint and that should have worked, but it didn’t. I could use a new groundsheet. What finished me off and made me get out of bed was the drip on my head.

Hogan had a good life, but I could have looked after him better. Spending so much time in a cupbord and being squashed in to a rucksack too many times caused too much wear and tear. He knew there was one last trip in him and kept me dry in France when the heavens openned. And for that, I can’t let him go. I’ll find another use.

Bringing two tents with me was a good idea. Being able to used the heater in my car was helpful too. You find me in the Vaude MkII light. And I think it will keep my dry. There’s been some rain and everything seems fine for now. Losing two tents in one go would been too much. The MkII was the one I thought would fail first, but the it hasn’t been squeezed in to hiking equipment. But it has failed when the frame snapped years ago. Vaude fixed it for free, but I did need to drive 120 miles. So, this tent can’t be my only tent in case the frame breaks.

This isn’t about tents as it is about realising that I can’t afford to replace broken things. I could have, but I screwed up. Thinking about it makes it worse – much worse.

The best thing I can do this week is stay away for two extra days, now that I’ve settle in. This gives me the chance to have a break and actually do something. This means lots of bike riding up hills.The weather is breezy and at 1600 today it looked kile November. It was too dark for this time of year as well. Things in the world are not normal right now, but we have to get on and do the best we can.