I was asked recently whether I would ever use a tarp on the Challenge. My answer was a pretty categorical, “No”. Actually, I might consider it I suppose but I would need a lot more experience of using tarps I think.

I explained that there were real advantages in using my Akto on the Challenge. At the end of a hard, wet and windy you want to get inside quickly, put on some dry clothes and get some warm food inside you. I can put up my Akto – almost blindfold in a force 10 gale – in a couple of minutes. Sometimes – often on the Challenge – it is a relief to feel that you know your kit so much.

This, of course, relates to long distance trail walking. The Challenge is a little different to walking in real heat. The days are long in May and sometimes – especially if things are going well – you want to walk until late. There’s not much else to do out in the wilderness, so you might as well walk, stop, eat and then sleep.

But there is another way of looking at hiking days out and it’s something that I’ve really begun to appreciate since I’ve started walking with Podcast Bob. Bob is a keen walker but for Bob, I think, the pleasure is really about being outside and being immersed in the landscape.

When the longer days become warmer days there are other things to think about. These are the days when you finish walking at an early time. Now it’s a pleasure to mess about with the tarp. What configuration is right for the tarp? Will the wind change direction? Can I get the tarp even more taught? You can spend a good hour of so doing that.

These are also the days when the real fire will probably come into its own. Tarp up what better thing to do than to go and get your wood and then build and light your fire. As Bob was saying on Saturday, it’s a fine way to spend time when your outdoors. The point of the walk is to get out so that you can do all of this stuff. For Bob, this kind of activity is about really connecting with the landscape and the area that we are in.

We’ve kind of talked a lot about some of this on our walk and Bob has already edited the programme, so it should be around soon.

But he’s already thinking about the next step, and that’s food. Maybe this spring us two old codgers will be out again, perhaps near the coast, sheltering under our tarps, cooking on real stoves, fishing for our evening meal and – perhaps – doing a bit of old Ray Mears type foraging.

One thing will be certain though; we won’t be using a Ray Mear’s backpack. But I’m sure – towards the end of this year – Bob will have really got me to appreciate this other type of day outdoors.