The cold dark sky exfoliates my soul (A wild camping VLOG with Northern Lights)

Well... that was unexpected! What started as a cold autumn night wild camping on the Long Mynd turned into an unforgettable experience. After settling down with just a glimpse of the Northern Lights, I was stunned by what unfolded overhead later that night. Capturing it all on camera was tricky but absolutely worth it, and I’m glad I can share it with you now…

Long Mynd wild camping video with Northern Lights

Walking Up the Long Mynd: A Chilly Start

The trip began with a walk up from near Small Batch campsite. It was late afternoon, around 4:30 p.m., and the weather had been unforgiving for days. Relentless rain, gusty winds, and the kind of cold that fairly quickly numbs a fat photographer’s fingers. But a brief spell of calmer conditions had appeared, and I wasn’t going to miss the opportunity for a quick wild camp. I made the ascent to Callow Hill, a short 1.9-mile hike with just 242 meters of elevation gain.

By the time I arrived at my wild camping pitch, a little plateau near Callow Hill’s summit, the wind was still howling down from the northwest. The temperature, already around 5°C, felt closer to zero with the wind chill. After pitching my MSR Elixir 1 tent, it became clear — this was going to be a bitterly cold night.

The Gear That Got Me Through

I’ve always trusted my Buffalo Special 6 Mountain Shirt to keep the cold at bay, and tonight was no exception. My Snugpak Bergen pack carried everything I needed, and despite the challenges, I set up camp and started capturing some shots. The real challenge, though, was working with my Samyang 85mm T1.5 Cine Lens. It’s a portrait lens, not your usual go-to for landscape photography, but I wanted to push myself creatively this trip. The lens was tricky — even a little frustrating at the time — but looking back, it was worth the effort. The results were great, adding a unique feel to the shots.

The old Samyang 85mm T1.5 Cine Lens on AMAZON and WEX (For those in the UK)

An Unexpected Light Show: Northern Lights and Starlink

As the night drew in, I settled down for what I thought would be a calm night. After snapping a few photos of the Northern Lights (just a glimpse at first), I didn’t expect much more. But as the hours passed, the sky exploded with an incredible light show. The Northern Lights came alive overhead, a breathtaking display that was far beyond what I’d initially seen.

And then, there were the Starlink satellites. They glided silently across the sky in perfect formation, adding an extra layer of wonder to the night. It was one of those surreal moments where nature and technology combine in the most unexpected way. The timelapse footage I captured of the Northern Lights and Starlink was something special, and while I’m sorry for the heavy watermarking, I hope you’ll understand why. Protecting this footage from video thieves is crucial, as it’s worth a fortune to me elsewhere.

So, some epic Northern Lights action, shame I slept through most of it, but nice to let my trusty Sony deliver the goods.

Morning Reflections: Freezing Cold and Timelapse Success

Waking up the next morning, the air was crisp and cold, just above freezing at first. But the wind had calmed, and the sky had cleared. I grabbed a few much-needed cups of coffee, reflecting on the previous night. The time-lapse footage from the night had come out beautifully, and some great VLOG footage, despite the challenges with the lens. The cold, the wind, and the unexpected light show had made for one of the most memorable wild camping trips in recent memory.

It’s moments like these that remind me why I love doing what I do. Yes, the gear can be tricky, the conditions brutal, and the cold hard to bear — but when the sky puts on a show like that, it’s all worth it.