camping sucks

[mrcharly]

Last week I took my kids for a walk in the Lake district. Kept it simple, as I have an ankle injury from many years ago and knew I couldn't cope with a big walk.

So we went up Scafell Pike via Mickledore, down via the guides route and face of great gable.

The weather was a treat, blue sunshine for most of it. You could see Scotland from the top.
Quite a few walkers were in jeans. No problem. It's sunny weather.

By 5pm, the cloud base dropped below 600m (Scafell is +900m). Winds picked up to 60mph. It stayed like that for 3 days, except for when the clouds dropped to 300m.

Now, those people clad in jeans and cotton shirts would have been rapidly soaked on the tops. Fine if they could walk off quickly. Not fine if they struggled to navigate.

Read the local mountain rescue reports. See how many reports can be summarised thus: "Became disorientated in cloud. Wearing jeans and cotton shirt. Hypothermic. Escorted/stretchered off."

If you want to know what not to wear on the UK hills, ask the local mountain rescue. Top of their 'no' list will be jeans and cotton shirts. That's not because they bear an unnatural hatred of denim, it's because of the number of times they have to rescue someone who gets hypothermic once their cotton clothes get soaked in the cloud and drizzle.

[Nonsuch]

I'd love to know what you'd call a "big walk"! ;-)

[Bushwhacker]

Jesus Christ! Is this a bushcraft group or not? I scanned the first page and all I saw was a kit discussion. How about sorting the ground out to make it more comfortable? You can insulate yourself from the ground with natural materials and make it more comfortable by doing so.

[santaman2000]

...Read the local mountain rescue reports. See how many reports can be summarised thus: "Became disorientated in cloud. Wearing jeans and cotton shirt. Hypothermic. Escorted/stretchered off."

If you want to know what not to wear on the UK hills, ask the local mountain rescue. Top of their 'no' list will be jeans and cotton shirts. That's not because they bear an unnatural hatred of denim, it's because of the number of times they have to rescue someone who gets hypothermic once their cotton clothes get soaked in the cloud and drizzle.

Depends doesn't it? Are they also reporting the equal number rescued and strechered off wearing the latest and greatest? Or are they just looking in disbelief?

[Dartmoor navigator]

Jesus Christ! Is this a bushcraft group or not? I scanned the first page and all I saw was a kit discussion. How about sorting the ground out to make it more comfortable? You can insulate yourself from the ground with natural materials and make it more comfortable by doing so.

Very true, a simple skill that is often overlooked.

[multi]

Not eating enough/too much processed/hard to process foods can cause you to have not enough energy to regulate body temp. Or have too much energy being used around the stomach.
Bad pysical health can make you suffer from cold more than others.
makesure your enjoying the occasion, boredom and unhappyness always expresses cold.
Warmths a luxury, unless the colds actually killing you, which is unlikely.
Start of a cold virus is always going to express cold temperatures.


P.s you probably just got broken in, your next night would be better.

[Bushwhacker]

The other thing I'll add is that people are slaves to routine. You'll sleep anywhere if you're tired. Don't go looking at your watch thinking that you must go to bed. Relax!

[mousey]

The other thing I'll add is that people are slaves to routine. You'll sleep anywhere if you're tired. Don't go looking at your watch thinking that you must go to bed. Relax!

I suppose thats true - I've fallen asleep standing up on a bus, wedged into a corner - at least I was traveling with some folks who woke me up when it was our stop. I've always thought of my ability to sleep as a natural gift, I've heard of people who can't...

Also there very little natural foliage to be had on a bus - but atleast it wasn't wet, with high winds [and I wasn't wearing jeans]

[mrcharly]

Depends doesn't it? Are they also reporting the equal number rescued and strechered off wearing the latest and greatest? Or are they just looking in disbelief?

They report ALL rescues. There is a member on here, who has already stated that jeans are not suitable for mid and high level walking in the UK. I'd take that as a professional opinion.

[santaman2000]

They report ALL rescues. There is a member on here, who has already stated that jeans are not suitable for mid and high level walking in the UK. I'd take that as a professional opinion.

I'm sure they report all rescues. What I was saying is, I doubt they always report in detail what the victim was wearing. Likely only if it's one of their pet peeves. Or more to the point: How many non-rescues? (the thousnds who successfully went up and down the mountain without ever even thinking about outsde help)

I'm also a member on here and I've stated just how many proffessionals wear them. Apart from hunters in camo or someone in uniform, only "dudes" show up in the wilds in anything else.

[blacktimberwolf]

On the topic of jeans, I've been wearing denim trousers & cotton shirts for the last 30 + years & never had a problem with them, but then I do wear waterproofs if it's raining & gaiters if the vegetation is long & wet. I don't wear clothes in a sleeping bag so no worries about getting chilled with damp clothing. I don't doubt that wearing heavy cotton clothing in the hills may lead to hyperthermia should the wearer get wet but it's more a problem of walkers being unprepared for weather changes when setting out, Common sense has more bearing on the matter than the type of fabric your trousers are made from.

[2trapper]

On the topic of jeans, I've been wearing denim trousers & cotton shirts for the last 30 + years & never had a problem with them, but then I do wear waterproofs if it's raining & gaiters if the vegetation is long & wet. I don't wear clothes in a sleeping bag so no worries about getting chilled with damp clothing. I don't doubt that wearing heavy cotton clothing in the hills may lead to hyperthermia should the wearer get wet but it's more a problem of walkers being unprepared for weather changes when setting out, Common sense has more bearing on the matter than the type of fabric your trousers are made from.

I was writing the same concept...

[Scots_Charles_River]

i use a cheap fiver foam mat for sitting on outside the tent, lay out food prep for dinner, knerling in the canoe, lying on in the sun, putting at the entrance to the tent. But, use a long 18kwid decathlon thermarest copy to sleep on. if im light camping i use a 3/4 length thermarest. it's quite short so needs feet on something.

[Laurentius]

Camping definitely sucks, so why am I off to Wales next week to stay on a camp site that has been wet and boggy every time I have been there, and to be taking my smallest, meanest tent and all? Somebody please save me from myself