Be Excellent To Each Other

I'm planning to walk the Two Moors way in June, shlumping across Dartmoor and Exmoor with just my faithful hound, some OS maps and my guitar* for company, and am actually quite enjoying the planning of it right now, so I thought I'd make a thread, so we can all share hiking boot recommendations, favourite camping breakfasts and pics of us on top of hills wearing wide-brimmed hats with feathers in them.

So far, my preparation has not proceeded far beyond buying aforementioned maps and wading through the vast amount of hiking boots on the market ( my cheap old ones have utterly failed ) but would happy to hear tips, hints and tales of daring-do from the outdoorsy amongst us. I'll also accept Facebook-style nature pics with inspirational quotes on them.


* I will not be taking a guitar.

Derring-do.

That is the sum total of my useful input to this question.

I've been very happy with my Brashers. I need to get a new pair of boots and I think I'm going to stick with them rather than go upmarket. Course, the next pair will be the ones I care for and polish to an acceptable parade ground standard after every trek, oh yes.

I subscribed to 'Trail' for a year as it's very good for route ideas and kit porn, but decided it wasn't worth renewing for another 12 months as there's only so many peaks in Britain to enthuse about. Four years later I resubscribed for another year for the updates, but again won't renew for a similar reason.

I probably should get round to getting the OS app, but it's no substitute for paper. Although folding maps into mapcases is one of my least favourite tasks.

I have the app, but I do like the paper versions. Seeing how often I end up dropping my map into a stream or stepping on it, there's no way I want to use my phone that way. App strictly as a backup!

Huh, I never knew that!

"Useful"

I always buy Merrell footwear.

Decathlon is your friend for low cost, high quality gear. Their Quechua pop up tents have survived all the tinkers meets.

Full English with veggie sausage for me.

Booze.

I've been getting increasingly aggravated listening to the Atlanta Monster podcast. There's a dude on it who keeps talking about "escapegoats".

I've always assumed Merrell was crazy expensive, but a quick look has proved me wrong. Is there a model you liked particularly?


Obviously.

Another vote for Brashers here, especially if you'll likely be encountering wetness. Just whatever you do don't set off on a massive expedition in brand spanking new boots, wear them out and about for a bit first.

"Brashers" is making me think of another website, quite unrelated to camping.

I'm hoping to get my boots soon, which will give me a good 2 months of wearing-them-in time.

I've always assumed Merrell was crazy expensive, but a quick look has proved me wrong. Is there a model you liked particularly?

Always been different ones (Coda mid were my faves - don’t make them now), amazon have good offers from time to time. Full leather better in the wet than the more lightweight synthetic ones. Like Markg says, get them worn.

Decathlons own boots get great reviews and they’re very good value.

Gaiters. Use gaiters.

Hat. Get a natty hat.

My boots are from Go outdoors and were £40 and are really basic, but the fit was excellent.

Wear a pair of thin socks under walking socks. The boot will rub against your thick sock which'll rub against your thin sock and help stop pain.
After 12 miles I generally eat a couple of ibuprofen.

Raw jelly is best calories per cubic inch that I can eat.

Take a whistle, bivvy bag, and compass.

Introduce yourself to barmaids as a "Freelance adventurer" then request talk of rumours. If they have a bucket on their head you can steal with impunity.

Dont get dragged into arguments with Folkies.

Don't puke up just outside your tent.

Buy this: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Mystical-Fire- ... D2N5T1K1ZM

I know a chap who helped out running some sort of New Age / Fairy Festival. They had a huge bonfire and he bulk bought kilos of this stuff and pilled it up inside the bonfire as he set it up. Apparently, they went *nuts* for it, and he was treated as some sort of Mystic Firemage for the rest of the weekend.

https://twitter.com/gabriella0789/statu ... 7555325952

@Katie_Green97 do you like your boyfriends colon? pic.twitter.com/Ru6FPUPmDV

— gabriella (@gabriella0789) September 9, 2017

Or this: https://twitter.com/search?q="raping%20paper"&src=typd

Checks out.

I only recently noticed that the connector on one of the cross-straps on my hiking pack doubles as a whistle.



How else are you going to prevent a wet bum when having lunch? See also: bag covers

Decathlon usually has exclusive models from certain brands that are half the price or less than the rest of the brand's portfolio. Merrell is one of those brands, but the pair of Merrell's i had from them (which costed 40€) just wasn't very good.

That starts 5 minutes from my house.

Sounds ace. Growing up in the south-west, Dartmoor and its bleakness is imprinted deep into my psyche. Really should spend more time there. Besides, it's the only place in England where you can legally wild camp (so long as the Army aren't firing that day).

Tentwise, I love my Vango Banshee 200. Just the right size and weight for one man and his kit, and easy to put up and strike. It's a bit orange, mind.

The current plan is to spend a couple of nights on Dartmoor wild camping - I've done single nights before but not longer. I love waking up and having my coffee, and there not being another person for a mile in all directions!

I have a one man Vango something or other - I'd not want to use it in the freezing cold, but for normal weather it's pretty awesome and takes about 2 mins to pitch. I remember my parent's monstrous canvas-and-wooden-pole thing, and it's amazing that my tent now weighs about 100g.

A hugely disproportionate amount of planning time has already gone into picking the precise hat I want.

I've bought myself a little wood stove - it's a fun little gadget! A handful of twigs is enough to boil a mug or two of water, although I don't think it'll replace a gas stove, as you have to go through all the faff of actually lighting a fire. It does make me feel like a proper mountain man though - sitting in the woods, boiling up a fresh cup o' joe over a fire.

(Also pictured: dog)

Looks ace. Love a good fire. Cooking over them is fun too, although I've never enjoyed waiting for the water to boil for that all-important first morning coffee.

Aw look at doggy checking out Slenderman in the trees.

What do you guys use for water purification? Tablets, filters, or both?

Going on a wild camping expedition in Scotland in May and realised it's a long time since I've done anything sufficiently remote.

Water?

Faith in the Lord Baby Jesus

If it means removing the need to pack wine too, I'm in.

I couldn't help but think of Peep Show

Boots: Get! Some Berghaus ones that seems to fit and feel pretty good!

Sleeping bag: Get! A 3 seasons mummy one. SO SNUG.

Camping stove and waaaay too much gas: Get!

Also, I tested them out on a walk to Lewesdon Hill - a county top AND a marilyn! I'm a proper Hill Bagger now!

You going out over the bank holiday weekend?

Hopefully yes, but we're going camping with some friends, so it'll be more of the "walk to the pub in the sun" than any kind of serious anything!

My sister is camping on the Isle of Wight tonight as she’s doing the Isle Of Wight Challenge, a 106km walk/jog around the island non-stop in 24hrs, and her start time is 7:40am tomorrow, so she’s camping tonight to be there early. She’s doing it as part of the event but without any buddies, though hopefully she’ll meet people over the course. She did the London to Brighton version last year and enjoyed it.

Wow, that's quite something! Two and a half marathons worth! I'm planning on taking 5 days for about 150km.

I love my trangia. Convince me that I am wrong.



One Christmas Bro gave me a book of county tops and I enjoy flicking through it and marking the ones I've done, despite finding the difference between ceremonial and administrative counties far too complex and tedious for even this poor local official.

Love the term 'Marilyn'. We all know that JFK was fond of topping them.

Sister is at 95k and had a pretty tough night so is a bit behind her pace with 11k to go (was hoping to be finished now) but nearly there.

Wow, that's some effort.

I think it was the heat that set her back. She said she had a few dark and difficult moments during the night, but the heat starting up early again today didn’t help her regain her lost time. She finished about midday, so walked 28hrs instead of the 24 that would have given her the same kind of pace as the London-Brighton, but there were a couple of sizeable hills in that last stretch (not difficukt climbs, but when you e been walking 27 hours already...)

She’s got London-Brighton lined up again this year, and Kilimanjaro (I k is I’ve spelked that wrong), as well as a few other distance challenges.

A fantastic acheivement, especially given the weather. Well done!

Did a nice 10 mile loop with my youngest son today (some small part of the two moors way).



Took the best part of 4 hours, climbing 350m and my calves are feeling it now.

Good work Malcolm & son!

Not surprised it took a bit longer than planned this weekend - the weather must have made it exhausting. That's still an excellent achievement!

Apparrrntky she slipped and smashed her knee into a rock at the 6k mark. Only 100km to go!

Turns out the dog loves campfires!