The wood in question is located just south of Towcester – it is rented out by a local group of bushcrafters who hold regular meets there.  My friend Steve (@sandbag47) and I arrived just after lunchtime on Saturday to be greeted by a handful of friendly bushcrafters who had survived the previous night’s freezing conditions. There was a fire going in the central communial area, which was sheltered by piled up wood and tarps, and dotted throughout the small wood were hammocks and shelters, including a tent and a wig wam. We selected a few suitable trees, and Steve patiently demonstrated how to put up the hammock and the tarp cover – I tried to be a good pupil but, to be honest, I cannot remember any of the useful knots I was shown!

My bed for the night

Once our hammocks were up, and after a quick trip to the garage for alcohol provisions, we settled down for the evening in front of the communal fire. The guys were an interesting bunch, and I picked up some great tips applicable to backpacking, including a quick play with the Petzl e-lite. One of the group gave a fantastic demonstration of fire cooking: venison stew and mixed plum crumble with custard, all prepared from raw ingredients on the fire in Dutch ovens. It was delicious! There was of course a knife show and tell – I do not have one, but there was an impressive collection. It was also great to discover one of the group is a regular visitor to Social Hiking.

Proper camp fire cooking

After a bit more fire chat (and some more wine and whiskey) I made my excuses and headed back to my hammock. Outside the fire’s warmth it was cold – heading towards minus 2 (minus 5 with wind chill) – I slipped into my sleeping bag (complete with silk inner) and gingerly got on. Once the initial swaying had died down (I do suffer a little from montion sickness) I was comfortable. Very comfortable. And surprisingly warm (well not warm exactly but not cold). My sleeping bag (an old Technicals Transition 500) is a 3 season and does not tie up at the hood so I kept my fleece and down jacket on but had stripped to my Icebreaker leggings (a bargain at £20). Along with a merino / posum hat and neck scarf from Chocolate Fish and a pillow made up from another jacket I was very snug and quickly drifted off to sleep.

I awoke at 4am needing the toilet – a situation troubling enough in a tent. There was frozen condensation on the tarp and the ground was icy so, whilst I plucked up the courage to leave my cosy nest, I lay quietly enjoying the night: the hooting of owls, the rustling of nighttime animals and the gentle snores coming from various corners of the wood. It was bliss. I relieved myself and returned to my hammock and attempted a sit up maneuver, discovering that I do not have the balance to sit up in a hammock and fell out – waking Steve, who was hanging off the neighbouring tree, in the process. Feeling slightly embarrassed I snuggled back up and drifted off to sleep again.

I was awakened again at 9am by the bright winter sun which had drifted into my line of sight from behind the tarp. It was a glorious sight – the bright sun was causing the ice around me to glisten spectacularly. I lay there, still comfortable and still not cold. 5 hours of uninterrupted sleep outdoors is pretty rare for me, so that is a good indication if how comfortable I was.

Waking up to a view

Eventually I clambered off the hammock – the communal fire was burning, thanks to an early riser, and after some morning tea (and a trip to the nearby Super Sausage cafe) we packed up and headed home. I am a total hammock convert – it was (as various people on Twitter warned me) the best night I have had in the outdoors (impressive considering the weather conditions). Plans are already being made for taking a travel hammock (which can be used as a bivi bag) for a whirl. I may need to practice (well relearn) those knots!

Massive thanks to Steve and the guys at the Bushcraft meet – you can find out more about bushcraft meets near you at http://www.bushcraftliving.com/ and http://www.bushcraftuk.com/forum/

Favourite Event: Just Walk 2011

It hurt like hell at the end, but I did really enjoy the 40km hike across South Downs in aid of MS Research – it was a great route with two nights camping in great company (@ukjeeper, @TheRamblingDuck, and the two MS Trust girls who plied me with Jelly Babies). It was also great to raise £1152 for MS Research (thank you again for everyone who donated).

You can view the route, as well as the photos and tweets, at http://www.shareyouradventure.com/map/os/daylightgambler/2011-05-07

Favourite National Park Trip: Dartmoor

I am not sure if it was the lovely weather, the company or the awesome rugged landscape, but I really enjoyed a weekend in Dartmoor, and I am looking forward to visiting again soon!

Links to the write ups: http://www.mycountryside.org.uk/category/areas-of-uk/south-west

Favourite Experience: Wild Swimming

On a trip to Brecon Beacons in August I discovered wild swimming (or just outdoor swimming if you prefer). It was in a rather slimy pool, but I followed it up the following day in a beautiful waterfall plunge pool (see below) and, to be honest, I am still raving about it. Unfortunately there were no other opportunities for the rest of the year, but this is definitely something I will be doing in 2012!

Related post: http://www.mycountryside.org.uk/category/areas-of-uk/south-west/

Favourite Walk: Waterfalls of Afon Mellte and Afon Nedd Fechan

I am totally in debt for Surfnslide for his original write up of this awesome waterfall themed walk (and the scene for my second wild swim). It is quite possibly one of the best walks I have ever done!

You can view the related blog post at: http://www.mycountryside.org.uk/2011/09/23/brecon-beacons-day-3-waterfalls/

Favourite Camp: Peak District with Gareth and Wales with Lauren

Ok I am cheating here slightly by picking two camps, but honestly my life would not be worth living if I choose a favourite. First up was my first wild camp with Gareth (from Webtogs) in the Peak District in a wonderful spot found by James. This was followed a few weeks later with a glorious little spot on a hill above Lauren’s house. Both fantastic experiences.

Favourite Kit: Chocolate Fish Merino Baselayer

I love my Chocolate Fish baselayer I bought earlier in the year – in fact I am pretty much always wearing it (except of course when it is in the wash…) It has a great fit, remains the same size as it was new (my Icebreakers seemed to shrink down a size over a few months) and still feels fantastic against my skin. They are not cheap – but they are worth it!

Other Highlights

• Spending some quality time with friends both old and new out on the hills, especially @divescidiva
• The Monsal Head outdoor bloggers meet organised by Terry
• Social Hiking – literally blood, sweat and tears have gone into it in 2011!
• Pretty sure I have forgotten something….

and 2012?

2012 is going to be all about taking time to enjoy the outdoors – I have a vague idea about some time out on Dartmoor, as well as more wild swimming and camping.

2012 is also the year of Walk 2012 – a great project that lets you be part of the Olympic experience whilst walking in some lovely English countryside. More on that soon!

Have a good 2012 everyone!

With the days drawing short, most people’s only option for walking, during the week at least, is going to be in the dark.

Personally I enjoy it. The world at night has a completely different feel to it. Familiar walks can often appear to be quite different when the sun has gone down. Different viewpoints, smells and often wildlife are experienced during the twilight hours. Once you are practised and experienced at walking in the dark, it actually becomes quite easy. Paths are usually easy to find and follow as the dark line on the ground is visibly clearer than the surrounding area.

I am fortunate enough to have good night vision, only having to resort to using a torch on moonless nights or when under tree cover. Perhaps I have particularly efficient ‘rods’ in my eyes. I’m not referring to a horrible industrial accident or some form of cybernetic upgrade, the human eye retina is composed of ‘cone’ and ‘rod’ cells. Cone cells are used for seeing colour and brighter light environments, rods are designed for black and white and low light environments  (ie, the dark).

Molecules of rhodopsin in the rods of the eye undergo a change in shape as they absorb light. Rhodopsin is the chemical that allows night-vision, and is extremely sensitive to light. Exposed to a spectrum of light, the pigment immediately bleaches, and it takes about 30 minutes to regenerate fully, but most of the adaptation occurs within the first five or ten minutes in the dark. Rhodopsin in the human rods is less sensitive to the longer red wavelengths of light, so many people use red light to help preserve night vision as it only slowly depletes the eye’s rhodopsin stores in the rods and instead is viewed by the cones.

Rod cells are also more sensitive to movement. A useful tip when trying to focus in on an object in low light is NOT to stare at the object directly, but use peripheral vision as this uses more of the rods. Look slightly away from the object and move your eyes.

Although the cones and rods work together, it can take a while for your eyes to adjust to the lower light, which can take as much as 20-30 minutes. Before starting off, try as much as possible to allow for your eyes to adjust. It would be embarrassing to fall into a ditch 10 feet from the car (yes, I’ve done it). While out walking, also try to avoid looking directly into artificial light. Halogen floodlights and car headlights are great for the owners, but reset your retinas back to ‘day view’.

As I prefer to walk in the dark as much as possible rather than walking along like an illuminated Cyclops with a head torch, I carry a small, but strong LED torch in my pocket, covering the lens to only emit as much light as I need for the situation. Another option is coloured filters that fit over your torch lens. Just be aware that some, especially red, the most popular filter, will ‘filter’ out the colour red. A colour often used in OS maps. You might not see an important symbol or contour line. Some people prefer to use a blue filter instead.

With the absence of identifiable features and landmarks at night, make even more sure than usual you know where you are on the map and where you intend to go. Its incredibly easy to get lost at night, and often harder to get oriented again.

For those that are lucky enough to have electronic mapping solutions (EG; Viewranger) turn the brightness down as much as possible while still being able to see the display. On more than a few occasions I’ve been blinded by a 7” LCD screen while checking my position. The Symbian version of Viewranger has a ‘night vision’ setting. If you have it, use it.

Also, look in the app market (smartphones and tablets) as there are often (depending on your model) apps that turn your camera LED light into an emergency torch. A useful item to have if your torch happens to die when you least expect it.

Some even have an SOS option, useful if you end up in the unfortunate position of having to be rescued. That little light can be seen for a very long way.

While on the subject of mobile phones and summoning help, it is even more important to leave word of where you’re going and when you should be expected back. If you have a tracking system (such as Viewranger, Instamapper, SPOT, etc) use it, and make sure someone else knows how to look you up if needed.

Searching for a lost soul will take even longer in the dark, and its generally colder (and damper) at night so a quick recovery is a good idea.

Guest post by Tim Cooper – @ukjeeper on Twitter

Thanks Tim for an interesting and useful post!

At my school, the expedition element of the award was done in a single week based at an army base in Devon. The kids doing the award were split into teams, with each team assigned an older leader from the cadets. After lectures on kit, route planning, and safety – the teams, under the guidance of their leader, planned and undertook a two day route across Exmoor. This practice hike was a chance to learn the basic skills needed for backpacking. Afterwards there were a few rest days where there were activities like abseiling, an assault course and a mock night time military exercise on the dunes. The mission for the exercise was to navigate as a team to contacts on each dune in the dark, whilst avoiding enemy “soldiers” hunting you (for extra effect there were usually a few flares fired into the air to keep you on your toes). The exercise, as well as being fun, was a chance to learn and practice map reading and navigation. Finally at the end of the week, the teams, this time without their leaders, had to plan and undertake their own expedition (this time along the more populated coast).

I enjoyed the week so much, that I went back every year for the next three years as a leader. The whole experience inspired me and provided the ground work for the pastime I now enjoy so much. I do not think I actually ever completed my Duke of Edinburgh award, but it achieved what it was there for.

When I found out a friend’s 15 year old daughter had decided to do her Duke of Edinburgh, I was excited for her – then the kit list turned up.

With that list you could be forgiven for thinking they must be going on some epic expedition… but nope this is the kit list for a two day hike in Northamptonshire in June. My overall concern is the thought of these kids having a miserable time lugging all this unneccessary kit across the countryside – that is not going to inspire them but put them off for life!

Sure, most of the kit on the list has a use, at some point or another, on certain types of trips in certain conditions. But no one has explained to these kids what half the stuff is (apparantly the teacher was unsure what was meant by ‘binos’), how to use it (rope for example)) and how to decide what equipment to take on what trip. Their first training walk is tomorrow (with all this kit) – when they planned their routes they were told not to walk near any water (rivers, canals, ponds etc.) as the school insurance only covers such dangerous areas for their main hike……

In an age where kids are unhealtier, fatter and stuck indoors on their game systems, is this really the best we can offer them? Surely we should be inspiring them and teaching them skills to reconnect with the great outdoors, not sending them out as overloaded dumb pack animals?

Fortunately this 15 year old girl has already climbed her first mountain, experienced the beauty of moorland bleakness, and discovered the joys of camping – she just wants the award!

Just WALK

Just WALK is a sponsored charity walk across the picturesque South Downs in West Sussex on 7 July 2011. There is a 10 km, 20 km, 40 km or a massive 60 km route to choose from.

I am planning to walk the 40 km route (along with @ukjeeper who is doing it in aid of Little Havens Children’s Hospice) in aid of MS Research, a dedicated MS charity committed to raising funds for research that will make a real difference for those who have MS and those who share their lives. 40 km (which is about 25 miles) should be a good enough challenge for me, without killing me!

Despite having made many visits to Worthing with my estranged wife in the past, I have never really done too much proper hiking on the South Downs, so it will be a great opportunity to take in England’s newest National Park.

Both @ukjeeper and I are keen users of Social Hiking, so expect to be able to follow us live as we tweet, photograph and video throughout the day, and if anyone else wants to join us, you will be more than welcome!

Walk 2012

Walk 2012 is the idea of Mark (@walk2012), who is organising a long-distance walk to celebrate the Olympic spirit that just about anybody to take part in whilst the real Olympics are on.

The walk starts in Weymouth (where the sailing events are being held), after the opening ceremony, and finishes at the Olympics stadium at Stratford in east London (before the closing ceremony). Very sensibly he is aiming to end each day at a pub which is showing the highlights of the days events!

I am really taken by the Walk 2012 idea – not only do I think it will be great fun, but it will also give me a chance to walk through some lovely parts of the South of England that I probably would not think about walking through usually!

I hope to try and get together a group of people on twitter to come along and take part with me! (You have been warned!)

What I didn’t expect was to end up in hospital……

History

In April 2006, I started going numb in my lower half, which was progressively getting worse. After a chat with my dad, who is a doctor, I went to see my GP who quickly sent me to A&E. After an MRI scan I was diagnosed as having an inwards slipped disc (which probably has a much better medical name), which was putting pressure on my nerves and ultimately my spinal cord. A week later I had a semi-emergency micro discectomy to prevent “neurological disaster” (according to my consent form).

If you really want to, you can view a video of what they do during a microdiscetomy L5-S1 at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C8fBh-WKdl4

The operation was a success and whilst leaving me with slightly numbness /pins and needles in my toes, and mild back pain (if I don’t sit correctly), left me fit to resume normal life – in fact the surgeon said I would be able to play rugby within 6 weeks (I don’t play rugby, but I got his point).

4 Years On

In the last four years – my back has been fine. It is sometimes a little stiff in the mornings if I have been particularly active, and is a bit painful if I don’t sit properly – but ultimately there was nothing worthy of concern.

During the build up for Offa’s Dyke I was actually quite surprised how well my back coped with walking for long distances – I purposely chose a slightly heavier backpack which offered maximum lumber support (the staff at White and Bishop were very understanding as I tried every single backpack they had in stock several times before settling on the Berghaus C7 65l+10l Bioflex Backpack), and I had no problems on any of the training trips.

During Offa’s Dyke, I experienced a little bit of uncomfort going up hill towards the end – but that disappeared at the top, and each morning my back felt absolutely fine.

After Offa’s Dyke

Four days after returning from Wales however, I started going progressively numb again. My GP, who felt that I had probably slipped a disc again, decided to arrange a MRI scan, but in the meantime I was told to go straight to A&E if symptoms progressed.

Two days later, as symptoms progressed, I was admitted to hospital, after quite a few hours spent in A&E. The MRI scan the following morning revealed that my discs were fine, and that there was “no surgical cause” for my symptoms, and a few days later I was discharged with a view to having an outpatients appointment with a neurologist.

Now What?

As there is no surgical cause, it is quite likely (although I am still waiting for my outpatients appointment with the neurologist) that my symptoms are due to inflammation around the nerves, and should ultimately fade. Until then I can’t walk on uneven ground (there is a high risk of breaking my ankle due to my numb feet) and walking is uncomfortable and tiring.

It is too much of a coincidence that it came just a few days after we finished Offa’s Dyke. Who knows whether it was sleeping on a roll matt for 13 days, walking such long distances with a pulling dog, carrying the heavy weight or a combination of factors, but what I have to accept is that my body couldn’t cope with it.

And that is hard to accept – I really enjoyed walking Offa’s Dyke, and had hoped to do more long distance walks… but at the moment that seems very unlikely.

During today’s BBC Countryfile programme, there was an interesting feature on Edgar Brown – a man who enjoys walking in the countryside with no shoes and socks on.

Now this captured my imagination – as a child I loved nothing better than walking through the fields around our house barefoot, taking in all the sensations and feelings. Even to this day, I enjoy walking barefoot through dry grass and across sandy beaches.

I also am currently suffering from athletes foot after the last couple of wet walks – a problem solved by not wearing shoes and socks. According to Adam Goldman on the Ramblers Forum:

About a year ago I took up barefoot hiking. Not only do I no longer suffer from blisters, sweaty feet, fungal infections and so on, I do not suffer from the pain in my knees or lower back which previously would affect me after a couple of miles in any kind of footwear.

Now your first thought would be that perhaps walking barefoot would be painful and that you would suffer injuries – well shaggy from the USA (again on the Ramblers Forum) adds that he as not suffered anything worse than a stubbed toe or minor scrape. Your next thought might be that perhaps barefoot walking is only suitable for short distances – well Adam has hiked 13 miles in Sussex, on a mix of roads, rough paths, grass, and mud (although obviously you need to toughen up your feet over shorter distances first), and knows a fellow barefoot walker who has hiked around New Zealand’s South Island.

“100% perfect ‘fit’, very comfortable, durable, self-repairing, highly flexible yet stable, waterproof, lifetime guarantee, reduced damage to footpaths”: If this was an advertisement for walking boots, how much would you be prepared to pay!

Edgar highlighted a number of advantages to barefoot walking including:

• Less impact on the environment – in a physical sense rather than a whimsical sense. Walking barefoot leaves less of a footprint than walking boots.
• You can walk quietly and be stealthy – Edgar has crept up behind a fox
• It is good for your feet.
• It feels great on you feet.
• It is a wonderful feeling, and you don’t get smelly socks!

As the article, “You Walk Wrong” from the NY Magazine goes through in detail, shoes are not good for our feet:

“Natural gait is biomechanically impossible for any shoe-wearing person,” wrote Dr. William A. Rossi in a 1999 article in Podiatry Management. “It took 4 million years to develop our unique human foot and our consequent distinctive form of gait, a remarkable feat of bioengineering. Yet, in only a few thousand years, and with one carelessly designed instrument, our shoes, we have warped the pure anatomical form of human gait, obstructing its engineering efficiency, afflicting it with strains and stresses and denying it its natural grace of form and ease of movement head to foot.” In other words: Feet good. Shoes bad.

There are also medical benefits – According to Herbs Hands Healing, walking barefoot helps to discharge static electricity from the body, calming the nervous system. There is also evidence that walking barefoot can help strengthen leg and foot muscles, here is an except from “Barefoot walking/running and the use of shoe inserts” by Damien Howell:

The theory behind barefoot walking/running is that the nerve endings on the bottom – when stimulated cause reflex muscle contraction to avoid the irritation. Stepping on something sharp or rough is painful – the muscles in the foot and leg contract in order to get off the irritation. This constant cycle of sensory stimulation and reflex muscle contraction is thought to improve the strength of the foot and leg muscles.

So I thought I would give barefoot walking a go for today’s dog walk….

and do you know what…. I really enjoyed it!

Here are a few photos of my feet in action:

The freedom and sensation of walking barefoot was brilliant – the ground was damp, as it had rained fairly recently, and I have to admit that it took about 10mins before the feeling of slimy, squelchy mud between your toes stopping feeling horrid! You definately need to watch where you are stepping, mainly to avoid dog poo, cow pats, stinging nettles, large thistles and stones. Very quickly my feet started buzzing, and I was happy to walk through all the muddy puddles!

When I got home, I hosed down, washed and dried my feet, just like I do for the dogs. The soles of the my feet just feels amazing – the top of both feet have reacted slightly to the pollen as I have hayfever, however after a suitable anti-inflammatory pill this quickly died down.

Would I do it again? Yes almost certainly – provided no one was looking. Fortunately I didn’t bump into anyone, but I did feel very self conscious wondering around without shoes and socks on!

For the less adventurous trialists, try the Barefoot Walk at Trentham Estate (see related press release):

A delightful sensory stroll across 24 terrains, from springy grass to squelchy mud, this unique “DIY reflexology” experience is guaranteed to get all the family’s toes tingling and faces smiling.

There is an excellent review of the Trentham Estate Barefoot Walk on the Guardian website.

For other sources of information on barefoot walking:

• An excellent video from the Barefoot Chef
  
• The Society for Barefoot Living
• Barefoot entry in Wikipedia
• “Feet First – One Step at a Time” by Kasha Stoll from Capital-Journal