As of late, I've noticed a big increase of beginners passing on their 'expert knowledge'. Now I don't mind people sharing ideas and all that and their level of expert knowledge but when it's published in blog form and labelled as a beginners guide, then I do fret!

So, lately I've seen advice such as carrying two bottles of suncream for a day ride (whilst using a saddle bag, frame bag and a rucksack ), bikepackers being recommended to carry an axe and a knife (had to be Gerber though) in case you needed to have a fire (!), and the final straw was a mountain bike film showing a Welsh family setting off a pickups worth of fireworks in the desert (dumped and set off in one swoop).

No wonder people are getting worried about the countryside gaining more users if this is what they see as an example

Please, please don't get me going ... I'd promised myself that I was going to have a grump free week.

two bottles of suncream for a day ride

Well to get the right tan lines you might need factor 4 or maybe an 8, who knows eh?

bikepackers being recommended to carry an axe and a knife

I went to France on European Bike Express a while back, transport of choice of the true 4-pannier tourer. A chap I sat next to on the coach and met later on one of the cols had a proper metal lump hammer for his tent pegs and a full size D-lock. I expect there was an axe in there also but I didn't ask. Refreshingly different approach to my roadie-weenie packing.

voodoo_simon wrote: So, lately I've seen advice such as carrying two bottles of suncream for a day ride

The question is, do I roll my shorts up to the shave line or leave them long and get a white stripe between the bottom of the shorts and hair?

I always take my axe...

After the way I smelled on Sunday, i don't think I could completely dismiss carrying some Axe

I've noticed a lot of that too, people being introduced to the outdoors and thinking that fires are acceptable and something that you always do on a bivi. Whatever happened to freezing your nuts off in a bivi, huddling around a cup a soup for warmth?

AlasdairMc wrote: Whatever happened to freezing your nuts off in a bivi, huddling around a cup a soup for warmth?

doesn't get the likes on instagram.

Adventure in't it. Not a proper adventure without a big fire ... even if you are only 2 f**king miles from home, have brought bottles of Evian water, a onsie and can see a million street lights from where you're 'adventuring'.

Not bad really, I managed about 7 hours.

jam bo wrote: doesn't get the likes on instagram.

I sense a #challenge...

Someone posted on Facebook about a day trip they had in the Lammermuirs. They stopped to make a fire to heat spring rolls and toast marshmallows .

Ray Young wrote:Someone posted on Facebook about a day trip they had in the Lammermuirs. They stopped to make a fire to heat spring rolls and toast marshmallows .

Yeah I saw that, had to really bite my tongue

cyclingtiger wrote:After the way I smelled on Sunday, i don't think I could completely dismiss carrying some Axe

This joke might work better on the continent.

Im pretty sure theres a whole different ethos that most people seem to follow.

Leave as much trace as possible


Always handy for the next people to come along.

They can see the best spot for erecting their tent (where the old one still stands).
Best spot for a fire is where the pile of blackend rocks are, probably with some half burnt packaging and tins of beer in amongst it, incase you've missed the other signs.
Best spot for a seat beside the fire is marked by another pile of empty tins, usually a chopped down tree has been locally sourced for this. May look half burnt, but this does not mark the ideal fire location !
The toilet facilities are usually marked by a pile of white mush(Dont disturb!), but sometimes you can see toilet paper hanging in the long grass or from branches. If your in luck, it may even be useable.

The fire can be used for rubbish disposal, or you can leave it lying about and the wind will scatter it for you.

Leave as much trace as possible


Always handy for the next people to come along.

They can see the best spot for erecting their tent (where the old one still stands).
Best spot for a fire is where the pile of blackend rocks are, probably with some half burnt packaging and tins of beer in amongst it, incase you've missed the other signs.
Best spot for a seat beside the fire is marked by another pile of empty tins, usually a chopped down tree has been locally sourced for this. May look half burnt, but this does not mark the ideal fire location !
The toilet facilities are usually marked by a pile of white mush(Dont disturb!), but sometimes you can see toilet paper hanging in the long grass or from branches. If your in luck, it may even be useable.

The fire can be used for rubbish disposal, or you can leave it lying about and the wind will scatter it for you.

If just a single word of that wasn't true, then you could laugh about it, couldn't you ... sadly, it's all true.

Some random mildly antagonistic thoughts which are directed at myself as much as anyone else.

1. When litter is the reality you live in for 90% of your life it's probably seems really normal to litter all the time.

2. Do you pick up/tidy up the 'trace' when you come across it in the countryside? Equally do you pick up litter when you come across it in your day to day environment?

3. Also if you 'leave no trace' in the hills, do you also do it at home? i.e. There isn't a rubbish fairy who makes what you put in a wheelie bin/black bag magically disappear into nothingness once it leaves the curb side.

When litter is the reality you live in for 90% of your life it's probably seems really normal to litter all the time.

When I was a kid, you wouldn't dare drop litter for fear of a bollocking. I also remember that there were lots of anti-littering campaigns, etc ... maybe what's lacking now, is education and maybe a bollocking

Do you pick up/tidy up the 'trace' when you come across it in the countryside? Equally do you pick up litter when you come across it in your day to day environment?

Yes and yes ... often come back from a ride with someone elses crisp packets and stuff. I also spend quite a bit of time tidying up round the communial bins at the end of the lane after people have just put their bags on the floor rather than in the bins and the local wildlife has done its bit.

Also if you 'leave no trace' in the hills, do you also do it at home? i.e. There isn't a rubbish fairy who makes what you put in a wheelie bin/black bag magically disappear into nothingness once it leaves the curb side.

I try to recycle when possible, however as humans we'll always produce some litter and it must be better for what there is to be dealt with in a controlled way rather than scattering it across the country in hedges, verges, etc.

Bearbonesnorm wrote:I try to recycle when possible, however as humans we'll always produce some litter and it must be better for what there is to be dealt with in a controlled way rather than scattering it across the country in hedges, verges, etc.

Yes, that wasn't quite what I meant. More that in our lovely globalised world where everything is a commodity to be traded and with UK landfills pretty much close to capacity you have to question whether keeping the UK clear of rubbish just equals making someone else's country* the destination for our waste.

*with more relaxed laws on H&S, recycling, pollution etc.

Bearbonesnorm wrote:Yes and yes ... often come back from a ride with someone elses crisp packets and stuff.

Yup, I'm exactly the same, as Stu and others who have ridden with me can attest to.

Find it f*ck*ng astonishing that people will happily carry a full bottle / whatever of something somewhere but then can't be arsed carrying back the empty container.

Yes, that wasn't quite what I meant. More that in our lovely globalised world where everything is a commodity to be traded and with UK landfills pretty much close to capacity you have to question whether keeping the UK clear of rubbish just equals making someone else's country* the destination for our waste.

With you Ben. Difficult one, although I'm sure someone, somewhere will no doubt come up with a solution that involves using Wales as a landfill sight, just as soon as they've finished covering it with turbines

with UK landfills pretty much close to capacity

A sobering thought - the landfill of today is the resource mine of tomorrow.

jameso wrote:

with UK landfills pretty much close to capacity

A sobering thought - the landfill of today is the resource mine of tomorrow.

Mining in Wales? It'll never catch on.

I could have a rant but I won't. Used to work for the Forestry Commission and some of that time was responsible for the management of recreational facilities. It was bad enough in the picnic places and carparks but even out on some of the longer walks the litter that was left behind was apalling. On many kayaking trip s to coastal bothies I came away with a large bin bag strapped to the back deck filled with the usual empty cans bottles etc. Latterly I lived in Dumbarton and the problems in the National Park were horrendous, so although I don't like the camping bans I can understand where they are coming from.
As an aside the general litter problems that we see in UK towns seem to be absent here in Hungary, even smokers will carry the fag end to the nearest bin rather than drop it on the street, some form of civic pride I guess.
I guess education will work in the end, but I think it might take a generation or two, at least, so prepare for the long haul.
Peter

FWIW I'm a Sustrans VR and "look after" a wee stretch of NCN7. On the occasional litter-pick, by far the biggest problem is where the cycle-path runs parallel to the main road - and it's not cyclists litter that's the issue.

I stand corrected Giacomo

Only one time i wished i carried a saw to a bothy, still the blunt one warmed me up much quicker than lighting the fire!

In the countryside, I do try and pick up litter but sometimes there is too much (one bothy trip I'm afraid I didnt, feck knows what the litter that was left behind but there was no way I was touching it without rubber gloves on - I did tidy all my own stuff away).

ScotRoutes wrote:FWIW I'm a Sustrans VR and "look after" a wee stretch of NCN7. On the occasional litter-pick, by far the biggest problem is where the cycle-path runs parallel to the main road - and it's not cyclists litter that's the issue.

My commute takes me past a KFC, McDonalds etc etc and the litter near these places is unbelievable