#AskPaulKirtley Episode 17: Tyvek, Wool Blankets, Bivvy Condensation, Ridge Lines and Wilderness Licences
In this episode of #AskPaulKirtley I answer questions on various considerations with respect to shelter and sleeping arrangements, bivvybag condensation, wool blankets (again), Tyvek as a material for beds and tents, setting up tarp ridge lines and the important question of whether or not there should be such a thing as a wilderness licence?
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93 thoughts on “#AskPaulKirtley Episode 17: Tyvek, Wool Blankets, Bivvy Condensation, Ridge Lines and Wilderness Licences”
Well ranted and well said on the negative comments, its unfortunately the cancer of the key board warriors but as a professional within this industry I for one sincerely appreciate the work that you are doing engaging people with the outdoors. I also understand the amount of effort and energy you put into this work…. for free. Well done, keep it up.
Thank you Jason,
You comment and support is much appreciated.
Warm regards,
Paul
Paul
No question.
Really sorry to hear that you have had negative feedback from a few idiots. They are as you said trolls and not people who are interested in bushcraft and outdoor living. I have a huge library for my work, and always thought that it was part of being a professional-always refreshing and extending your knowledge.
I have not done one of your courses but thoroughly enjoy your podcasts and youtube channels. Your willingness to share your knowledge for free is most commendable and most appreciated. Please don’t change what your doing as its so inspiring and really helpful.
Hopefully the idiots will find another topic that they know nothing about and have no willingness to learn from others and leave helpful and engaging contributors alone.
All the best for now. Ps are you running your on line plant use course this year?
Kind regards
Ken
Thank you Ken. Yes, I fail to see how anyone with a serious professional interest in any area or subject could avoid building up a library of important texts pertaining to their work. Even more so if this work is also a passion.
I’m glad you understand.
Thanks for your kind words.
Warm regards,
Paul
Hi Paul.
Just watched episode 17. It is a shame there are so many village idiots in this world which make the animal world seem so much more sensible. I look forward to your episodes very much and the fact that they are free for everyone is a credit to you. Keep up the good work and lets hope the clowns go back to the circus where they belong.
Regards
Tony
Thanks Tony 🙂
The world is full of people who ‘drain’, they sap our energy and time and offer nothing ! The likes more especially of Paul and Jason give of their time whole heartedly with no financial bias.
Paul is an absolute inspiration and an ‘outdoorsman’s compass’ for all of those who are willing to listen and learn. Crack on Paul, shine light on this wonderful genre and let’s leave the ‘morons’ in the shadows.
Best
M
Thanks Mark. Your unswerving support over the last decade or so has helped me keep my compass true.
Much appreciated my friend.
Best,
Paul
Great video as always.
One pro for the “under or over” tarp question, and one I like, is that with “over” it also gives you an option to hang up small items for easy reach during the night.
The downside is, as you mention, adding anything extra to ridge line could potentially increase the chance of water wicking along the line.
If you keep a tight ridge line and use small items the effect should be negligible though.
Keep up the great work Paul.
Many thanks
Carlo
Agreed Carlo – keeping the ridgeline tight will mean minimal dripping. Also, I tend to prefer a separate hang line so I can really tension the ridge line and have the hanging line tension independent of this, as per the following article on the Frontier Bushcraft blog:
Hang ‘Em High: Tips for Getting Organised Under Your Tarp
Also, I like to hang my sleeping bag under the tarp to air out, so I find the separate line better for this too (hard to get it between the tarp and ridge line if the ridge line and guy lines are as tight as they should be to get a nice taught tarp sheet) as illustrated in this article.
Thanks for your comments and support.
Warm regards,
Paul
Hi Paul,
Sorry to hear about negative comments. I for one am pleased to have been lucky enough to have been on a couple of your courses and can confirm that if we cut you in half I’d expect to see roots and stones rather than blood and bones! Keep up the great work and hope the storms didn’t affect you too much. Great comments on the outdoor license, I really think that policing anything like that wouldn’t work and we only need to look at the access to our waterways in the UK to see how little licenses really help. The BCU is there for the good but I personally feel that only the minority of water users are actually members and “allowed” to paddle there. I can’t see a wilderness license getting a much better response.
Hi Paul,
Sorry to hear about negative comments. I for one am pleased to have been lucky enough to have been on a couple of your courses and can confirm that if we cut you in half I’d expect to see roots and stones rather than blood and bones! Keep up the great work and hope the storms didn’t affect you too much. Great comments on the outdoor license, I really think that policing anything like that wouldn’t work and we only need to look at the access to our waterways in the UK to see how little licenses really help. The BCU is there for the good but I personally feel that only the minority of water users are actually members and “allowed” to paddle there. I can’t see a wilderness license getting a much better response.
Regards
Kev
Thanks Kev,
It’s good to hear from you. I can’t believe we’re already a couple of months down the line from the Spey trip…
The storms were pretty brutal for 36 hours. As I was walking back to the village after I recorded this episode, I passed through various woodlands and I could hear the wind in the trees getting progressively stronger at each one. It really did whip up quickly in the end.
Fortunately the rain was not as heavy as the other side of the Pennines in Cumbria.
You make a good point about British waterways re the “wilderness licence”.
Warm regards,
Paul
hey Paul, great blog as always. and as you say “free to all”.. ignore those who make negative remarks and sweeping generalizations…its probably jealousy/ envy…. All the very best to you, keep up the good work mate . Scott Somerset
Thank you Scott. I appreciate it.
Warm regards,
Paul
WOW ! I’m truely shocked that you have received ANY criticism and abuse, at all !
As you rightly say, ignoring such people is most definitely the way to go.
You have my respect and admiration for all the trouble you go to in helping and informing others.
Thank you Paul.
I never cease to be amazed at the internet-thuggery that some people attempt. As I say, YouTube seems to be a particular breeding ground for a particular type of idiot (only a minority of those who use YouTube of course), but it does spread out into the wider web.
As always Samuel, I appreciate your support.
Warm regards,
Paul
Dear Paul,
Forget the negative interweb douchebags, they will always be there (sad to say). Unfortunately when you stand up and try to inform folks out there you seem to always get that negative reaction from “certain types” (call them; cowards, call them; vindictive, call them; trolls, whatever), the point is that you know yourself what it is, it is a fear, the dreaded “tall poppy” syndrome. It brings out the worst and they can’t wait to shout you down fast enough; “down in front!”, ” back in line!” etc.
Anyway, I would like to remind you that you have a heap of a (super) loyal followers out here in the nether-regions of cyberspace and that they are incredibly grateful for the valuable, free and lets not forget) entertaining information that you provide us with.
I would just like to say thank you, don’t say it to you often enough for all the work that you do and I would like you to know that it helps/benefits and improves my outdoor experiences, has done for years now.
Rory
Thanks Rory,
Your comments made me smile for a number of reasons.
The trolls will henceforth be known as negative interweb douchebags 😉
Cheers,
Paul
Hi Paul,
I just wanted to say, “try not to be put off by stupid comments”. I suppose by putting yourself online some people consider you ‘fair game’ to have a go at……….please don’t let this put you off doing what you do, it’s very much appreciated.
I tried a bivvy a few months ago and suffered from condensation so I will try your advice!
As far as the licensing issue, I think the countryside should be available for everybody but education has to be the key…….”leave no trace”………I hold my hands up in admitting that I’m not perfect, but I do try!
My main philosophy is, put back what I disturb and take back what I take in…….
Hi Mark,
Thanks for your comments. Yes, I think you are right regarding the “fair game” point. People see me as a “public figure”, even though I’m far from that.
I agree with you regarding the countryside being available for everybody but that it is important that we do our best to put as little strain on the environment as possible, so that we and others may continue to use it for generations to come.
You may well have already seen my leave no trace article, but if not please do share it around:
http://paulkirtley.co.uk/2011/how-to-leave-no-trace-of-your-campfire/
Also, let me know how you get on with your next bivvy bag outing 🙂
Warm regards,
Paul
Hi Paul,
Although you had a rant and it’s clear to see that the detrimental comments were scathing, you need not concern yourself with them, you have as much of a following as the other great,well known outdoorsman and give advice and teachings on the Web freely, the people that matter follow you because the know that the golden nuggets of information you give are from your experiences. I have sat in a few police stations in the course of my work but that dosnt make me either criminal or police officer, pay the trolls no attention what so ever, they can’t harm you or frontier to many of us know what and who you are. Thank you for the time you take and give freely and rise above the unknowing negatives, we who support you know the truth. Many thanks again and keep it up.
Thank you Paul 🙂
Hello Paul,
I don’t normally feel the need to comment, just to listen and learn from you. Many thanks for all your hard work producing your media streams which do so much to promote bush craft in all its facets. My message to you is please ignore the half-witted comments, your work is much appreciated and recognised for what it really is -first class stuff!
nil illigitimae carborundum !!! (or whatever the correct version is)!
Best regards.
Thanks John. I’ll dust off my Latin dictionary… 😉
Warm regards,
Paul
Yes, I’d like to add my name to the list of positive viewers and listeners. I too enjoy your work and would point out to the negative idiots that at the age of 74, I have been experiencing the outdoors now for 65 years and yet still manage to learn something new from every episode of Ask Paul Kirtley.
The last question and your answer was particularly thought-provoking since the majority of my working life was spent in education. I share your view that education is paramount in changing attitudes but the great mystery is why, despite education, some people persist in behaviour that damages themselves, others and the environment. We have to keep working at it and you are doing your bit through these episodes. Keep at it!
My wife, who was looking over my shoulder at the beginning of this episode, commented, “Ah, he’s been getting the same treatment as I did in my anti-racist programme. There are always idiots like that out there. How I wish I’d had the opportunity at the time to respond publicly using social media like that. Please tell that interesting young man that is just the right way to deal with them!” (So I am)
Thank you both for the kind words of encouragement and wisdom.
Warm regards,
Paul
Hi Paul,
Sorry to hear about the negative nonsense Paul clearly didn’t do there research! Keep up the good work.
Recently had some issues with people leaving a mess too. They were “new age” types who are supposed to be all eco this and eco that. They left all there rubbish behind excrement you name it presumably in the belief that the earth will heal herself. Some people are so mixed or just plain hypocritical.
cheers for now.
Dunc
Thanks Dunc,
It always amazes me how hypocritical/contradictory some people are.
The best we can do is to keep working to educate people in why tidying up after themselves is important as well as giving them methods for doing so. Let’s face it many people don’t have a clue how to tidy up a campsite or a campfire. It goes back to my point about education. If everyone has the right to go camping (which they should in my view), then our education system also needs to teach people how to do this responsibly.
Cheers,
Paul
Keep up the GREAT work Paul. As they say here on the Left Coast, “Don’t mind the haters brother”. Love all the useful info. and wish I could live the life full-time.
Thanks my friend.
Hi Paul
Well said that man about the trolls.
my Ridge line input..
I find if you hang your line under your tarp you can use it as a kit storage line, keeping it dry and off the ground, like I do for my glasses and torch etc.
With the addition of prusset knots to help stop the rain water running down the line, (I leave a length of cord to aid the water to wick off the line just before the knots and if needed to catch rain water to drink. This also partially filters the water.)
Thanks for the blogs and keep them coming
Toni
Hi Toni,
Thanks for your comments, particularly re the trolls 🙂
Agreed re the usefulness of having a line under the tarp. Personally I prefer a second line, so that you can keep the main ridgeline very tight (and therefore the tarp very taught) and still fit what you want on the hanging line without it being pushed tight against the fabric of the tarp, which will reduce the ability to air off sleeping bags or clothing and may even conribute to them getting wet in the first place.
Here’s an article I wrote on the Frontier Bushcraft blog back in 2012 which highlights this set-up:
Hang ‘Em High: Tips for Getting Organised Under Your Tarp
Cheers,
Paul
Everyday is a school day Paul and that’s why your blogs are great.
Keep them coming as I’m out most weeks and I still learn a few tricks from you (and I tell my bushcraft/wild campers friends about your blogs)
Indeed Toni. There’s always more to learn for all of us. That’s one of the things I love about the community around this blog. It forces me to clarify my thinking as well as giving me the opportunity of learning lots from all the comments and experiences of others too.
Hi Paul
As to the negative comments, I concur with what’s been said above, keep up the great work. Regarding TARPS I have a preference for the ‘under’ method using prussic knots and toggles which I’ve attached using elastic (MCQBushcraft also offer a great instructional video). Quick and easy to set up with quick release knots. Putting a couple of stitches into the tags keeps it closer to the ridge line and therefore higher. Also find this method useful when using a hammock so I can ensure the tarp sits nicely covering the tarp area.
Cheers
Steve
Thanks Steve,
It seems you have a tidy system for your tarp set up.
Warm regards,
Paul
Hi Paul,
I for one really appreciate the time and hard work you put into your blogs and videos, and I believe I speak for many other people as well. In an increasingly commercialized and money orientated world it is truly refreshing to see someone like yourself sharing knowledge and experience for free. As for the trolls I really have nothing to say and
it appears if they really had any insight they would realise the same could be said of themselves.
Keep up the good work Paul! Many people really do appreciate it.
All the best. , Steven.
Thank you Steven. I appreciate your support.
Warm regards,
Paul
Hi Paul,
Enjoying the blog; might be able to add something about the tyvek browse bag that one of your Canadian correspondents has mentioned. It does look like a bivi bag, but I think the idea is that you fill it with assorted leaves and smaller debris from the forest floor and then lie on top of it. I read it in Kephart a few years back and tried it out with a couple of bin bags; quite comfortable if you get the bigger branches out, and the tyvek version looks like it might be worth a try.
Cheers,
Scott
Hi Scott, yes this didn’t properly register when I looked at the post again on my phone the other day. Mike has replied elsewhere in this thread and confirmed this was his itention. It’ll be interesting to see how it performs.
Warm regards,
Paul
Hi Paul,
Thanks for all the nice videos also here in Holland a lot of people are following your blog etc.
I have used a self made bivvi bag from Tyvek now for the third year. Especially in the summer they are great. In the winter I am using a Dutch bivvi bag.
gr
Cees
Hi Cees,
It’s good to hear from you. As you may know, I also use the Dutch bag in the winter time. Lots of room for a high loft sleeping bag as well as personal clothing, boots, etc., for Arctic bivvies. Interesting that you use the Tyvek self made bivvi at other times. What do you like about them in particular? Are they more breathable/more comfortable?
Thanks and warm regards,
Paul
Hi Paul
I am really enjoying your podcasts. Take no notice of these idiots. Your contribution to people who enjoy the great outdoors is invaluable. Throughout history people have become specialists in all sorts of disciplines,Skills and knowledge. They all realise that the more they find out about a subject. The less they know. Your book collection to me just reinforces your passion and thirst to be the best you can and learn more from others, experiences, to gain even more knowledge.
In years gone by people would not share information. They would keep there tips and tricks close to their chest. We are lucky that we have someone as proffesional and practical to share in your experiences from around the globe.
Keep up the excellent work and share with us your trips
Regards
Stephen
Thank you Stephen. Yes, the more you know, the more you realise there is to know. It’s always humbling but sometimes it’s good to have people tell you that what you are doing is also valuable. So, thank you. I’m glad you enjoy and appreciate what I do and what I share.
Warm regards,
Paul
Do not feed the trolls Paul, no time for them. I think that they are jealous like you mentioned and sometimes you do need to do research.
Absolutely Rody. We need to starve the Trolls, deny them oxygen…
Hi Paul,
frankly, I’m amazed that anyone could bring themselves to complain at all. To be honest, what drew me to your blog was the common-sense, straight talking, intelligent and inclusive (as in non-sexist, non-divisive, non-‘experts’ only) advice and answers, clearly based on a lifetimes personal outdoor experience. Personally, I do not consider you to be so much an ‘bushcraft expert’ so much as one of the best educators and informers in the field of experiencing the outdoors I have come across. Furthermore, It would not bother me if much of your knowledge had come from books and was passed on from an comfy armchair in front of gas fire; It is the quality, style and honesty of the information that is more important to me – the fact that it clearly comes with added experience is a great bonus.
Having said that, perhaps the trolls have inadvertently brought up a pertinent issue – by the very nature of the web, there are a huge number of so-called ‘outdoor gurus’ out there who are able to build a reputation based on questionable methods and training, without anyone being able to ‘check their credentials’. It is up to the viewer to apply a heavy dose of critical ‘filtering’ when searching for such information.
It might be worth reflecting that the Paul Kirtly format has clearly been a success as I notice other well-known ‘you-tube outdoors men’ are now starting to follow the Q&A format!
Please keep up the fantastic work for those of us who will never be able to go on one of your courses,
all the best,
Kevin
Hi Kevin,
It’s good to hear from you. Thanks for your kind words.
You make some very good points regarding online gurus and resultant scepticism.
I’m thankful that you see me as genuine and that you appreciate my output, here and on other platforms.
Warm regards,
Paul
Hi Paul,
thanks for taking the time to reply – much appreciated.
It just occurred to me, like so many other people today, many of the ‘You Tube Outdoor gurus’ are basically highly narcissistic – it’s all “look at me, look at my gear, look at my expensive knife, marvel at my skills, see my camp”. Less education and more ‘bushcraft selfies’!
Cheers,
Kevin
Let the fools stay fools, keep up your great info, very greatful from Montreal! Merci! Watch you all the time, you’re objective and don’t bs! Bravo!
Hi Paul, thanks for answering me in the session!
1) Let the fools stay fools!! You can’t always please everyone, especially fools!
2) For my Dupont Tyvek Home Wrap Tarp (in this case 9×12) in a tent setup, I have used this configuration twice with great results. in Once, one weekend in heavy rain, naturally with a small trench dug all around at 15″ Celsius and once on a cold November weekend at close to a 0″ Celsius in the Rouge-Matawin Reserve 2 hours north of Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
I use some number 36 Bank Line, Hazelnuts (in case I really need some urgent proteins :-), a Walking Pole and two or three Knots. Can be done with a square tarp as well, and other mods can also be done. I just had a Reflectix pad, an Evazote pad and a summer Sleeping bag, I was set for a great sleep!
I tried this with some of my scrap Tyvek and with the help of videos from Dave Canterbery and other sources on the net.
3) I haven’t had a chance to try my Tyvek Bivy yet, I will let you know here once I do! I will probably try it in a very cold weather in February.
Thank you again for your advise and recordings, there are objective and full of great info! Keep up the great work!
Mike Maners, from Montreal, Quebec, Canada!
Hi Mike,
Thanks for your comments on the trolls as well as your follow up re Tyvek. I feel I’m learning more than you in this exchange re this material, so thanks for involving me.
It’s good to read how well the tarp in tent set-up has worked well in various conditions. How much does it weigh?
I’ll be particularly interested to hear more about how the bivvy/browse bag works out (and again, the weight would interest me). I’m always interested in performance vs weight.
Many thanks,
Paul
Hi Paul, for the weight,
1) My 9×12 Tyvek tarp with a bunch of HazelNuts and small pieaces of Bank Line is 1,11 lb.
2) My Mommy Tyvek Bivy bag is 11 onces.
3) My Bigger Bivy/Browse Bag is 15,9 ounces.
Planning an outing next April 2016, will send you more details then with some pics.
This weekend, I will do another pic with my Bivy/Browse Bag, I will send it ou to your Twitter account, Share them as you wish! 🙂
Thanks again, please keep up the great work, it’s very appreciated!
Mike
Hi Paul, well after testing my Tyvek Browse/Debris Bag 3 times, I was not able to get the bag stuffed with leaves because the Double Sided Carpet Tape would not hold, even the Velcro would not hold during the stuffing of leaves!
But, the Tyvek Bivy Mommy Bag has held up great after 5 outings, even with the carpet tape and velcro. I guess it’s because there is no strain on the carpet tape or velcro during use. I did add a bit of duck tape at certain places, it still works great.
I guess the Tyvek Debris/Browse Bag needs another type of adhesive, if you stitch it up, the Tyvek will ripe. Does anybody have any input on this?
Mike Maners, from Montreal, Quebec, Canada!
I forgot to tell you that I will try the bag as a Browse Bag with leaves etc and as well as a basic Bivy . In both situations, I added Velcro and Two sided Carpet Tape on it! I figure this could give me more options if required. Mike from Montreal!
There will always be haters…. it the down side of a medium that provides so many upsides. its best to act like they dont exist and give your valuable time instead to those who want it. It pays you nothing to even mention them my friend, and it certainly doesnt help those who value the short time you are able to dispence knowledge.
Stuart.
ps, the stuart you know nicked sharpening files about ten years ago….tell him he owes me lol
Wise words Stuart.
I’ll mention the files to (the other) Stuart 🙂
Warm regards,
Paul
Hi Paul, I wanted to express my deep thanks for your work you do here, for free. I value it tremendously and look forward to every new episode and podcast. As an environmental advocate, I have had similar problems with trolls and haters, but the best thing to do is ignore and delete. I am sorry I have not commented more! We need to focus on the positive!
Hi Jason,
Thanks for the words of support. I’m sorry to hear you’ve suffered similar. It seems par for the course though.
You’re right – we need to focus more on the positive.
Many thanks,
Paul
Hi Paul,
Thanks for all your hard work making and posting videos for all of us to enjoy! I really hope you will continue posting your valuable experience so we all can learn from it. Please do not let the comments from a few, ruin it for the rest of your audience. Keep up the good work!
Best Regards,
Daryl
Hi All
As much as the license would be great in an “ideal world” the practicalities of them I don’t think would work , would I like a license to make camping in the New FOrest for me legal ? yes to right but I’ve been doing it for years and you would never know BECAUSE I CARE , the people that leave mess etc really don’t care and we would need 100s of Wardens to police just the NF alone, so with or without a license it won’t change the mentality of people, same for the “education” course Paul touched on, the only people who would go and people like ourselves who already do the right thing anyway. With regard to shaming on social media this is a double edged sword, shaming gets it into the public view so more people are aware but are these idiots doing this really ashamed? Do they really care? All it does IMO is give the “antis” ammunition to close off access by using our own hatred of the mess against us.
Great show Paul ,
Regards
Darren
Hi All
As much as the license would be great in an “ideal world” the practicalities of them I don’t think would work , would I like a license to make camping in the New FOrest for me legal ? yes to right but I’ve been doing it for years and you would never know BECAUSE I CARE , the people that leave mess etc really don’t care and we would need 100s of Wardens to police just the NF alone, so with or without a license it won’t change the mentality of people, same for the “education” course Paul touched on, the only people who would go and people like ourselves who already do the right thing anyway. With regard to shaming on social media this is a double edged sword, shaming gets it into the public view so more people are aware but are these idiots doing this really ashamed? Do they really care? All it does IMO is give the “antis” ammunition to close off access by using our own hatred of the mess against us.
Great show as always ,
Regards
Darren
Hi Paul, sorry to here about the idiots,
I totally agree it’s all about education. When I was in primary school back in the late 60’s early 70’s our teachers ( health and safety wouldn’t allow it now ) used to take the whole class out, about twice a year, litter picking in and around the local woodlands, and on the local mountain. It certainly made you appreciate nature and the countryside, and think ” Who and why would people throw away rubbish in a place like this?”
Hi Andrew
If you have school aged kids/grandkids contact the school as they can be supplied ( a week at a time) litter pick kits from the local council , this includes bags, pamphlets , hi-viz jackets and a ready made risk assessment ( more or less) my sons school do this in the local area and on the local beach.
Regards
Darren
Great rant Paul really enjoyed that and well justified. Don’t give these negative comments your energy as annoying as it is. Personally I really appreciate what you do and always look forward to hearing what you have to say. So thank you and keep up the good work it’s much appreciated.
You have every right to defend yourself against the mindless idiots. They obviously wish they had your wealth of knowledge and your popularity but lack the drive or wherewithal to obtain either. Another useful enjoyable video, I am so grateful to be able to watch and read for free your shared pearls of wisdom.
Many thanks and ” don`t let the buggers grind you down !! ”
Dave.
Paul, thank you for answering my question.
Regarding the negative comments; it is easy to comment on original work like yours – very easy to be negative and even rude, but it makes no impact on anyone unless it is given any regard. On the other hand, it is very difficult to produce valuable, informative, educational information in an easy to digest and original format that serves a community of people; which you are doing very well indeed, and this has a very positive impact on many. I would go so far as to say that this is one of the best educational sites I have found, on any subject, on the web and has most definitely enhanced my own knowledge and improved my outdoors experiences immensely – thank you.
All that said, I loved the rant.
The question I asked was seeded from a feeling of despair, having seen so much litter and other evidence of disrespectful bad practice – I do not think I have ever been on a trip outdoors and seen no litter! I have just returned form an amazing safari trip in SA and I even saw litter there in the reserve (albeit only 2 pieces in 3 days); I was not aloud to get out of the vehicle to pick it up!
I agree with all you said and I agree with the comments thus far on the subject but if nothing is done nothing will change. All the points regarding resources to “police” are valid but their could be ways to help though volunteers providing information to build a data base so rangers could begin to focus in on major culprits in the areas where it is a major problem.
Undoubtedly, education is the key and you are clearly doing some great work through this site and your other formats but a way to educate those who would not come to sites like this needs to be found – this is a bigger issue that bushcraft or outdoor activities, I believe it is core to much of what is wrong with today’s world. I do not have a workable solution but I will continue to think of how this could be tackled and will look at getting on one of your courses next year and hopefully we could find time to have a good chat over a brew one evening; assuming you allocate time for such stuff?
Keep up the good work and thanks for answering this question and providing a forum for us to discuss such issues.
Mick
Hi Paul,
Let me get this straight; your not a real ‘outdoors-person’ unless you’re homeless and illiterate? sounds like a well informed opinion if ever I heard one.
Seriously though, thanks for all the work you put into the videos and articles. They almost make it worth being able to read.
Luke.
Hi Luke,
I wish I could have put it so succinctly as you have done here. It would have allowed me to answer another question on the show 🙂
Nice one.
All the best,
PAul
Good grief, you have to love the trolls don’t you! Sad, little nobodies who obviously have little intelligence and nothing better to do then to try and insult those who go out of their way to help others. I used to struggle with the trolls to and found it very hard to bite my tongue and not retaliate, but I observed people like yourself Paul and learned to either ignore them or just make them very stupid. As someone else who also works hard to make a living from teaching in the outdoors I for one am massively grateful to you for the sheer volume of information and advice you put out there for free and I know how much time and effort goes into the various videos, emails, podcast etc that you do.
So on behalf of all the other outdoor enthusiasts, professionals and fans out there thanks again for the stuff that you do and keep up the great work mate. Craig
Being trolled is a mark of success!
Your reaching out and connecting with many more people now. So your head is well above the parapet and some will try to take it off. Take it as a sign that your message is getting further than it ever has.
Don’t feed the trolls. Delete and move on. It’s depressing to see some of humanity living at that level. To think how much trolling celebs get. They get threats of rape, murder and some do get killed by stalkers just like John Lennon. I guess sometimes it’s better to stay in the shadows but if you have a message you need to get out, you need to fight through the obstacles trying to hold you back.
I got my first troll on my YouTube channel a few months back. Gave me a tirade of abuse, went through my vids and disliked many of them. Blamed me for all sorts of things too. Never met him, barely spoke to him. Clearly an unwell chap. I was quite upset for a few days and contemplated shutting it all down and just doing bushcraft on my own so I wouldn’t be subject to abuse. I decided to keep going as I enjoy it and most people enjoy the vids too. There will be more trolls and the next one won’t affect me so much.
Your doing fantastic work please keep it up as your one of the few quality channels out there. Most ‘bushcraft’ channels are more like the Shopping Channel. Kit, gear, brands and ‘look at me big knife, mate’.
Keep up the good work, your supporters appreciate all the hard work and effort!
Congratulations on a great series of free bids.
Hope you can keep em coming.
If you have detractors you are obviously doing something right.
The internet sub species seem to be attracted by other peoples success.
Best wishes
Tim
I to appreciate your work – because of it I enjoy much more of my time in the bush. Thanks Paul
Ha! I bet your can’t even read, you spend so much time in the woods and not in your study! Sorry couldn’t resist 🙂 don’t let the trolls get to you.. there are by FAR a lot more of us that really appreciate you sharing your knowledge with us and i think i speak for many when i say Thank you!!
Hi Paul,
Don’t get too hung up on the idiots who critise you. You don’t have to make a video to explain yourself. Treat them as trolls. Just keep up the good work!
Well done Paul. I have been reading and watching you, since the very beginning, and have learned, enjoyed all of your efforts, and appreciate your sharing to no end! Thank you for sharing your life, your time, and love of the outdoors. Continued success! 🙂
Ignore the D*** H***** I wouldn’t even give them time. Keep up the good work
Hi Paul,
You are committed to what you do, passionate about it and you do it for free. I think the negativity is motivated by jealousy of your ability to communicate what you do. Perhaps they feel threatened because they are not able to communicate what they do and this makes them doubt their own skills (if they have any at all).
All the very best,
Eric
Hi Paul, love your blogs, videos etc, keep up the good work! Ignore the haters, Irish word for them is Gobshites! Barry, Cork, Ireland
Excellent podcast. Have watched a number of your YT vids and they are excellent. Welcome to the world of trolls lol. Or as Barry would say above, “Gobshites”! Going through a private high school in the 70s we had elective nature courses that we could take in the spring for 2 weeks. One of our instructors was a biologist and I think her brother was a zoologist and we learned the fauna and flora of our local ecosystems and the ethics of camping. No trace camping was taught to was back then, furthermore, we were taught to leave campsites better than when we found them. My love for the outdoors was greatly deepened and spent many years backpacking, camping, hiking, trekking and even scuba diving. We need more education, not more laws!
A magic reply. Its hard to get the message across to some people.
The sitting room outdoors man….
Keep well.
Stewart
Thanks Stuart. Maybe I would get more cred with some people if I sat outside surrounded by DIY books…
All the best,
Paul
Paul,
Ignore the nay-sayers.
I for one am very impressed by your work.
Don’t waste any more of your time on them.
Andy
Thanks Andrew.
I cannot understand how or why people would doubt your outdoor credentials. You have given so much for free over the years, making all of it crystal clear and informative, thereby encouraging more people to enjoy the outdoors. Your generosity, passion and expertise are exemplary and inspirational. Ignore the idiots and keep up the superb work.
Many thanks for all your efforts – they are much appreciated by people who know and actually get out there!
Hi Richard,
It’s good to hear from you. Thank you for your kind words.
Warm regards,
Paul
Hi Paul.
Tyvek was quite noisy for me as tarp during windy days – could be fixed if Tyvek is washed before tarp creation. Tyvek bivi bag with zip around has been created couple of years ago – but still pending for test – I become fan of elevated sleeping in hammock.
I like your podcast and your attitude how you answering all questions.
Thanks for inspiration.
Mirek
Great podcast Paul, you have touched on a topic close to my heart on wild camping, access and the problem of irresponsible users of the wilderness, it’s a growing problem and needs to be addressed, again I agree with you that it’s hard to police, but I definitely think your on the right tracks to teach awareness through schools at an early age, through scouts or guides etc and drive home the importance of not destroying the out doors with rubbish and organic waste. Most of the damage, I find, comes from infrequent users of a park or woodland, encouraging sports such as canoeing, surfing, orienteering, hill walking and mountaineering often carried a code of conduct to keep your country tidy, and can be considered a ‘cool’ ethic to have for young people who are new to the sport and want to ‘fit in with the outdoors gang’ , which I think can be applied across the board.
Definitely when I take walks in N.ireland … The rubbish seems to be more at the start of the walk and as you get further on …. I see less rubbish.
My rule is to take something away with you from all walks and sites of nature, even a small amount makes a difference.
My hats off to all those who already do this, because they are making a huge difference.
Thanks for sharing Paul,
Kind regards
Cyril
Hi Paul.
Keep up the good work and forget the trolls.
All the best and hope to be seeing and hearing more from you in 2016.
/Erik
Thank you Erik.
Happy New Year!
Warm regards,
Paul
Blast the trolls! (had to smile at Luke’s remark 🙂 )
Whatever the subject some people will always feel wronged or challenged in their view of the world/truth. I like the way you even try to reason with such people, thanks! 🙂
Please keep up the good work. This is one source of information i am confident enough with not to double-check for validity and always very to the point and practical. Thanks for the level of Quality and for keeping out of the muddy waters of bias and assumption ;).
regarding the licences: i am of two minds on the matter.
I am in favour of keeping as much of our nature accessible to all and i can see the extra cost for obtaining a license blocking persons with a low income from the enjoyment. On the other hand i know of some Nature organizations in the Netherlands that have camping-sites on their lands available to people with a pass or permit (printed on these are a set of rules similar to the ‘rambler rules’) or give discount to groups known for their respect for the area (scouting for example).
I’m in favour of educating and trying to get some common sense into people.
On a side note: most permits aren’t checked permanently. Some person or other is regularly found driving a car without a drivers license and/or insurance. The majority of us adult drivers do have one though. You cannot force those that have a mind to bend or break rules but you can expect a good majority to respect them. (Added bonus is that if a culprit is found without a license he can be spoken to on different subjects) Also: Humans tend to be creatures of habit. If someone has been camping out and made a mess, he’ll probably will return there… (usually wardens will know of likely spots on their turf).
Hey Jeroen,
Thanks for your comments 🙂
Warm regards,
Paul