Do as Ray Mears does . . . . .

[Marineboy]

Can anyone advise on restrictions, permissions or legalities of doing as Ray Mears does - cutting branches, lighting fires, cooking and foraging in the great outdoors here in the UK. It looks fascinating to me and am really keen to try a lot of it, but I am under the impression that activity like that would very quickly get you into very hot water!
Has anyone tried any of it in the great outdoors?

[kml]

Sounds like an excellent idea,my son had a survival weekend over christmas. Sounds quite similar to what your hoping to do he made a shelter out of wood and a bit of plastic for cover, cooked his meals on an open fire and managed a bit of target practice with the air rifle.He really enjoyed it and only 11 I thought he did really well.This activity was run by the scouts I don`t know whether it might be worth getting in touch with them to find out about possible sites you could do this on as I`m sure your right in the fact you can`t just do it anywhere.Failing that there are companies who run bush craft weekends inspired by Ray Mears.
Hope this helps a bit.

[coasty]

When I was a kid we did this all the time , It was called playing out,,,,
Strange how things have changed and how the pressure on the countryside has made such a change.
You are right to be careful and to care about the damage to the environment makes me realise how lucky I was to grow up at a time when going out and cutting up branches and lighting fires was the most natural thing to do,,,

Andy

[ChrisJB]

Originally Posted by coasty

When I was a kid we did this all the time , It was called playing out,,,,
Strange how things have changed and how the pressure on the countryside has made such a change.
You are right to be careful and to care about the damage to the environment makes me realise how lucky I was to grow up at a time when going out and cutting up branches and lighting fires was the most natural thing to do,,,

Andy

Absolutely, same here.

Regards, Chris

[naturelover]

Originally Posted by ChrisJB

Absolutely, same here.

Regards, Chris

Quit agree,those crazy hazy days of summers long gone,shame.

[outdoorguy]

i do it whenever i can.. either find a quiet spot or get permission.. i've been doing it for years and never had a problem.. as long as ur not cutting loads of trees down and keep ur fires small and leave no mess i don't reakon u will have any bother.. i like nothing better than a bit of birdwatching followed by a fire and a cuppa.. my kids love it too.. its wot we did as kids and it makes a change from the playstation he he... james

[muldonach]

Can anyone advise on restrictions, permissions or legalities of doing as Ray Mears does - cutting branches, lighting fires, cooking and foraging in the great outdoors here in the UK. It looks fascinating to me and am really keen to try a lot of it, but I am under the impression that activity like that would very quickly get you into very hot water!
Has anyone tried any of it in the great outdoors?

If you will pardon the pun you are literally playing with fire, access rights vary between scotland and the rest of the UK, here in scotland you pretty much have the right to go anywhere you want that is not a private garden as long as you comply with the provisions of the Countryside Access Code. As I understand it free access in England is a bit more restricted.

Cutting branches and lighting fires is not liable to be favourably looked upon and might well provoke an allergic reaction, consider how you might feel if a stranger cut a few branches off your shrubs and lit a fire on your back lawn. You may also be liable for the consequences of your actions, should a fire get away from you.

Foraging will almost certainly lead to a confrontation, the right to take game rests with the owner of the land on which the game is standing and is liable to be jealously guarded. It is no small matter actually, shooting with an air rifle for example might leave you liable to a charge of armed trespass in Scotland at least, max penalty 5 years!

The above is not intended to pour cold water on your ambitions, merely to indicate that what you perceive as harmless fun may well be construed as vandalism through another set of eyes.

I would advise that you seek permission before doing anything that may infringe on another's interests. Lighting a driftwood fire on the beach and cooking some winkles will hardly arouse much ire, a fire next to a field of ripe grain and roasting a pheasant you just shot might be a different kettle of fish altogether.

Best of luck anyway
mac

[Bwrack]

When I a kid we did playing out in London, not many trees or countryside, but, an entire city full of blitzed buildings(cinemas, theatres, vehicles) very little traffic, now that really was an adventure, with much danger involved, with flooded cellars, unstable buildings

[JP]

There is a rising trend in this subject and many people watch Ray on the telly buy loads of gucci kit and then go out into the country side and have a fire, cause a fire scar, burn their rubbish in it litter the area and cut trees to bits fro fire wood, infact only this weekend i cleared one such sickening site up!

Id say go on a weekends bushcraft course to learn about the leave no trace, and traveling light by replacing kit with skills principles. Then there are camp sites that allow open fires in the UK and may be local land owners who may let you use an area of woodland etc once you get into it doors open, but remember respect and look after what you are able to use, one peice of litter or a fire scar you may loose it.

There are many good bushcraft schools in the UK and there are many more bad, run by people who have done one course and think they can run a so called bushcraft school up with out the indepth knowledge and experience you find with the better ones, look for testimonials on sites and call the owner and sound him out, you want a bushcraft course not some SAS escape and evasion job so ask for the skills covered so you get value for money and a good weekend or week with knowledgable tutors.
Bushcraft covers such a massive array of skills and subjects so you need to be sure of what you are getting is what you want.

Having a fire is not the be all and end all of bushcraft, its an important survival skill, but there are many other ways to enjoy the woods and forests, the skill is to be able to see into natures woodland supermarket and make the most of what there is to hand.

[Tormentil]

Originally Posted by JP

There is a rising trend in this subject and many people watch Ray on the telly buy loads of gucci kit and then go out into the country side and have a fire, cause a fire scar, burn their rubbish in it litter the area and cut trees to bits fro fire wood, infact only this weekend i cleared one such sickening site up!

You can bet your bottom dollar, that Ray and the camera crew, sound crew, directors, make up, catering etc., etc, have permission from the land owners in every UK location they film in, to dig up plants, cut branches and have fires.

[JP]

i would dearly like to hope so

[Poirot]

my family used to stay in a farmers field in the lake district, and we used to light fires fish (never caught anything). He didn't have a problem as

1) We asked his permission
2) we left everything exactly as it was when we left.

When you dig a small pit for your fire try and keep the turf in neat strips which can easily fit in again. Lay the turf face up so the grass survives then when you have finished with your fire the turf goes streight back on and your fire pit is neatly filled in, and the field looks just likeit did when you arrived.

Making sure the landowner knows what you will be doing and that it will all be tidy you shouldn't have a problem.

P.S. I wouldn't try on national trust or woodland trust land e.t.c. without asking the ranger for permission

[Stewy]

This looks excellent if you are into bushcraft.

The Original Bushcraft and Wilderness Skills Show

[JP]

It is ill be there instructing this year, helping my friend with the kids in the Coyote club,

[JP]

A friend of mine runs it, its a good mix of bushcraft and shops and social, its like an old time american Rendezvous in the uk

[Platanus]

Hi JP,
I thought you sounded like a sensible chap who knows what he's on about so I had a quick look at your website and I can see why!
Looks great - it must be very rewarding to make a living out of such an interesting lifestyle. Getting youngsters into the forests and helping them appreciate and respect it and the way nature works has got to be really good news.
You're lucky to find a bit of spare woodland here that isn't a SSSI, SAC, SPA etc where you can run your courses, although I doubt very much that even on a designated conservation site you would have any more impact than most of the other mainstream 'recreation' activities. I wish people realised how much damage a loose dog can do or what habitat disrupion is caused by irresponsible mountain biking.
More power to your elbow. Education is the key and no better way to learn than first hand experience.

[outdoors]

as long as u dont cut live trees down for a fire u'll be fine,they dont burn good any way as they r full of water,and just be carefull with what u eat ,remember ray mares is an expert..

[hammock monkey]

most of the reason for doing all that stuff (for me anyway) is to make yourself more comfy when out watching the world go by, you dont need to have a fire every time.
Just being out there and having a go at a few things is a great start, there's loads of bushcraft schools - or just grab a book from the library and try it, or there's loads of stuff on youtube.

Its a great thing to get into, taught me loads... a case of 'the more you know, the more you realise you dont know'... and the end result is loads of wildlife watching in comfort!
love it

[northenige]

The sad fact is there is no Great outdoors in the UK, everywhere is owned and the places you are allowed contain little life, so even ray would starve without his camera crew going to the co-op

[coasty]

Originally Posted by northenige

The sad fact is there is no Great outdoors in the UK, everywhere is owned and the places you are allowed contain little life, so even ray would starve without his camera crew going to the co-op

Not sure where you live but dont Agree.Yes everywhere is owned by somebody but that has been the same for 100s of years . There are lots of wild places that I would class as the great outdoors. You just have to go and find them. I can spend a whole day fishing small rivers within 20 miles of my house and see nobody all day and there is loads of wildlife.

" No Great outdoors in the UK"...

I would certainly class the North Yorkshire moors as the great outdoors as I would the Yorkshire Dales the Pennines and the Lake district. If you want to go out and chop down trees and start lighting fires all over the place then you will get moved on. However I find that if you are courteous and close gates and act responsibly then you will find that there are lots of wild places out there full of wildlife. You just have to seek them out.

Andy

[GazW]

I agree that some sort of formal training is a good idea for beginners and even for the more experienced guys as it not only teaches you the fundamental skills in a safe organised enviroment (cutting out time wasted making silly or dangerious errors) but it also teaches you etiquette and this is almost as important as the skills.

Regarding schools and courses the best advise is shop around - dont be drawn in by a pretty website or the price - the more expensive a course doesnt mean its the best!!

Anyone interested in a bushcraft course should also consider their location and also the types of area/skills they wish to learn ......... no point going to a treeless island in Scotland if your usual area is beech woods in the south east - and similarly if your a coastal type then no point learning the skills in a pine forest ..............

[northenige]

Originally Posted by coasty

Not sure where you live but dont Agree.Yes everywhere is owned by somebody but that has been the same for 100s of years . There are lots of wild places that I would class as the great outdoors. You just have to go and find them. I can spend a whole day fishing small rivers within 20 miles of my house and see nobody all day and there is loads of wildlife.

I would certainly class the North Yorkshire moors as the great outdoors as I would the Yorkshire Dales the Pennines and the Lake district. If you want to go out and chop down trees and start lighting fires all over the place then you will get moved on. However I find that if you are courteous and close gates and act responsibly then you will find that there are lots of wild places out there full of wildlife. You just have to seek them out.

Andy

{quote}If you want to go out and chop down trees and start lighting fires all over the place then you will get moved on... thats my point about doing as ray mears does,... you can't.

[kielder]

Ray Mears Bushcraft & Woodlore Survival Courses and Equipment

He does courses.

[ron1863]

Originally Posted by coasty

When I was a kid we did this all the time , It was called playing out,,,,
Strange how things have changed and how the pressure on the countryside has made such a change.
You are right to be careful and to care about the damage to the environment makes me realise how lucky I was to grow up at a time when going out and cutting up branches and lighting fires was the most natural thing to do,,,

Andy

Same here, I wouldn't like to be a youngster nowadays. In my time we used to go out in the morning exploring the woods and hills and never came back till late but our parents never worried. There would be a search party out nowadays.

[coasty]

Originally Posted by northenige

{quote}If you want to go out and chop down trees and start lighting fires all over the place then you will get moved on... thats my point about doing as ray mears does,... you can't.

Why would you want to go out and chop down trees? They dont burn..As for bushcraft courses are just someone making a buck from the latest trend. If you really want to learn something usefull do a mountain leadership certificate MLs or MLw I did them both years ago really good useful stuff,

If you want to go out in the country then go out and enjoy yourself. Personally I wouldnt dream of lighting a fire in the countryside because if I want to heat food I will use a tiny coleman petrol stove I have had for years or to make a brew use a kelly kettle, But before you ask I can light a fire without matches. But I would say why do it?

Sadly I think these Bushcraft courses have proliferated because there are so many people that have completely lost touch with the countryside. The British countryside isnt dangerous and if you are going to the uplands or out in winter then the leadership courses are a lot more use...