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.