Interesting and plenty of food for thought! Overrall I've found wild camping in Scotland allows far more freedom than in many areas of the USA. There's a big difference between Scotland and the rest of the UK in this respect too. No permits are needed and you don't have to camp in certain spots in Scotland (by the way in Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park wild camping is only forbidden along some roads and loch shores, in most of the park you can camp where you like). For UK trail culture try the TGO Challenge! Places along Challenge routes are ready and waiting for walkers and there are plenty of parties. Popular routes like the West Highland Way are similar. The camp sites you describe along the PCT aren't found on less popular trails or in many wilderness areas in the USA. On the Arizona Trail and Pacific Northwest Trails there were very few of them except in the short sections in national parks. With resupply I have sent boxes to post offices along the way and then resent them to the next post office in the UK. It's worked fine.
Thanks very much, Chris! Really appreciate your knowledge on this. The TGO is definitely on the cards. What I loved about the PCT was the culture and I certainly get that in Scotland. Also, do I still need to use Poste Restante? Some were saying we couldn’t bounce ahead, only pick up. All the best.
@@thetrailhunter4469 I haven't used poste restante on the Challenge for many years. It's not difficult to resupply along the way and then you're not tied to post office opening hours. Many years ago I phoned POs and had boxes sent to a different post office when my schedule changed on a multi-week walk. I guess you could still do that now. Many people do send supply boxes on the Challenge. The only box I send is one with clean clothes to Finish Control. When I've done multi-week walks in Scotland I've sent a box of clean clothes and bits and pieces to a post office, collected it when there,, then when I continued walking I sent it to the next post office.
Thanks, Chris that’s really useful for the community to know about. I’ll definitely share a video solely on the subject on this after speaking so some POs as well.
I did the Lejog back in 2018, I had no problems with wild camping on any part of the walk, I met people who have washed my clothes, given me food, snacks and accommodation and have been generally interested in what I was doing. We may not have trail angels here in UK, but there was plenty of honest boxes stocked with drinks and sweets. If you ask people they will give you water and help.
Love your channel. Good job. Hiked alone back and forth across Europe for many years. (Including Britain) England makes me sad and ashamed. Such a beautiful country but most of the land is reserved for the rich and greedy and every year I see fewer trees, fewer birds, fewer mammals, butterflies, wild flowers. Nobody can imagine walking far from their car, let alone to another country, even though England is so small that you soon reach the sea. Wild camping is theoretically forbidden in France and Germany as it is England but nowhere have I been prevented from spending the night before moving on each day. But then...I guess nobody ever saw my camp. Keep up the good work, friend. Happy trails
You can do a “lite version” of post office resupply by using the Royal Mail Poste Restante service - you can email the post office you want to let them know and them send stuff to it ahead of time, however you can’t bounce packages unfortunately
Hi Russ, I’ve enjoyed all your video topics to date, looking forward to many more. Last summer my wife walked Wainwright’s Coast to Coast and never saw any wild campers so it appears your brethren that wild camp that trek are doing a good job on keeping a low profile. As she walked the C2C I was hiking Kilimanjaro. It was an amazing experience but I was appalled by the amount of trash left along the trail by hikers. I appreciate your efforts to spread the word about leaving no trace, we need to practice this in a world getting more crowded by the day.
Thanks Sean. Yeah I guess you’re absolutely right there. I do find the longer trails here are kept well. And nice one for your wife on the C2C! Yeah, when I was hiking volcanos in Indonesia I never saw so much rubbish than at the checkpoints on the routes. Cheers, and was if you who I sent some Thrunotes to? If so, thanks for your order. Much appreciated!
Wow - I sit here is San Diego watching hiking videos about 4 hours from world class hiking. If I get the itch I go....it must be brutal to be so far from a really good mountainous hike. Come on back as soon as you can.
Thanks Neda, yeah I'm about 4 hours away from Snowdonia, my favourite training grounds. But about 8 hours from Scotland which is much better for wild camping.
@@JeDindk On a trail usually some snacks and drinks left unattended with a box for putting your cash in. In many villages in the UK you get them for eggs, jam, vegetables, etc too. Called 'honsety boxes' because of course you can take the items without paying if you choose.
@@1adamuk - I'm from Denmark where we have lots of honesty boxes along the minor roads in the rural districts with new potatoes, strawberries, eggs and things like that. But I've never heard of honesty boxes on trails. It is so awesome, that some people spend their time and money to place drinks and snacks along the trails, even though they may not earn a single dollar or a single pound doing so. Those people deserve a big applause! 😀
It wasn’t quite ‘trail magic’ (there were honesty boxes for payment) but we encountered a lot of positivity towards long distance hikers doing the Coast to Coast last summer. It’s catching on!
I think there is also a big difference between the experience you had with long-distance hiking on the PCT and camping when compared to how most regular Americans would head out for a camp for a week or weekend. I think you nailed most things but the experience of the PCT is still very different for most Americans
Yea, I think most Americans do the day hike/car camping that he associates with the UK. But he is right, there is a big long distance community with towns and such built around it but that isn't what most Americans experience.
@@jersey282 Definitely, but also a very different experience car camping in the US vs the UK. At least in the US you can camp camp in a very similar manner to the way you would when backpacking. Drive to a remote area and set up camp but not have anyone else around, or very few people. We used to call is basecamp where we would go do other wilderness activities like hiking, horseback riding, fishing etc. No permits needed in National Forests, generally, when you were in areas of dispersed camping (ie anywhere camping). I miss it big time.
Thanks CJ. I guess it was mainly on the wild camping aspect that I found along the trail vs the same activity on the long trails here in the UK. But yeah totally understand. Thanks for watching!
First of all, thank you so much for speaking so well of us USA hikers, and our trails! I’m an Appalachian Trail hiker, headed to Skye trail in one year exactly, and I’m so glad wild camping is acceptable there. Secondly, I do have one question. How acceptable or frowned upon is hitchhiking in that area? If you just really need a ride to a resupply or to bypass a certain part of the trail, since I’ll be taking my youngest on this one, would people pretty much look at me like I was mad? Would we not ever get picked up? Or is it like it is here, where people who live and drive near the trails every day welcome the chance to pick up the long distance hikers and give them a ride somewhere? :-) Lastly, thank you so much for mentioning leave no trace principles! Every backpacker and day hiker needs to know about them! Thanks! Informative video!
Hi, Russ! You made me feel good about the USA (I live in Massachusetts, so only a 2-3 hour drive to the Appalachian Trail and the mountains of northern New England) and I know that backpacking is popular in Canada as well. Someday I hope to hike in England or Scotland. But you make me wonder, in what other countries in Europe or the world is backpacking popular? By which I mean, carrying a shelter and everything you need for a few days on your back. I believe the Swiss and French and Germans and Austrians are hikers in their Alps but do they backpack in this way? Are there any countries where there is backpacking similar to the US and Canada, to your knowledge? The Rota Vincentina expected you to stay in the towns and the Compostela across Spain is similar, right?
Thanks Jeff! Yes, there are a number of places in the EU which support wild camping. Norway and Sweden have the Allemannsretten (Everyman's Right) act which is similar to the Scottish Land Reform Act of 2003 where you're able to roam and camp pretty much anywhere in the wilderness. There are plenty of long routes, but it's the wild camping which can become rare in some parts of the EU and where BnBs, hostels and paid for campsites are used.
@@thetrailhunter4469 haha, Thanks for getting back. I'll have to look up Norway and Sweden as I'd love to do some wild camping in Europe. At this moment I'm at a campsite on the Appalachian Trail in Connecticut and I'm the only one here and glad that there's a strong metal bear box a few hundred feet away from where I set up my tent!
@@jeffstone28 There are several long distance trails in Estonia, which are quite new and very well maintained. Estonia also has the everyman's right / right to roam, so you can wild camp without any problems
How safe are the US hiking trails for people of colour? I've done plenty of long distance hikes here in the UK and one in the EU but I'm still unsure about long distance hikes in US, especially on those trails that require you to walk past states less tolerant of people with a little more melanin on their skin.
Fine, you’d have to go out of your way to find someone who doesn’t like you because of your skin color and travel back in time to find someone who’d do something to you because of your skin color.
Keep in mind most of the hiking community is a pretty open minded group and tend to hang around those trails anyways so your more likely to find some pretty cool people over anyone hateful any day of the week
Bouncing boxes ahead is no problem in the UK or anywhere. Just write 'Poste Restante' on your mail, with an approximate date of collection. We can do that anywhere.. Europe, wherever..Just address it to yourself with 'Post Restante' on the address, and the post office will hold on to it until you collect it. I've done this repeatedly with boxes of ice axe/crampons etc. Its perfectly doable.
No, he means can you send it forward without going to get it? So if I send it to a post office and then realize I need it at another place 3 days later, can you call and have them "bounce it" forward?
@@jersey282 I just think its about management.. I'm not criticising Russ.. I love his channel! I'm just suggesting that posting ahead is a viable option.
Ahh amazing thanks very much, I had no idea and I couldn't find it on the website. But yeah I did also mean being able to keep sending along in a chain, even by telephone. Is that also possible with that?
The USA has many National Forests. Individuals can reside within any one such forest for a yearly total of 14 days. To continue wild camping individuals must move on to another forest. It is possible with vehicle use to repeat as needed in National Forests and not exceed the number of available wild camping sites. Wild campers are allowed to use any non-gated or otherwise unobstructed road. To park where they please and camp amid the forest. Do contact the District Office of each National Forest to learn of all dangers. Such as animals that have attacked people, manhunts for criminals, pending closure due to fire or flooding, breeding period hazards (i.e, Moose, for example, don't annoy any), etc.-etc. Campers are not allowed to kill anything, animal, living organics, nor damage same for firewood or building material. The District Office must issue wild camper a seasonal only permit for fishing or hunting. All self- defense acts will obtain qualified reviews by law enforcement. Illicit behavior such as harvesting hazardous mushrooms for sale or camp use is subject cause for arrest and prosecution. As are a careless camp fire, chop shops, fecal as found, litter, etc.-etc. My last such camp had me enter at 2 am, walk to a cave entry amid cold lava, and sleep within to escape wet weather. As fully dressed in cold weather motorcycling armor. Explored the cave after awakening as a warming activity hoping the outside wet weather would stop. The UK lacks enough public-use forest property to adopt USA National Forest use policies. Personally, I would circle any island in a sea touring kayak for my wild camping. Above high tide reach under cliff frontage to deter visits by Druids or other UK ethnic cleansing. Surfing a kayak ashore requires practice. As will outbound. Seeking shoreline caves or rock shelters for weather layovers. I have a net bedding that can be rigged over a waterway under bridging. Using SRT prusik or rappel in transit from/to my floating ride. Using detachable wheels to walk a loaded boat like oversize luggage out of harbor landings. Up to civilized UK areas having sidewalk table food services . Most accept plastic card commerce.
Awesome video, liked how you promoted LNT a few times, wild camping in the UK is defiantly a different experience, very noticeable for me if I compare it with wild camping in Africa. All the best Alex
The Trail Hunter I was brought up in Namibia, I camped all over but my favourite places has to be the Skeleton coast, Namib desert, spitzkoppe and the Okavango region.
I hate how english people in the comments section keep moaning about uk camping laws are awful etc , ENGLISH and WELSH laws maybe , Scotland you are free to wild camp anywhere anytime as i have done all my life , there are only restrictions between march and september in loch lomond and trossachs national park that say you cant wild camp within 100 metres of a loch shoreline , just wild camp 101 metres away 😁 or pay £6 a permit , the rest of the whole country is free to camp anywhere and anytime . Ive been to usa and canada and i still prefer scottish scenery (although lake louise was breathtaking in canada)
I love Wales and Yorkshire but really, the like of the John Muir trail and Banff National Park are incredible. The geography of North America is just better for hiking.
Not been to America but I would absolutely love to just for the PCT and also I’d love to do the sanGabriel mountains But obviously there’s more things to worrie about like vouchers bears snakes spider scorpions and so on But yer I love camping in uk Great video mate
You failed to mention the most important difference between the U.K and the U.S. related to wild camping and that is: Here in the states we don't have to worry about the Sheriff of Nottingham catching us.....
Just to mention wild camping in U.K. (not Scotland) is against the law. But it’s at the moment a civil trespass landowner matter. The landowner would have to ask you to leave and they would have to take legal action against you themselves. However, there is consideration soon of making civil trespass a criminal matter. This would mean if you got lost on a public footpath or did some wild camping and the landowner got a bit grumpy with you or just disliked walkers and wild campers they could just call the police on you for criminal trespass. So this could mean a respectful wild campers or other user of the outdoors such as a backpacker or bike packer could end up with a criminal record. If this law gets passed it will fundamentally change how the outdoors is used in the U.K. people will become too scared to get out in the outdoors and you will probably start seeing signs of some landowners lands stating they will call the police on you if you are found. Don’t think U.K. landowner won’t use this law against people crossing or wild camping on their land, they will. 😢😢
You can have fun wild camping anywhere. I prefer to stay out of parks and away from trails , I hate campgrounds. I live near the Appalachia trail in Maine, close to Katahdin, I've never visited the park (Baxter?) , thats not camping.
Aussie here. I can’t cope with hiking in the uk for this exact reason. Why would you want to spend 8 hours in wilderness to go spend the night with other people 🤷🏻♀️
Beg to differ. There's worse from the envy of wild camping freedoms. Who'd seek to deny all pleasure of the liberty inclined. Thrown stones, insults, threats, and direct assault. Like, I'd steal their sheep, as did Pagans.
@@MeatGoblin88 we ain’t had any “turf wars” in a long time. I’m from the hills of Tennessee, grew up in Johnson City which is 15 minutes from the Appalachian Trail. We will fight if anyone talks badly about Dolly Parton.
The Trail Hunter unsure at present.. I should currently be in Thailand and again in December but the current quarantine rules mean its not feasible.. Im hoping they relax the rules a little over there by December
What about Bears, Mountain Lions and Bigfoot ? (In USA). Did you come across any. By the way am waiting for my Atom Pack after watchin g your vids thanks a lot!
Hi Mick! Ahh yes, the animals are a huge contrast. Sadly my trip was cut short and I didn’t have the opportunity to encounter any such beasts. So I didn’t touch on them in this video. Ahh fantastic! Haha glad you made a good choice. Which one did you go for?
just been catching up on some of your vids.. think you've got rose tinted glasses on dude, the pennine way and cape wrath trail have got a real good culture around... and the right to roam in Scotland blows away anything in the states!!
Trail? That's programming. The UK has not counted all the existing Megalithic structures. Which I see as all prior freedom that civilization has no answers for.
Great summary. Wow if my knee wasn’t playing up and I was not a family man I would be in the States walking. It’s a bit sad that we don’t have even some of these rights.
Ahh thanks. Sorry to hear about your knee. Hope it gets better soon. Yeah we do in some places, but of course, very different land mass, culture and populations make it very different indeed.
You forgot wildlife, in the UK there aren't any animals that will hunt, kill, and eat you, in the US there are. Great video btw, very forthright, honest.
What happened to all the animals over there? Never existed or hunted to extinction? The only really dangerous animal is the grizzly bear and that doesn't exist in most areas of America (only northwest states and Alaska), and they can be avoided, you'd be lucky to spot one. The AT doesn't go through grizzly country. Spook any big animal (Elk, Buffalo) and they can do real damage but for the most part they stick to themselves. Black bears are harmless for the most part (located all over the US near people and rarely any incidents) and mountain lions rarely kill (though there have been some incidents more recently). All the other creatures are pretty small (bobcats etc.), the UK probably has animals that are similar to those.
@@jersey282 No bears, no mountain lions, no bobcats,, Wolves on the Isle of Skye only. Only venomous snake is an Adder and they're VERY rarely seen, but their bite won't kill like a diamond back. Black bears can, and have, killed or mauled people, mountain lions will attack if you go hike near a den. While the above is rare, it does happen. In the UK you have small game, foxes, badgers etc. Probably a culmination of climate and hunting that killed off the big animals. Brown bears were common until the Iron age.
@@Luke_0 Thats really interesting about the UK, it's kind of sad. I guess it's easy to have animals disappear on what is essentially a big island.The rest of Europe has some of these animals at least. I didn't even think of venomous snakes when thinking danger (there are lots of different kinds of venomous snakes all over the US but rarely seen in cities), they are probably far more dangerous than any bear. lol I mean, you will encounter snakes probably more often than a bear (most often off trail), and with the bear you will only see its butt as it runs away. Wolves are rare, or rarely seen (I've actually seen a wolf once on the east coast) but I've never heard of them actually attacking or killing anyone in the last century (there might have been someone, but really, that doesn't make them something to be concerned about). Anything is possible though. Know the area you are hiking in and know proper etiquette for food storage and what to do if you encounter one of these animals. As they say, the most dangerous part is driving to the start of the hike. :)
People don't camp in southern Florida because of alligators, boas, bugs, etc. The midges are the only problems I've seen in the UK. Camping and beer is better in the UK.
Hi dude, neat vid. Some of my best backpacking was over in BC, Canada. Bears, snakes, otters & banana slugs. Primary temperate rain forests & majestic mountains. Ripsnorting trails, some needed permits. What I saw in BC was similar to the Yanks, they're totally geared up for backpacking in a way that makes England look shameful. But then they're not constrained by the same outdoor politic & ethos etc., that we experience here. Was some what depressed returning to the pointy bits of England, it felt like we've emasculated the wildness out of landscapes here, in an endeavor to control & master it. But hey, I'm over that now, for the time being. But Scotland. Ahhh... Scotland, the golden land, the backpacking mecca. It shares some similarities to N. America, in that I've encountered something like trail angels & trail magic- but you have to leave some pennies for the trail fairies! As mentioned previously, Post Restante, has been the way to resupply myself during my TGO challenge trips. But not able to bounce them on up the line to the next town. Trail parties... again mainly during the TGO. 1st weekend in Braemar is steaming, Callater Lodge... infamously hardcore & Alan Solmans Cheese & Wine parties, at a given grid reference, are legendary. Going to self censor at this point because I've got to go sort the cows out 🐄 "All who wander are not lost!" ☮🥰☯️🤙
Thanks Dermot. Yeah it is crazy how different it is. Although my opinion is just from a short stint on the PCT. I thought it would be good to share even still. Here's a really awesome video by my mate, Ben. He goes into some of the historical events that enabled us to have the freedom to roam, while also explaining some culture around wild camping here in the UK. ua-cam.com/video/iuPaWO7QjG4/v-deo.html Would love to go to Canada and hike some trails out there. Let's hope we get back to normal soon ay! Happy trails.
@@thetrailhunter4469 Thanks for the link to Ben's page, liked how he talked about the Kinder Trespass... Serious respects are due to the Kinder Scout Mass Trespass Crew. At the time, Benny Rothman & his friends took serious beatings & vindictive prison sentences for that audacious act which precipitated the access that we enjoy now. Can you imagine that todays Ramblers Association used to be a militant socialist sports club. This link covers the origins of the Kinder Trespass in more detail, than the more recent sanitised version we currently get. tribunemag.co.uk/2019/04/the-kinder-scout-mass-trespass One day I hope that those of us in England will get comparable rights of access that our peers & contemporaries currently enjoy in Scotland. ATB ☮🥰☯️🤙
The frustration in the US, California specifically, is you need permits before you go. In the UK its all public footpaths and makes the experience more spontaneous, accepting and less elitist
sorry mate, utter bollocks. If you haven't enjoyed the pleasure of the numerous honesty boxes in the uk, then you clearly haven't done many long distance uk trails. Your not comparing like for like - weekend campers arn.t thru hikers and you do a massive disservice to the uk long distance walking community with these half thought opinions..
Sorry if I came across as angry but I feel you should be encouraging people to get out more, not putting them off. People are more likely to do short local trips not vast thru hikes, and should be given all the encouragement to do so. I've had the privilege of walking the AT, PCT GR11 and the like, but hardly anyone gets the chance to do this. Money and movement for a lot of people are going to become scarce commodities in the next few years - use your platform to encourage people to the possible, not just show boating the big hikes. One last thing, Britain doesn't have bears or 400 million firearms - both of which I.ve had the misfortune to be the wrong side of over the years in the states, although it does spice your trip up
@@richardpegg9265 I have over 250 videos encouraging, inspiring, giving tips, looking at gear, and documenting walks from all over the UK and around the world. I receive so many lovely and incredible messages from viewers saying my videos have helped them and inspired them to get outside and go exploring. This is just one thought on one personal observation from my own experiences. I also aim to research, plan, shoot, edit and upload my videos twice a week for free so you can watch them without ads or promotions. I also have a website with over 100 gear reviews, stories from the trail, and podcasts from people like Chris Townsend from TGO and Tom Gale from Atom Packs with the aim to inspire those out there looking to create wonderful things for the outdoors. You're saying my opinions are half-thought, but yours clearly are more so than mine. Without looking at everything I've offered my audience over the years, you've reacted rudely and negatively. If you're not keen on my content, just unsubscribe and don't watch or comment. The more you do, the more you help my content grow. Please also try not to swear in the comments, children and families watch my videos too. Thanks
Interesting and plenty of food for thought! Overrall I've found wild camping in Scotland allows far more freedom than in many areas of the USA. There's a big difference between Scotland and the rest of the UK in this respect too. No permits are needed and you don't have to camp in certain spots in Scotland (by the way in Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park wild camping is only forbidden along some roads and loch shores, in most of the park you can camp where you like). For UK trail culture try the TGO Challenge! Places along Challenge routes are ready and waiting for walkers and there are plenty of parties. Popular routes like the West Highland Way are similar. The camp sites you describe along the PCT aren't found on less popular trails or in many wilderness areas in the USA. On the Arizona Trail and Pacific Northwest Trails there were very few of them except in the short sections in national parks. With resupply I have sent boxes to post offices along the way and then resent them to the next post office in the UK. It's worked fine.
Thanks very much, Chris! Really appreciate your knowledge on this. The TGO is definitely on the cards. What I loved about the PCT was the culture and I certainly get that in Scotland. Also, do I still need to use Poste Restante? Some were saying we couldn’t bounce ahead, only pick up. All the best.
@@thetrailhunter4469 I haven't used poste restante on the Challenge for many years. It's not difficult to resupply along the way and then you're not tied to post office opening hours. Many years ago I phoned POs and had boxes sent to a different post office when my schedule changed on a multi-week walk. I guess you could still do that now. Many people do send supply boxes on the Challenge. The only box I send is one with clean clothes to Finish Control. When I've done multi-week walks in Scotland I've sent a box of clean clothes and bits and pieces to a post office, collected it when there,, then when I continued walking I sent it to the next post office.
Thanks, Chris that’s really useful for the community to know about. I’ll definitely share a video solely on the subject on this after speaking so some POs as well.
I did the Lejog back in 2018, I had no problems with wild camping on any part of the walk, I met people who have washed my clothes, given me food, snacks and accommodation and have been generally interested in what I was doing. We may not have trail angels here in UK, but there was plenty of honest boxes stocked with drinks and sweets. If you ask people they will give you water and help.
Love your channel. Good job.
Hiked alone back and forth across Europe for many years. (Including Britain)
England makes me sad and ashamed. Such a beautiful country but most of the land is reserved for the rich and greedy and every year I see fewer trees, fewer birds, fewer mammals, butterflies, wild flowers.
Nobody can imagine walking far from their car, let alone to another country, even though England is so small that you soon reach the sea.
Wild camping is theoretically forbidden in France and Germany as it is England but nowhere have I been prevented from spending the night before moving on each day.
But then...I guess nobody ever saw my camp.
Keep up the good work, friend.
Happy trails
You can do a “lite version” of post office resupply by using the Royal Mail Poste Restante service - you can email the post office you want to let them know and them send stuff to it ahead of time, however you can’t bounce packages unfortunately
Hi Russ, I’ve enjoyed all your video topics to date, looking forward to many more. Last summer my wife walked Wainwright’s Coast to Coast and never saw any wild campers so it appears your brethren that wild camp that trek are doing a good job on keeping a low profile. As she walked the C2C I was hiking Kilimanjaro. It was an amazing experience but I was appalled by the amount of trash left along the trail by hikers. I appreciate your efforts to spread the word about leaving no trace, we need to practice this in a world getting more crowded by the day.
Thanks Sean. Yeah I guess you’re absolutely right there. I do find the longer trails here are kept well. And nice one for your wife on the C2C! Yeah, when I was hiking volcanos in Indonesia I never saw so much rubbish than at the checkpoints on the routes. Cheers, and was if you who I sent some Thrunotes to? If so, thanks for your order. Much appreciated!
Wow - I sit here is San Diego watching hiking videos about 4 hours from world class hiking. If I get the itch I go....it must be brutal to be so far from a really good mountainous hike. Come on back as soon as you can.
Thanks Neda, yeah I'm about 4 hours away from Snowdonia, my favourite training grounds. But about 8 hours from Scotland which is much better for wild camping.
One thing you missed is that some trails in the UK such as the West Highland Way have honesty boxes for hikers.
Thanks Mike. I have seen a few here and there. On the PCT there were quite a few more. Cheers!
Hi guys. What is honesty boxes?
@@JeDindk On a trail usually some snacks and drinks left unattended with a box for putting your cash in. In many villages in the UK you get them for eggs, jam, vegetables, etc too. Called 'honsety boxes' because of course you can take the items without paying if you choose.
@@1adamuk - I'm from Denmark where we have lots of honesty boxes along the minor roads in the rural districts with new potatoes, strawberries, eggs and things like that. But I've never heard of honesty boxes on trails. It is so awesome, that some people spend their time and money to place drinks and snacks along the trails, even though they may not earn a single dollar or a single pound doing so. Those people deserve a big applause! 😀
It wasn’t quite ‘trail magic’ (there were honesty boxes for payment) but we encountered a lot of positivity towards long distance hikers doing the Coast to Coast last summer. It’s catching on!
I think there is also a big difference between the experience you had with long-distance hiking on the PCT and camping when compared to how most regular Americans would head out for a camp for a week or weekend. I think you nailed most things but the experience of the PCT is still very different for most Americans
Yea, I think most Americans do the day hike/car camping that he associates with the UK. But he is right, there is a big long distance community with towns and such built around it but that isn't what most Americans experience.
@@jersey282 Definitely, but also a very different experience car camping in the US vs the UK. At least in the US you can camp camp in a very similar manner to the way you would when backpacking. Drive to a remote area and set up camp but not have anyone else around, or very few people. We used to call is basecamp where we would go do other wilderness activities like hiking, horseback riding, fishing etc. No permits needed in National Forests, generally, when you were in areas of dispersed camping (ie anywhere camping). I miss it big time.
Thanks CJ. I guess it was mainly on the wild camping aspect that I found along the trail vs the same activity on the long trails here in the UK. But yeah totally understand. Thanks for watching!
First of all, thank you so much for speaking so well of us USA hikers, and our trails! I’m an Appalachian Trail hiker, headed to Skye trail in one year exactly, and I’m so glad wild camping is acceptable there. Secondly, I do have one question. How acceptable or frowned upon is hitchhiking in that area? If you just really need a ride to a resupply or to bypass a certain part of the trail, since I’ll be taking my youngest on this one, would people pretty much look at me like I was mad? Would we not ever get picked up? Or is it like it is here, where people who live and drive near the trails every day welcome the chance to pick up the long distance hikers and give them a ride somewhere? :-)
Lastly, thank you so much for mentioning leave no trace principles! Every backpacker and day hiker needs to know about them! Thanks! Informative video!
You did not mention Youth Hostels which are geared to walkers and exist in the popular walking areas.
I did not mention a lot of things...
A question from America: What is "wild camping" as opposed to just "camping" or "tame camping" maybe?
Hi, Russ! You made me feel good about the USA (I live in Massachusetts, so only a 2-3 hour drive to the Appalachian Trail and the mountains of northern New England) and I know that backpacking is popular in Canada as well. Someday I hope to hike in England or Scotland. But you make me wonder, in what other countries in Europe or the world is backpacking popular? By which I mean, carrying a shelter and everything you need for a few days on your back. I believe the Swiss and French and Germans and Austrians are hikers in their Alps but do they backpack in this way? Are there any countries where there is backpacking similar to the US and Canada, to your knowledge? The Rota Vincentina expected you to stay in the towns and the Compostela across Spain is similar, right?
Thanks Jeff! Yes, there are a number of places in the EU which support wild camping. Norway and Sweden have the Allemannsretten (Everyman's Right) act which is similar to the Scottish Land Reform Act of 2003 where you're able to roam and camp pretty much anywhere in the wilderness. There are plenty of long routes, but it's the wild camping which can become rare in some parts of the EU and where BnBs, hostels and paid for campsites are used.
@@thetrailhunter4469 haha, Thanks for getting back. I'll have to look up Norway and Sweden as I'd love to do some wild camping in Europe. At this moment I'm at a campsite on the Appalachian Trail in Connecticut and I'm the only one here and glad that there's a strong metal bear box a few hundred feet away from where I set up my tent!
@@jeffstone28 There are several long distance trails in Estonia, which are quite new and very well maintained. Estonia also has the everyman's right / right to roam, so you can wild camp without any problems
@@mxlio Thank you, Lio! Is there a Dorpat in Estonia? I think my grandmother once said that some of our family was from there.
@@jeffstone28 I'm actually not from Estonia, so unfortunately can't help you with this.
All I do when hiking in the Peak District is picking up rubbish. Shocking.
How safe are the US hiking trails for people of colour? I've done plenty of long distance hikes here in the UK and one in the EU but I'm still unsure about long distance hikes in US, especially on those trails that require you to walk past states less tolerant of people with a little more melanin on their skin.
Fine, you’d have to go out of your way to find someone who doesn’t like you because of your skin color and travel back in time to find someone who’d do something to you because of your skin color.
Keep in mind most of the hiking community is a pretty open minded group and tend to hang around those trails anyways so your more likely to find some pretty cool people over anyone hateful any day of the week
Bouncing boxes ahead is no problem in the UK or anywhere. Just write 'Poste Restante' on your mail, with an approximate date of collection.
We can do that anywhere.. Europe, wherever..Just address it to yourself with 'Post Restante' on the address, and the post office will hold on to it until you collect it.
I've done this repeatedly with boxes of ice axe/crampons etc. Its perfectly doable.
No, he means can you send it forward without going to get it? So if I send it to a post office and then realize I need it at another place 3 days later, can you call and have them "bounce it" forward?
@@jersey282 I just think its about management.. I'm not criticising Russ.. I love his channel! I'm just suggesting that posting ahead is a viable option.
Ahh amazing thanks very much, I had no idea and I couldn't find it on the website. But yeah I did also mean being able to keep sending along in a chain, even by telephone. Is that also possible with that?
Thanks, Lion, yes I did also mean that as well. But didn't know about the Poste Restante.
The USA has many National Forests. Individuals can reside within
any one such forest for a yearly total of 14 days. To continue wild
camping individuals must move on to another forest. It is possible
with vehicle use to repeat as needed in National Forests and not
exceed the number of available wild camping sites. Wild campers
are allowed to use any non-gated or otherwise unobstructed road.
To park where they please and camp amid the forest. Do contact
the District Office of each National Forest to learn of all dangers.
Such as animals that have attacked people, manhunts for criminals,
pending closure due to fire or flooding, breeding period hazards (i.e,
Moose, for example, don't annoy any), etc.-etc. Campers are not
allowed to kill anything, animal, living organics, nor damage same
for firewood or building material. The District Office must issue
wild camper a seasonal only permit for fishing or hunting. All self-
defense acts will obtain qualified reviews by law enforcement.
Illicit behavior such as harvesting hazardous mushrooms for sale
or camp use is subject cause for arrest and prosecution. As are
a careless camp fire, chop shops, fecal as found, litter, etc.-etc.
My last such camp had me enter at 2 am, walk to a cave entry
amid cold lava, and sleep within to escape wet weather. As
fully dressed in cold weather motorcycling armor. Explored
the cave after awakening as a warming activity hoping the
outside wet weather would stop. The UK lacks enough
public-use forest property to adopt USA National Forest use
policies. Personally, I would circle any island in a sea touring
kayak for my wild camping. Above high tide reach under cliff
frontage to deter visits by Druids or other UK ethnic cleansing.
Surfing a kayak ashore requires practice. As will outbound.
Seeking shoreline caves or rock shelters for weather layovers.
I have a net bedding that can be rigged over a waterway under
bridging. Using SRT prusik or rappel in transit from/to my
floating ride. Using detachable wheels to walk a loaded boat
like oversize luggage out of harbor landings. Up to civilized
UK areas having sidewalk table food services . Most accept
plastic card commerce.
You forgot to mention our seasonal fires. No need to bring a stove, nature will cook your food for you. Imagine the weight savings!
Haha cheers, James! I’ll remember that one. We do get seasonal fires here. But not as frequent or as large.
I agree, thru hiking in the UK isn't really a thing. People thought I was mental for walking 125miles on the north downs way a two years ago.
Yeah, it is much less common. Although I do feel like it's growing. More and more UA-camrs are popping up and spreading the word with their vlogs.
Awesome video, liked how you promoted LNT a few times, wild camping in the UK is defiantly a different experience, very noticeable for me if I compare it with wild camping in Africa. All the best Alex
Thanks mate. Where have you camped in Africa?
The Trail Hunter I was brought up in Namibia, I camped all over but my favourite places has to be the Skeleton coast, Namib desert, spitzkoppe and the Okavango region.
I hate how english people in the comments section keep moaning about uk camping laws are awful etc , ENGLISH and WELSH laws maybe , Scotland you are free to wild camp anywhere anytime as i have done all my life , there are only restrictions between march and september in loch lomond and trossachs national park that say you cant wild camp within 100 metres of a loch shoreline , just wild camp 101 metres away 😁 or pay £6 a permit , the rest of the whole country is free to camp anywhere and anytime . Ive been to usa and canada and i still prefer scottish scenery (although lake louise was breathtaking in canada)
I love Wales and Yorkshire but really, the like of the John Muir trail and Banff National Park are incredible. The geography of North America is just better for hiking.
Not been to America but I would absolutely love to just for the PCT and also I’d love to do the sanGabriel mountains But obviously there’s more things to worrie about like vouchers bears snakes spider scorpions and so on But yer I love camping in uk Great video mate
You failed to mention the most important difference between the U.K and the U.S. related to wild camping and that is: Here in the states we don't have to worry about the Sheriff of Nottingham catching us.....
Just to mention wild camping in U.K. (not Scotland) is against the law. But it’s at the moment a civil trespass landowner matter. The landowner would have to ask you to leave and they would have to take legal action against you themselves.
However, there is consideration soon of making civil trespass a criminal matter. This would mean if you got lost on a public footpath or did some wild camping and the landowner got a bit grumpy with you or just disliked walkers and wild campers they could just call the police on you for criminal trespass.
So this could mean a respectful wild campers or other user of the outdoors such as a backpacker or bike packer could end up with a criminal record.
If this law gets passed it will fundamentally change how the outdoors is used in the U.K. people will become too scared to get out in the outdoors and you will probably start seeing signs of some landowners lands stating they will call the police on you if you are found.
Don’t think U.K. landowner won’t use this law against people crossing or wild camping on their land, they will.
😢😢
You can have fun wild camping anywhere.
I prefer to stay out of parks and away from trails , I hate campgrounds.
I live near the Appalachia trail in Maine, close to Katahdin, I've never visited the park (Baxter?) , thats not camping.
Aussie here. I can’t cope with hiking in the uk for this exact reason. Why would you want to spend 8 hours in wilderness to go spend the night with other people 🤷🏻♀️
Difference number 1
You won’t get eaten by a bear, a mountain lion or a snake in the UK 😂
Haha yeah, that was an obvious one. We do have poisonous snakes in Britain and the Aberdeen Angus, or Westhighland Bull!
@@thetrailhunter4469 Cows kill more walkers in the UK than Bears, wolves and Mountain Lions in the USA, which is crazy!
or get caught in between a hillbilly turf war in the Appalachians. trust me it's much worse than a bear
Beg to differ. There's worse from the envy of
wild camping freedoms. Who'd seek to deny
all pleasure of the liberty inclined. Thrown
stones, insults, threats, and direct assault.
Like, I'd steal their sheep, as did Pagans.
@@MeatGoblin88 we ain’t had any “turf wars” in a long time. I’m from the hills of Tennessee, grew up in Johnson City which is 15 minutes from the Appalachian Trail. We will fight if anyone talks badly about Dolly Parton.
Thank you
Great video! I travel a lot for work and have currently built up a light pack for camping whilst away.. can’t wait to wildcamp worldwide
Thanks Bulldog. Sounds awesome. Where you headed first?
The Trail Hunter unsure at present.. I should currently be in Thailand and again in December but the current quarantine rules mean its not feasible.. Im hoping they relax the rules a little over there by December
What about Bears, Mountain Lions and Bigfoot ? (In USA). Did you come across any. By the way am waiting for my Atom Pack after watchin g your vids thanks a lot!
Hi Mick! Ahh yes, the animals are a huge contrast. Sadly my trip was cut short and I didn’t have the opportunity to encounter any such beasts. So I didn’t touch on them in this video. Ahh fantastic! Haha glad you made a good choice. Which one did you go for?
A great and informative video, thanks
Thanks, Ivor!
Spot on! Thanks.
Thinking of getting rid of my Solplex. Not now.....
Love my Solplex! Would love to try an Altaplex though.
just been catching up on some of your vids.. think you've got rose tinted glasses on dude, the pennine way and cape wrath trail have got a real good culture around... and the right to roam in Scotland blows away anything in the states!!
Trail? That's programming. The UK has not counted
all the existing Megalithic structures. Which I see as
all prior freedom that civilization has no answers for.
Great summary. Wow if my knee wasn’t playing up and I was not a family man I would be in the States walking. It’s a bit sad that we don’t have even some of these rights.
Ahh thanks. Sorry to hear about your knee. Hope it gets better soon. Yeah we do in some places, but of course, very different land mass, culture and populations make it very different indeed.
The Trail Hunter yes. It’s great that the outdoor fraternity in the UK is driving the LNT ethos. Ps. See you on #cleanupyourmile. ATB Graham
You forgot wildlife, in the UK there aren't any animals that will hunt, kill, and eat you, in the US there are.
Great video btw, very forthright, honest.
What happened to all the animals over there? Never existed or hunted to extinction? The only really dangerous animal is the grizzly bear and that doesn't exist in most areas of America (only northwest states and Alaska), and they can be avoided, you'd be lucky to spot one. The AT doesn't go through grizzly country. Spook any big animal (Elk, Buffalo) and they can do real damage but for the most part they stick to themselves. Black bears are harmless for the most part (located all over the US near people and rarely any incidents) and mountain lions rarely kill (though there have been some incidents more recently). All the other creatures are pretty small (bobcats etc.), the UK probably has animals that are similar to those.
@@jersey282 No bears, no mountain lions, no bobcats,, Wolves on the Isle of Skye only. Only venomous snake is an Adder and they're VERY rarely seen, but their bite won't kill like a diamond back.
Black bears can, and have, killed or mauled people, mountain lions will attack if you go hike near a den. While the above is rare, it does happen.
In the UK you have small game, foxes, badgers etc. Probably a culmination of climate and hunting that killed off the big animals. Brown bears were common until the Iron age.
@@Luke_0 Thats really interesting about the UK, it's kind of sad. I guess it's easy to have animals disappear on what is essentially a big island.The rest of Europe has some of these animals at least.
I didn't even think of venomous snakes when thinking danger (there are lots of different kinds of venomous snakes all over the US but rarely seen in cities), they are probably far more dangerous than any bear. lol I mean, you will encounter snakes probably more often than a bear (most often off trail), and with the bear you will only see its butt as it runs away. Wolves are rare, or rarely seen (I've actually seen a wolf once on the east coast) but I've never heard of them actually attacking or killing anyone in the last century (there might have been someone, but really, that doesn't make them something to be concerned about). Anything is possible though. Know the area you are hiking in and know proper etiquette for food storage and what to do if you encounter one of these animals. As they say, the most dangerous part is driving to the start of the hike. :)
People don't camp in southern Florida because of alligators, boas, bugs, etc. The midges are the only problems I've seen in the UK. Camping and beer is better in the UK.
@@Luke_0 There are wolves on Skye?
It gives me a feeling, although stereotypical, that britsh wearing suits and leather shoes not really like hiking...
First thing that springs to mind is that you're less likely to be shot to death in the UK
Ahh yeah I steered clear from the obvious ones.
Hi dude, neat vid. Some of my best backpacking was over in BC, Canada. Bears, snakes, otters & banana slugs. Primary temperate rain forests & majestic mountains. Ripsnorting trails, some needed permits. What I saw in BC was similar to the Yanks, they're totally geared up for backpacking in a way that makes England look shameful. But then they're not constrained by the same outdoor politic & ethos etc., that we experience here. Was some what depressed returning to the pointy bits of England, it felt like we've emasculated the wildness out of landscapes here, in an endeavor to control & master it. But hey, I'm over that now, for the time being. But Scotland. Ahhh... Scotland, the golden land, the backpacking mecca. It shares some similarities to N. America, in that I've encountered something like trail angels & trail magic- but you have to leave some pennies for the trail fairies! As mentioned previously, Post Restante, has been the way to resupply myself during my TGO challenge trips. But not able to bounce them on up the line to the next town. Trail parties... again mainly during the TGO. 1st weekend in Braemar is steaming, Callater Lodge... infamously hardcore & Alan Solmans Cheese & Wine parties, at a given grid reference, are legendary. Going to self censor at this point because I've got to go sort the cows out 🐄 "All who wander are not lost!"
☮🥰☯️🤙
Thanks Dermot. Yeah it is crazy how different it is. Although my opinion is just from a short stint on the PCT. I thought it would be good to share even still. Here's a really awesome video by my mate, Ben. He goes into some of the historical events that enabled us to have the freedom to roam, while also explaining some culture around wild camping here in the UK. ua-cam.com/video/iuPaWO7QjG4/v-deo.html
Would love to go to Canada and hike some trails out there. Let's hope we get back to normal soon ay! Happy trails.
@@thetrailhunter4469 Thanks for the link to Ben's page, liked how he talked about the Kinder Trespass... Serious respects are due to the Kinder Scout Mass Trespass Crew. At the time, Benny Rothman & his friends took serious beatings & vindictive prison sentences for that audacious act which precipitated the access that we enjoy now. Can you imagine that todays Ramblers Association used to be a militant socialist sports club. This link covers the origins of the Kinder Trespass in more detail, than the more recent sanitised version we currently get. tribunemag.co.uk/2019/04/the-kinder-scout-mass-trespass
One day I hope that those of us in England will get comparable rights of access that our peers & contemporaries currently enjoy in Scotland. ATB ☮🥰☯️🤙
The frustration in the US, California specifically, is you need permits before you go. In the UK its all public footpaths and makes the experience more spontaneous, accepting and less elitist
Uk law about wild camping is strange no really freedom for hikers,
There is freedom, just need to know where to look 🤙
English and Welsh LAW not Scottish law
Yer, wild camping in USA is definatly wild, you only have to look at the murder rate for wild campers to know that??????
sorry mate, utter bollocks. If you haven't enjoyed the pleasure of the numerous honesty boxes in the uk, then you clearly haven't done many long distance uk trails. Your not comparing like for like - weekend campers arn.t thru hikers and you do a massive disservice to the uk long distance walking community with these half thought opinions..
Ok
Why are you this angry?
Sorry if I came across as angry but I feel you should be encouraging people to get out more, not putting them off. People are more likely to do short local trips not vast thru hikes, and should be given all the encouragement to do so. I've had the privilege of walking the AT, PCT GR11 and the like, but hardly anyone gets the chance to do this. Money and movement for a lot of people are going to become scarce commodities in the next few years - use your platform to encourage people to the possible, not just show boating the big hikes. One last thing, Britain doesn't have bears or 400 million firearms - both of which I.ve had the misfortune to be the wrong side of over the years in the states, although it does spice your trip up
@@richardpegg9265 I have over 250 videos encouraging, inspiring, giving tips, looking at gear, and documenting walks from all over the UK and around the world. I receive so many lovely and incredible messages from viewers saying my videos have helped them and inspired them to get outside and go exploring. This is just one thought on one personal observation from my own experiences.
I also aim to research, plan, shoot, edit and upload my videos twice a week for free so you can watch them without ads or promotions. I also have a website with over 100 gear reviews, stories from the trail, and podcasts from people like Chris Townsend from TGO and Tom Gale from Atom Packs with the aim to inspire those out there looking to create wonderful things for the outdoors.
You're saying my opinions are half-thought, but yours clearly are more so than mine. Without looking at everything I've offered my audience over the years, you've reacted rudely and negatively.
If you're not keen on my content, just unsubscribe and don't watch or comment. The more you do, the more you help my content grow.
Please also try not to swear in the comments, children and families watch my videos too.
Thanks