Green obsessed...

[Daniel]

Personally I'm like Popeye (work that out for yourself, if you can't PM me ).

You like to eat spinach, which is green?



I agree with many of you, green is a colour which is easy on the eye and mind. I find when walking in woods it's so relaxing, and I find myself at peace, and walking slower (when in a town I seem to walk faster without thinking about it, as does all people i think).

Seeing a bright colour like a foxglove amongst the green growth is an excitement for the eye, but seeing a bright illuminous pink jacket walk past your line of sight is most ghastly. It seems misplaced and wrong.
I think of seeing someone walking in an orange jacket or camping in a yellow tent the same as seeing a walkers (get it? ) ready salted crisp packet lying within some deep green nettles. Out of place.

 

[swamp donkey]

Well hello people ,

This as you can see this is my first post, I have however, been reading the posts for a long while. Until now I have not been tempted to enter. Mainly I think, because of this very subject. I have been thinking about a thread entitled "Is this the place for me?" Hope fully this will not be my last post!!
It has been an interesting thread but a little one sided . Withsome great stuff for starting urban myths.

For me nature is about COLOUR, as I look out of my window a field of orange hawkweed , Yellow poppies and purple saxafrage fill my view, along with every other colour somewhere there as well.
I go out into the world wearing what ever comes out on top of my clothes pile it may be purple , orange, blue ,pink grey , green,light blue, black ,red etc (yes I do have clothes all of those colours). but never DPM . I have a military background so when I travel and live in the field, I use quick a lot of green kit and until I replace it I have a dpm shelter sheet. But like much of my kit it came free! So what can you do? I have been wearing an orange ventile jacket for the last 30 years and am about to make a new one as it is just about see though . and yes it is orange, because I was given the material.
I have never had any trouble observing or hunting wild life whilst wearing it. I find that it is the way you move that makes the difference, not what you are wearing .
I do like natural fibres and do not own a gortex jacket.
It makes absolutly no difference to me what you are wearing when you go to play in the woods only that you are having a good time .
I would not be bothered if I met some burburry clad folk around a fire in the woods as long as they where not trying to burn it down! I would however be unhappy if I was confronted by a horde of airsoft plonkers . As our local wood was devasted by some not so long ago. While I am in rant mode, My only real problem countryside users are 4x4s making tracks un walkable and quads and moterbikes doing the same but with lots of noise pollution. Rant over.
Back to the subject, I have been luck enough to travel all over the world and met and interacted with many ethic people .. One thing which has alway struck me is that they nearly all try to add colour to their dress in some way . be it beading , paint weaving . So perhaps following their example might be the way forward as in my experience it does not stop them getting close to nature!

I await your reaction and then perhapsI will know if this is the place for me

So good night for now,
Swamp donkey

 

[Toddy]

Y'know in many ways I agree with you
I'm me, I love colour and I refuse to look like a survivor of a outdated millenium cult. I do wear green clothing, but I also wear pink, purple, blue, rust, cream.....and yes I wear these when I go walkabout. I do prefer natural fibres though.

Scottish tartans are frequently gaudily eyedazzlingly coloured, yet wear one on a hill, in a wood or while walking a moorland and you'll blend right in. It's not the colour that's important, it's breaking up the outline.

When I first realised that my pastimes had a name, bushcraft, I was a bit taken aback; so many of the people involved wore army surplus and that was *so* not me. I eventually reckoned that it was the influence of the tv gurus of the genre, all of whom appear to be ex army/special forces. etc., If Eddie McGee or Ray Mears wears green, then everyone must wear green....... I *don't* think so

We are all individuals....very *different* individuals, why dress in uniform?

Cheers,
Toddy

 

[Spacemonkey]

"My only real problem countryside users are 4x4s making tracks un walkable and quads and moterbikes doing the same but with lots of noise pollution"

Maybe, but consider that they have as much right to use the countryside as everyone else, yet considerably less tracks that they can go on. Ramblers etc can go virtually anywhere, yet off road driving enthusiasts have a very limited choice of routes they can take, and the government are trying to reduce it even further. Live and let live i say. The Airsoft brigade should be only playing on special sites really, but there a relatively harmless bunch. Ok some of them are prize plonkers who take it far too seriously, but most treat it as the fun game that it is. Personally I like any shooting activity, but the thrill of having your quarry shot back yet knowing you'll live is actually fun. Endlessly punching neat little 7.62mm holes in paper does get a tad repetative after a while...

Apart from that, I think you're in the right place!!

 

[Bob Hurley]

I've never seen Ray Mears except in a couple of still shots posted here, so I can't imagine he has much effect here. There are quite a few hunters here, and green is the only woodsy color that isn't the color of an animal - browns resemble deer, greys coyotes, and black can pass for a bear. Even a small black item looks a lot like a turkey in the distance, especially if it has red and/or blue accents. You've got to be nutty to wear anything with fur trim.

Don't get me wrong, 99.99% (a statistic I just made up) of our hunters are responsible folks, and don't shoot unless they can clearly identify their game. I just don't want to be shot by the .01% that shouldn't be allowed in the woods but are there anyway.

Most U.S. states now require big game hunters to wear a lot of blaze orange, which I think is ridiculous. Forget to wear it or take it off to take care of business, and you increase your chance of accidental shooting - can't be a man, it isn't orange. The odd thing is that this nanny-state orange clothing rule only applies to hunters, unarmed hikers are evidently immune to bullets.

 

[Motorbike Man]

My only real problem countryside users are 4x4s making tracks un walkable and quads and moterbikes doing the same but with lots of noise pollution

Not only do they have as much right to be there as anyone else, but the vast majority of motorised users are as responsible users as anyone else. Not only do 4x4 drivers do a lot of work cleaning the rubbish, burnt out cars and general debris from tracks and lanes, (Just check the pages of any 4x4 magazine such as Land Rover Owners magazine) but I used to do a lot of greenlaning on a motorbike and not only did I help the police on many occasions by checking areas that they couldn't get to for stolen cars but some of the worst damage but I also made sure that my bike was quiet and road worthy, but I always behaved in a polite and courteous way to any other track user, not treatment I always got back, having had stones thrown at me on several occaisions and on others actually being attacked with walking stick by so called responsible ramblers

 

[raskusdrotti]

Hi Swamp Donkey!

I have to agree with you! I don't think i own any surplus gear, and i grab whatever i feel i will be most comfortable in given the conditions. I only have one green jacket, and i wear that one to work!

If i spent a lot of time tracking animals i would probably be more worried about what colours to wear.

I was checking out a fallen tree today - which was about ten feet from a path in the forest. I was wearing a light blue shirt and a cream cap, and a couple walked past on the track. I must have been fully visible for at least 50ft but they did not look at me once!!!!
People see what they want.

Wear what you will, if you are happy and enjoying yourself that is what matters!

 

[BorderReiver]

Welcome Swamp Donkey.

You'll find quite a mix of opinions on here on all sorts of topics.

As long as we present our views politely no one seems to get upset.

Is your ventile jacket single or double and does it stay waterproof as it ages?

 

[Eric_Methven]

Maybe it's the old soldier in me but I like to dress so I can be seen only when I choose to be seen. Having said that, I tend not to wear ex military clothing, but I find dark greens and browns in natural materials work well for me. If I'm camping light I generally only have my goretex bivi and sleeping bag. That way I can crash out at last light and be on my way at first light. Often as not I'll bed down right beside the road or track, maybe behind a bush or rock and nobody even knows I'm there. Come morning, I'm up and away within ten minutes and will walk for half an hour before I make my first brew. Bright colours would compromise my privacy and I find it an offence to the eye to see a line of orange blobs working their way across a hillside. Still, that's just me and each to his own. To this day, I still don't stand in front of an open window if it's dark outside and the room lights are on. I always move out of sight. Same when I'm closing the curtains at home, I always draw them from the side. Am I paranoid? Maybe too many tours in Ulster? Yes, I like to see and not be seen. And I do favour green for outdoor clothing and equipment.

Eric

 

[FeralSheryl]

Hi Swamp donkey

Everyone's different but we all have an interest in Bushcraft in common. The only way to find out if it's the place for you is to spend a little time. Trust me, you'll get a very warm welcome, come on in.

 

[TwoFourAlpha]

Like most other people here, ( I guess ) when I pack my bergan up, I do a little jump or two to see what rattles. Whatever it is gets unpacked and packed quietly.
I like to be quiet in my surroundings. Dayglo colours are the equivalent of the 'Crazy Frog' in a library.

That's why I wear green.

 

[FeralSheryl]

What I find more interesting than the colours of the clothes we choose to wear are the reasons behind those choices. I was thinking about this thread while we were walking around Crickly Hill this afternoon.

Out on the Hill top looking out across Gloucestershire for miles and miles just as our ancestors had done in the Iron age, you're openly very visable and I could understand why Hill Wallkers perhaps don't feel so uncomfortable in brighter colours.

We went on into the Beech Woods - the Scrubs - and immediately I found myself pleased that I'd worn my quiet colours, mostly shades of brown on this occasion. Actually I don't think I have many green clothes at all, it's mostly leaf litter browns or light greys that I go for. The surroundings were hushed and as usual it made me want to walk quietly too. I felt very comfortable with my own presence there, not standing out like - what would seem to me at least - a sore thumb. I wonder if the more specifically Woodland orientated among us, are the ones who prefer the woody shades?

Then eventually, as we walked back towards our car to head on home, we walked through a Meadow filled with wildflowers and an amazing celebration of natural colours. It was easy to see how in all that colour, some might feel odd or even conspicious wearing drab green!

In concusion, it would be daft to suggest there's a right or a wrong colour to wear for bushcraft. Loud colours on people do make me cring but that's just my perception. I don't think anyone is going to be stopping people at the door with "If you're not wearing drab, you're not coming in!" Good grief!

 

[Tantalus]

i have to agree with george that greens and browns dont show the dirt as badly

re scottish tartans, i think they only look garish out of context, traditionally they were coloured with locally made dyes and would tend to blend into local vegetation because that is what was used to make the dyes. modern tartans often are made with fade resistant dyes and brighter more eye catching colours, but the disruptive effect works just as well at a distance

interestingly not all military uniforms are green, the german military chose pale blue because in misty woods (or woods full of shellsmoke) the wearer tends to disappear into the haze

i have a rusty orange jumper that is one of my autumn favourites, it disappears into a hillside of bracken like magic, and even rushes and reeds at the right time of day

it isnt that i want to hide, but more i dont want to stand out like a sore thumb i guess

Tant

 

[BorderReiver]

What I find more interesting than the colours of the clothes we choose to wear are the reasons behind those choices.

I like green .Tend to wear muted,subdued colours most of the time anyway.
My dress kilt is muted tartan,(and it is green )they don't have to be highly coloured.

 

[FeralSheryl]

I like green .

Sounds like a good reason to me Bet you look rather dashing in that kilt too

 

[Graham_S]

i wear green because my swanni is green. (i love my swanni )

 

[JFW]

when I go out to practice the craft - or just go for a walk in the woods - I usually wear the clothes that smell of woodsmoke! I don't really bother with how I look as long as what I'm wearing is fit for purpose. As most of the time I will be sitting on the ground or scrambling through some muddy undergrowth my gear is usually green or subdued so as not to show up the dirt.
As has been said previously budget comes into it and surplus stuff is hard wearing and cheap, so works for me.

Cheers

JFW

 

[swamp donkey]

Hello Folks,
I've been ultra busy so have not been able to reply to your posts. I must say I think I will be staying as there seems to be plenty of colourful poeple hanging about the place! Plenty of things to reply to ,I will go at them any oldway so here goes.

Eric:- It is kind of weird how some bits of training stick , Mine are looking up at windows and roofs and not having my back to doors! I have been biving like you since I was 13 . Started in a orange poly bag and then blue gortex which I still use . I have never been bothered by any one. The fact is so few people stray of the main line that just being 20ft of the path and out of view means no one will notice except if you trip over someone doing the same as I once did in Snowdonia!

Ventile Jacket:-Itsdouble ventile and cost £5 from Field and trek in 1974 ! It is still waterproof but in differing degrees Front ok back not so good but that could be be because the outer layer is almost see through from rucsac carrying. New jacket will now be double as well .As I have just aquired some more ventile lighter but green.

Motercycleman. :- Bit more difficult here .I have to hold my hand up as I am 4x4 userer at work and have been featured in landrover mags twice to date. I am sure that you are doing all the right things but the evidence on the ground(in my area) just doesnt follow . I have never seen any 4x4 drivers except my self doing any sort of track repairs. There is no such thing as a quite moterbike and finally after witnessing a nasty moterbike walker accident (both badly injured ) I cannot see any justification in having powered vechicles on the same tracks as walkers. just look at the walkers in the nettles and wonder why they throw stones(been there myself,not throwing stones of course). Its like having a powerboat on a canal. but thats just me.

Thats it for now

Swamp Donkey

 

[Motorbike Man]

Hello Folks,
I've been ultra busy so have not been able to reply to your posts. I must say I think I will be staying as there seems to be plenty of colourful poeple hanging about the place! Plenty of things to reply to ,I will go at them any oldway so here goes.

Eric:- It is kind of weird how some bits of training stick , Mine are looking up at windows and roofs and not having my back to doors! I have been biving like you since I was 13 . Started in a orange poly bag and then blue gortex which I still use . I have never been bothered by any one. The fact is so few people stray of the main line that just being 20ft of the path and out of view means no one will notice except if you trip over someone doing the same as I once did in Snowdonia!

Ventile Jacket:-Itsdouble ventile and cost £5 from Field and trek in 1974 ! It is still waterproof but in differing degrees Front ok back not so good but that could be be because the outer layer is almost see through from rucsac carrying. New jacket will now be double as well .As I have just aquired some more ventile lighter but green.

Motercycleman. :- Bit more difficult here .I have to hold my hand up as I am 4x4 userer at work and have been featured in landrover mags twice to date. I am sure that you are doing all the right things but the evidence on the ground(in my area) just doesnt follow . I have never seen any 4x4 drivers except my self doing any sort of track repairs. There is no such thing as a quite moterbike and finally after witnessing a nasty moterbike walker accident (both badly injured ) I cannot see any justification in having powered vechicles on the same tracks as walkers. just look at the walkers in the nettles and wonder why they throw stones(been there myself,not throwing stones of course). Its like having a powerboat on a canal. but thats just me.

Thats it for now

Swamp Donkey

I'm sorry Swamp Donkey, but you obviously don't have any idea what you are talking about when it comes to motorbikes. The vast majority of motorbikes used on tracks are by responsible owners and are a lot quieter that most 4x4s that I have heard. I agree there are irresponsible riders out there as well, but then there are also irresponsible walkers out there too and there is NEVER ANY JUSTIFICATION for some of the attacks I have been subjected too. When I am greenlaning, I rode on 'byeways open to all traffic'and 'roads used as public paths', exactly where I had EVERY RIGHT TO BE, are you saying that you would like to see walkers banned from these routes?

How you can say that you see no justification for powered vehicles on the same tracks as walkers and yet admit to being a 4x4 driver yourself seems hypocritical in the extreme to me, a complete contradiction in terms and as for never seeing any other 4x4 drivers doing track repairs, just take a look through the magazines at the club events, it goes on all over the country all through the year. Just because you haven't seen it doesn't mean it doesn't happen.

 

[swamp donkey]

Moterbikeman:- We are endanger of dragging this thread right off subject and I aplogise to any one who alreay thinks that. My last word is that my experience is very very different to yours and is based on being paid to be in the countryside around the country all year around 4 out of 5 working days and 89 paid nights under tarp last year. I now do not drive on green lanes even though I have more right to do so than almost any one. We wil have to agree to disagree but is your moterbike green

Swamp Donkey