Bushcrafter found dead in Highland bothy
- Thread starter Rod Paradise
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Its a shame.
Not good for the person finding him. I found a suicide last year and whenever I go past the place I can picture it like it was yesterday.
Not good for the person finding him. I found a suicide last year and whenever I go past the place I can picture it like it was yesterday.
Very sad story as has been said. Sounds like he had some expreience, but was a little deluded to try to live of the land in that environment at that time of year.
Perhaps he got out of his depth, or maybe he was resigned to his fate. I really feel for his friends and family.
There's an interesting but very sad film from Japan on YouTube, about people leaving Tokyo to camp in the forests of Mount Fuji, and taking their own lives. I won't post a direct link as it's quite graphic, but certainly puts things into perspective...? ? Search Aokigahara Suicide Forest if you want a different perspective on Bushcraft.
Perhaps he got out of his depth, or maybe he was resigned to his fate. I really feel for his friends and family.
There's an interesting but very sad film from Japan on YouTube, about people leaving Tokyo to camp in the forests of Mount Fuji, and taking their own lives. I won't post a direct link as it's quite graphic, but certainly puts things into perspective...? ? Search Aokigahara Suicide Forest if you want a different perspective on Bushcraft.
Shame, has a couple of courses and some tv made him think he could do it as opposed to a lifetime or few years anyway,experience?
What I mean is, it's an experience that demands having spent many days and weeks in the wilds before even contemplating such.
I certainly wouldn't try it for more than a week.
Thoughts are with his loved ones.
What I mean is, it's an experience that demands having spent many days and weeks in the wilds before even contemplating such.
I certainly wouldn't try it for more than a week.
Thoughts are with his loved ones.
I did a course up there some years ago when in in the service. It's an incredibly harsh place to just keep it together.
After a week, we were all in pretty poor state. You tend to think 'oh it's just Scotland, it'll not be so bad' before you go, but I swear, it's one of the hardest places I've ever been to just stay warm, dry and as for fed, well forget it. In 5 days we trapped, as a group, one skinny rabbit. Were it not for the instructors we'd have had it.
After a week, we were all in pretty poor state. You tend to think 'oh it's just Scotland, it'll not be so bad' before you go, but I swear, it's one of the hardest places I've ever been to just stay warm, dry and as for fed, well forget it. In 5 days we trapped, as a group, one skinny rabbit. Were it not for the instructors we'd have had it.
Whilst it's not right to slate the chap himself. I think it's better to highlight the mistakes made and the realities of such a venture if it stops somebody else from attempting the same in the future.
Its a shame that this chap died. Dehydration and poor calorific intake are major factors in hypothermia. Generally its a series of small mistakes that kill us. Whilst his enterprise may have been misguided and almost impossible to achieve in the 21C he attempted to live life to the fullest for that alone I am sorry.
woodspirits
Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
sad news indeed, was he a BCUK member? on a scarily similar vein...http://www.bushcraftuk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=66503&highlight=rannock+moor this guy needs to take heed
This is why forums like this are so good because theres usualy someone here with experiance offering help or advise to prevent any more tragic stories like this.
RIP Fellow bushcrafter.
RIP Fellow bushcrafter.
Exactly,
There are very few who could pull of such an experience,even the few in the forces who get a chance to try it succeed after expert instruction.
I love rannoch moor, theres something about the place, there are very few places as barren and remote and in its own way beautiful that you feel totally isolated from civilisation and have a great sense of space and respect for all nature can throw at you (which is usually every weather type, all within 5 minutes)
Rannoch moor can be stunningly beautiful 
It can also be a midgie ridden hell though
and it can be so silent and open that even the very air feels giddy with freedom; or that first sunlight coming up and you just know the day's going to be a scorcher so hot you can smell the heat rising 
and it can be so locked in icy bitter cold with wind like daggers trying to tear you apart.
It's necessary, it's vitally important somehow that it exists, despite our modern world and it's ease of travel and communication.
M
It can also be a midgie ridden hell though
and it can be so silent and open that even the very air feels giddy with freedom; or that first sunlight coming up and you just know the day's going to be a scorcher so hot you can smell the heat rising and it can be so locked in icy bitter cold with wind like daggers trying to tear you apart.It's necessary, it's vitally important somehow that it exists, despite our modern world and it's ease of travel and communication.
M
Heart felt remorse goes out to his family and loved ones, such a waste.
I think that there are a few fickle members here though.
A few weeks ago a guy goes out doing what he loves, has the experience to make a snow hole and call for assistance yet everyone was in outrage at his lack of kit and planning and preparation.
http://www.bushcraftuk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=84369
Yet here we have a bigger tragedy of a lad going out completely unprepared and without any of the right emergency or safety kit and yet because he is seen as a "bushcrafter" and "one of us" he was just living the dream.
We are in a very precarious state right now with our hobby/lifestyle, with the abundance of all these "survival" shows our passion has never been as popular.
People watch these guy on TV with their HEAVILY edited scenes and as we all know it simply does not give a true indication of the difficulties many of us have experienced.
Watch Ray Mears start a fire and you'd think it was easier than using a box of matches, the fact remains though that many of these guys have been honing these skills many hours if not days per week for years, even then many scenes are cut and edited.
So it gives a very very false impression of the reality.
There are other entertainers that try and cover up safety harnesses or have prearranged kills left in certain spots, these are even worse as it belittles the real dangers even more.
We can and should all feel a twinge here that someone who shares a common interest has passed away doing something they love.
BUT glossing over the reality, inexperience, lack of planning or possibly stupidity as it becomes known is doing no one any favours.
If this was me i know 100% i would want people to analyse my death and use any info and experience to stop this happening again.
So i strongly believe that rather than try to shoot down the people offering real world advice we should encourage discussion so if it makes just 1 person in the future stop and think twice it's well worthwhile.
Cheers
Mark
I think that there are a few fickle members here though.
A few weeks ago a guy goes out doing what he loves, has the experience to make a snow hole and call for assistance yet everyone was in outrage at his lack of kit and planning and preparation.
http://www.bushcraftuk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=84369
Yet here we have a bigger tragedy of a lad going out completely unprepared and without any of the right emergency or safety kit and yet because he is seen as a "bushcrafter" and "one of us" he was just living the dream.
We are in a very precarious state right now with our hobby/lifestyle, with the abundance of all these "survival" shows our passion has never been as popular.
People watch these guy on TV with their HEAVILY edited scenes and as we all know it simply does not give a true indication of the difficulties many of us have experienced.
Watch Ray Mears start a fire and you'd think it was easier than using a box of matches, the fact remains though that many of these guys have been honing these skills many hours if not days per week for years, even then many scenes are cut and edited.
So it gives a very very false impression of the reality.
There are other entertainers that try and cover up safety harnesses or have prearranged kills left in certain spots, these are even worse as it belittles the real dangers even more.
We can and should all feel a twinge here that someone who shares a common interest has passed away doing something they love.
BUT glossing over the reality, inexperience, lack of planning or possibly stupidity as it becomes known is doing no one any favours.
If this was me i know 100% i would want people to analyse my death and use any info and experience to stop this happening again.
So i strongly believe that rather than try to shoot down the people offering real world advice we should encourage discussion so if it makes just 1 person in the future stop and think twice it's well worthwhile.
Cheers
Mark
very well said Mark, unfortunatly as with all media reporting we don't know the full facts, for example, this young man may well have been very experienced, had a stock of food, had arranged to travel to the nearest village once a month to "check in" but circumbed to an illness, or food poisoning, he may have had a heart attack or a seizure.......we just don't know the full facts.
Untill we do ( if ever ) i would suggest that our comments are kept to sympathy for this tragady rather than groundless speculation.
my condolences to his family and friends
Biker
Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Sad news indeed. I refrained from my initial knee jerk reaction comment yesterday, glad I did too.
Interesting reading your comment folks and that link that woodspirits linked to about the fella "doing it for real" does make me wonder if he was here. I suppose there's no way of ever knowing.
Anyway thoughts and best wishes for his friends and family. Got to be hard dealing with something like that.
Interesting reading your comment folks and that link that woodspirits linked to about the fella "doing it for real" does make me wonder if he was here. I suppose there's no way of ever knowing.
Anyway thoughts and best wishes for his friends and family. Got to be hard dealing with something like that.
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