Joined this forum a few months back...
Welcome!
...17 years old and have loved the idea of living with nothing but 3-4 tools for a few days but i've never known how or where to learn..
Was just wondering what tips you would give me ....
You're doing the right things already, and you've already had some outstanding advice.
Get out there and have a go. Might be worth taking a pencil and paper to note the things you find (or find you that don't have, and would be handy
). It's probably worth getting something like a small exercise book. You can get expensive waterproof ones or you can get a cheap one that somebody threw out and a polythene bag. I'm of the polythene bag persuasion.
I'm all for reading up on stuff (there's a wealth of information on the Internet but you need to be selective) but it's a lot easier to grasp some of the stuff you'll read if you have some personal experience to relate to what you're reading. It's easy to read about staying warm, dry and comfortable while nodding sagely to yourself, but unless you've spent a Winter's night in wet clothes on a hill in Wales the advice somehow doesn't make the same lasting impression.
There's a lot of talk here about kit, and of spending lots of money on it. Most of the time it really isn't necessary. You can buy a Blueflame lighter for nearly fifty quid or a disposable Bic for 20p and they'll both save your life if you need a fire. Your Victorinox will probably do all you need for the rest of your life but if you're like most of us here you'll probably end up with a collection. Don't let it get in the way of the enjoyment, it's easy to get hooked and forget why you're doing this. By a
very long way the best time I spend is out in the woods, alone except for the (other) wild creatures. Being alone isn't everybody's cup of tea; there are a lot of meets arranged on this forum, so if you're looking for adventure see the
Meets section.
If you know a local bobby, let him know what you're planning to do. He'll be able to set you straight from the legal point of view and being more conversant with the law than Joe Public he'll have more immediately relevant advice than we can give. Basically nobody is going to trouble you if you're considerate, sensible and try not to attract a lot of attention to yourself. If the reverse, you can expect to wear out your welcome very quickly and give the rest of us grief in the process.
