Spanner here........This is a very old issue with us here in the woods.....Monkey see monkey do..... once one responsible group is seen in the area it is not long before others think that they can do the same. It happens with walkers and horse riders and it will sure as eggs is eggs will happen with any sort of bushcraft encampment.
jdlenton has seen briefly the things we have here. I only check for bodies and needles! We seem to be too far from city life for needles but the thought is always in the back of my mind. I still think that people think the woods too scary to be in them at night.There has been damage done such as felling medium sized trees but we have managed to stop this and use the timber although the nails and debris still cause concern.
As for insurance. It is a learning curve for all. I raised the issue of the duty of care from a landowners point of view. Recently, there has been a case of landowner v MOP re damage caused by a tree. MOP won the case and set a legal precedent. This has caused a shudder to run through the legal fraternity and it is now filtering through to the likes of us here on the front line. As our insurer said very recently, 'if you have an accident and can't work, consequently can't pay the mortgage and loose your house' this is what liability insurance is for.
I can not comment on the liabilities of bodies such as NT or FC as I do not work for these. I still feel that even if you have permission from a warden and you do have an accident and you are persuing an activity that falls outside the general accepted norm you are NOT covered. The liability then falls onto that warden as it was his decision! I know this sounds silly but see what happens when lawyers get into full swing... reality goes clean out of the window.
What a miserable thread you all say and I totally agree! But when your familys home is on the line this is how it goes.
Fire is our scariest item. It very quickly gets out of control in the summer if conditions are right. (white man make big fire, keep warm by collecting much fuel. Indian make small fire, keep warm!)
Theft will occur as this comes with any sport which uses gadgets and kit (ask any climber)
Axe wounds worry me a lot whether it be to yourself or others (so much so that I would probably not allow them in the woods here) and knife cuts happen to all of us on a varying scale.
Damage to fences and stiles. This is interesting as I remembered this weekend, travelling with a loaded pack over what looks like a safe board becomes very dodgy when you are loaded up for a long weekends bushcrafting. Damage to yourself happens here too.(ankles, wrists etc)
Polution (thanks Scanker) is relevant. We all do it every day. It needs careful thought so as not to pollute water or cause a hazzard to other people. Dog walkers are the worst!
Damage to property and things associated are covered by the liability.
There is also a health and safety risk asessment to be done by the landowner now to ensure that IF bushcrafters are allowed into her/his woods they are entering an area that is safe ( this comes on the back of this recent case) Also the frequency of inspections is a matter to be discussed. Unfortunatey all this needs to be paid for.
Now boring you may think but I dont want your injury to be by my negligence.
Our insurers were happy to provide cover within certain limits. Numbers and within the 28 day rule. On this I was happy but it did mean a lot of input from me to start with
Personal injury insurance is probably a thing to look into too.
I'm off to the APF for three days to appraise a lot of these issues with like minded people and FC friends (don't know any NT)Sounds like a holiday but in reality is hard work. May get some interesting answers to my questions.
Swyn.
