Natural Shelter and leaving no trace (Small Rant)

[mountainm]

If it's anything like the National Trust they also steal pictures in the South West.

I recently found the Trust using one of my pictures to advertise their overnight "wild camping" events without a hint of asking me permission.

When confronted them I got a mealy mouthed apology saying that the person responsible for media in the area didn't realise that permission was required and had intended no harm.

The next sentence went on to say how professional they all were. Bunch of feckless idiots.

To be fair I'm guessing it's a crap web designer working for whichever company that they outsource there web site to that's responsible for that gem. Google images has a lot to be responsible for. When you hire a designer to build a site for you , you expect them to stay within the law, but those that run the interactive departments that do the RFP seldom even know these rules exist let alone check them.

 

[Expat]

A lot of this sounds very much like, "Well, we consider ourselves bushcrafters, so its alright for us...."
Cobblers..!! Tidy up after yourselves... I'm quite sure the hordes of lost hikers/ bushcrafters in the UK
woods every year will manage very well without you leaving them a shelter "just in case"......
Its hardly Lapland OR the frozen North of Canada.....

 

[Wayland]

To be fair I'm guessing it's a crap web designer working for whichever company that they outsource there web site to that's responsible for that gem. Google images has a lot to be responsible for. When you hire a designer to build a site for you , you expect them to stay within the law, but those that run the interactive departments that do the RFP seldom even know these rules exist let alone check them.

To be fair, having worked for them on and off over the years, they couldn't organize a drinks party in a brewery so I was not in the least surprised. In fact I was more surprised that they new anything about the internet to be honest.

But they certainly felt the sharp side of my tongue about the matter.

 

[Shewie]

The only time I've ever used a natural shelter is on courses, it's good to know you can build one if ever needed but for trips I prefer to pack a shelter. The time and resources needed to construct something weatherproof and substantial just isn't worth it, especially when you have to take it all down again after a few days.

I see them left all over the place, I've even slept in one after adding a few fern fronds to keep the rain out. I like the idea of leaving them for wildlife to utilise so I'll keep on turning a blind eye.

 

[Wayland]

In the area I most often find them I break them up because they add to the false impression that camping is allowed which tends to attract the Neds.

Most are not well made anyway, the people that know how to do the job properly don't tend to leave such eyesores behind.

 

[mountainm]

If its kids having fun making dens then i have no issue with it.

 

[sasquatch]

I am sure there are good 'users' out there. The place I am alluding to is an established arboretum and the shelters are, to be quite honest, shoddy.

Yip, we're the good guys. No rubbish taken in or left behind, just shelter building on land we have permission to use for bushcrafty activity with groups of kids. We have our fires for camp cooking on the grounds of the centre as well so we don't give off the impression it's alright to do that in the woods we use.

Hard to believe a 'bushcraft school' would be leaving rubbish and fire scars in the woods. Personally I'd be having a word with them if it went on around me as it gives off terrible press and goes against the ethos they should be preaching. Not good at all...

 

[John Fenna]

I have a little bit of woodland in a privately owned wood with public access (being made into a community woodland) where acces is (for the while) rather difficult and involves a tricky stream crossing by way of a fallen tree.
In this small patch we are building a "base camp" for use with courses for "vunerable" people/Nature Therapy groups - with the active co-operation of the land owner.
So far we have only built a large Altar fire and a large table (plus a frame for my bed!) but in the next couple of weeks we will be going in again to (hopefully) build a large lean-to shelter for small groups to shelter in.
Eventually we hope to have benches, group shelter, fire, food prep area, toilet (long drop), "Sweat Lodge" frame and a couple of sleeping shelters built plus easier access by way of a bridge.
The job is proving a long one as few people are involved and getting people to commit to weekends of hard labour for no return is, naturally, difficult and most folks have other comitments as well.
I realy hope that no well meaning person decides to trash it for us!

 

[Wayland]

Might be worth putting up a notice John.

 

[demographic]

Kids often make dens as well, I know I used to.
Generally they seem to think they don't need to take them down cos the location is well secret innit?
Despite being only 2'6" of the main path.

 

[boatman]

Had an odd thing in our own wood. I had left up a camo tarp that provided a windbreak and a bit of overhead cover by our fireplace. Found it taken down and the rope that had supported it cut into approximately one foot pieces. Strange sort of vandalism almost as though someone was trying to make a point but the "shelter" was there perfectly legitimately and no one around the area has any idea either. Could it have been a passing "Bushcrafter" with a mission?

 

[Bushwhacker]

I don't see the problem. It's just sticks and leaves arranged in a fashion like a big drey on the ground.

 

[Retired Member southey]

I don't see the problem. It's just sticks and leaves arranged in a fashion like a big drey on the ground.

Yeah but a couple of barrels into it and you get a bergen and a foil wrapped woodsman!

 

[cbr6fs]

If it's not on private land then it's just pure laziness and i'd kick it down.

 

[mountainm]

wrong thread...

 

[NikolaTesla]

Well I'd leave it up if it's a good shelter, but if it's bad and crumbly just dismantle it, and use it as firewood, if the wood is dry.

 

[chris_irwin]

I don't see a problem with them personally. Often, the ones I come across have been build by children and families to be used as dens for the kids to play in. As long as they aren't constructed with bits of plastic etc, what's the harm?

 

[Wayland]

This is the type of stuff I get around here.

Ugly and destructive. Maybe the work of teens but not of kids in my opinion.

 

[Perrari]

I agree with you on that one Wayland, 'ugly & destructive' , and the trees have been cut 'badly' right next to a footpath as well. I doubt that any serious bushcrafter would of done that. As you say probably the work of teens.

This is the type of stuff I get around here.

Ugly and destructive. Maybe the work of teens but not of kids in my opinion.

 

[Jock]