OT: Died trying to live off the land in the UK.

[Mark]

Doh.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/9029732 ... rness.html

[Arghiro]

That's a pretty ambitious aim with no back-up plan. Open highland moors in winter are probably not the best place for wild veg, berries, nuts & catchable food.

[ubergeekian]

Doh.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/9029732 ... rness.html

Poor silly sod. What did he think he was doing, starting his year in the middle of winter?

[claymore]

Trying to get the rough bit out of the way first?

[Mark]

I'd love to see a transcript of his journal.

I think it's quite likely he hadn't thought it through properly and got out of his depth immediately, but part of me wonders if he really was adempt at living off almost nothing and it was mostly under control and he was just unlucky during one cold spell.

His journal would tell us which it was.

With my extensive knowledge of living off the land I'd have thought the only way to live off the land around there would be to start at the coast and live on fish & shellfish.

[claymore]

My extensive knowledge would suggest it's a good idea to have a Sainsburys or such within striking distance.

[Telo]

Very sad, but his death was believed to be caused by hypothermia rather than starvation (yes, I know that poor diet can reduce resistance etc...). But there are people who spend much of the year in the bothies, so perhaps he wasn't that unusual, although, admittedly, they'll usually call back into civilisation for supplies from time to time. We once gave a lift to an elderly, slightly smelly mountain dosser who'd decided to come down and pay a visit to his daughter in Bearsden or Milngavie. I suppose he was near 70 at the time. Weather wasn't too great as I recall. AFAIR he slept out with just a tarpaulin for a bivvy.

Incidentally, I don't think I've seen any of the real old tramps since the early 70s. There was one old guy, very well spoken, posh indeed, and with long white hair and beard, who had been a solicitor's clerk in Guildford or Tunbridge Wells. You'd see him tramp around Wester Ross and Sutherland in the summer, and round the Ayrshire caves near Sawney Bean's bit in the winter. Different lives, different people.

[Mark]

Very sad, but his death was believed to be caused by hypothermia rather than starvation

No, but if he'd lived like a king for a month and then died in one sharp cold spell he would seem to be an unlucky, but capable, guy.

If he'd struggled to look after himself for 3 days and then carked it, he'd appear to be a bit of a no hoper who'd never really thought it through.

I'm working on the principle that if we knew how well he'd survived up until his death we'd have a good idea of which of those to categories he fell into. And that's what I'm curious about. (I have no idea why I'm curious about that, it's a shame whatever his level of outdoor capability.)

I've just hunter-gathered two choccie digestives and a steaming hot cup of tea from the kitchen. This survival lark really isn't that hard, after all.

[ubergeekian]

Incidentally, I don't think I've seen any of the real old tramps since the early 70s. There was one old guy, very well spoken, posh indeed, and with long white hair and beard, who had been a solicitor's clerk in Guildford or Tunbridge Wells. You'd see him tramp around Wester Ross and Sutherland in the summer, and round the Ayrshire caves near Sawney Bean's bit in the winter. Different lives, different people.

Until about five years ago we had a genuine gypsy who used to camp on the road verge near us in the Deep South for a week or two each year. Proper varda and horse, did garden work, and very well by all accounts.

[ubergeekian]

With my extensive knowledge of living off the land I'd have thought the only way to live off the land around there would be to start at the coast and live on fish & shellfish.

I would have thought that the only way to get through winter on the moors there would be to have a store of food built up over the summer.

[Gardenshed]

While inspired by the likes of Bear Grylls etc, he has overlooked te significant support infrastructure that the tv survivorists have: the helicopter, the camera crew, the 5* hotel used for the overnights (once the camera is off) etc.
It is desperately sad that this guy tried to live his dream but failed in such as short time and only 1 mile from the station. I feel very sorry for his family.

[Arghiro]

With my extensive knowledge of living off the land I'd have thought the only way to live off the land around there would be to start at the coast and live on fish & shellfish.

I would have thought that the only way to get through winter on the moors there would be to have a store of food built up over the summer.

Yeah, even trapping the odd rabbit, there isn't much veg or even firewood available. Just to keep a fire going all day needs a couple of hours gathering & cutting wood.

Watched a TV prog about a bunch of Yanks "Going Stone Age". The girls really suffered & were getting depressed, weren't prepared to eat frog or rat when that was all they had. The skins they were initially given were useless in the rain as they got soaked, cold & heavy when wet.

It wasn't until they were persuaded to move where there was game & given spears with throwing stick technology that managed to get any meat. Very revealing & the UK doesn't have any locations where you could hunt game like that legally. I think there are 60 mill too many people on this island for living wild to be sustainable - in any season or location.

[Gordonmc]

I knew the late "Snibbs" Scott off and on when I was living in Girvan.
The Sunday Post ran a "gentleman of the road" story on him, claiming he lived off the shore and road-kill.
He lived in a cave just South of Bennane Head on the Ballantrae road and was a regular sight walking the country roads foraging for brambles, checking the bins in the lay-byes and nicking the neeps out of the sheep fields.
In reality he only survived as long as he did because he was looked after by local folk who would leave out food and look out for him. Latterly he was taken into the village surgery to have his wellies cut off and his trench-foot treated.
I once went with a local farmer to the cave with Snibbs' Christmas dinner.
He had his bed on a raised mound in the cave, a fire at one end, surrounded by water dripping from the roof.
He didn't have a calendar let alone a clock or watch but still had a Yule greeting for us; "Yer f*** late!"

[Telo]

I knew the late "Snibbs" Scott off and on when I was living in Girvan.

I wonder if that was the same guy that I'd seen, or whether I have confused two different tramps.

[Mark]

Just to keep a fire going all day needs a couple of hours gathering & cutting wood.

Took me an hour this weekend to chop up 7 palettes for our fire with a chainsaw.

Mind you, he'd be might warm cutting them by hand.

Not that there is any wood to burn where he was.