Long Distance Walking

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halfpint Apr 2022 2:47pm, 2 Apr 2022 37,179 posts	0 halfpint I tend to wear long legs most of the year just because of the bloody ticks.
halfpint Apr 2022 2:47pm, 2 Apr 2022 37,180 posts	0 halfpint And midges.
Rosehip Apr 2022 2:48pm, 2 Apr 2022 24,716 posts	0 Rosehip ^ And nettles
Northern Exile Apr 2022 2:50pm, 2 Apr 2022 8,600 posts	0 Northern Exile Last year was bloody awful for ticks wasn't it? They love me (midges too), but if it's nice weather I really can't bring myself to wear long legs. If I have to, then it's normally running tights or if it genuinely just walking/very cold then I'll sometimes wear techy trousers, the Mountain Equipment stretchy ones are brilliant. Note to self: Smidge before going out from now on, ticks have been reported already!!
Northern Exile Apr 2022 2:59pm, 2 Apr 2022 8,601 posts	0 Northern Exile Just reading back over the last few pages, one thing I don't think has been mentioned is a phone. This may seem like a foregone conclusion nowadays, but I always make sure I've got one. Personally I don't like carrying a smartphone, especially as they have got bigger and bigger in recent years and they seem a bit of a liability to me, I'd never use one for navigation for instance. For the record, a smartphone with a GPS capability (ie. all of them) is a good idea, because if you have to call MRT they can use SARLOC to locate you. I don't, because I vainly think that I would be capable of passing on a grid reference no matter what the circumstances are. There are probably dozens of scenarios where I'd fail Anyhow, what I was going to say is that I carry a lightweight Nokia burner phone as beloved by drug dealers, it has twin SIM slots and I have a Manx Telecom SIM in one and an Orange SIM in the other. MT have a reciprocal agreement with all the major UK networks, meaning you should in theory have the best possible chance of getting a signal no matter where you are. I have Orange in the other because that seems to be the best coverage in the Lake District, 02 and Vodaphone in the Scottish Highlands. I have used this little phone in an emergency and it got through where others failed, I really do recommend a Manx SIM if you can get your hands on one.
Derby Tup Apr 2022 3:00pm, 2 Apr 2022 54,957 posts	0 Derby Tup I’ve had one tick on me ever and it was after getting lost on the south coast near Chesil beach
Northern Exile Apr 2022 3:03pm, 2 Apr 2022 8,602 posts	0 Northern Exile p.s. one other thing I was going to add: I know most people are smart enough to carry a little first aid kit with then, I always make sure I've got some serious pain relief in mine. A guy I know in MRT gave me this tip, if you really do hurt yourself or have someone with you have a nasty injury, then a whack of codeine might be the difference between crawling off the mountain and surviving (or not).
Northern Exile Apr 2022 3:05pm, 2 Apr 2022 8,603 posts	0 Northern Exile I’ve had one tick on me ever and it was after getting lost on the south coast near Chesil beach They obv. don't like the taste of you mate I got one in worst possible place (for a bloke) last year, it was pretty full of blood too - the little bastard must have been locked in place for a while.
Derby Tup Apr 2022 3:26pm, 2 Apr 2022 54,958 posts	0 Derby Tup Ouch! Midges and other insects do love me though
Mushroom Apr 2022 3:30pm, 2 Apr 2022 2,245 posts	0 Mushroom Ticks are generally easier to spot and deal with once they've been in a while .!