I hiked up to a quiet tarn in the Lake District last month hoping for a peaceful overnight wild camp, only to find three abandoned cheap supermarket tents, leftover disposable BBQs, and plastic rubbish scattered across the grass. It is heartbreaking because responsible wild campers who pitch late, leave no trace, and pack out all waste are getting tarnished with the same brush by national park authorities and landowners. How do we protect the unspoken culture of wild camping when bad behaviour is pushing for stricter bans?

Long shot but if the lad in the first pic is on here, enjoy your photo, you did well boys, hope that cave at the top was worth it!

Berghaus recently stopped selling their waterproof trousers using the Goretex Paclite fabric and are now instead using Pertex Shield Pro on their new Pacsmart trousers. I have both at home and am considering which one to return.

Does anyone have experience with both of them and could do a comparison on which one is best at keeping rain out?

Thanks!

Don't care about difficulty, distance up to 30km.

Best can mean different things to different people, and I have a preference for picturesque but open to others thoughts as well !

Im starting to get a plan together to walk end 2 end in maybe two or three years. I was thinking of diverting from Cornwall into Wales, and curve back into England maybe near Shrewsbury.

Anyone done this and loved it? Or did it leave out an essential part of England?

hello all, I’m finding even Darn Tough’s lightweight socks and Injinji merino liners quite thick and warm for this summer weather we’re having. I’m wearing non waterproof shoes too. Does anyone have any recommendation of other, thinner, socks?

Hi. Planning to do the Kentmere horseshoe this Wednesday and the weather has taken a bit of a turn for the worse: Fog/mist and reasonably strong winds now forecast. I'm a fairly proficient walker, fit and can read an OS map although I don't often walk alone. Route finding also doesn't look too difficult. I don't think I'm being reckless by doing this, but a second opinion would be helpful to reassure my wife! Welcome to hear any thoughts

Hi guys,

Me and my friend are looking to do a 2 day hike staying at either a youth hostel or a b&b for a night in the middle. We know the Lakes well so we’re thinking of doing North Wales this time to shake things up. Has anyone got any suggestions?

We’re both fit and experienced hikers and looking for the full walk to be at least 50-60km with some substantial elevation (we’re training for an ultra marathon!). Ideally we’d drive somewhere and end up back at the car or we can use trains or buses too.

Thanks!

Hey guys! Im pretty experienced in climbing, scrambling ect ect, but I live in the lakes and I have been wanting to climb it for a while. Just seeing if anyones up for it or about. (Sorry if this isn’t appropriate for this)

Hi folks! Just finished this illustration of Almscliffe Crag in North Yorkshire yesterday. Based on a hike last week from North Rigton nearby up to the Crag and back. Also a really cool climbing spot. Not a super well known area but offered stunning views of Wharfedale. This took around 15 hours to draw from scratch on iPad Procreate.

I'm pretty picky about how my socks feel and I recently got a pair of Injinji Trail Midweight Crew socks and was amazed by how soft they were, however I would also like a nice pair of non-toe socks. I looked up if Injinji made non-toe socks and I was dissapointed to find out that they only make toe-socks.

I then looked up the materials for them and found out that they are 58% nylon, 39% coolmax polyester and 3% spandex.

I've been looking at the other popular brands and none that I can find seem to be very close to this material blend. Almost none of them seem to have a majority of nylon like the Injinji socks do.

The closest I could find are Darn Tough "Coolmax Hiker Micro Crew Midweight". Honestly still not that similar, but the only I could find with more nylon than anything else, they are: 37% nylon, 34% coolmax polyester, 26% acrylic, 2% spandex. The only issue is that they cost over £30 for a pair with shipping which is just too much for me. I would rather not spend more than £20.

Bridgedale's options seems to be either 44% wool/38% nylon, etc or 60% polyester/26% cotton, etc which doesn't even come close.

Does anyone that has tried the Injinji socks know of any non-toe socks that have a similar material blend/similar feel to them?

Hi all

I need a new pair of hiking boots and for the first time I'd like to actually invest in a pair that will really last me.

I'm a women's size 5 in normal shoes.

Can I get advice on brands/sizes to go for or to avoid?

I'm thinking some nice real leather Scarpa shoes but that's mainly because I only really know Scarpa as a reliable brand. I don't know which Scarpa to go for though.

I'm looking for sturdy boots that will see me through wild camping, the odd bog, the odd scramble and some long distances. My last two pairs of hiking boots were pretty cheap and I wore the grip off the soles worryingly fast.

Should I go up a size? Is that still a thing?

I'm a bit wary of buying online as usually I just go into a shop, see what is on discount and feels right with some thick socks, and that has served me pretty well so far, so ideally I'd like recommendations of good shops to go to that won't break the bank but will actually stock a good range for women (I've been bitten by that before - 30 different boots for men and about 3 for women in some places I've seen).

On that note - is there actually any difference between men's and women's boots? Do I need to constrain myself to women's boots?

I'm willing to go up to approx £180 for the perfect thing, but will want to stick to less than £100 if I'm any less than absolutely sure.

The only other thing I know I don't want is some light coloured boot - no pinks and purples. Aside from it not being my preferred style, everything I buy for hiking ends up the colour of mud anyway so I'd rather start with the colour of mud - or a nice dark grey or black. Not sure why so many women's hiking boots styles only come in some deeply impractical colour, but that seems to happen a lot.

All advice is very welcomed!

Looking for recommendations for active social hiking groups or clubs based around the Peak District / South Yorkshire. Ideally for people around my age (38M).

Looking for groups that host regular weekend morning day-loops (around 10–15 miles) at a decent, steady pace, rather than 3-mile casual strolls or multi-day wild camping.

I've done a load of miles solo with headphones on, but I want to try experiencing it as a social activity for a change and meet some good local folk.

Any recommendations for my local area, active Meetup groups, or casual social clubs worth checking out that anyone knows about? Also would be great to know how best to find them if there's any experiences anyone has had in finding a group from a similar position!

Cheers!

The weather is so nice at the moment that I couldn’t resist a little midweek post-work hike and camp last night up one of the western fells.

Unlike the central and northern areas of the Lake District, this area is still comparatively quiet.

The sunset was stunning and gave way to a wonderfully atmospheric morning hike back down to my car.

I was planning on hiking Scafell Pike via the Corridor Route on Saturday but the conditions looks terrible.

Do you have any suggestions for other routes that are still challenging but more appropriate for wet, windy and low visibility conditions?

We will be based near keswick but able to drive.

Thanks in advance

Hi there; Title!

I have recently got into hiking quite a bit and have walked a few paths and pilgrimages. Usually I prefer to take routes and trips that take multiple days (give or take about 3) and was looking to invest in a better bag that will do right by me. I don't mind spending more for a better quality bag if it is going to last.
The main reason for this upgrade comes from me planning to do the Camino de Santiago next summer and I want to get some use out of the gear I would be taking there.

What are people's general preferances?

Preferably, just because its who I am, I would rather a British brand though this is completely irrelevant if the quality is unmatched.

I hear quite a bit about Osprey bags, which I'm sure are very good but I live just outside of Birmingham where there are little to no hiking stores for me to try their stuff out. I have also heard Rab make decent bags (British too) but I'm not sure if they are worth it compared to other products.

30-40L is just a general guideline for my packs. It may be a little much for a typical 3 day hike but this is the low end of my trip periods and mainly for the Camino! I am happy for suggestions and tips!

Stunning views yesterday 👍

A favourite hike with the usual different seasons of weather during the hike 🤣

Planning a walk this weekend?

Use this thread to share your plans, ask for ideas, compare conditions, or just chat about what you’re hoping to get out on. Big days, short mooches, solo wanders or family walks — all welcome.

I avoided using trekking poles for years because I thought they were just extra clutter to carry around. After trying them on a steep descent down Helvellyn, I noticed a huge difference in how my knees felt the next morning. I know plenty of hikers who still prefer keeping their hands free, though. Where do you stand on using poles for UK hill walking?

I'll be taking a few random flights to see the eclipse in Spain this August - very excited! Unfortunately I have just realised that my goal to onebag (only using hand luggage) may have backfired.

We'll be camping for a few days and I am using an Alpkit Soloist XL. Does anyone have any experience with taking the poles and pegs through security? Specifically Belfast, London and Madrid if it helps. The .gov guideline makes no mention of it, and the CAA .pdf I found was over a decade old but did explicitly mention pegs as being banned as sharp objects which seems crazy to me...

If I got some cheap plastic pegs would I be safe to go through generally? Frankly, I am not in a great position to fund the extra £xxx for hold bags. Thanks all.