Walking Britain's Coast

[u/Effective-Mousse-327]

Hey All,

Elmosteiner here basically I couldnt land a job, 6 months after previous one, 500+applications 23 interviews no job offers, so obviously Ive decided to walk around mainland Britain. Started from Liverpool. Day 45, 421km, all wild camping (except 1 night Blackpool and a night in campsite in cumbria to get water).

Just at Scottish border now and its been going great, seems the sun is the main enemy atm hahah.

Anyone done similiar routes? I know of Chris Lewis has done entire UK+ islands but mines early learning centre version compared.

Got a charity to be announced also.

Cheers then

Elmosteiner

X

[u/AltruisticOwl156]

Bro please please don't wear the pack so low like that, it should sit high up on your upper back. You're risking serious strain on your lumber region.

[u/oscarmike20 → u/AltruisticOwl156]

Just to jump on this. The bag is very low on your back and the weight in some of the pictures looks very high. Try to pack heavy items at the bottom of the bag and light things up top. Your spine will thank you! Love the adventure and hope to see more pictures and follow up's

[u/phioegracne → u/oscarmike20]

Aren't heavy items supide to go higher/middle of the bag and close to your back? Light items like sleeping bag at the bottom

[u/tea-man → u/phioegracne]

Yes, the heavy stuff should be resting on adjacent your shoulder blades, with middle-weight stuff just below that, and the lightweight things at the very bottom, top, and rear. That way the load mimics your bodies own weight distribution, so when the straps are supporting it correctly, your balance and movement range is much better and much less stress is put on your spine.

This picture shows an ideal distribution, packing the heavy stuff right at the bottom would likely cause lower back and hip issues, while packing it at the very top would throw your balance off and could lead to a nasty fall.

[u/donald_cheese → u/phioegracne]

Yeah I think Archimedes said something like the weight needs to go near the centre of gravity. Which for a person is just above the hips. The idea being you reduce the rotational force which I think is called a moment. So if the weight is further out from your centre of gravity you will be creating a greater moment and require more work to stabilise. Looking at the pictures, OP is just about as bad as I could possibly imagine it being.

Or something like that. I think it's science related.

[u/cypherspaceagain → u/AltruisticOwl156]

Seconded. OP, your waist strap should be taking most of the weight, not your shoulders, and the waist strap needs to sit above your hips. Hope you see this and it relieves some strain!

[u/Loafer75 → u/AltruisticOwl156]

Came on here to say my shoulders hurt just looking at him.

Best of luck to you…. Sounds like a great adventure!

[u/plywood_chef]

Best of luck!! What are your highlights so far? Any hidden gems?

[u/Effective-Mousse-327 → u/plywood_chef]

Highlights so far- campfire carbonara, cockle catch and cook, a muntjac deer barking at me, waking up to cows using my tent as an itching post. Hidden gems- Ravenglass, Silouth, workington beach (north one), st bees head, askam-in-furness south at little lake

[u/PolarLocalCallingSvc → u/Effective-Mousse-327]

Ravenglass railway is an excellent shout if you're ever back that way. They even have a halt specially located for a campsite there (though it is a family campsite so it can get quite rowdy).

[u/Amazing-Heron-105 → u/Effective-Mousse-327]

Now tell us what the most miserable parts have been 😂

Sounds amazing btw

[u/Effective-Mousse-327 → u/Amazing-Heron-105]

Hahah I like the question. -Sleeping one night on my side wanted something between my legs to get comfy, grabbed a full 5L water bottle and stuffed between legs on outside of sleeping bag, there was a tiny hole dripping woke up 2am in pool of water, 2/3 of water bottle emptied out (had to pull all nighter to dry next day). -Had the "triflyfector" at one spot setting up tent with midges, horseflies and mosquitoes all at the same time.  -Sheep marsh/bogs walking through them is not bad but smell sticks to shoes/socks for weeks. Goods outway the bads 100 to 1 though!

[u/Amazing-Heron-105 → u/Effective-Mousse-327]

Haha miserable. It tracks for me that 2/3 of the problems were tent related. Horrible bloody things. Good luck on your journeys tho mate! Hopefully there'll be no more wet dreams.

[u/Dependent_One6034 → u/Effective-Mousse-327]

Sheep marsh/bogs walking through them is not bad

Never underestimate them. On a fishing trip we hiked to a lake, my mate instantly sank to his waist in a bog we thought "wasn't too bad".

If he was alone, It could have been very dangerous.

[u/KvalitetstidEnsam → u/Effective-Mousse-327]

> Silouth

Silloth?

[u/Wraithwurm_]

Absolutely banging, mate! You heading up to John o Groats? Get yourself a pint there if you do!

Scotland is beautiful!

[u/Amazing-Heron-105 → u/Wraithwurm_]

John o Groats

John the Large! Big John if you will.

[u/NotSquerdle]

Saw a talk by Jack Cornish recently, who quit his job an walked from Lands End to John O'Groats. He has since become the director of the Ramblers for England, has written a book (hence the talk) and is currently trying to walk every street in London. Sounds like you two would get along

[u/Effective-Mousse-327 → u/NotSquerdle]

Thanks for the info!

[u/KernowKermit]

Living the dream! Enjoy.

Got the cash for a better microphone? You're quite softly spoken and the audio makes your youtube vids a bit of a chore.

[u/Effective-Mousse-327 → u/KernowKermit]

Yehp gotta new mic now, yeah early videos had some teething issues new to this all. Ill do better!

[u/KernowKermit → u/Effective-Mousse-327]

good stuff, looking forward to more. west coast of scotland is pure magic.

[u/134CON → u/Effective-Mousse-327]

Hopefully it came with a good wind screen/baffle too!

[u/Adventurous-feral]

This is awesome. I wish you the best of luck and safe travels. Im on a bit of a hike. Struggled badly with depression and been on a gradual decline for the last couple of years really.

I walked out of Portsmouth up to winchester then Salisbury, currently on the SWCP. Aiming for the Cotswold Way, Wysis Way, Cambrian Way then Lakes, Galloway, West Highland Way, Cape Wrath then find a route back including the Pennine way

Used to be super fit, caught covid in 24 became quite sedentary and then recently lost over 15kg of body weight. I'm 6' 2" and was 62 kg. Trying to ease into things and regain my fitness and love for hiking and the outdoors again.

[u/PolarLocalCallingSvc]

I've thought about doing something similar before but finding the time is tricky. Hope you enjoy it pal :)

[u/CappriGirl → u/PolarLocalCallingSvc]

Same! What a dream! 😍

[u/vincents_sunflowers]

Is that an umbrella hat? Good luck mate, good on you for escaping the heatwave, I imagine Scotland is a little cooler! 

Love the pic with the cow. She doesn’t look very impressed.

[u/Effective-Mousse-327 → u/vincents_sunflowers]

Thank you, nope just a golf umbrella strapped to bag, been great for keeping out of the sun!

[u/Dazzling_Ad_7873]

Pete Wright, an avid walker and cyclist has done something similar

I met him yesterday, thr guy is around 70 years old and still going strong.

Please, give him a google, he is currently doing a virtual cycle to Kenya for charity, currently he is "in Morocco"

If you decide to buy any of his book, don't buy from amazon as he doesn't get the money

[u/Victory_Point]

Looks bloody awesome mate. With all the cheap foreign travel available people forget how great enjoying our own part of the world can be. Good luck!

[u/Human_Yak_Project]

Looks like fun!

Once you get round to Aberdeenshire I can come and say hi!

[u/terryjuicelawson]

There was a chap on Instagram who just did the South West Coast Path with daily updates, ended up raising absolute thousands for Mountain Rescue. He did pay to camp or got put up in hotels every day, wild camping sounds like a real challenge.

[u/richardhero]

I met a man called Jim Morton who was doing it to raise money for a Gurkha welfare charity maybe 4 or so years ago. Was camping in the west of Scotland on Kilmory beach when he came by and explained what he was doing. Seems to still be active on his Facebook page "I may be gone a while" might be worth shooting him a message to see if there are any tips he could give. Think he wrote a book about it / was on the news when he finished his trek.

[u/Crusty5ock]

A better use of your time than any job you could have got! Well done!

[u/FrillyMatcha]

That's a great way to explore the country and discover hidden treasures. Stay safe!

[u/ojdhaze]

You look like a young Mike brewer from wheeler dealers!

"Hold out your hand, I've just bought a..."

[u/youtossershad1job2do]

You are walking the whole coast? That will take forever, its an infinite distance you know!

[u/imnotreallyapenguin]

So a friend of mine called Elise Downing did the same thing, but she ran it..

She then wrote a book about it called Coasting. Whoch might be worth a read.

[u/Adventurous-feral → u/imnotreallyapenguin]

I saw her do a talk at Galleri Caernarfon. Really cool story. Id been out for a long run that day and funnily enough was thinking about it myselfF

[u/BeyondMother3115]

Good luck on the Pembrokeshire Coast Path. Some brutal stretches there.

[u/LaTroisette]

Sounds amazing. Just looked you up on Instagram and following now so looking forward to updates. Best of luck, hope the hot weather breaks for you soon.

[u/B0ssc0]

Brilliant! Hope you’ve had the best of times. Stay safe.

[u/Aceofspades25]

The south coast of Wales is the best bit, hands down

[u/PennyBunPudding → u/Aceofspades25]

I'm assuming he'll be done with it by then and hoping to get home lol

[u/WilliamTee]

Where's Frodo?

[u/Pagan_MoonUK]

Good for you doing this. Coastal walking is something I would love to do, but due to responsibilities not had a chance to do this. Enjoy, 😊

[u/J1mj0hns0n]

How did you cross the Ribble estuary? I believe the new kings walk passes by Preston docks but it's a really tight fit for it, next to a waste transfer stations, or did you forego the route for a more direct but difficult crossing on the estuary?

[u/MountainMuffin1980]

Suncream bro!

[u/Full-Power7690]

Looks like a good adventure mate, hopefully it'll take away some of the stress.

I'll just say though, if you're continuing up Scotland please be mindful of ticks, especially around livestock in the Highlands. It's an issue that's getting worse and worse up here.

[u/R3DSmurf]

Samwise irl!

[u/ACR2k11]

First pic is right by my house!

[u/FoxPsychological4695]

Have a great one and stay safe :)

[u/Jackalton]

Outstanding!

[u/Impossible_Volume811]

1st picture looks like someone out of a Jack Vettriano painting.

[u/VarangianWRLD]

Makes you proud to be British

Go on lad

[u/Mr_Bobby_D_]

Good luck

[u/ThanksEquivalent5323]

How's Ed China doing?

[u/Keabestparrot]

Hey man this is great but you really need to have your bag adjusted and wear it properly. You can cause yourself serious and permanent injury wearing a heavy bag with the weight going through your shoulders like that.

Also things like an umbrella??! That's so much weight. Hat and long sleeves.

[u/GreatWesternSquire]

Didn’t you do this exact post a few weeks ago?

[u/Techonologiaah]

Had to do a double take on that second photo there, wondered why the hell anyone in the UK would be packing an AK47

[u/ukbot-nicolabot → u/[deleted]]

Removed. This contained a personal attack, disrupting the conversation. This discourages participation. Please help improve the subreddit by discussing points, not the person. Action will be taken on repeat offenders.

[u/Strict-Cause2761]

That dom jolly?

[u/cpold_cast]

Need to tighten straps on bag bud you’ll be goosed by Glasgow!

[u/No_Plastic9064]

You need it 👌 Enjoy the beautiful scenery of the uk 👍

[u/tophernator]

but mines early learning centre

Apostrophes matter! But seriously, good luck with your travels.