At the start of March 2018 I decided I needed an activity to focus on that would encompass many things that are good in life: adventure, travel, fitness, challenge, progression, etc. While, ideally, still being something I could include my dog, Moss, in.
Having been a lover of many things outdoor orientated in the past I decided to concentrate on hiking, backpacking and camping. I booked leave from work throughout 2018 and planned to backpack progressively longer or harder long distance trails in my beautiful and wild homeland of Scotland.
I very much enjoy watching RU-vid videos of others journeys, advice, tips and tricks, equipment reviews and experiences. On that basis I decided to make this RU-vid channel to document my journey and hopefully offer the same back.
Thank you for visiting, All the best, John and Moss
Thanks to you and Moss, my wife and I did half the CWT in April and then I completed the whole trail solo for charity last week. It really is a special trail and unlike all the others! Just wanted to say a huge thank you for the inspiration and the insights which enabled me to plan the trip meticulously! Thank you again and hope you and wee Moss are keeping well pal! 🙏🏻
@@stuartturner2668 thanks Stuart! Really glad to hear that you and the Mrs. hiked the trail and found something special in it. I'm so glad the vids were inspirational and insightful. Thank you very much for taking the time to let us know. Cheers! John & Moss 🙂🐾👍
Hello Hounds! Great videos, really helpful and honest about the reality of CWT. Ive done Glenfinnan to Inverie through Knoydart and its hard especially if weather is bad. Ive a week off towards the end of October. Im toying with the idea of doing Ft William to Sheil Bridge over about 5 or 6 days solo. Ive been fitter but not completely out of shape. Im just wondering about the short days though although the clocks wont have gone back. Would that put you off doing that section due to only 8 hour days? Thanks and great video.
@@siraidanofmayo7678 thanks! Glad to hear you liked the CWT vids. 👍 Nah, the shorter days don't put me off at all. Especially this early in the year as the weather is still decent enough. Plus the beasties have calmed doon. You just have to factor it all in really. Like heavier gear for the cold in general (more so at night), better/heavier waterproofs for the wet (cos the wet and cold combo is nae joke, as you know), potentially heavier food etc. If the weather also happens to be particularly smelly, you tend to be a bit slower in hiking and setting/striking camp. With the shorter days that has to be considered. Plugging that in: at that time of year, say you get up at sunrise (08:00 ish), and leave by 09:00. Then start looking for a pitch about 17:30, so you can be set up for sunset (18:30 ish). That gives you roughly 8 hours of hiking if you factor in some stops etc. The route you mention is aboot 70 miles, so that would be aboot 12 miles a day over 6 days. 12 miles in 8 hours, with everything we talked about, is totally reasonable. It can be A LOT of tent time though, and that can do folks nut's in over multiple days, especially if everything is wet, cold, smelly and dreich during the day. It is totally subjective but I'd defo go for it. Personally I only ever factor in 10-15 miles per day during the darker half of the year as you just dinne hae the luxury of daylight to donner aboot. Plus cos of all the aforementioned hings. So aye, if I had 6 days to play with, I'd go for it, knowing that I'd given myself plenty of time. If I finished early, then I'd spend the remaining day or two in the Kintail Lodge Hotel bar at Glenshiel. Hope that helps! Cheers! 🙂🐾👍
@HoundsofHowgate Cheers John. That's brilliant feedback. Tbh I'm trying to cut the balance between trying to keep things fairly lightweight without being daft. So, hoping the 3 season waterproofs will do. I'm gonna probably have a bash at that section as I love it up there in autumn. I was up there end of August and the keds around glen dessary were terrible, have they died off yet? I'm assuming the wee beasties have gone. I'm a bit in two minds about tackling the kinlochourn to shiel bridge bit. That looks like it may need breaking in two, but don't want to be camping high near the ridge, so I've a bit of thinking to do. Definitely gonna have a few pints and a slap up meal in the Kintail lodge if I make it! How's Moss btw?
I've only just found your channel in planning my cape wrath trail with my dog. I have LOVED your videos. They've been the best ones I've watched. I'm looking forward to watching the rest of your videos but a bit gutted to notice that you're not posting videos anymore.
@@AlexGal936 thanks! Really chuffed to hear you have enjoyed the vids! Hope you like the rest and you never know, there might be more coming at some point in the future! Cheers, John & Moss 🙂🐾👍
Just started watching your video , can watch ut in my new tv which is nice bigpuctures , just loving your video and all the commets and local banter dialect , im looking at doing this little walk , thanks for posting
Thank you! I am sitting here with my first massive midge attack with braille bumps telling stories across both sides of my face, my neck, back and legs, all in a minute or two taking laundry off the clothes line at sunset, in the Outer Hebrides. Never again! I like your video, as it is very clear and very helpful. I prefer barriers to spraying myself with chemicals, so thanks for the great advice, and ideas. Onward. Cheers, Claire
@@vvs3796 I prefer the Duomid as you can have a half inner and then have a split tent. Idea in the wet, as wet/dry half's. But it really comes down to what you want to use it for. My Duomid is my lightweight winter tent in Scotland (so real wet and cold). If weight was not an issue I'd go for the nylon or silpoly as it stretches to shape, so makes pitching easier, amongst other things. DCF has it's perks but I'd defo not pick DCF unless weight was my main concern.
@@vvs3796 no worries. 👍 BTW, they also say DCF doesn't absorb water, which is true, but water hydrostatically can cling to it. So it is a much of a muchness in terms of weight between the two when wet as well. Basically I don't use any DCF stuff unless I'm absolutely trying to have my kit as light as possible as I'm going to be trying to get the miles in over consecutive days. If that isn't the case, then DCF tents (or anything) aren't worth the money or sacrifices.
@@vvs3796 I honestly love the Osprey Exos (or Eja, for a lass). The price, features (including the breathable back system), durability and light weight of it...they just nailed that for me. Perfect middle ground. So (for me) the best choice for most non specialist things. Did you see the last day of my Cape Wrath video series? My 18kg dog hurt her shoulder, so I carried her in my Exos bag, with all my stuff strapped to the outside (so MEGA overladen), and the only thing that happened was that the chest strap popped off the rail on one side. Proper good. Tents, footwear, backpacks, etc...they are all so subjective though. So what fits one person great may be a nightmare for another. But aye, for me, the Exos/Eja is almost perfect. Make sure and try it on thought! They come in different sizes and I personally like a pack to ride high on my hips, so prefer a shorter back length. I found my HMG bags super comfortable even though they don't even have load lifters. But in the summer I'm sure my back would be crawling with prickly heat. Then my Zpacks zipwhatever, isn't as comfortable, but gives me the breathability. And so on. But then they are too specialised. The Osprey just nails it for me.
I wouldn't, no. It quickly became less efficient after a few uses, clogged, and my forearm was killing me from all the pumping by the end of the day. I quickly reverted back to my sawyer filter. Maybe as an emergency filter for when you are going on day trips, but I'd definitely not buy one again. In fact I never used it ever again after that first day of this trail. I like a HydroBlu Versa Flow as my main filter. Plus I like a Katadyn BeeFree filter and bottle setup for on the go.
Permetherin repels midges on clothing, yes. As midges can't really bite through clothing though, it is really something for your exposed skin you want for midges. Unless you are prepared to completely cover up, that is. Then it wouldn't matter if the clothing was treated for midges or not. I know what you mean though: like a treatment that almost emits something that keeps them completely away from you. So no, it doesn't act like that.
Just completed the first half from Fort Bill to Kinlochewe in brilliant sunshine the whole way and then the weather warnings came in. Got to Kinlochewe yesterday morning, weighed up my options considering the public transport is non-existent there and hiked the 9 miles to Achnasheen to get the train home to Glasgow. I am looking forward to doing Kinlochewe to the Cape early next May. Now that's the midges here the second half won't be this year. Had an absolutely brilliant time doing it every single day but at Kinlochewe I knew the enjoyment was going to fade away. You can call me a wee wimp but that's the beauty of living in Scotland, you can do the CWT in a way you can enjoy the whole thing. For me it's doing it in two stages. I know the people who are still on the second half aren't enjoying it anymore but they are too feart to be wee wimps like me. Be a wee wimp and skip the macho, that's my motto.
Thanks for the videos John - great insights, observations, tips and humour. I'm 68 and on the trail from next Tuesday 21st, just as the weather turns. Fingers crossed the slugs don't get me.....
I’m walking the trail staring on the 24th April so decided to watch your vlog again. I’ve found it so useful, the style is easy to watch and Moss is a star. Like you I’ve been preparing by walking long distances with a full pack so now I’m doing some big ascents too, so thanks for that advice. Couldn’t believe that you carried Moss, an extra 15kg, on your last day, brilliant, 👍.
Excellent set of videos and I’ve just watched the lot in one go. I certainly know how hard it is to walk and film as I did it for both the coast to coast and the Cambrian Way. I’ll be setting off mid May solo and filming with the GoPro this time rather than the iPhone.
john with ''moss in a bag'' is the most nails thing i have ever seem ! totally hardcore ! after watching other walks with people whining all day this is an inspiration , the best cape wrath series of all time !😀
hi there, just watched your first video as I am hoping to do this trail with my dog. How did Moss cope with the ticks? Thats a concern as I really hate ticks..
Si tu vois le mioche qui s'éclate la gueule dans la marre au sanglier, surtout tu le laisse se démerder tout seul... rise & fall, c'est la vie la la la la 😂
Amazingly detailed series, bloody well done filming so continuously, a lot of folks skip parts when they're tired or it's wet. So I thank you for that. When you put Moss in your bag for the last 8 miles I was bawling! She did so well and you're a strong man. Hope you're both well.
Thanks, I'm glad you liked it! It was a lot of filming and then editing, that was for sure! Yeah, I wanted to give more of an idea of what it was like, ups and downs of it all during the hike: so I'm glad that came across. 👍 Aw, that's a wee shame that you were greetin' at the last bit wae Moss in the bag. 🤗 She was a bit better the next day and then back to normal the day after that: I think she had just pulled her shoulder a bit was all. Moss is a wee trooper so she is. 💪 We are both good thanks! Happy New Year! Cheers! John & Moss 🙂🐾👍
@@oIJustForFunIo it will have changed design since I got it. It's still good as I've only used it when needs dictate I do. Unless I was doing anything specific where size and weight was critical (like a long distance hike) then I'd go for a more general 'bog standard' sleeping bag: cheaper, does the job and more durable. I tend to think of going UL only when needed. In summer I prefer a quilt that can be closed up, especially the foot box section. Zpack sell such products now I believe. So for anything other than winter, I'd personally go for a bag that can do both. So yeah, if you need a UL super light sleeping bag, it's all good. For a general purpose sleeping bag, for regular camping etc, then you would want a general purpose option. So it really comes down to what you are wanting to use it for. But yeah, as a Winter UL bag I was and still am pleased with it. 🙂🐾👍
New sub. Edinburgh lad so not to far to travel for this one. Good information given in your videos mate. Look forward to seeing the other videos. Canny believe you fell asleep on the bus tho 🤣 ATB Stephan
