Moving to UK: I will take all the advice you can spare

Will,

The rail system in the Uk is very extensive, you can be in the Lake District in 2 hours or Scotland in about 4.

You should look in on http://www.outdoorsmagic.com, its a bit like BPL but Uk based.

Hello Will

Wet and windy it will be, for sure. You will get all 4 seasons in a day.

Places to go – I can only give advice on Scotland, having never hiked much in the rest of the UK. The closest you will get to wilderness in the UK is the far north west of Scotland, Assynt and Torridon. The Isle of Skye, especially the Cuillins, is also well worth a visit. Overnight sleeper trains from London take about 7 hours, to Aviemore, perfect for the Cairngorms, or Fort William for the west coast. In the Scottish Highlands you will have the right to hike and camp just about anywhere, so long as you observe the Scottish Outdoor Access Code. WalkHighlands and MunroMagic are excellent sources for routes. SAIS is worth checking in winter for avalanche information.

Your current kit should be fine. It doesn't get seriously cold even in the depths of winter, unlikely to drop much below -15 Centigrade. In the Highlands, its the wind and often horizontal rain that is the main issue. The ground is often very boggy too.

If you are based in London there are lots of cheap flights that will get you to the Alps, the Pyrenees or the Sierra Nevada in Spain as quick and probably cheaper than the Lakes or Scotland.

There is an American's take on hiking in Scotland at TheNewNomads.

I recently got a single sink tap fitted but am still figuring out how to use it.

Will,

Be SURE to take the Big 3 with you to avoid the dreaded VAT ("Value Added Tax") plus any hugely inflated import tax for non-Brit gear. And if your better half likes backpacking or even car camping get all the "hers" and "ours" stuff too and USE before leaving it so it can't be taxed for import duty.

And one more bit of dreadful news, you'll have to pay a US $250. airport "carbon tax" in your ticket price. I know, it just never ends.
Such as the TV "antenna tax" for merely receiving TV over the air waves!

Plus you'll want a bicycle for traveling in central London B/C their tax on auto driving permits there is truly enormous.
If the Brits decide to tax gardening, backpacking, jogging, etc. it's time to leave. Even The People's Republic of California is not nearly as bad as Great Britain when it comes to taxes, (or gun ownership, or watching, or auto ownership taxes and so on).

But hey, don't let me discourage you… ;o)

@Stephen — Outdoorsmagic is very bantery indeed. All sorts of having to prove oneself with a posting history before handing out kit suggestions. I rather like it.

@Marc — Thanks for the route sites and New Nomads tip! Skye looks amazing. Access to the rest of Europe & the ME is a plus, to be sure.

@Eric — I don't mind the carbon tax, and no car nor one likely, but the VAT is eye-opening. Or eye-watering. My poor UPS guy will be bearing the brunt of VAT-free black friday gearing up for just that reason. I'm basically arriving with a duffel full of clothes and a duffel full of gear.

Speaking of big 3 concerns: am I kidding myself with an inner-first tent? The Hubbas were a very attractive Campsaver stacking special, and Mike Thompson’s NX review here gives me hope, but I wonder if I won’t be wanting a Stratospire before long.

> am I kidding myself with an inner-first tent?
Very likely!!!
The weather there is very different. It's not Cal. Figure on having wind and rain for half the nights while pitching a tent.

I will be a little repetitious and suggest that American tents are just not really suited to the UK – at least, not with a brand new female partner. At the risk (again) of repeating myself, can I suggest a European tunnel tent? Certainly, your new partner would appreciate it.

Cheers

del

welcome.to the uk. Will (and Rick)

inner pitch first tents really aren't uncommon here at all.
but mesh roofs in the inner are an obvious disadvantage when pitching in the rain!

Forum wise, there are numerous 'walking' sites, with at least 2 well used ones focussed mainly on Scotland. As well as blogs (numerous and very variable like anywhere), and OM, for BPL type subjects (UL and MYOG etc) there is http://www.trek-lite.com .

1) London is the centre of the universe.

2) Anywhere north of Watford Gap is considered wilderness by most Londoners (or should that be anywhere outside the M25?).
In reality, there is no 'wilderness' in the UK. Even in Scotland, there are few places more than a one day hike from a road. It can still feel wild tho', especially when you add in the weather.

3) London weather is pretty good. Mostly dry and sunny, I believe.
Nowhere in UK is ever very cold or very hot. Scotland is cold, wet and windy. And dark. Today sunrise at 8:20, sunset 15:45. Endless daylight (but not sun!) in summer. Oh, and midgies. Once experienced they will leave a lasting impression.

4) The Lake District and Snowdon are very busy. Ideal for Londoners.
Don't expect maintained paths in Scotland.

If you come to Scotland, bring a tent that is waterproof, stormproof, midgeproof and that you can erect in less than 60 seconds. Only bring a tarp if you can forcast the weather a lot better than the Meterological Office supercomputer.
Best bet, don't come to Scotland at all.

Only slightly tongue in cheek.
Or perhaps not.

del

Will

Cant believe I didn't mention the midges, its been over a month now since I have been bitten by them. They are a real issue from about April to October. There will be a thick black cloud of them around your head that will block out the sun (not that you will see much sun anyway).They disappear when a breeze picks up though, so your best bet at that time of year is to pitch high up in the hills or close to the coast. Avoid the hollows near watercourses in the summer. There are hundreds of midge repellents, 95% of which don't work for any one person. The best is probably Smidge (Smidge that Midge), don't go out without a supply.

Will,
Best of luck on your move to the UK. I love London and the country in general. It is a little off topic but my favorite pub in the entire world is Blackfriars pub in London. It is a great place to visit and is at 174 Queen Victoria St.
Happy trails!
Roger

del

> London weather is pretty good. Mostly dry and sunny, I believe.
My memories of London include wading through lots of wet slush for a month or two. I used to wear gumboots (wellingtons) while travelling to and from Uni each day.

Midges … oh god!

Cheers

As a fellow Scotsman I would reiterate Stuart R's advice with the exception of Number 1.

London is not the centre of the universe, I am.

Congrats, Will!

Love the trains/busses to get to hiking without a car. http://www.traveline.info will tell you exactly how to get from point a to b in the UK.

Love the public footpaths and the ordinance survey maps to find them, for England and Wales. OS maps are amazing and deserve their own call out. Scotland's access code is fabulous… Norway and Sweden aren't far away and they have similar amazing access codes.

Bog up to the knees. Gaiters are very helpful in the bog.

UK has foot and mouth disease… US doesn't. Definitely let the Customs folks in the US know (on any re-entry to the US) so they can disinfect your boots/hiking shoes.

Second what others have said about all four seasons worth of weather in a single day… multiple times in fact. High winds… horizontal rain…

Best wishes,
Sharon

"UK has foot and mouth disease… US doesn't. Definitely let the Customs folks in the US know (on any re-entry to the US) so they can disinfect your boots/hiking shoes."

The UK had a devastating outbreak of Foot & Mouth Disease in 2001, when 10 million sheep and cattle were slaughtered and major restrictions were put in place limiting access to farmlands and public rights of way that crossed them. There were two cases in 2007 in the south of England that were quickly contained. Nothing has been reported since.

My parents live next to a farm in Yorkshire. I remember when travelling back to the US in 2002 and 2004 that we were required to fill out paperwork for US Customs stating whether we'd crossed farmland, but nothing on more recent trips.

Of the dangers that you'll face in the UK, Will, I'd worry far more about looking the wrong way when you cross the street (been there, done that) than FMD. The UK hasn't been home for me in almost two decades, but I have fond memories and sometimes I miss the green and pleasant land (but not the rain) when things are crispy brown or snowpacked here. Congratulations on the move and the new life as an expat.

London is overcrowded, overpriced and everything else.

But the surrounding area is mostly fields + some woodland – the population density is comparatively very low. Cycle touring is quite popular, as you can pretty much cycle anywhere (distances are small), maybe bringing the bike on the train if you don't like 100 mile rides. The National Trust own most of the stately homes and such http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/ a membership is a good way to get acquainted with the past, lots of places near London, but a bike or car is handy because the ones near major rail stations probably got bulldozed decades ago.

There is no need to bring stuff with you, but if you have anything that you need in the near future, like a new laptop, it's cheaper to buy and bring rather than buy it here. The shopping situation is anyway far from catastrophic, especially as we get all the Chinese junk at the same prices anywhere else (dealextreme.com), and Amazon is convenient and affordable for nearly everything.

Also the weather in the London area is basically mild 12 months a year, some years it might only dip below freezing a couple of days, and even then barely below. Conversely it's damp pretty much constantly, at any month of the year you should anticipate mud, and rain, but not Arctic temperatures.

"And one more bit of dreadful news, you'll have to pay a US $250. airport "carbon tax" in your ticket price. I know, it just never ends.
Such as the TV "antenna tax" for merely receiving TV over the air waves! "

The airport tax starts at $20, which will get you anywhere in Europe, including the likes of the Canary Islands (interesting places, beyond the tourist traps). Beyond that it's $105, $130, or $150. Not $250.

The TV tax is optional – if you only watch TV on-demand (free from the BBC) you don't have to pay.

Auto ownership taxes are not as bad as most European countries. It peaks at £500 for gas guzzlers, but many diesel cars + small petrol cars pay nothing. If you actually LIVE in central London you are exempt from the congestion tax – you only pay it if you live outside the area.

From having lived overseas for four years, many years ago, my only advice: it'll be different. Enjoy the difference. Embrace the difference. Don't 'miss' things about the U.S., explore things in the U.K. (and elsewhere in Europe).

First thing: learn the local language.

–B.G.–

Will: I see that you live in the Bay Area. When people say that the weather in London is "mild", you may need to, umm, tweak the meaning of that term a bit. Seattle weather is also 'mild'; maybe think Seattle for a comparison. But I'm sure that you already know this.

Read Bruce Chatwin for inspiration about Wales. Hay-On-Wy is fun outside of the book fair. The hills around the Lake District are steep and charming.

Traditional English breakfasts are always awful and expensive, unlike the U.S. where they're often awful but cheap. And there's my cultural take-away.

Will, I think you'll find the following two videos very useful:

http://digg.com/video/how-to-have-a-british-christmas

You guys are the best. I mean that. For all my emphatic lurky head-nodding at whatever posts about site management and 'sold' posts the past few years… when it counts, BPL comes through. Very much indebted for all of your advice; I've got a lovely pile of books and websites to keep me occupied for the next while.

@Roger: it took seven years and nine tents, but you finally wore me down. Nammatj 3GT in January. Got a color preference? I'm thinking Sand.

@Rick: will look you up! We can compare notes. I'm all about winter trips, so long as I get to gripe ceaselessly.

@Mole: thanks for the trek-lite tip.

@Stuart & @Marc: thank the stars I've had some exposure to my GF's Scottish dad and his sense of humour. ;)

@RLHayse: There's a stout in my future, I believe. Will send pix.

@Sharon: Attempting not to let regret at your tent overwhelm me. Furiously wikiing OS coordinates to distract.

@Doug & @BG: three years in Ramallah, two in Sanaa. Learn the language is damn good advice. Differences are good things, usually.

@Doug, thanks for the videos. My susceptibility to the accent turns out to be nonpartisan. Good lord.

@Everyone 1: midges, yes, midges. Sigh.

@Everyone 2: I grew up on Jeeves & Wooster, preferentially relax with QI and Patrick O'Brian, think most meals are better in pie form. I'm *looking forward to this*.

@Everyone 3: come let's have an international GGG.