I am Nick Gough a relatively new member but with lots of experience of both camping and serious walking, and I have camped all my life. I started as a teenager with Scouts, venture scouts, D of E etc and have camped even more frequently for the last two /three years with my wife Anne all year round in the lakes, Peek district, Snowdonia and Scotland. We now camp on average twenty to thirty times per year mostly not valley’s to stay away from the hoards, and we have several tents.
We are both fifty (ish) and fit. We regularly walk thirty five to forty miles over the weekend with lots of climbing and scrambling involved up and down. Whilst by body is definitely damaged from various contact sports we both love a challenge. My wife ran cross country as a girl for England, and a couple of years ago completed her first and Edinburgh’s first marathon in three hours fifty minutes at forty seven. I have been involved with sport professionally or semi professionally all my life. In the past I have been a qualified kayaking instructor, sailing instructor, windsurfing/ boardsailing instructor and water skiing instructor (I have not kept up my log books). I was a professional skateboarder when it first started in the UK; I played semi pro American football and have played serious rugby union all my life. I have also coached rugby and have trained two boys who have gone on to play for junior representational rugby for England as well as eleven county players one currently plays foe Sale Sharks.
I feel we have no commercial axe of any sort to grind, lots of experience with all sorts of kit from walking/trekking poles to tents, massive knowledge (right up to date) in nutrition, fitness etc (my youngest some is a level three personal trainer) and would be pleased to help stop others making some of the same mistakes we have, how can we help?
It’s obvious from the above I have an ego and as I am sure you can imagine some modesty but not a lot but I this is genuine offer, we are not looking to solicit any payment just help as long as it does not become to costly on our time.
That's what many of the regular OM Heroes on here are all about too Nick, helping folks out with OM Forum answers to the many questions. Welcome aboard, and I do genuinely hope that you do much enjoy being here on the forum. If you want to set up meets, do a little bit of basic skills outdoors training maybe, or just help out trying to answer folks here's questions, then go right ahead and enjoy yourself in the process! It is all allowed here by and large!It's very good to hear from you here.
By the way there, when I say the ' OM Forum Heroes' I am meaning mainly those great regular folks that have been on here for yonks like Chairman Bill/CB, Diddy, Fossil Bluff/FB, the wonderful walks guidebooks author Paddy Dillon, the excellent outdoors writer Chris Townsend, the inimitable Parky Again, Frum, the lovely Metric Kate, Ed, Rog, Cruxster, OM Editor Jon, Matt, Ninja Pussy Cat/NPC, Jules the Bat Girl, captain paranoia, Imperial Dave/ID, Tony, and quite simply just far too many other real greats that are just far too numerous to name here - as you will, I have no doubt, soon discover. I only hope one day that I know as much as they all do about outdoors stuff!They're all really rather fab people indeed on here!
Thanks very much for the responce. Not OM hero though I suspect the above can help us, just very new and not sure of the quality of some of the responces I have read so far.
Thanks very much for the responce. Not OM hero though I suspect the above can help us, just very new and not sure of the quality of some of the responces I have read so far. Wrote Nick.
Happily this is an outdoors website that caters very much for all that are interested passionately in a whole multitude of differing outdoors activity pastimes; and at all kinds of ability levels from the beginner novice to the guide book writing experts.Everyone on here is guranteed their very own place in the scheme of things, I'm most sure!
People here, as with many other different kinds of web forums, tend to post their honest personal thoughts and opinions on the threads here, mixed in with a good bit of banter and humour too. So it is not really definitely just the case that posts will necessarily contain instructional ideas alone, as such. That fact indeed may well help explain some of the things you seem to refer to above 'quality-wise', maybe.It is a place to share ideas, ideals, dreams and future personal aspirations; to discuss, debate and meet up, rather than just being a purely educational instructional outdoors forum here at OM. Which is why I for one love it here so much!
my kayaking days ceased thirty five years or so ago, and a little water has passed under the bridge since then, pardon the obvious. I am sure their are far better more up to date paddlers will be pleased to help. but deffinitley have a go wite water is serious fun!
That's what many of the regular OM Heroes on here are all about too Nick, helping folks out with OM Forum answers to the many questions. Welcome aboard, and I do genuinely hope that you do much enjoy being here on the forum. If you want to set up meets, do a little bit of basic skills outdoors training maybe, or just help out trying to answer folks here's questions, then go right ahead and enjoy yourself in the process! It is all allowed here by and large!It's very good to hear from you here.
By the way there, when I say the ' OM Forum Heroes' I am meaning mainly those great regular folks that have been on here for yonks like Chairman Bill/CB, Diddy, Fossil Bluff/FB, the wonderful walks guidebooks author Paddy Dillon, the excellent outdoors writer Chris Townsend, the inimitable Parky Again, Frum, the lovely Metric Kate, Ed, Rog, Cruxster, OM Editor Jon, Matt, Ninja Pussy Cat/NPC, Jules the Bat Girl, captain paranoia, Imperial Dave/ID, Tony, and quite simply just far too many other real greats that are just far too numerous to name here - as you will, I have no doubt, soon discover. I only hope one day that I know as much as they all do about outdoors stuff!They're all really rather fab people indeed on here!
Hey Trev you missed that top bloke called TDG/Trevor D Gamble ..got a great way with word you do!!
Well, as Trevor suggests, one of the easiest ways of helping is simply by replying to people's questions. If you're 'not sure of the quality of some of the responses' people get, give your own experience and opinion. There's usually not just one 'right answer' to most questions, and the more advice, the better, in most cases. That's how forums such as this work...
Or, if you think there are particular areas that you have expertise in, you might consider writing an article, or series of articles about it. Nutrition and fitness, perhaps, as a starter. Email Jon (the OM editor) with your ideas.
> just help as long as it does not become too costly on our time.
Oh dear, run away now... or succumb to the time-sucking vampire that is OM...
I have a mental picture now of everybody on an OM meet standing about wearing their pants (merino or synth) on the outside of their trekking pants/kecks, possibly with dustmasks on faces....you know to hide identities and help you sleep that bit warmer.
<swishes sil-nylon cape dramatically and flies off>
It's very good to hear from you here.
