Your wellbeing

 

Exploring the way some did things in the past but today we'd seriously suggest "thumbing a lift" wasn't a thing even worth thinking about because of the wellbeing and safeguarding issues involved in isolated areas with little habitation.

You may miss out on potentially fascinating conversations but it's not worth the risk and as someone who is more vulnerable I'm used to weighing these things up for myself whenever I'm alone and thinking ahead responses before I make that journey out.

Staying safe matters.

Finding your way

We hear much about Sat Nav's and mobile phone apps but frankly a decent map - for the UK and Ordnance Survey (O.S.) map is all you need with a compass for getting about having a lot of useful information  including notable views or sites being 100% reliable in all conditions and with no issues with mobile coverage or battery life.

This is a typical edition that has a download that could be stored on a smartphone that could be accessed even if there was no mobile signal.

In scouting we do learn about how to read maps as these Cubs are doing where there is a presentation going on.

Although the design does change there are Activity Award badges to be won for Cubs and others in the Scout Family.

Yes in 2022 I would add a mobile phone which can be a simple text and call model for emergency contact being the modern equivalent to  telephone call  box whose battery life is higher than internet enabled Smartphones but it doesn't replace the treid and tested map which as boys we learned.

Christmas 2021 Part II

Christmas itself is almost over with presents being opened, visitors been and gone and we start that period as move out the old year and into the new.

I have always loved comics so apart from reading this years Beano Christmas special I had the Dandy Annual, a staple from childhood and a compilation of past cartoons from the Beano and Dandy around the subject of artist endeavour which I love as let's be honest you cannot in most circumstances keep ten years never mind whole decades worth of comics.

These compilations tend to give you the best moments, well served and printed on much better paper.

In the days of yore, we had in Cubs to learn to use the telephone box to send messages but in the last ten years or so many have either been taken out completely as many use mobile phones or made into booklending libraries or defibrillator holders.

That puts a premium on you having a very good working mobile phone as an essential tool while exploring and mine had been getting on for ten years with the battery life starting to trail off and the 2G network it used going by twenty twenty five at the latest.

Given my dexterity issues modern smartphones are hard to use reliably so I wanted something more modern running on the 4G network but still fairly simple so I had this CAT B40 rugged drop proof phone with a camera function that is just an updated regular one rather than a micro computer that makes calls.

That well help me stay safe while out exploring.