Wer’e (8 of us from work) are doing an overnighter later this month, riding about 45km, staying in a bothy & riding back via a slightly different route next day. Gareth (I’ll call him Gareth cos that’s his name) says he’s not taking a headtorch cos ‘I’ll look daft’.
Now Gaz is a nice enough lad, good rider, fit as a butchers dog & will ride anything. Trouble is, he just won’t take advice. He’s 28 & a city boy! Also, all he’s taking to eat is energy bars. It’s not a race, some of the other lads are inexperienced but fit enough & up for a steady day out. We’ll be stopping for loads of photo’s (unless it’s lashing down, which it probably will be) & generally taking it steady. I’m taking a couple of packs of Batchelors Pasta n Sauce, 3 rashers of bacon, couple of slices of bread & my titchy stove to cook it on. (Plus 2 hip flasks with a bit of Jura Superstition in)
Shall I say no more to him & let him crack on or what?

Tell him he’ll look even more of a dick holding a torch in his mouth whilst trying to use both hands to do something. As for the energy bars thing – meh. Just make sure no one caves in and offers him any real food.

Guess what we used to use before head torches…

If he doesn’t have one, no point buying one 🙄

He will learn a lesson through experiential learning.

Ha! I’ve already told him Col, he’s not sharing my gas. Not till I’ve done my bacon buttie in my Trangia non stick pan on Saturday morning anyway! & I’ll waft it under his nose!

Take him a candle. Actually take a candle anyway nice break from high LED luminations when the whisky is handed round.

And definitely enforce the dont feed the boy rule

If he doesn’t have one, no point buying one

Eh, for £7.99 at Go Outdoors?

Don’t think he even has a handtorch TBH.

Take him a candle. Actually take a candle anyway nice break from high LED luminations when the whisky is handed round.
Tealights! Brilliant, forgot about those! (the whisky’s all mine though ) 😉

I’d go the other way to most, stick a couple of extra rashers in your pack for him, show him a better way.

If I stick 2 extra rashers in there’s only gonna be one person that’ll be eating them.
& It aint Gaz. 😈

I’ve told him all this already!

I’m with Sweepy, he’s clearly clueless, your not. Do the decent thing and take a few extra rashes and a bun for him.

Make the bun up for him the ‘drop” it whilst handing it over.

3w Cree head torches in Aldi at the moment. £7.99. Just saying.

3w Cree head torches in Aldi at the moment. £7.99. Just saying.

Cheers SG, I’ll tell him but I fear it may fall on deaf lugs. He’ll probably take a prison issue Maglite that takes 12 big fat batteries!

I can cope with people being clueless (inexperienced) but Gaz just will not take advice. I’m no expert but have done a fair bit of camping, winter & autumn Polaris stuff, that sort of thing. He’s a great lad but he does my nut in!

Am I the only one who thinks you’re getting too hung-up on this?

Some of my best days out have been without the “right” kit. Just getting out and making do. If he enjoys it he’ll know what to take next time to improve his experience. I bet a head torch won’t be top of his list though! In a bothy his Maglite will probably be enough light for everyone, and give you a romantic evening in “candle mode”.

I’ve travelled and camped at over 4000m with a maglite solitaire (AAA battery, not even LED). I don’t ever look back and think “I wish I’d taken a head torch, that would have been SO much better” 🙄

I’m with m360 on this, besides holding a torch in your teeth is character building