#rangering

[benvironment]

Gawd what a beautiful day! I was working of course, but there's always a stream of maintenance/path checks to do, and where possible it's nice to coincide them with beautiful days like today.

Glen Derry and Glen Lui this morning, and Glen Quoich in the afternoon. It stayed pretty chilly all day with a high of just 2.5C, up from a low this morning of -4.8C 🙂

[borderland-ranger]

What Makes a Compelling Outfit for a Ranger?

A ranger’s clothes need to be sturdy, practical, and comfortable. Usually rangers own only one set of clothing; as a consequence, it will be quite worn out and patched up. To achieve greater plausibility, this wear and tear can be done on purpose—by using sandpaper, a steel brush, and dark shoe polish, or by adding patches to the elbows, knees or buttocks.

The clothing has to camouflage its wearers while protecting them from various weather conditions, and it shouldn’t be an encumbrance on long walks or while climbing. A good ranger costume should therefore follow the principles applicable to designing outdoor, military, or sports gear: clothing that is simple and functional, not necessarily pretty but rather practical. Numerous pockets provide storage space, reinforced knees and elbows protect from injuries after a fall, and a hooded cloak obscures the human silhouette, making stealth easier. The colors of the clothing should be muted and somewhat washed-out or muddy, in order to allow rangers to blend into their surroundings. Rangers rarely wear black, though, because, compared to brown and gray, it is much more visible at night.

Rangers usually abstain from using metal armor or shiny jewelry, as polished metal reflects sunlight and can give away their position. Metal armor also tends to clang, which impairs stealth. Should a ranger choose to wear armor, it will be made from leather that is well oiled to prevent creaking.

Linen or cotton undergarments are easy to clean and wash, and wool or leather outer garments protect from wind and rain. In addition, wool keeps the wearer warm, making it additionally suitable for a cloak or coat, which can then be used as a ceiling for a makeshift shelter. A sturdy backpack holding survival tools—such as carving knives, rope, gloves, a warm blanket, and a waterskin—rounds out the ranger outfit.

[benvironment]

Vole paparazzi 🙂 Chatting to folk the other day when it kept scurrying around our feet. I love the fact we've recorded 5200 species at Mar Lodge, have some of the rarest and most extraordinary creatures & plants here....but a humble ten-a-penny vole can inspire just as much 🙂

[benvironment]

A grand day on the hill with John Muir Trust volunteers, planting 500 aspen 🙂

[benvironment]

Quiet(ish) patrol last night. A few large groups camping but not a trace of their visits left this morning 👍

So nice to see sunsets creeping into patrols again, now that the nights are getting longer 🙂

[benvironment]

Working in the Quoich this morning, during the sunshine and showers. Oh it's bonnie! 😀

[benvironment]

I had the good fortune of having already scheduled a work visit to Glen Derry before the snow was forecast. An added bonus when your office unexpectedly looks like this! 🙂 A good 10cm of snow, although you needed to be up and at 'em first thing in order to get the nice crunchy stuff before the thaw set in.

Very calm morning, with the trees only gradually shedding their loads....via beautiful sugary sprinklings on the walk in, but by the time I was walking out there was a constant 'THUMP' of thick wet snow hitting the ground. And the back of my neck 😆

But on days like this, the Derry perhaps ousts the Quoich as my favourite glen on the estate 🤔 Mostly because it makes for such an exciting scene. Saplings colonising the river, big old pines in the glen, and way off in the distance the slopes of Sgor Mor peppered with young saplings. The extent of the natural regeneration is perhaps most striking when there's enough snow to cover the heather/grass, but not enough to bury the saplings. Really stands out 🙂