But carrying all that shit in your rucksack does my back in!

I find lugging kit on a bike a pain, much more so that running events like the OMM.

I had a crack at another famously wet POLARIS, the Spring one in Somerset a few years back. Man, that was some clay... Good fun I guess, but not as chilled at the base camp events.

You pays your money...

different strokes for different folks

Now, the world don't move to the beat of just one drum,
What might be right for you, may not be right for some.
A man is born, he's a man of means.
Then along come two, they got nothing but their jeans.

But they got, Diff'rent Strokes.
It takes, Diff'rent Strokes.
It takes, Diff'rent Strokes to move the world.

Everybody's got a special kind of story
Everybody finds a way to shine,
It don't matter that you got not alot
So what,
They'll have theirs, and you'll have yours, and I'll have mine.
And together we'll be fine....

Because it takes, Diff'rent Strokes to move the world.
Yes it does.
It takes, Diff'rent Strokes to move the world.

Yeah boggy water

Yeah boggy water

Cold, and wet and windy too

I got a feeling I am gonna go blue

Yeah boggy water

Yeah boggy water

Repeat to fade...

Fraser,

    was that you?, when Phil and I got back to the swamp on Saturday, somebodies frame tent was parked on top of my 30yr old red canvas Bukta ridge tent and a green nylon thing as well. We (me, phil & three others dragged it off and left it in a puddle. The insurance coughed up (after a little discussion) and on Saturday the 11th I took possession of a brand new Vango force 10 mk5 (another 4man canvas ridge tent. Well it was new for old.

That was me! We were two of the folk dragging the tent off ours and kicking it when it was in puddle.

our £30  tent was a veteran of three base camp Polaris and a belgian music festival. it only had 1 week to go till retirement

No idea where spring one will be, but hopefully in striking distance from Edinburgh.

My deerstalker was also a casulty of the Polaris, its got ruined in the washing machine after the event! My girlfriend believes she can repair it, so it may still live!

it was good to meet you Fraser, perhaps over a drink next time instead of camp site wreckage? Three Polaris's? my tent was a veteran of the Korean war! It also had a label on it stating 'Bukta, the sign of good camp kit' (times were gentler and more innocent back then)

This years spring event had much the same sort of weather, but as you said earlier, at least you arrive at the mid-point with bagged and dry gear

your deerstalker? everything lives and everything dies, get a new one.

A question. The first Polaris I did was last years autumn in the dales, different map each day and a great event field. Since then it seems that budgets have reduced, spring, summer, autumn, same map and autumn's event field had almost nothing by way of trade stands and other diversions. Is it just me or does it feel as if prices rise and content reduces? 

Oh, at the next base camp event I'll be the one in a big orange Vango. Bring a tot and you're guaranteed entry. 

According to the last mailout, which i have just got round to reading, thats it for Detail events and the Polaris Challenge. The events next year will be run by.....

Polaris Apparel.

Hi Fraser, I've read the same mailout but can find nothing on the Polaris or the Trailquest websites that give any clue as to how future events might unfold. I still feel we may have been a little bit 'shafted' with regard to future plans and forecasts. I think that polaris decided a long time ago to abandon these events and focused on maximising income over content.

Anyway, I might well be doing the lamm next summer, although I'd like to do the spring polaris (or whatever) if it exists next year

your thoughts?