Mark

Mark is an outdoor educator and Geography teacher that loves to hike, wild camp and paddle, both in the UK and abroad. He is a strong advocate of #leavenotrace and has been an avid campaigner for #savedartmoor over the last couple of years. Now, with his MRS packraft, he is able to combine his outdoor pursuits and access areas that would not have been possible without this great piece of kit. Hear from the man himself below…

Hi, my name is Mark and I’m a strong advocate of accessing and enjoying the great outdoors for recreational pleasure, exercise, experiencing nature and for the many mental health and well-being benefits. I really can’t get enough of the outdoors. I keenly promote the principles of ‘leave no trace’ and am a strong advocate of caring for the planet, but also enjoying it.

As an outdoor educator and Geography teacher, I encourage young people to experience the outdoors both safely and responsibly. I have campaigned strongly for greater access rights to ensure future generations can enjoy and access the outdoors, including helping with fundraising and raising awareness for the Dartmoor National Parks Wild Camping Appeal. I have been on many adventures and love camping and hiking. Recent trips have included the GR20 Corsica, dubbed one of Europe’s toughest hikes, Tour du Mont Blanc, Skye Trail, Hebridean Way and GR221 Dry Stone Route Mallorca.

I am always looking for new and exciting adventures and ways to greater access the outdoors and this is where I have found MRS packrafts so useful. Packrafts allow hiking, camping and paddling to be combined and greatly expand the possible locations in which to do this, experiencing places that you wouldn’t necessarily be able to otherwise.

I use the MRS Ponto packraft and recently visited the Helford River in Cornwall where I was able to visit secluded beaches, cook up beach food and hammock camp. I have also visited The Lake District National Park and Scotland, where I paddled around islands, found isolated spots and even packrafted on Dartmoor where I hiked and found spots to packraft in old abandoned Quarries. I love the MRS Ponto, at only 2.9kg, as it can easily fit in his backpack, is light to carry and quick to inflate with the nifty inflation bag. It can also easily be taken abroad on flights as hand luggage.

I really enjoy discussing the amazing possibilities for adventure and the different dimensions that packrating can bring at Southampton Boat Show and The National Outdoor Expo each year and always enjoys meeting people and hearing about their adventure experiences. I would love more people in Britain to experience packrafting and the enjoyment it can bring.

See more from Mark @mullion_vagrant on Insta.