If I went and hung a yellow jacket on a random gorse bush in the Sidlaws right now within half a mile of your start point, you would need a good pair of binoculars to spot which one. Thus disallowing it use as a safety colour except for sailors. Orange disappears in dead braken so is red the only bright colour that can be justified on safety grounds? It is after all MRT colour. Mike Reid We were once told that red is a bad colour to use in safety situations as the majority of people who are colour-blind have the most trouble with red. James...

Function, not fashion, is all that concerns me, and I totally refuse to wear anything that doesn't blend in with nature's colours.

Function, not fashion, is all that concerns me, and I totally refuse to wear anything that doesn't blend in with nature's colours. Surely function is: o       Does it keep the rain out? o       Is it comfortable? o       Are the pockets etc. in the correct place? o       Is the hood well cut? o       Does it dry quickly? o       Is it light? o       Does it pack down well? o       Is it robust? o       Can I get it repaired if necessary? Not o       Does it blend in? I have a cheap wax cotton jacket which I don't wear as it's heavy, doesn't keep real rain out and doesn't have a hood.  I would describe it as a fashion statement.  I would describe my M&S cagoule as a functional bit of kit which happens to have a little bit of bright yellow trim.

Surely a contradiction here? If function is all that concerns you, you wouldn't refuse to wear anything that doesn't blend in with nature's colours . Sorry - in a bit of a pedantic mood Not at all, I enjoy a bit of pedantism. What makes you think that colour isn't functional? Bright clothing serves the function of attracting attention, useful if you need to be rescued.  Drab colours have the opposite effect, they serve the function of making you less visible, which is useful for avoiding bulls, farmers etc. and for discreet wild camping. Colour also affects mood.  Bright garish colours are displeasing to my eye, I find them visually offensive in conjunction with the muted pastel shades of nature (please don't mention gorse bushes again).  I like to look at colours which please me.  I get pleasure from colours which blend in with my environment rather than those that contrast with it. Finally, another function of colour is to differentiate.  In my early camping days I used to wrap everything up in plastic bags.  It used to drive me nuts trying to find any particular thing since all the bags looked the same. Then I discovered Field & Trek colour coded stuff sacs (or whatever they're called).  I bought one dark blue, one green, two red, two blue and two orange stuff sacs and have been using them ever since.  I never have trouble finding anything anymore because each stuff sac has particular items allocated to it so I always know what's in each. Of course, these horrible garish colours are usually hidden away in my rucksack or tent so that they don't visually disturb the drab pastel environment. Paul Saunders