Hare Pack

LAYING A GOOD HASH

Preparation! Preparation! Preparation! You don’t set many hashes a year, so be prepared to put some effort in. Do your best and everybody will appreciate it! The success of the Hash depends on the quality of the trails. Too short is better than too long. The following information is intended to assist potential hares in planning and laying a good trail. There are no hard and fast rules, and everything depends on the terrain. If you’re nervous, speak to other hashers. You’ll most likely find someone who will help you put your first trail together!

1. The pub
   • Chose a friendly pub, with good real ale, no loud music, adequate parking and no Monday night event eg. quiz night or disco
   • Several days in advance, talk to the pub. Monday tends to be a quiet night for them, so prior warning that 20+ hashers are about to descend on them is both polite and helpful.
   • If there is not sufficient space for parking, find out where overflow can park
   • Notify the hash if they have to pay for parking
   • Determine when the kitchen closes; some hashers will want to order food and this information is useful!

• • If you’re in need of inspiration, this is a map of  a lot of the pubs and public car parks that GH3 has run from in the past: click here (new window)

2. Aims of the run
   • Challenge the FRBs and make them run hard
   • Set checks and false trails to keep the pack together and allow walkers to keep up
   • Reverse the pack at a strategic point
   • Regroup the pack and set a long and short trail, ideally all hashers should finish at the same time

3. Planning the run
   • Aim for a 4 miles, 5 miles absolute maximum run and less on cold and wet nights – more runs end up too long than too short. It should take a maximum of 2.0/2.5 hours to walk. Your average Hasher takes 12/15 minutes to run a mile on the straight – make allowances through woods, up hills, over styles etc. Do not over estimate the speed of the pack, especially if it’s going to be a small one. If you’re planning on having a drink stop, then you will need to take this time into account and shorten your run accordingly.
   • To help set the correct distance, photocopy a map of the area and with a piece of string measure the distance or go to mapmyrun.com to measure the length. (See below for full instructions on using the web site)
     • You can also use maverick (free for androids) or http://nmc-ramblers.org.uk/
   • Introduce effective checks to allow natural regroups. Use loops to keep the pack together for the whole of the run. Direct the short cutters away from the loops
   • Do a full recce before the day. You owe it to the pack to lay a good run.
   • If there are hills, go upwards if possible in the first half, or use hills to slow down the FRBs, by putting in short cuts for the knitting circle.
   • If there is a beer stop, this should be about 70% the way round. Hashers are less keen to run with too much drink in their stomachs and after having had a rest.
   • Select a good location in pleasant rural surroundings. Use public rights of way, footpaths, bridleways, tracks and minor roads etc. Avoid military and private land

4. Laying the run
   • Start laying flour no later than two hours before the run.
   • 3 or 4 bags (6kgs) of flour will be needed for a 4/5 mile run. A backpack is useful as a store. For distribution, transfer the flour into a double lined supermarket bag two bags, one inside the other.
   • Don’t be stingy with the markings – aim to use all the flour. Use dark background of tree trunks where possible. This also offers protection if it rains and stops people erasing the trail. Use children’s pavement chalk, or a piece of plasterboard where flour is difficult.
   • Use the recognised HHH symbols
   • Checkin’ Chicken is responsible for ensuring the checks are marked through, with directional arrows for the slower hashers. Checkin Chicken is not expected to be at the front of the pack.
   • Remember if going over a style, it always slows the run down, as only one hasher can progress at a time, you might want to put a loop in shortly afterwards.

REMEMBER –

Hashing is for the benefit & enjoyment of THE PACK, not the self-gratification of the hare. It is easy to lay a bad run and anyone can do it. Laying a good run needs planning and it can only be done by a good hare.

USING MAPMYRUN.COM INSTRUCTIONS

1. Go to www.mapmyrun.com
2. In the top lefthand corner in the orange box, click on the arrow by ‘United States’.
3. Click on United Kingdom, then above it, type the town nearest to your run.
4. Click ‘Find On Map’
5. Click on the little circle to the left of the larger green circle in the ‘Icon Types’ box on the right hand side of the page
6. Then click on where you’re starting the run from.
7. Now simply click round the circuit you plan to go, being as accurate as you can. The distance will add up as you go in the blue box in the middle on the left.
8. After your last click when you get to the finish, click on the little circle to the left of the red stop circle in the Icon Types box.

Standard Marks

or	On on (The trail goes this way – follow the flour.  Some hares use 3 blobs after a check, others just use 1.)
	Check (this indicates a break in the trail, with the pack needing to work out where it goes from here)
or	False Trail – usually after a check (The trail does not go this way)
or	Regroup (Use this to make the pack stop at this location)
	On In (Put this a short distance from the end)
	Trail start