The forces that caused reiving to endure as a way of life were more than just military and political. The submarginal economy and remote geography were factors, and so was the weather. Cold rain is endemic 12 months of the year. For the homeless or the destitute, the climate was and is worse than unpleasant. For much of the year it is potentially lethal.
Conditions are ideal for hypothermia.
The bad weather of the Anglo-Scottish Border Counties could be seen as tending to severely limit vagrancy, forcing the beggar either to depart for gentler climates, or to do something more drastic to survive, such as take up robbery. A complex of factors, many imposed by outside forces, conspired to make the reiving lifestyle most fit in this immediate microenvironment. The political factors were decided in London and Edinborough, but the single biggest factor was personal security. People feel most secure when their land is at peace, and when they can trust it will stay that way. A practical man alters his lifestyle when his backyard becomes a war zone.