Getting stuck over night

[Sappy]

Took my dog for a walk about 1030 last night in tentsmuir forest, I was roughly in the middle which is a good few miles from anywhere, and my torch died. Its a lot darker than you would think in a fairly dense woodland.

Didn't have a lighter so I ended up using the little light there was to cut the boughs of a fallen pine, made a matters then pulled a big pile over the top of me, took a good few hours to fall asleep.

When was the last time you got stiluck out?

 

[Outdoordude]

Cricky! I would be scared like hell! Good on you for roughing it and not getting in a panic. Was it cold. Did the dog keep you warm. Lesson learnt: Carry spare batteries!

 

[Harvestman]

I'm out after dark most nights, and usually without a torch. Once the eyes adjust it is amazing how much you can see, even in wooded areas. That said I always have a light on my keyring, but I rarely use it.

By the way, the moon was near full last night. Surprised you couldn't see enough to walk out, but then, you were there and I wasn't, so it was your call. Good on you in making a shelter and getting some sleep.

 

[Teepee]

Its dark up there at night isn't it?

Around here, its always light enough to see, even on a moonless night. Only the fog coming in causes a problem.

I got caught a couple of years ago running in my local woods late at night. The fog came in and when I took my phone out, I'd left an app running that had killed the battery and I had no torch. I wandered round for ages and my familiar woods were now alien and unfamiliar in the fog. I hadn't a clue where to go and started to finds some bedding for the night. Just then, a car came by about 100 meters away and yes, I was 100 meters from my parked vehicle

 

[santaman2000]

The last time (the only time realy) was over 56 years ago in the Nevada desert

 

[crosslandkelly]

1976 Top Rank club in Watford. Missed the last train home, no money for a cab, so I spent the night on a bench by the Grand union canal in Cassiobury park. t was late October and I woke up freezing about 5.30 in the morning. Cold all the way home.

 

[Sappy]

I go out at night a lot as I like sitting on the beach and looking at the stars, but I really don't like walking through the woods in the dark as tbh I find it scary, my way of dealing with that fear is simply to go to sleep, there was just enough light to walk home but in a big fearty so decided sleep was the way to go, similar to the way a bairn hides under there bed sheets lol

I had a spare warm jumper and waterproof jacket so although it was chilly I was insulated enough to sleep.

Must learn to conquer my fear lol

 

[Harvestman]

Been there, and it took me a while to overcome that irrational fear thing too. Well done for the way you dealt with it.

 

[Bushwhacker]

Was the moon not bright enough? I was out last night and could see perfectly without a torch.

 

[Corfe]

Spent a weekend out in Whytham Woods near Oxford about 25 years ago - found an old fashioned haystack and tunnelled into it both nights. Didn't have so much as a penknife - great weekend. I stalked deer, spied on a vixen and her cubs and dodged rangers. It was the summer, but still cold as heck. Great memory though.

 

[jackcbr]

Wish it would get that dark round here. Sadly the golden glow from gatwick acts as a good beacon to get home. Sounds like a wise call if you ask me. You knew where you were, but couldn't see your way back. Why stumble through the woods in the dark and potentially get lost. You had the skills to rough out the night and a bit of company with the hound. People don't realise how dark and disorientating a woodland can become at night. I was in the wilderness of Canada recently and even with a torch I managed to go the wrong way. Fortunately the group fire was still glowing, so I killed the torch and followed the glow. Once back to it I could find my tent again.

 

[Dartmoor navigator]

I've been 'chasing the light' a bit lately... Coming off the moors from a run with limited light and borderline weather. I have started to take a sac with me now that has a few 'bits' in it... just in case.

 

[abominable_scouse_monster]

I work at night, in a dark factory with no lights a good portion of the time so my night vision is better than most. And I like walking in the rain so when I leave work in the winter it's great for me But I have got lost a few times at night and it's not fun.

The worst time I got lost at night was when looking for my dog when she was about 3 years old, she shot after a rabbit or something and got lost I founder her but couldn't find my way back to the track in the dunes in formby as the fog had rolled in, looked at my watch and figured I would miss the train and settled down for the night. Warm as toast with her snuggled into me and a Russian poncho over the two of us. Woke up the next morning and found I had crossed over the track and hunkered down about 100 meters from the old bunkers. Fog does weird things to vision at night and makes the familiar unfamiliar.

 

[cbr6fs]

Hiking wise i've never had to camp out unexpectedly.
Been backpacking and was not able to make it to the planned camp because of illness, injury, weather, no real worry as i had my tent, sleeping bag, food water etc with me.

For day hikes though i've always managed to limp back somehow.
Had to ride back 12 miles to the car in Scotland when i crashed and broke my thumb many years ago.
Only recently i crashed my mountain bike up on the mountain near my house, and had to ride the 4 miles or so home with a broken arm.
The bone was sticking out and i knew i would have a plast on for at least 4 weeks, so i had a shower when i got back home, then drove to the hospital.
Funny thing was i figured i'd go to the same hospital my brother-in-law went when he broke his leg as they were fantastic, but i didn't know where it was, so i stopped off at his garage to ask.
When i showed him my arm he passed out and hit his head so we sat in ER together

Many many twisted ankles, even concussion once or twice but my homing spirit seems strong enough to pull me back home.



I'm out most nights up on the mountain walking the dog and i take 2 torches with spare batteries for each, i also have a keychain torch if all else fails.
Might be worth investing in a quality torch and some spare batteries?

Most nights you really don't need a torch on the mountain on some of the larger paths, but on the smaller ones they are extremely treacherous as they're a mix of marble polished by years of use and jagged rocks that have eroded leaving razor sharp edges and holes big enough to swallow my leg up to my knee.

Plus if im honest io enjoy faffing about with torches
Been caught out many times on the motorbike and in the car from bad weather or mechanical failure mind.

 

[rik_uk3]

Check your batteries and or carry spares, you have learned a valuable lesson.

cbr6fs, how long did your broken arm take to mend? Having a shower with a major break as you describe indicates you have a very high pain tolerance threshold; remarkable in fact.

 

[ex-member BareThrills]

Check your batteries and or carry spares, you have learned a valuable lesson.

cbr6fs, how long did your broken arm take to mend? Having a shower with a major break as you describe indicates you have a very high pain tolerance threshold; remarkable in fact.

I've got a lot of mountain biking mates and to a man they are all crazy adrenaline junkies that feel no pain. It's a breed attribute

Sent from my GT-I9300 using Tapatalk 2

 

[Anzia]

Only recently i crashed my mountain bike up on the mountain near my house, and had to ride the 4 miles or so how with a broken arm.
The bone was sticking out and i knew i would have a plast on for at least 4 weeks, so i had a shower when i got back home, then drove to the hospital.
Funny thing was i figured i'd go to the same hospital my brother-in-law went when he broke his leg as they were fantastic, but i didn't know where it was, so i stopped off at his garage to ask.
When i showed him my arm he passed out and hit his head so we sat in ER together

Yowch I'd have probably hit the floor faster than him! Out of curiosity, did it heal up ok after all that?

 

[AlexRowan]

Took my dog for a walk about 1030 last night in tentsmuir forest, I was roughly in the middle which is a good few miles from anywhere, and my torch died. Its a lot darker than you would think in a fairly dense woodland.

Didn't have a lighter so I ended up using the little light there was to cut the boughs of a fallen pine, made a matters then pulled a big pile over the top of me, took a good few hours to fall asleep.

When was the last time you got stiluck out?

Admit it... you did it on purpose didn't you?? Go on, you know you did..

 

[Spikey DaPikey]

Get some of these, and clip onto your keys, zips etc...

Very handy

http://dx.com/p/black-flashlight-keychain-22000mcd-10-pack-1253?rt=1&p=6&m=1&r=4&k=1&t=1&s=&u=1253

(no connection to seller etc etc)

 

[oldtimer]

You lived to tell the tale, didn't you? Seems like you got it right and passed a night to remember. I got caught out at the Devil's Punchbowl in 1960 hitchhiking back to Portsmouth after a night out in London and spent the night on Gibbet Hill where they used to hang the highwaymen. To quote from Skakespeare in Midsummer Night's Dream: "How oft a bush becomes a bear". I'd never realised until then how the Hampshire/Surrey border is infested with bears, not to mention the ghost of long dead highway robbers!