Hassle when out

[stan794]

Hi all,
Anybody ever had any hassle from idiots when out and about. I was in my local woods well off the beaten track when i spotted a few chav types getting close to my camp. I thought they had not seen me as they went in the other direction but as it got dark a hail of stones descended on my camp. I was none to impressed.. Anybody got any night vision goggles and a good air gun they can lend me ha ha.

 

[Celt_Ginger]

Not sure I would condone shooting them. I'm sure that most of us have had trouble from prats occasionally. usually it's not woth the hassle of confronting them. Just pack up and leave and come back some other time.

 

[Kerne]

I have been hassled by:
dogs - can't really blame them
landowners (while on rights of way)
chavvy "idiots" as above

It depends where you are. Among the kids I teach there are several whose idea of a good night out is a fire in the local woods, fags (or more!) and copious amounts of alcopops/cider. You can easily spot their campsites as they never take anything home. Coming across such a group (as I did once near Chepstow) is a nightmare! Abuse, missiles and threats mainly. However, they never go far from the road or from home.

At least they're out and about...

 

[Barn Owl]

I know where you're coming from but sometimes it pays to aproach them with an offer of a seat by the fire a drink and smoke?

Start a conversation,let them talk rubbish for a while then they'll start to get interested maybe.
I've always found that if you engage youngsters like that then the need to show off recedes.

Maybe that's just in my airt though.I can get to places well out of the way.

 

[durulz]

I've never had any problems, myself. From anyone. I'm pretty sure that if I was seen, or thought I may have been seen, I would move on to somewhere else rather than face any possible hassle. Probably the best thing to do in future.

 

[C_Claycomb]

For true practice of bushcraft, set....man traps

http://tions.net/CA256EA900408BD5/vwWWW/outdoor~03~082



Its almost a shame that it wouldn't work for real. Not sure that I would want to trust folk like that to be anywhere near me, even for a friendly chat. While its a reasonable idea for earlier on, I would still think hard about de-camping rather than trust that they wouldn't be back later on to nick kit that they had eyed up during the friendly chat.

Sorry to hear you had trouble. I guess I have been fortunate, but I have found evidence of such people in a few otherwise lovely spots I have known.

 

[Kerne]

I suppose part of the problem is that this sort of behaviour is unexpected in the outdoors while we almost take it for granted in some parts of our cities.

 

[stan794]

ha ha, another use for my knife durlz eh.
Yeah, i will have to go deeper in the wood next time. Not sure what they were doing there though it was miles from the main town.
Im going out again this weekend so hopefully it will be a better trip, taking ma tent though weather looks a bit dodgy.

 

[Mike Ameling]

Never had much of any problem getting hassled when out-n-about. But then, the obvious presence of knives, tomahawks, and muzzleloading rifles/muskets tends to ... adjust ... their attitudes before any problems develop.

Altho, we did have one car-load of drunk punks that were ready to cause a problem one time. It was an open to the public living history event. They had stopped by during the day to see the event and the shooting matches. And then came back at oh-dark-thirty in the morning after drinking up a bunch of "courage". We heard them drive up, get out, and start walking down towards camp and our tents/tipis - with the typical laughing/snickering/staggering. Then one of them said --- which one should we burn first! YES, they had a can of gas in hand! But all around them the heard click-click, click-click, click-click. They had half a dozen loaded and cocked guns ready for their next move. They quietly and quickly left. Two were brave/stupid enough to come back the next day and ... chat ... with us about what they had been planning to do - even admitting that they had a can of gas in hand. But they heard all those guns being cocked - which changed their minds. We ... impressed upon them ... how lucky they were and how quickly their night would have changed the moment they started dousing a tent with gas. And how they never would have gotten a chance to light a match after that. 4 of my buddies that were there camping that night were also active duty policemen. We, and they, don't mess around with drunk punks trying to burn the tent we and our families are sleeping in.

There was that one other time a motorcycle gang thought they would ROAR through our camps. A spear through the front spokes stopped the first one in the middle of camp, and a 1770's military unit with fixed bayonnets on their muskets quickly surrounded the rest of the gang. They quietly pushed their bikes back out to the parking lot where the local police had a looooong talk with them.

But basically I and my buddies haven't had many problems. Mostly we have more curiosity than trouble. And we always welcome genuine interest and questions. I've had more problems with the "trout fishermen" here along the creek in the pasture - with their trash and cutting the fences.

Mikey - that grumpy ol' German blacksmith out in the Hinterlands

 

[Shewie]

Not quite as pronounced as Chris` deadfall suggestion but equally as fun.

Tripwire activated 12 bore alarm mines

http://www.ultimatehandyman.co.uk/ALARM_MINES.htm

That should keep them away

 

[Spunyarn]

Just carry round some stolen pyrotechnics, and if they start gobbing off then "let 'em have it".
Seriously though, I agree with Barn Owl, providing they havn't started being aggressive, if the group is small enough, you can usually just go and talk to them, they're usually okay. Although as has been said, why do these types of people talk so much crap? lol

 

[saddle_tramp]

Im sure the 'chav type idiots' were equally bemused by the ray mears type idiot camping in the woods in november. Like barn owl said, try talking to them, or else upsticks and retreat further into the woods, but remember that in the eyes of the majority. . . . we're the strange ones

 

[stooboy]

in the eyes of the majority. . . . we're the strange ones

yeh id agree with that, buschcraft weirdos wi knives and axes, soldier, survivalist wannabee, sure that's what my work colleges think of me.

I've been lucky enough to not come across any trouble like that, although i have heard the BOOM BOOM BOOM of the bass from the hot hatches at layby probably where my car was parked also but was still intact.

Stoo.

 

[Kerne]

What goes in in some of those car parks is far more frightening than what goes on in the woods...

 

[Barn Owl]

That's the thing,
If you don't engage them then you're just a target for the 'group' mentality.

When I was young we'd gain knowledge from the guys that went to the field and woods.

We'd also survive weekends in the woods with only (better not give youngsters ideas here),
suffice to say the clothes on our backs and little else.

I'm sure a lot of these neds would like to learn more and enjoy being out more if they had a wee bit mentoring.

Mind i'm from a village and they do listen at times,as most have knowledge of fishing,ferreting,etc.

 

[Bimble]

I've come across groups of 'kids' having woodsies before now. I just let them think that I'm the land owner. I tell them that there on private property, then explain to them that I don't mind if they stay as long as they ensure that the fire is not too big and they clean up their rubbish after them. (Which is all true.) They feel much better about being there and I feel much better that they aren't doing too much damage. I don't know what the real land owner thinks, but as its probably some faceless corporate argro giant in my neck of the woods, to be truthful I don't much care. If the real landowner is worth his salt they will be moved on soon enough.

These kids live for conflict, its all many of them know. Give them a reasonable, responsible attitude and they are usually so surprised that things work out okay....

If they get cocky, slap the smile off the gobbiest one, that also works.....( Only joking that would be assault, of course! )

 

[firecrest]

well i get alot of hassle out and about, but its not in woods its in towns, so its not a bushcraft problem per se , its a social one.

 

[pothunter]

I'm with Mike

'Peace through superior firepower'

Pothunter.

 

[ZDP-189]

Bimble, that's clever. If I were the landowner, I'd be thankful for someone telling the yobs to act sensibly and not ruin the place.

As for Chris' suggestion, why not combine a sprung trap with your camp latrine? We could call it a "Claycomb Claymore"

 

[BOD]

stan, to answer your question, I guess I am lucky.

The jungle is generally a place that discourages people like that compared to plantations , fields or woods. In OZ it is a problem.

In Borneo except for towns, everyone you meet, if you meet anyone at all, is very polite and friendly.

In Malaysia, I am more concerned about these sort of kids or worse but so far all has been fine.

But then I do carry a long blade and my dog does bite.

Would like to do the mangle, strangle, dangle and tangle deterrents but more likely to hurt an innocent.