i feel very daft...

Danzo

Need to contact Admin...
Jul 8, 2004
132
0
Close to Sherwood
I still clearly remember my first time outside alone as a youngster. I'd brought several comics to read by torchlight inside my tent. 2000AD was fine, The Hulk was fine, Spiderman was fine.

Dracula was a big mistake.........

:eek:

Danzo
 

outdoorcode

Need to contact Admin...
Feb 14, 2005
300
5
48
Halton West Uk
www.outdoorcode.co.uk
Getting nervous when you are sat alone in the dark in unfamiliar surroundings is normal, so I too would recommend a spot you are very familiar with such as a garden. I personally am lucky in that I can sleep soundly anywhere, but looking back it wasn't always like this and it has probably come with spending a lot of time camping on my own as a youngster (being an only child was probably partly the reason).
In my summer school holidays I would often spend 4+ weeks camping out on a friends farm where I helped out all holidays, usually sleeping in the open with a piece of plastic to hand if it started raining.
I find making sure I'm comfortable and "cosy", all wrapped up in my bag, makes me relax and try to think logically when you hear a noise the chances are its not an axe wielding manic or a sabre toothed tiger, more likely a rabbit going about its business :) .

On a final point if you were an axe wielding manic the last place you would be looking for someone to scare would be in the middle of a wood at 3am :D

Andrew

Ps let us know how you get !
 

Ogri the trog

Mod
Mod
Apr 29, 2005
7,182
71
60
Mid Wales UK
How about looking at it in a slightly different manner,
During your holidays, sleep during the day and go for a walk in the woods at night. Perhaps start off with an evening walk as its getting dark, a few days later during the dead of the night and another just before it gets light. That way you'll be learning about what happens through the darkness hours without having to take it all in at once. I'd want to be sure that the place is not frequented by "undesireables" and is relatively safe, you should also know the "lay of the land" by day so as not to get totally freaked when it gets dark. If you can find things to do as well (watching foxes, badgers etc) the cause of some of the more alarming noises will be obvious before they can cause panic.

ATB

Ogri the trog
 

Greywolf

Forager
Jun 5, 2005
188
4
55
East Riding of Yorkshire
Some great advice has already been given, not sure if I can add anything that could help

Stay safe and remember you are there to enjoy yourself, its no fun if you are sat in a huddle filling your sleeping bag at every noise.

Greywolf
 

Stevie

Tenderfoot
Feb 21, 2005
67
0
Kidderminster
Lots of good advise here. When I started camping out it was with my parents, as I got older I had my own small tent next to theirs. I kept moving it further away to show my "independance" but I always knew they were near-by. As I got older I started going by my self. Many times I took my dog...but he was a Rhodesian Ridgeback and took up most of the tent...he also grunted, snorred and ran in his sleep which tends to keep you awake :D

Now I have a son he comes out with me. He wants to stay out by himself and spends time out in the garden. He hasn't managed a full night yet but there's no rush, he'll get there in his own time.

What I have found to be the most scary thing when I'm out by my self is my own imagination. It's easy to make a shadow in to a manic bear...a rustle becomes a wolf creeping up on you...a twig snapping is some one coming to get you. A quick flash of a torch soon shows there's nothing there. Before I go to sleep I always do a quick "once round" the camp making sure every thing is OK and then I usually settle quite quickly. A good book always helps...but as mentioned above...Dracula may not be the bast book :D
 

Not Bob

Need to contact Admin...
Mar 31, 2004
122
0
Stevie said:
It's easy to make a shadow in to a manic bear...a rustle becomes a wolf creeping up on you

You have wolves and bears in Kidderminster! :eek:
 

fungy

Member
Jun 15, 2005
20
0
50
york
how do jack, saddly mate it's safer out in the wild's than on the streets now a days, i've found that if you take a small radio with you when bivving it helps carm the nerves, I suggest a wind up one then you don't have to mess about with batteries in the dark. Happy campin. :)
 

Stevie

Tenderfoot
Feb 21, 2005
67
0
Kidderminster
FeralSheryl said:
Wolves in Kiddi? What Bliss.
Hold the bus I'm on my way!

It's not the wolves and bears you need to worry about here...it's the rabbits

Killerbunny.jpg


:D :D
 

whitebuffalo

Banned
Oct 28, 2004
63
0
Cornwall
Jack when I lived in Canada a native friend of mine once told me how he taught hi grandchildren not to be scared of the prarie at night. The children well aware of the fact that buffalo, coyote and wolves roamed about were afraid and the old man said to them that they should remember that in the dark the 'bad ones' can not see them any more than they can see the 'bad ones', this he said was the great spirits gift to man because in so doing he equalised the playing field.

His grand kids then understood and were no longer frightened.

For many people in our modern, noisy and crowded world being alone is scary and add to that the dark it is a nightmare thing but in our country no animals exist to hurt you and all the 'bad people' like the parasites they are live in the cities so really your safer in the woods than anywhere else.
 

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