Tengu is a wuss
- Thread starter Tengu
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Grooveski's advice is spot on I reckon 
I've just been out for a walk, it's crisp, mostly clear, dry and calm out tonight and I love it. My feet are damp and chilled (silly ballet pumps on ) but even that added to the whole thing since I could walk silently over the grass and the red ash paths.
I saw two foxes, a badger and a rat. Watched, well tried to, they flitter so shadowly around, the bats catching the moths at the tree edges; smelled the wild roses, the mugwort and the honeysuckle, and the pine hedges of a neighbours back hedge.
If I hadn't been expected back I'd still be out now.
Break the night down, go folk a late walk, maybe another time get up too early and walk until dawn. Get to know the world around you properly.
Little by little it becomes comfortable
Cheers,
Toddy
I've just been out for a walk, it's crisp, mostly clear, dry and calm out tonight and I love it. My feet are damp and chilled (silly ballet pumps on
) but even that added to the whole thing since I could walk silently over the grass and the red ash paths. I saw two foxes, a badger and a rat. Watched, well tried to, they flitter so shadowly around, the bats catching the moths at the tree edges; smelled the wild roses, the mugwort and the honeysuckle, and the pine hedges of a neighbours back hedge.
If I hadn't been expected back I'd still be out now.
Break the night down, go folk a late walk, maybe another time get up too early and walk until dawn. Get to know the world around you properly.
Little by little it becomes comfortable
Cheers,
Toddy
Red filter torch perhaps? It dosnt ruin your natural night vision, dosnt harass animals and is generally unobtrusive. I wouldnt be sure what to do about the sounds though - I'd rather have all senses active, it would make me feel worse being unable to hear.
Hi Tengu,
I'm not sure that I can add anything that hasn't been said already, other than encouragement.
We live right out in the sticks where there are no streetlights and very few houses, when it gets dark, its professionally dark, so while on one hand you can't see much, on the other - the moon can casts a shadow of the house, the stars are nearly bright enough to read by and we regularly see satelites crossing the sky. My children often say that they are affraid of the dark - so I take them out on night-time rambles. Yes, I take a torch, but I try not to use it; it kills your night vision and also pinpoints you to eveything that might be about. If they hear a noise that concerns them, I try to identify it and explain any reason for that animal to be making it. There is a definate difference to animals that make noises in the late evening and early morning and its a great skill to know the difference. From experience, badgers can get scary until you know that they are just playing, sheep and cats can sound unnervingly human when coughing or yawning and some birds can give anyone the heebyjeebies.
Try it a little at a time, without feeling the difference in scary or safe - but to learn a little bit about what the noises are.
ATB
Ogri the trog
I'm not sure that I can add anything that hasn't been said already, other than encouragement.
We live right out in the sticks where there are no streetlights and very few houses, when it gets dark, its professionally dark, so while on one hand you can't see much, on the other - the moon can casts a shadow of the house, the stars are nearly bright enough to read by and we regularly see satelites crossing the sky. My children often say that they are affraid of the dark - so I take them out on night-time rambles. Yes, I take a torch, but I try not to use it; it kills your night vision and also pinpoints you to eveything that might be about. If they hear a noise that concerns them, I try to identify it and explain any reason for that animal to be making it. There is a definate difference to animals that make noises in the late evening and early morning and its a great skill to know the difference. From experience, badgers can get scary until you know that they are just playing, sheep and cats can sound unnervingly human when coughing or yawning and some birds can give anyone the heebyjeebies.
Try it a little at a time, without feeling the difference in scary or safe - but to learn a little bit about what the noises are.
ATB
Ogri the trog
Hi Tengu, managed drag up this thread from the depths, hope it helps and you're definatly not alone in being uncomfortable in the dark.
http://www.bushcraftuk.com/community/showthread.php?t=375
http://www.bushcraftuk.com/community/showthread.php?t=375
We get alot of foxes round my way, and also a lot of cats go missing, I presume the foxes get them. One night I was sleeping in bed when I heard this really horrible noise like a child screaming and a massive amount of banging and clattering. I got up and then I heard the noise of a fox, I instantly thought it was attacking my cat and quickly pulled on some clothes and ran over to the wardrobe to grab a torch. When I did to my surprise my cat was lying in there looking very annoyed as i'd just woken her up. 
I think the foxes were probably just mating or something, but they do make a horrible noise.
I think the foxes were probably just mating or something, but they do make a horrible noise.
Ha! A mate of mine and I were going camping a few years back and as we neared our pitch, he suddenly voiced concerns over dangerous wildlife. I pointed out that Britain's largest land carnivore was the badger : )
How about taking a dog with you? They're great company and they don't extract the urine when you can't get the fire going. Also, they're very warm when used as a blanket.
How about taking a dog with you? They're great company and they don't extract the urine when you can't get the fire going. Also, they're very warm when used as a blanket.
Lithril said:
Strweth Lith; that looks familiar!
As an update to the orginal post of mine, specifically;
"I suspect that there'll be times when the problem comes back to haunt me, probably when I least expect it and when it will be least welcome, but I honestly think that I now have the internal tools to deal with the feelings, and overcome them."
It's been almost 3 years since I wrote that, and the problem's never returned.
Hi Tengu, if you do spend a night out by yourself maybe try to occupy your mind with other things,such as practice some skills, if the stars are out try to identify constellations such as Orion,the Plough and the North star as these will help with navigation without a compass or maybe try to set up your tarp/tent in the dark so it will become second nature to you and can be done anytime night or day. Doing things like this may help focus your mind rather than letting it wander and fill your head with unrational thoughts of whats out there.
When i first started going out i to felt the same way,but the fear dissipates with time and now i look forward to spending the night with the natural world going about its business, i feel privileged with things like owls sitting in the trees hoot-ing away just above my tarp, it somehow gives me a sense of being accepted by nature rather than being apart from it.
Hope this is of some help.
When i first started going out i to felt the same way,but the fear dissipates with time and now i look forward to spending the night with the natural world going about its business, i feel privileged with things like owls sitting in the trees hoot-ing away just above my tarp, it somehow gives me a sense of being accepted by nature rather than being apart from it.
Hope this is of some help.
Bisamratte said:Ps I still dont have the courage to spend a night out alone as we have wild boar round my way
Yup I agree! I've seen these giant boars in the day time and don't like the idea of waking up face to face with one!!
Just the other week, I was out in the woods directly opposite Bergen Belsen, on the other side of the road in fact. My mate was also with me, and we bedded down for the night. My basha was about five metres from Jamies', as I am told by his wife that he snores quite loudly!
At about 2 or 3 in the morning, I heard what sounded like a giant smashing a tree to bits with a giant log!! Several times this loud crashing noise was heard, and I gave Jamie a shout. I said to him I'd just heard a loud crashing noise and I wasn't sure if the boar could be on the move around us. He was immediately wide awake, and told me that it took him about two hours to get back to sleep. I heard the loud crashing several more times that night, and each time it woke me up I sat and listened to try and find out what it was. I must admit that I felt slightly worried and alarmed each time I heard the noise, but I'd soon drop off afterwards.
I still don't know what the noise was, but I didn't find any Hagrid sized foot prints, so I at least know it wasn't a giant!!
