The Fear
- Thread starter rhyan
- Start date
No, it's not irrational at all. It's perfectly understandable if you've never done anything like it before. Have you camped out in wild places with other people?
Trust your skills and instincts, if something feels sketchy it probably is. As for the 12 that's a great idea for countries where humans aren't strictly speaking at the top of the food chain! Not so much here. I often keep a little journal of what you've done and what's gone wrong. Grab a piece of grass and see how close you can squeak a Fox in that can be a decent challenge. Personally I find the sounds of a wood really relaxing, to the point where more than once I've fell asleep looking up at the treeline and woken up in rain at 4am covered in all manner of creepy crawlies, so try to bed down before you get too tired! Hoping to hear all about it on here
Mick brings up an interesting point. Get to know the sounds to expect. Most city folk need fresh underwear the first time they hear a fox "scream" at night, some of the calls can be quite odd, and something having a snuffle about camp can scare the bejezus out of something.
Mind my first time out in the desert on my tod being surprised as to how noisy it was. That and although I'm used to real quiet living out here (I can hear when a slug gets into the house), if you're not used to it you can hear your own pulse and breathing which can exaserbate the situation. Have a poke around online for audio files of British animals at night so as to get used to it if you don't allready know.
Looking forward to hearing how it goes. Will keep my fingers crossed for you.
Sent via smoke-signal from a woodland in Scotland.
Mind my first time out in the desert on my tod being surprised as to how noisy it was. That and although I'm used to real quiet living out here (I can hear when a slug gets into the house), if you're not used to it you can hear your own pulse and breathing which can exaserbate the situation. Have a poke around online for audio files of British animals at night so as to get used to it if you don't allready know.
Looking forward to hearing how it goes. Will keep my fingers crossed for you.
Sent via smoke-signal from a woodland in Scotland.
Forget about weaponry, that is insane. I first solo camped in my teens and haven't had a speck of trouble except once getting into a mild ruckus with a group while walking from Bude to Bideford overnight. Just enjoy it.
YouTube them, if I've been shooting I listen to them to get to sleep because I find it blocks out that delightful tinitus that only comes from shooting without ears on. Very naughty I know but I bloody hate ear defenders, I'll stretch to plugs for rifles but not shotguns
As for the desert being noisy, try a snow covered Belarusian forest and hearing a grey wolf too close for comfort. Now that's when weaponry becomes comforting, a compound bow and a broadhead becomes your teddy bear!
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Along time ago now me and my pal were talking about our dogs and camping in the woods, I said I like having the dog around when camping at night for company and half jokingly I said and just in case there are any big scary monsters around, he said to me "Pol, you are the big scary monster." Oh well Grrrrr now I sleep under the Tumtum tree.
I slept next to a ancient graveyard wall for shelter during a storm one night in Glen Nevis, strangely enough I didn't here a peep out of the other human residents that night, I did have a nightmare about coffins floating down a river in spate, but I didn't even get a start when in the middle of the night a sheep tripped over one of my tent guylines.
Imagination, is a great thing, My pal told me a story about when he was on the Spey side way, he was sleeping in his bivi bag and said he woke because there was someone was sitting next to him tapping his bivi bag with a stick, he told me eventually he built up enough courage to look out to his bag to find a Red Squirrel sitting directly above him in a Pine tree eating cones. Adrenalin and imagination its a great buzz.
I slept next to a ancient graveyard wall for shelter during a storm one night in Glen Nevis, strangely enough I didn't here a peep out of the other human residents that night, I did have a nightmare about coffins floating down a river in spate, but I didn't even get a start when in the middle of the night a sheep tripped over one of my tent guylines.
Imagination, is a great thing, My pal told me a story about when he was on the Spey side way, he was sleeping in his bivi bag and said he woke because there was someone was sitting next to him tapping his bivi bag with a stick, he told me eventually he built up enough courage to look out to his bag to find a Red Squirrel sitting directly above him in a Pine tree eating cones. Adrenalin and imagination its a great buzz.
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I wouldn't really take the 12g BTW. Im too lazy to carry it that far!
Thank you again for all the advice and info and I am loving the personal stories.
Well its planned for the weekend after this - I will post a kit pic and photos / report upon my return.
Cant wait now!
Thank you again for all the advice and info and I am loving the personal stories.
Well its planned for the weekend after this - I will post a kit pic and photos / report upon my return.
Cant wait now!
:thinkerg: off course you could always try the instant brave, 80 proof whisky technique, now all you have to worry about is the midges.
Have a blast and enjoy Rhyan.
Have a blast and enjoy Rhyan.
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Many years ago around 02:00 hrs while on a night Sea trout session i was walking to a run further upstream when i thought i heard a Child giggle. I stopped to listen for a bit..Nothing, so i started to walk and my mind started to go into overdrive as it does.
I walked another 40/50 yards and i hear it again only this time much louder, I froze on the spot, scanned the area with my flashlight for a good couple of minutes..Nothing.
Just started walking again when I caught something move out of the corner of my eye. I stopped, flashed the light, and sure enough there was a Child, Maybe around 3' in height wearing jeans and a hooded top around 30 yards away, She..when i say she, it sounded like a she to my ears..had her back to me..
I stopped, shone the flashlight on her and asked her if she was ok, stupid question really as it was 2 in the morning in the middle of Nowhere.
She said something that i could quite make out, as i started to walk closer to her she started sobbing, i could see her shoulder move up and down, then she asked if i was her daddy...what the Faaaaaaaaaaa!!!!!!!...
I froze to the spot. and shouted at her if she had lost her Family..Hey, i was scared out my pants at this point..i consider myself to be a Manly man, but on this evening i'm not afraid to admit that i reached for my knife and was not afraid to use it...
I asked her again if she was lost and where was her family...she again asked if i was her Daddy...I was nearly in tears at this point. she was just standing there with her back to me..
I eventually decided to walk closer to her all the time flashing my torch left to right, but making sure she didn't walk off. As i got about
2' from her she stopped sobbing and started to turn around..
I stopped, shone my flashlight on her....She had no Face...just a Bloody hole where her face should have been.....Run.....Usain Bolt would have been left so far behind you could have forgiven him for wearing spaceboots..
This never really happened i just made it up...enjoy that Night Alone in the Woods..
I walked another 40/50 yards and i hear it again only this time much louder, I froze on the spot, scanned the area with my flashlight for a good couple of minutes..Nothing.
Just started walking again when I caught something move out of the corner of my eye. I stopped, flashed the light, and sure enough there was a Child, Maybe around 3' in height wearing jeans and a hooded top around 30 yards away, She..when i say she, it sounded like a she to my ears..had her back to me..
I stopped, shone the flashlight on her and asked her if she was ok, stupid question really as it was 2 in the morning in the middle of Nowhere.
She said something that i could quite make out, as i started to walk closer to her she started sobbing, i could see her shoulder move up and down, then she asked if i was her daddy...what the Faaaaaaaaaaa!!!!!!!...
I froze to the spot. and shouted at her if she had lost her Family..Hey, i was scared out my pants at this point..i consider myself to be a Manly man, but on this evening i'm not afraid to admit that i reached for my knife and was not afraid to use it...
I asked her again if she was lost and where was her family...she again asked if i was her Daddy...I was nearly in tears at this point. she was just standing there with her back to me..
I eventually decided to walk closer to her all the time flashing my torch left to right, but making sure she didn't walk off. As i got about
2' from her she stopped sobbing and started to turn around..
I stopped, shone my flashlight on her....She had no Face...just a Bloody hole where her face should have been.....Run.....Usain Bolt would have been left so far behind you could have forgiven him for wearing spaceboots..
This never really happened i just made it up...enjoy that Night Alone in the Woods..
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Yup a radio.can ease the silence. If you want a good book the relax your mind then I'd suggest Alone In The Wilderness about Dick Proenneke. Beautiful and a man never more at home in his solitude in the wilds I've yet to read. Will take your mind off of the little hoody girls. (That was a good 'un, got the hairs going on the neck for me). On the dog front they're great but can also unsettle you when they suddenly wake up and start staring at the tent door at 3am. )
Sent via smoke-signal from a woodland in Scotland.
)Sent via smoke-signal from a woodland in Scotland.
... This never really happened i just made it up...enjoy that Night Alone in the Woods..
Left me in mind of Weeping Angel Cherubs ...
I never quite get using a radio to mask the noises of nature*. Yes it'll mask noises which might concern you BUT it also helps people locate you in the dark whilst also helping to mask their approach ....
Perhaps I shouldnt have mentioned that? :evilangel:
* I'm not saying that it's wrong, just that it's not for me.
To be honest, in the middle of nowhere, you are unikely to encounter anything of threat greater than your own mind ~ serial killers aren't best known (in the UK at least) for stalking almost empty locations
As a few people have mentioned, Most if not all of the UK's nutters are in the housing schemes. Have a look at serial killers, you never ever encounter THEM in the woods on their own...unless you catch them on the way back out that is. Take a shovel just in case you do encounter one. Post here how the conversation went.
Left me in mind of Weeping Angel Cherubs ...
I never quite get using a radio to mask the noises of nature*. Yes it'll mask noises which might concern you BUT it also helps people locate you in the dark whilst also helping to mask their approach ....
Perhaps I shouldnt have mentioned that? :evilangel:
* I'm not saying that it's wrong, just that it's not for me.
To be honest, in the middle of nowhere, you are unikely to encounter anything of threat greater than your own mind ~ serial killers aren't best known (in the UK at least) for stalking almost empty locations
Your fire and lantern can help locate you in the dark and I ain't paranoid enough to worry about killers lol. Can't beat a bit of Radio 4 or listening to an audio book
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