watches in the woods?

[treadlightly]

When I go out into the woods I've got into the habit of not taking a watch. Of course, this is a bit silly as have my mobile with me but my reasoning is that because it is tucked away in a pocket, I will check the time far less often than if I had a timepiece on my wrist.

Next time I go out for an overnighter I think I'll leave the mobile at home too, live with out any way of telling time other than the sun and see how it feels, watching the sun, or if its cloudy, just doing things when they feel right.

Anyone tried this and if so how was it?

 

[ged]

Unfortunately modern life, er, revolves around the clock. There are good reasons for that. There's also the issue of the human body having been developed on a small revolving rock which is close to a star, so to some extent the body has been forced to acquire the rhythm imposed by the Solar system. Things like going to sleep when it gets dark will feel right for most people.

Until fairly recently (that is, until about my sixth decade) I'd always thought that my body's natural cycle was nearer 30 hours than 24. I always seemed to want to stay up later than everyone else. Then quite by chance I discovered that my body is more than usually susceptible to caffeine. I don't drink coffee much, but if I drink tea after about tea-time then I may as well not bother going to bed that night because I won't be able to sleep. So I've made some changes. Now I don't drink tea after five unless I'm on the road. Now I sleep at nights instead of lying awake thinking about things. When I get up in the morning I feel a bit less tired (not a lot less). My productivity has plummeted. Both these things are rather disappointing.

For a very long time I've wanted to try what I'd call "free running". I'd like to drink as much tea as I like, go to sleep when I want and get up when I want. If I did that for more than a week or so it would probably mean leaving my business and getting a divorce, but one of these days I think I'll give it a try.

I won't leave the watch behind, though, because it's so very important in navigation.

 

[treadlightly]

I just meant doing the same stuff as normal - awake when its light, sleeping when dark etc, but without a watch. Nothing too complicated or radical! Just losing the habit of always checking the time. After all, portable timepieces must be a fairly modern invention so not so long ago most people did without them.

I accept that most of our lives we are required to know the time fairly exactly, but a night or two in the woods is about (for me) letting go of these things. I thought it would be interesting to try and wondered if anybody else had.

 

[Retired Member southey]

I do tend to take mine off an leave it my pack, I find that the times when I'm just sat somewhere looking at things are more enjoyable? I don't know why, sometimes I end up making long walks longer, I walked from Fort William back home in Kinloss two years ago, and found I ended up spending more time in spots I liked as I wasn't thinking about time tables, mileage or having to reach a particular spot to sleep, you just sort of fall into your rhythm, of course I've been a kept man for five years and although i have worked in that time they have been jobs with minimal time management and pretty loose project end times.

 

[Runestone]

I say go for it. I have been going without a watch more and more.

I often found myself glancing at my watch but not actually registering what time it was. I did it more as a reflex action and out of habit more than anything else. Just shows how time driven our lives have become. Since I've started this I find when I put my watch on it can feel annoying on my wrist.

When Im watch free it feels good and as Southey has said you dont worry the same when you spend a bit longer doing something you like etc. Its not handy though when you genuinly need to know the time.

Chris

 

[charleslockerbie]

Tend to have a watch on my wrist unless im sleeping, might try this the next time iv got time to spare.

 

[Bushwhacker]

Even without a watch I reckon we'd still be looking to see how high the sun was at.

 

[ged]

I just meant doing the same stuff as normal - awake when its light, sleeping when dark etc, but without a watch. ...

Ah. I think I do that anyway. I set an alarm clock but that's about it. Most of the time I don't wear a watch. I don't actually care what time it is unless I'm catching a train or meeting somebody, and with the things I do watches seem to get broken so easily.

... I've been a kept man for five years ...

Now that's a good idea!

 

[Retired Member southey]

Now that's a good idea!

it's all change soon though if all goes to plan, as in I go to work as well, I'm not having a moocher at home

 

[Canadian Kodiak]

I don't usually carry a watch with me when I go backpacking because it doesn't matter to me what time it is. I get up with the sun and the birds and I go to bed when I feel like it.

However, learning to tell direction by using the sun and a watch is a handy skill so I will sometimes brings a watch with me specifically to practice this skill.

 

[greensurfingbear]

I often don't wear a watch... Keep breaking them or not replacing batteries when they die.... Have found that I can hazard a rough guess at time on suns position. usually within 30 mins most times. Mind you belly tends to keep me right for meal times ;-)

Sent from my HTC Desire using Tapatalk

 

[John Fenna]

I tend to wear a watch 24/7 ...but rarely refer to it unless I am on a needful timetable.
I have the ability to ignore the watch...but I feel naked without it!

 

[gowersponger]

ive got a friend that lives near me in a round house he built in the woods he is retiring hes part time job with the council this year he takes schools on walks around the beach and woods and teaches them things ,what a job, any way this guy knows the time when ever you ask him he is never more than 10 mins out it amazes me he is like the king bush crafter and doesnt realy no what bush craft means as he doesnt have no electric or nothink ,plus when he retires hes walking to north wales from swansea with just a bag on hes back lol

 

[al21]

Go for it fella! I've not worn a watch for over twenty years. Well, I occasionally wear one, but it's pretty rare. After I abandoned my wrist watch I had a small modern pocket for a while. If I need to know the time accurately these days I find clocks on many many things, but I'm reasonable at guessing the time now. A mate tried not wearing a watch for a while when he realised I didn't wear one, he found it quite liberating.

Al

 

[Neumo]

I have not worn a watch for about 20 years, as I dont like them clanking around on my wrist. I find I can tell the time pretty accuratly (say within 15 mins) without one, probably about 80% of the time. I can get my mobile out if I need to. That is uausally over a period of say up to 6 hours from a known time. Just sort of works for me. I tend to always know when it gets dark & find the 'stacked fist' method works well in working out how much daylight I have left, up to say 4 hours before dusk.

The idea of 'rising with the light, going to bed a bit after it gets dark' is another one of those vague ideals that quite a few people aspire to. Unfortunatly in the real world I cant do that as my work involves lots of meetings & calls, which I have in my phone's diary with alarms 15 mins & 5 mins before. Works great for me. Thats my 2 cents worth...

 

[spiritwalker]

i dont wear a watch but have the phone for when i need it and well in work theres always a clock somewhere at weekends if its light its daytime if its dark its night time and if i am hungry i eat if it wasnt for work i would tend to live like this all the time

 

[jackcbr]

funnily I only ever wear a watch when I'm out in the woods, the rest of the time I don't need to, surrounded be clocks, computers, mobiles all day long. The only reason is to make sure I make my lift home.

 

[Crowe]

I seldom wear a watch, more for the small button compass sewn onto the strap. I resent the intrusion of a mobile phone. As to what the time is? ;does it really matter ? Go without and enjoy the freedom it brings. Only thing is , like a hobbit I keep thinking it's time to eat !!!
Crowe

 

[shaggystu]

i occasionally wear a watch for a week or so in some vague attempt to be involved with the real world (SWMBLT reckons that i should try spending some time there) but it never lasts. the way i see it; in the middle of "civilised society" i'm surrounded by things that tell me the time, so i have no need for a watch. out in the sticks i have no need for a watch full stop.
i do have a mobile phone (somewhere), and i keep my g10 wristwatch on the strap of my shoulder bag so when i take the dog for a wander we can get back at the time that i've been informed that i need to back for (it doesn't work, we're always late, but that's ok, it was the dogs fault)

stuart

 

[backpacker]

I wear a watch most of the time during working hours, but this is due to when I was in the military where everything is done by the clock, although now and then when I am away in the woods or forests doing my bushcrafty thing on the odd weekend, I do tend to leave my watch in the rucksack and try to forget about the time and its amazing that the day seems to be longer as I don't keep looking at my watch trying to keep track of time! also I tend to turn off my mobile phone and switch off from the civilised world, but I know where it is just in case of an emergency.....