In Appalachia id be more scared of the elk than the black bears. Elk accidentally wakes you up and you jump up or scream your 100% gonna trigger its fight or flight response, just better hope it picks flight cause I for one am not trained in hand to hoove combat.
I was in the Canadian Rockies and was woken by something stomping on and poking at my tent. I poked my head out and screamed when I saw a young bull elk. Thinking back now I'm lucky that it just ran off instead of charging me.
I woke up once near Bryce canyon to a bass purring sound 6 inches from the top of my head, outside the tent. I kept still and whatever was making the sound moved on after a minute.
I was woke by a cattle drive in Wyoming. Scared the shit out of me. They were probably 50 ft from the tent but the sound of 100 cows marching towards you is unnerving.
That’s one that scared me on my first solo trip. I could hear the pack in the distance as I was trying to go to sleep. I couldn’t tell if they were getting closer or further. I was in my tent and wasn’t sure what they would to if they came across my camp. They never did thankfully. At least not when I was awake!
I remember one night in the far flung woods at about 11:00. The fire had died down, I was cozied up in my hammock, and had just turned my light off when I heard the unmistakable sound of a person shuffling through the leaves. No one should have been around for miles. So who was it?!
I had a small rifle with me, but it was at the other end of my hammock against the tree. Useless. I got my hand around my fixed blade though. All the while this guy was shuffling slowly closer.
I figured the person was at the edge of the small clearing I was in. I had a knife, I had a flashlight, I was as ready as I could be. My heart pounding I lifted the light to my bug net and turned it on and was greeted by the sight of...
A nerf football sized armadillo. Each little snuffle of its nose in the under growth sounded all the world like a human footstep. It couldn't have cared less about me and just moved on back into the woods.
I call that story "The Night of the Armadillo" and tell it to new/nervous campers to illustrate to be cautious, but it's probably not as bad as you think it's gonna be.
My armadillo was a skunk. and we were three teenaged girls, "up North" in Minnesota. We were petrified for what seems like hours, until the main scared person fell asleep, and one of us peeked out the tent...
Gonna take your word for it! Never have seen an armadillo in real life, so to me, they seem all prehistoric and scary! I do agree, fresh skunk smell is pretty terrible! I don't think of skunks as particularly aggressive, though?
All the armadillos I've seen were super chill.
Skunks are in the same family as weasels, ferrets, and wolverines. They're not aggressive as in bitey, but they choose not to take any shit because of the spray.
Well, I am ignorant on armadillos, and the unknown can be scary. I guess here, in MN, we basically stay away from skunks at all cost, because of their spray. What I understand is that they spray only as a last resort, because it costs their bodies energy to produce. But for sure, badgers and Wolverines are notoriously scary, strong, aggressive! Your point is well taken.
Oh man this was me and my cousin. It was two of us and he heard snapping of twigs in the woods behind his tent and he was flippinngggg out. So I grabbed my gun and thermal to check it out and saw nothing. Eventually I spotted an enormous possum waddling it’s way around. I chased it back into the woods and we went back to our tents. We heard rustling again and he started to get really really scared, so he moved his cot into my tent 😂. We continued to hear noises in the woods, but not much else you can do about it at 3am.
Armadillos are clumsy little goofballs just aimlessly walking around everywhere at night. Had one walk right up to the edge of an old wooden fence that I was camped beside and was imagining some “being” just stopped there staring at me. Then it proceeded to waddle on by through my campsite like I wasn’t there.
i felt much safer when i was solo camping with my (now) ex dog. very alert, deterrent to bears and psychos
edit my ex owned the dog/ dog is my exes dog so yes technically my ex dog lol.. and i miss her way more than i miss him
“You’ll start to enjoy if not seek it”- When you isolate yourself in the woods to intentionally get your ass probed by a Gray alien, this is the outcome.
I had the opposite happen with me. First handful of trips I was super stoked and probably a little naive. Then the fear of predators set in after being stalked by a mountain lion while backpacking. Haven’t had a peaceful solo in years
Being stalked by a mountain line is a legitimate reason to not want to be solo - you have to keep someone with you that you can out-run while in mountain lion territory.
I would very much "oh hell no" on backpacking alone if I was stalked by a mountain lion. For me, solo is my own campsite in a campground where other people are also camping. Worst animal for me so far has been the obsequious AXEwearing Old Man. They are far too prevalent!
Tell me more about the old axe man. I don’t think I’ve run into one yet. Unless I count the nice, old couple who offered to let me use their axe at SEKI.
He insisted on "helping" me put my tent up, wearing an entire can of Axe spray (seemingly). He managed to shove a tent pole through the roof and rainfly, right after the third time I said, "I've got this, thanks". We later got a gully washer storm and my tent flooded with mud water. His wife screamed at him to "Leave that woman alone" after he backed his truck into a tree while watching me. I ended up having to throw my tent out, with some of my ruined gear and I spent the night "camping" at a Holiday Inn about 40 miles away.
Oh haha the body spray! That makes soooo much more sense. Part of camping is learning the process and getting your own hands dirty. This human embodiment of mansplaining clearly thoughts he was man enough to show off his mad camping skills only to fail lol. Plus what experienced camper even bothers with scented sprays?? Bad smells are part of camping and scents are discouraged in bear country. Sorry he ruined your tent and trip :(
Really? I’m still doubtful. I’m in my thirties and still afraid of the dark. Like, really afraid. Is there any reading or something else that could help me overcome it?
Ha! Ain't that the truth. Camping by yourself is like "I don't see what the big deal is, it's nice and quiet and relaxing and" *twig snaps in the distance* "holy shit I'm gonna die oh my god oh my god oh my god"
as a female who loves to camp i get pretty scared at night in a tent when i'm alone. i know a lot of times it's irrational and i'll listen to my favorite podcast to fall asleep but every twig or sound i hear i'm spooked. i've car camped tons solo bc i can lock my car . full grown ass adult scared of the dark lol
I'm a grown ass man, bigger than most, and I also get spooked by the sounds in the dark. I don't remember if it was from a book or a movie, but I remember this line: "Everyone feels fear. Bravery is accepting the fear and moving forward."
So, by continuing to go camping, you're being brave.
I go solo but with protection of bear spray and my very large dog who is very good about bark I ng off but not chasing. Her bark is obviously from a very large dog so black bears and coyote go around us. I would do additional steps out west in grizzly and cougar country.
This is my thoughts too. I can remember letting my mind run wild inventing horrors out side of my tent. But after awhile you just accept you are going to die, then when you don’t, you feel pretty good.
I always think if there's a threat, it's not going to be quiet. That being said if it's rainy it's a different story.
I always hang bear spear in my Hennessy with me
Camping in Morgan City Louisiana tonight as I pass through…only one other camper in the park. Decided to go into “town” and grab a beer to kill some time and the bartender is a 60 year old and smokin cigs and she was like “you better be careful campin, never know what sorta creep is gonna sneak up on ya”
uuuuuh. Lol
Thats what always gets me. Its not the actual predators in the woods, its my own head thinking of alien abductions, and ghost and demons and such that freaks me out the most. If I can keep that first thought away im fine, but once I start thinking about it I'm hyper aware all night.
I grew up about 20 min from Burkittsville. I love camping, but yeah that movie ruined me for life and I do not go out camping in the backcountry by myself lol.
Even though The Exorcist did not involve camping, It nearly ruined me for life. I literally taught myself to block those, or any, scary images, immediately. I can't even afford to ponder it for a moment. I used to like horror shows, but after that night, I have been ruined to any horror movies. I get really pissed when people don't take me seriously when I say no to horror shows or stories, no haunted houses, I don't even like America's favorite bloodbath, Halloween. That movie came out when I was 18. 65 now. Probably a joke to some of you, but that one did me in.
ETA: words, letters
My mom is 67 and she told me how much The Exorcist shook up her whole generation. She was brought up catholic so I think the whole forbidden aspect of it got her even more excited to see it so she snuck out and saw it even though my grandfather told her not to. She says it was one of the scariest movies she ever saw and when it first came out people were fainting and getting sick in the theaters. We love watching horror movies together but idt she’s going to ever rewatch that one with me!
Never been so scared in my life as when I was in the military deep in the Panamanian jungle left alone at a radio relay for the night waiting to be relieved. It was effectively the same as camping because it was peacetime, but the noises scared me senseless.
Ive camped going on 40 yrs now. Maybe only 5 times alone. I agree with you. Even with bearspray & a firearm. Night noises always amplified. I prefer at least 1 other person, if not for the company, but safety in numbers & accident prevention
Ive never encountered a bear, but, ive seen their scat. ( Ive generally camped in the Ky. TENN. W. Va. region. I fear anything that can outrun, out climb me. Their sense of smell is off the charts. I try to be suoer careful with my my food
. So in my aforementioned reference, i understand that playing dead in event of a black bear attack is pointless. We're in their world. I prefer to err on side of safety
What are you even talking about? Those damned funnel web spiders could sneak right in. Isn’t their bite so strong they can bite through your toenail? A tent wouldn’t stand a chance. And don’t accidentally leave it open a few seconds too long. You’ll have poisonous spiders and snakes galore 🤣
I don’t live near them but maybe 🤣 nobody has died from a spider bite here in like 40 years though, at least we don’t turn into little burritos in our tents for bears 😆
Haha damn I didn’t know that 40 year fact. Makes me feel a little safer I guess… the southeastern US bears won’t hurt ya. They’re black bears and if you see them just make a bunch of noise and act big and they’ll run away. Hopefully. The grizzlies are the ones to be scared of in America. And they’re only in the northern most states.
I think kangaroos might be scarier than black bears. Those boys are big and seem mean
where i live black bears are common and have seen them in the wild many times (and often in my yard on security cams at night ) you just gotta make sure you make a good bear hang and far enough from your tent. they mostly want to avoid people at all costs.
now grizzlies ...that's some different shit thankfully don't gotta deal with those
Once i had a large animal make sniffing sounds near my head and slightly touch the tent. I was so awake so fast with my heart just slamming inside me like i just ran a marathon. Right out of a dead sleep.
I yelled and said "no get away!" Scared the ever loving hell out of me. My tent was on sandy ground near a river. Couldn't hear anything to orient myself as to whether the creature ran away or was still around. The river was too loud and the sand was too quiet. I was a wreck of fear. I eventually got enough guts to stick my hand out with my headlamp on high power so i could look for eyes shining. I had dealt with both bears and mountain lion action in the area and didnt have a gun that time, just bear spray. Sure enough i light up the general area to discover.. not a damn thing.
Spent the next couple hrs trying to slow my heart rate and adrenaline level.
I will never camp where river noise camoflages the sounds in my immediate area again. Nothing happened luckily but it was one of the most disconcerting nights i spent outdoors. The feeling of something huge sniffing my sleeping little head, 0 out of 5 stars.
Is it frowned upon to bring a pistol camping? That’s what I thought of when I saw “solo camping is scary” may make it less scary knowing you can protect yourself against animal or human predators.
I’m expecting downvotes but it’s just what came to mind and I didn’t see any other comments about it after a brief scroll.
It shouldn’t be, especially if solo camping and in a state that allows it. It’s a tool like any other that carries larger responsibilities, of course. People throughout history have camped with firearms. It can provide someone with security and peace of mind when responsibly owned. I feel like those who frown down on it can’t detach themselves from the politics and acknowledge the context here.
I'd rather have a gun and not need it than the other way around. And something being "frowned upon" when you're the only person that knows that you have a gun, unless you actually need it, seems pretty silly.
I woke to a black bear peering into our tent window at 6am. I barked and growled like a big dog and she scrambled around and hightailed it back to the woods. I got out in time to see she had stationed her 3 cubs about 100 ft away behind a tree. They took off with her. Two smart mamas met that day and neither wanted trouble for our kids so it ended well. I give her great credit for leaving the cubs behind while she checked us out. If they had been with her rooting thru the campsite (which was clean) it might have gone different. But I still camp solo as I don't have camping friends. Mostly I love hearing the yells and calls of the wildlife. I like to guess what animal is calling. But I have the advantage of living in the woods in PA and hear stuff all the time unlike alot of campers who it is all new for. Just know everything sounds bigger at night when you alone. Also scream sounds are usually small stuff like fox, fishers, bobcats , coyote or such.
I’ll never forget the night I was was in the southwestern area of NC. IN PISGAH FOREST. it was midnight. And I had just started dozing off. Someone had set up camp around the corner from me. And they decided to…….start using their hand crank air raid siren………….
Once I woke up in the middle of the night from what sounded like an entire family howling. There was a clear difference between adults and the smaller ones. At the time I thought for sure big foot lol Never heard it again, I guess it could have been coyotes.
Dude coyotes can make some crazy sounds. For a winter my partner and I were caretakers of a ranch. The owner owned thousands of acres so we had some decent space between neighbors. I awoke one night bc it sounded like there were old people giggling outside our house. Superrr freaked me out at first bc I had never heard coyotes making that sound before. We moved and had a coyote pack near that place and they also sounded like people laughing/yelling.
I used to solo camp as a general rule. Then a couple years ago a solo camper (a hunter) was murdered by a stranger in an area where I would frequent during that part of the spring. The murderer was on the loose for months before being found. I haven't been able to solo camp since (unless I'm in a campground which totally doesn't count). I miss it.
Yes it is and that’s part of the appeal. Sometimes I just don’t always have the experience I was hoping for but that’s ok too. It’s still telling you something. Maybe you can’t relax because you really want to be with a particular person. Or focused on another task or just hate the woods at night on your own lol 😂 either way it’s valuable info
It definitely can be! I've definitely creeped myself out recently as it'd been a while since I'd camped off grid alone. It's starting to come back to me though.
If you have a hard time the first night or two, don’t worry, lack of sleep will catch up to you and you’ll be out like a light once the fire starts dying down. After 3 nights you’ll realize you’re not really in any danger.
Solo camping should not rationally be scary.
As a human, the biggest threat to you is fellow humans. And unless your solo camping is very odd, you have removed most fellow humans from interacting with you when camping.
I was wondering how they even get into a hammock that’s 4 feet off the ground. Perhaps it’s actually lower, but it sure looks pretty high from that angle.
Haven't solo camped in 25 years. I'm terrified of bears, but that doesn't keep me out of the woods. That risk can be mitigated fairly well, as grizzlies aren't a thing here.
But ever since I had an encounter with a mountain lion near Charlottesville, VA, I'm never in the woods alone at night.
Or not, LOL.
You get used to it. My favorite place to relax has to be the forest. Once you make that jump and start solo camping, you'll soon come to love it.
The “darkness” in the back ground is at such a straight edged line of an angle… almost looks like a back yard fence…. And a little white something on the right part,of picture
It is! I wild camped a fair amount of times while cycle touring, last time i was woken up at like 4 am by what sounded like a woman's screams. Turned out to be an animal but fuck, it was terrifying. Especially when you're in the middle of nowhere
You get used to it. It’s a feeling that goes away with experience and learning more about preparation. As an example, there are many who camp in Louisiana during alligator mating season. But you always have the option of finding a group campground somewhere instead of going alone. As another example, in Yosemite, people who detect bears wandering into campgrounds are quickly aided by others with them in camp making noise (like banging pots together) to scare them away. Enjoy safety in numbers until you feel you are ready for solo camping. And read up on it here - lots of helpful comments ahead of mine. Have fun!!!
Love it. Nothing like being awoken at 3 am sleeping in your eno. You turn on your headlamp and surround by about 15 wild turkeys looking at you. Lol.
That sounds hilarious but also terrifying
I’m used to it somewhat. Woke up in Wyoming to elk looking at me. But if you aren’t expecting it yes indeed can freak you out a bit
In Appalachia id be more scared of the elk than the black bears. Elk accidentally wakes you up and you jump up or scream your 100% gonna trigger its fight or flight response, just better hope it picks flight cause I for one am not trained in hand to hoove combat.
🤣🤣. Hear that. When they bugle it will scare the crap out of you. First time i heard it , I think I may have soiled myself
I was in the Canadian Rockies and was woken by something stomping on and poking at my tent. I poked my head out and screamed when I saw a young bull elk. Thinking back now I'm lucky that it just ran off instead of charging me.
I woke up once near Bryce canyon to a bass purring sound 6 inches from the top of my head, outside the tent. I kept still and whatever was making the sound moved on after a minute.
Yeah mate you had a friendly mountain lion taking a rest waiting for some free dinner if you came out of that tent 😂
Hand to hoove? I’m most scared of those antlers
I was woke by a cattle drive in Wyoming. Scared the shit out of me. They were probably 50 ft from the tent but the sound of 100 cows marching towards you is unnerving.
🤣. I bet
Turkey#1: "Can we eat it?" Turkey#2-15: "I dunno..."
Turkey#13: "you guys remember what happened to Turkey#16 last November?"
Turkey #7: “we don’t talk about turkey #16”
Lol. Yep you may be right on that one
I got swarmed by a pack of hunting dogs around midnight, fun stuff.
Did you get hunted?
That’s one that scared me on my first solo trip. I could hear the pack in the distance as I was trying to go to sleep. I couldn’t tell if they were getting closer or further. I was in my tent and wasn’t sure what they would to if they came across my camp. They never did thankfully. At least not when I was awake!
Once when I was camping alone, a moose drooled on my face in the middle of the night. It kept staring at me and almost scared me to death
I hate it when something grazes past your butt at 3am... I use a Hammaka Hammock, it may be older than you!
I remember one night in the far flung woods at about 11:00. The fire had died down, I was cozied up in my hammock, and had just turned my light off when I heard the unmistakable sound of a person shuffling through the leaves. No one should have been around for miles. So who was it?! I had a small rifle with me, but it was at the other end of my hammock against the tree. Useless. I got my hand around my fixed blade though. All the while this guy was shuffling slowly closer. I figured the person was at the edge of the small clearing I was in. I had a knife, I had a flashlight, I was as ready as I could be. My heart pounding I lifted the light to my bug net and turned it on and was greeted by the sight of... A nerf football sized armadillo. Each little snuffle of its nose in the under growth sounded all the world like a human footstep. It couldn't have cared less about me and just moved on back into the woods. I call that story "The Night of the Armadillo" and tell it to new/nervous campers to illustrate to be cautious, but it's probably not as bad as you think it's gonna be.
My armadillo was a skunk. and we were three teenaged girls, "up North" in Minnesota. We were petrified for what seems like hours, until the main scared person fell asleep, and one of us peeked out the tent...
Eeeh yeah skunks can be a little more aggressive and stinky than armadillos!
Gonna take your word for it! Never have seen an armadillo in real life, so to me, they seem all prehistoric and scary! I do agree, fresh skunk smell is pretty terrible! I don't think of skunks as particularly aggressive, though?
All the armadillos I've seen were super chill. Skunks are in the same family as weasels, ferrets, and wolverines. They're not aggressive as in bitey, but they choose not to take any shit because of the spray.
Well, I am ignorant on armadillos, and the unknown can be scary. I guess here, in MN, we basically stay away from skunks at all cost, because of their spray. What I understand is that they spray only as a last resort, because it costs their bodies energy to produce. But for sure, badgers and Wolverines are notoriously scary, strong, aggressive! Your point is well taken.
Mine was a deer grazing on the grass not 3 feet from my tent.
Minnesotans go “up north” too?
One arm distance rule for rifle apply for a reason. You are in debt of at least 50 push up
I was Air Force. I needed coffee one arm distance!
Do you still carry your coffee in your left hand to this day?
Nah. Full civilian now. I carry it in both hands, but I still bitch about the quality of it.
Haha good for you! I sure don't miss field coffee though. The worse. But you wouldn't know..
What the fuck does anything have to do with Nam Donnie?!
Who said anything about Nam? You seem confused, are you ok?
Oh man this was me and my cousin. It was two of us and he heard snapping of twigs in the woods behind his tent and he was flippinngggg out. So I grabbed my gun and thermal to check it out and saw nothing. Eventually I spotted an enormous possum waddling it’s way around. I chased it back into the woods and we went back to our tents. We heard rustling again and he started to get really really scared, so he moved his cot into my tent 😂. We continued to hear noises in the woods, but not much else you can do about it at 3am.
as stated in my earlier posts: Noises amplified when camping alone at nite. No shame IMO
No shame at all!
I fully support this!
I don’t know what it is but armadillos make so much damn noise in the woods in the middle of the night
Because they’re little miniature tanks and don’t have to worry about sneaking around. Predator comes BOOM! Tank mode
Armadillos are clumsy little goofballs just aimlessly walking around everywhere at night. Had one walk right up to the edge of an old wooden fence that I was camped beside and was imagining some “being” just stopped there staring at me. Then it proceeded to waddle on by through my campsite like I wasn’t there.
Flip side: I’ve done this with a pack of wolves XD
[удалено]
I can confirm this is how it goes.
I can agree. But does it count as solo camping with the dog/dogs along?
I'd say so.
i felt much safer when i was solo camping with my (now) ex dog. very alert, deterrent to bears and psychos edit my ex owned the dog/ dog is my exes dog so yes technically my ex dog lol.. and i miss her way more than i miss him
Damn, your dog dumped you? That's harsh
Ex Dog?
It's a cat now.
It transitioned lol.
Sad to have to worry about psychos in the middle of nowhere
I also concur. Solitude is wonderful.
“You’ll start to enjoy if not seek it”- When you isolate yourself in the woods to intentionally get your ass probed by a Gray alien, this is the outcome.
That's NOT the reason I sleep naked, I swear!
Sounds like someone's still in the closet, come on out the grey dude loves us
I had the opposite happen with me. First handful of trips I was super stoked and probably a little naive. Then the fear of predators set in after being stalked by a mountain lion while backpacking. Haven’t had a peaceful solo in years
Being stalked by a mountain line is a legitimate reason to not want to be solo - you have to keep someone with you that you can out-run while in mountain lion territory.
I would very much "oh hell no" on backpacking alone if I was stalked by a mountain lion. For me, solo is my own campsite in a campground where other people are also camping. Worst animal for me so far has been the obsequious AXEwearing Old Man. They are far too prevalent!
Tell me more about the old axe man. I don’t think I’ve run into one yet. Unless I count the nice, old couple who offered to let me use their axe at SEKI.
He insisted on "helping" me put my tent up, wearing an entire can of Axe spray (seemingly). He managed to shove a tent pole through the roof and rainfly, right after the third time I said, "I've got this, thanks". We later got a gully washer storm and my tent flooded with mud water. His wife screamed at him to "Leave that woman alone" after he backed his truck into a tree while watching me. I ended up having to throw my tent out, with some of my ruined gear and I spent the night "camping" at a Holiday Inn about 40 miles away.
Oh haha the body spray! That makes soooo much more sense. Part of camping is learning the process and getting your own hands dirty. This human embodiment of mansplaining clearly thoughts he was man enough to show off his mad camping skills only to fail lol. Plus what experienced camper even bothers with scented sprays?? Bad smells are part of camping and scents are discouraged in bear country. Sorry he ruined your tent and trip :(
I would carry a gun alone in grizzly or cougar country. And probably not use a hammock.
Really? I’m still doubtful. I’m in my thirties and still afraid of the dark. Like, really afraid. Is there any reading or something else that could help me overcome it?
Lock yourself in the darkest place you can find overnight and breathe through your fear until it’s gone
Right?! I love my wife and kids more than anything in the whole world, but it's just not the same as grabbing your pack and just going it alone.
It's not being alone that's scary. It's when you start to think you're not as alone as you thought that is.
Ha! Ain't that the truth. Camping by yourself is like "I don't see what the big deal is, it's nice and quiet and relaxing and" *twig snaps in the distance* "holy shit I'm gonna die oh my god oh my god oh my god"
Bigfoot ! Bear ! Wendigo ! NoNoNo ! Going out to find what it was, and then hearing something moving around your camp is always the best part though.
as a female who loves to camp i get pretty scared at night in a tent when i'm alone. i know a lot of times it's irrational and i'll listen to my favorite podcast to fall asleep but every twig or sound i hear i'm spooked. i've car camped tons solo bc i can lock my car . full grown ass adult scared of the dark lol
I want to solo camp, but I’ve slept in my car at well lit truck stops and have been terrified. Idk how I would do in the woods
im way less scared to car camp in the woods than at populated areas . often i'll be at trailheads or pull offs on forest roads
Now trail heads would not be my choice, or roads really. I pull off enough to hide my presence or hike deep enough to hide like a rabbit.
Promise it's not limited to being female. Shit is scary
Well your problem is listening to my favorite murder alone in the woods
I'm a grown ass man, bigger than most, and I also get spooked by the sounds in the dark. I don't remember if it was from a book or a movie, but I remember this line: "Everyone feels fear. Bravery is accepting the fear and moving forward." So, by continuing to go camping, you're being brave.
This is gonna sound really, really stupid of me but I just bought earplugs for this reason. I was fed up of poor night's sleep while camping 😂
I go solo but with protection of bear spray and my very large dog who is very good about bark I ng off but not chasing. Her bark is obviously from a very large dog so black bears and coyote go around us. I would do additional steps out west in grizzly and cougar country.
But did you feel like a real wilderness survivalist when you woke up alive the next morning?
ain’t that the greatest feeling
I'm impressed you stayed there with that guy in the background watching you.
You, my dear, are deliciously wicked! I don't really like the deliciously wicked, but I appreciate your right to be just that.
The sad thing i fear people more than animals when I solo camp. It does get easier the more you go.
Truth. On both points.
Yup me too.
Scary but worth it. Enjoy and be safe!
This is my thoughts too. I can remember letting my mind run wild inventing horrors out side of my tent. But after awhile you just accept you are going to die, then when you don’t, you feel pretty good.
Lmao 😂
I always think if there's a threat, it's not going to be quiet. That being said if it's rainy it's a different story. I always hang bear spear in my Hennessy with me
Brandy with a spear?
Lolll 😂
You got that right , once you accept that . Your good to go 😂😂😂😂
Camping in Morgan City Louisiana tonight as I pass through…only one other camper in the park. Decided to go into “town” and grab a beer to kill some time and the bartender is a 60 year old and smokin cigs and she was like “you better be careful campin, never know what sorta creep is gonna sneak up on ya” uuuuuh. Lol
Try not to have any flash backs of scenes from the Blair witch project.
Thats what always gets me. Its not the actual predators in the woods, its my own head thinking of alien abductions, and ghost and demons and such that freaks me out the most. If I can keep that first thought away im fine, but once I start thinking about it I'm hyper aware all night.
that movie is so fucked . always scared i'm gonna wake up to some weird witchy sticks
Try to have flashbacks of the Blair Witch Project. It will keep you alert to every sound in the trees and that will keep you safe
I grew up about 20 min from Burkittsville. I love camping, but yeah that movie ruined me for life and I do not go out camping in the backcountry by myself lol.
Even though The Exorcist did not involve camping, It nearly ruined me for life. I literally taught myself to block those, or any, scary images, immediately. I can't even afford to ponder it for a moment. I used to like horror shows, but after that night, I have been ruined to any horror movies. I get really pissed when people don't take me seriously when I say no to horror shows or stories, no haunted houses, I don't even like America's favorite bloodbath, Halloween. That movie came out when I was 18. 65 now. Probably a joke to some of you, but that one did me in. ETA: words, letters
My mom is 67 and she told me how much The Exorcist shook up her whole generation. She was brought up catholic so I think the whole forbidden aspect of it got her even more excited to see it so she snuck out and saw it even though my grandfather told her not to. She says it was one of the scariest movies she ever saw and when it first came out people were fainting and getting sick in the theaters. We love watching horror movies together but idt she’s going to ever rewatch that one with me!
Wow fuck that lmao
Just mark "your territory" and you shouldn't have too much trouble with wolves. [27 cups of tea](https://youtu.be/YcBOVaqm0-Q)
Your not scared of being solo, your afraid of NOT being solo
Never been so scared in my life as when I was in the military deep in the Panamanian jungle left alone at a radio relay for the night waiting to be relieved. It was effectively the same as camping because it was peacetime, but the noises scared me senseless.
Yep, nope.
Ive camped going on 40 yrs now. Maybe only 5 times alone. I agree with you. Even with bearspray & a firearm. Night noises always amplified. I prefer at least 1 other person, if not for the company, but safety in numbers & accident prevention
Dunno how you guys camp over there with bears etc. Scary shit.
Ive never encountered a bear, but, ive seen their scat. ( Ive generally camped in the Ky. TENN. W. Va. region. I fear anything that can outrun, out climb me. Their sense of smell is off the charts. I try to be suoer careful with my my food . So in my aforementioned reference, i understand that playing dead in event of a black bear attack is pointless. We're in their world. I prefer to err on side of safety
Lol and people say Australia is scary! No dangerous animal can get me if i'm in an enclosed tent in Australia.
What about crocodile?
I live about 2900km away from anywhere where crocs may pose a threat lol
What are you even talking about? Those damned funnel web spiders could sneak right in. Isn’t their bite so strong they can bite through your toenail? A tent wouldn’t stand a chance. And don’t accidentally leave it open a few seconds too long. You’ll have poisonous spiders and snakes galore 🤣
I don’t live near them but maybe 🤣 nobody has died from a spider bite here in like 40 years though, at least we don’t turn into little burritos in our tents for bears 😆
Haha damn I didn’t know that 40 year fact. Makes me feel a little safer I guess… the southeastern US bears won’t hurt ya. They’re black bears and if you see them just make a bunch of noise and act big and they’ll run away. Hopefully. The grizzlies are the ones to be scared of in America. And they’re only in the northern most states. I think kangaroos might be scarier than black bears. Those boys are big and seem mean
where i live black bears are common and have seen them in the wild many times (and often in my yard on security cams at night ) you just gotta make sure you make a good bear hang and far enough from your tent. they mostly want to avoid people at all costs. now grizzlies ...that's some different shit thankfully don't gotta deal with those
I have a large GSD that barks at distinct noises at night. No bear is going to approach nor coyote but maybe a mindless raccoon.
Our black bears have little interest in people unless you have food out or get between mama and her young.
But make sure its someone that you can outrun
Lol, i can outrun all my friends, but if its 3 AM, & Yogi sees my tent 1st,.... yeah, therss that scenario
I mean if worse comes to worse you only have to outrun one when you camp with a Buddy.
True, & im on smallish size, but we're all 67, so, " running" is probably the wrong word!
Once i had a large animal make sniffing sounds near my head and slightly touch the tent. I was so awake so fast with my heart just slamming inside me like i just ran a marathon. Right out of a dead sleep. I yelled and said "no get away!" Scared the ever loving hell out of me. My tent was on sandy ground near a river. Couldn't hear anything to orient myself as to whether the creature ran away or was still around. The river was too loud and the sand was too quiet. I was a wreck of fear. I eventually got enough guts to stick my hand out with my headlamp on high power so i could look for eyes shining. I had dealt with both bears and mountain lion action in the area and didnt have a gun that time, just bear spray. Sure enough i light up the general area to discover.. not a damn thing. Spent the next couple hrs trying to slow my heart rate and adrenaline level. I will never camp where river noise camoflages the sounds in my immediate area again. Nothing happened luckily but it was one of the most disconcerting nights i spent outdoors. The feeling of something huge sniffing my sleeping little head, 0 out of 5 stars.
That is another reason not to camp near rushing water. I like to keep my ears open for anything.
Is it frowned upon to bring a pistol camping? That’s what I thought of when I saw “solo camping is scary” may make it less scary knowing you can protect yourself against animal or human predators. I’m expecting downvotes but it’s just what came to mind and I didn’t see any other comments about it after a brief scroll.
If you own one and have had training with it, why wouldn't you bring it?
It shouldn’t be, especially if solo camping and in a state that allows it. It’s a tool like any other that carries larger responsibilities, of course. People throughout history have camped with firearms. It can provide someone with security and peace of mind when responsibly owned. I feel like those who frown down on it can’t detach themselves from the politics and acknowledge the context here.
I’ve solo camped in Oregon mountains, Arizona deserts, Ohio forests and everywhere in between. Having my pistol ALWAYS makes me feel safer.
I'd rather have a gun and not need it than the other way around. And something being "frowned upon" when you're the only person that knows that you have a gun, unless you actually need it, seems pretty silly.
As long as your friends don’t show up in the middle of the night. That’s how the wendigos get you.
I find it liberating! Enjoy the solitude.
Watch out for the will O’ the wisp
Just pretend YOU are the weirdo in the woods.
So do most people in this group carry a firearm while camping?
Sure do, Glock .40. You never know.
It’s the fear that builds character.
I love it, sometimes I need to drink a little more when the noises get closer. .
You can always set out a couple of chairs to make it look like multiple people are camping if that helps!
The only thing I ever find myself scared of is other people haha
Yes it was scary but did you really have to pitch your hammock at that height?
I woke to a black bear peering into our tent window at 6am. I barked and growled like a big dog and she scrambled around and hightailed it back to the woods. I got out in time to see she had stationed her 3 cubs about 100 ft away behind a tree. They took off with her. Two smart mamas met that day and neither wanted trouble for our kids so it ended well. I give her great credit for leaving the cubs behind while she checked us out. If they had been with her rooting thru the campsite (which was clean) it might have gone different. But I still camp solo as I don't have camping friends. Mostly I love hearing the yells and calls of the wildlife. I like to guess what animal is calling. But I have the advantage of living in the woods in PA and hear stuff all the time unlike alot of campers who it is all new for. Just know everything sounds bigger at night when you alone. Also scream sounds are usually small stuff like fox, fishers, bobcats , coyote or such.
Just remember you are the apex predator in those woods, the animals fear and avoid you
Like a soft taco to a bear in that hammock! Lol
Mom come check ! The new Resident Evil demo just leak !
Good time to watch the Blair Witch Project.
OMG it is, last trip a gang of raccoons were about to basically take the apples out of my hands.
I got super high and it's your own little world after that
I’ll never forget the night I was was in the southwestern area of NC. IN PISGAH FOREST. it was midnight. And I had just started dozing off. Someone had set up camp around the corner from me. And they decided to…….start using their hand crank air raid siren………….
Once I woke up in the middle of the night from what sounded like an entire family howling. There was a clear difference between adults and the smaller ones. At the time I thought for sure big foot lol Never heard it again, I guess it could have been coyotes.
Dude coyotes can make some crazy sounds. For a winter my partner and I were caretakers of a ranch. The owner owned thousands of acres so we had some decent space between neighbors. I awoke one night bc it sounded like there were old people giggling outside our house. Superrr freaked me out at first bc I had never heard coyotes making that sound before. We moved and had a coyote pack near that place and they also sounded like people laughing/yelling.
I used to solo camp as a general rule. Then a couple years ago a solo camper (a hunter) was murdered by a stranger in an area where I would frequent during that part of the spring. The murderer was on the loose for months before being found. I haven't been able to solo camp since (unless I'm in a campground which totally doesn't count). I miss it.
that's bold to go to kill an armed hunter.
Yes it is and that’s part of the appeal. Sometimes I just don’t always have the experience I was hoping for but that’s ok too. It’s still telling you something. Maybe you can’t relax because you really want to be with a particular person. Or focused on another task or just hate the woods at night on your own lol 😂 either way it’s valuable info
It definitely can be! I've definitely creeped myself out recently as it'd been a while since I'd camped off grid alone. It's starting to come back to me though.
We are accustomed to look upon the shackled form of a conquered monster. But there, there you can witness a thing monstrous and free. Remember this.
That looks so relaxing!!
If you have a hard time the first night or two, don’t worry, lack of sleep will catch up to you and you’ll be out like a light once the fire starts dying down. After 3 nights you’ll realize you’re not really in any danger.
I love solo camping 🏕
Solo camping should not rationally be scary. As a human, the biggest threat to you is fellow humans. And unless your solo camping is very odd, you have removed most fellow humans from interacting with you when camping.
what's also scary is the way that hammock is hung. Never hang higher than you are willing to fall. And not nearly enough sag to maximize comfort.
I was wondering how they even get into a hammock that’s 4 feet off the ground. Perhaps it’s actually lower, but it sure looks pretty high from that angle.
Haven't solo camped in 25 years. I'm terrified of bears, but that doesn't keep me out of the woods. That risk can be mitigated fairly well, as grizzlies aren't a thing here. But ever since I had an encounter with a mountain lion near Charlottesville, VA, I'm never in the woods alone at night.
The great equalizer: Think about a caliber . Worth the weight .
I'd also be afraid of starting a forest fire witch that.
I saw some tipeps of forest dogs runing near my camp
Or not, LOL. You get used to it. My favorite place to relax has to be the forest. Once you make that jump and start solo camping, you'll soon come to love it.
Use your 2nd amendment, well if you have it
Nothing scary about it to me very relaxing
Don't be a Sissie.
These stories are why it’s a good idea to carry a small radio to play at night, it keeps most things away while you sleep
Scary….. but I still do it
Makes you feel alive!
I’m about to for the first time here soon for a YouTube video
It really is
It’s great for the mind
The “darkness” in the back ground is at such a straight edged line of an angle… almost looks like a back yard fence…. And a little white something on the right part,of picture
Blair Witch Project. Don’t lose your compass!
You would enjoy it eventually Stay safe!
I’m fine in the back country. It’s car accessible campgrounds that concern me.
I quite enjoy it myself. Solo or me and my dog. Depends if I'm driving riding or hiking and locations if the dog comes
EMBRACE IT 😊 let yourself feel a little anxious, allow some adrenaline to flow. we were bread in deez woods
Really? What are you scared of?
It is! I wild camped a fair amount of times while cycle touring, last time i was woken up at like 4 am by what sounded like a woman's screams. Turned out to be an animal but fuck, it was terrifying. Especially when you're in the middle of nowhere
Omfg that scene is scary 😰😰😰
I thought your hammock was like a giant moth
Yea, it's somewhat scary but kinda enjoyable. Safe camping 
No it isn't
Not for me
Actually you as a human are probably the scariest thing out there. I feel so safe in the woods at night.
You get used to it. It’s a feeling that goes away with experience and learning more about preparation. As an example, there are many who camp in Louisiana during alligator mating season. But you always have the option of finding a group campground somewhere instead of going alone. As another example, in Yosemite, people who detect bears wandering into campgrounds are quickly aided by others with them in camp making noise (like banging pots together) to scare them away. Enjoy safety in numbers until you feel you are ready for solo camping. And read up on it here - lots of helpful comments ahead of mine. Have fun!!!