Idea of sleeping by myself on the trail freaks me out

[kenp]

I've done some section hiking on the AT with a friend and shared tent and huts. I've also hiked alone, but made sure that the itinerary included overnights in hostels.

I want to venture further, but I no longer have a hiking partner and the hostel thing is severely limiting my options, but the idea of spending the night alone in the woods freaks me out [I'm a grown man so I know there is no rational basis for this].

I'll be hiking in sw-va. well after the thru hiker bubble has passed. My experience is that the AT is pretty lonely in July in that part of the world.

Does anyone have any tactics, mind-tricks, hints or tips about how to open my mind to sleeping alone in the woods. I'm not normally a nervous person, but I think I will void everything if I am alone in a tent and I hear a rustle or crack nearby while I am trying to sleep. BTW its not bears I am afraid of...

How did you guys get over you first night alone????

[topshelf]

just spend more time on the trial, in the woods. it'll go away with time

[hikerboy57]

Watched The ceiling of my tent until dawn. A couple of nights and you'll be fine. Not to mention exhausted

[coach lou]

I've done some section hiking on the AT with a friend and shared tent and huts. I've also hiked alone, but made sure that the itinerary included overnights in hostels.

I want to venture further, but I no longer have a hiking partner and the hostel thing is severely limiting my options, but the idea of spending the night alone in the woods freaks me out [I'm a grown man so I know there is no rational basis for this].

I'll be hiking in sw-va. well after the thru hiker bubble has passed. My experience is that the AT is pretty lonely in July in that part of the world.

Does anyone have any tactics, mind-tricks, hints or tips about how to open my mind to sleeping alone in the woods. I'm not normally a nervous person, but I think I will void everything if I am alone in a tent and I hear a rustle or crack nearby while I am trying to sleep. BTW its not bears I am afraid of...

How did you guys get over your first night alone????
First off, It was so long ago, I can't recall it, and now I prefer it. Secondly, nature is safe....humanity is dangerous. Thirdly, I snore so loud that it scares everything away!

[biggcarl]

One thought is, that you will be so tried from hiking that you'll just be out before you know it.

Or.

You'll be lying wanting to go to sleep so bad that you just won't care want is out there any more.

[coach lou]

Watched The ceiling of my tent until dawn. A couple of nights and you'll be fine. Not to mention exhausted


Yes exhaustion.......that would be ....fourthly!

[Lone Wolf]

a pistol and whiskey helps me

[hikerboy57]

a pistol and whiskey helps me
any particular order?

[Lone Wolf]

likker first then just at the sounds

[Southerner]

You could practice stealth camping when you realize that you are going to be alone for the night. If you are camped in less than obvious spots, you may be able to convince yourself that depraved, murderous lunatics simply won't happen upon you when stalking through the forest in the dead of night. Liquor works, too.

[Dogwood]

Fear can be a debilitating thing.

Start by sleeping in the backyard at home. Take a night light, dog, and a teddy bear or in your case hire a bodyguard leprechuan. Have a small libation before laying down for the night. I feel like I'm putting one of my 7 yr old nieces to bed... except for the alcohol.

[Dogwood]

Last time I saw LW he was complaining he was all out of ammunition and his tent was leaking from all the 50 ct size holes in it.

[Sarcasm the elf]

Watched The ceiling of my tent until dawn. A couple of nights and you'll be fine. Not to mention exhausted

This. I wasn't comfortable sleeping alone in the woods at first, but I was sick and tired of putting off hikes just because I couldn't find a hiking partner. It only took a night or two before I got used to it.


a pistol and whiskey helps me

Agreed, a squirt gun full of whiskey can really help to pass the time when hiking alone. :p

[Sailing_Faith]

LW never runs out of ammo.

[moytoy]

Actually I'm more nervous when I'm sleeping on the trail with someone I don't know in the vicinity. But I get over it mostly by visiting with them and being friendly with them. I carry a night time sleep aid if sounds are bothering me. Tylenol pm or something else similar will usually get me to ignore bumps in the night.

[Dogwood]

I watched too many Christmas specials on TV as a child. All I can think of is a water pistol that shots jelly on the Island of Misfit Toys. To this day one of my favorite birds to watch is the Water Ouzel or American Dipper. It walks on the bottom of streams and swims underwater searching for food. One popped up from under the surface right where I was sitting on a boulder next to a large stream. I was so amused at this little wren like bird. I guess the Ouzel escaped from the Island of Misfit Toys or Santa let them lose in N. Amer.?

[Dogwood]

Oh, here's a simple solution. EARPLUGS. You'll want a set of them anyway if you stay at AT shelters. They help while at a hostel or traveling too. And, of course they work wonders when you've got kids.

[rick2911]

I'm in the same boat. Tired of waiting on others to go backpacking. I have a trip planned for this fall which is gonna be my first solo. Tried to go this spring but my wife broke her ankle so I've been tied up. Anyway, I aint getting any younder so I'm going. I plan to pray a lot - before, during, and after - just a normal day in that respect!

[kk4df]

I sleep with earplugs, just so I don't hear all the little noises at night, only the big noises.

[vamelungeon]

Benedryl. You'll sleep like a baby. And I have to say nothing in the woods has ever tried to hurt me, but I can't say the same for "civilization." I hope you don't have any screech owls nearby at night because once they let loose with their "call" you WILL be freaked out!

[The Ace]

How did you guys get over you first night alone????

Honestly, you just have to go do that first night alone, and survive the night of terror if that is what it is for you. Then the second night, and the third, etc. until your fears go away. I was terrified of the dark as a child. Now I love being alone on a mountain trail at night. When I hear something rustle, crackle, or snort I usually chuckle because I know if I just say boo, the poor critter will scurry away in terror.


Or just close your eyes and count bears pulling down food bags from trees.

[Dogwood]

Seriously, I tend to sleep more soundly in the woods alone then just about anywhere under a roof in a box. Of course, that's if I haven't been drinking. Maybe, you have Joe Pesci syndrome as he experienced it when he tried sleeping in the woods in My Cousin Vinny.

[Ironbelly]

Only way to get over it is to confront it, just as everyone else has recommended. Well, that or just sit down and cry yourself to sleep every night. Either one will work.

[Old Hiker]

I'm also worried about sleeping alone. I usually slept somewhere near the shelters, but not too close. I know I disturbed at least one set of campers with my yelling about the bears sitting on my chest and demanding to know where my Fig Newtons were. Little did they know (or believe me) that I had given them to Man-Cub and Kit-Fox the previous day. After the first two or three days, I was too tired to care.

I kept a small AAA flashlight in my shorts pocket at night, plus my headlamp within reach.

Be sure to keep the whiskers down, though. From my 31 Mar 2012 Trail Journal:

The sound of a several weeks old beard scraping across the top of your sleeping bag at 0400 in a completely dark tent sounds EXACTLY like the food-searching sniffing of a North American black bear. The sound will NOT quit until you stop frantically turning your head from side to side, trying to find out which side of the tent said sniffing bear is on.

[moytoy]

I'm also worried about sleeping alone. I usually slept somewhere near the shelters, but not too close. I know I disturbed at least one set of campers with my yelling about the bears sitting on my chest and demanding to know where my Fig Newtons were. Little did they know (or believe me) that I had given them to Man-Cub and Kit-Fox the previous day. After the first two or three days, I was too tired to care.

I kept a small AAA flashlight in my shorts pocket at night, plus my headlamp within reach.

Be sure to keep the whiskers down, though. From my 31 Mar 2012 Trail Journal:

The sound of a several weeks old beard scraping across the top of your sleeping bag at 0400 in a completely dark tent sounds EXACTLY like the food-searching sniffing of a North American black bear. The sound will NOT quit until you stop frantically turning your head from side to side, trying to find out which side of the tent said sniffing bear is on.
traumatic indeed:)

[Leanthree]

One of the great things about backpacking is learning to calm your mind. To embrace the boredom or the fear.

[rocketsocks]

"It's just sleepin"

[Rain Man]

Honestly, you just have to go do that first night alone, and survive the night of terror if that is what it is for you. Then the second night, and the third, etc. until your fears go away.

Amen. After the first night, it's easier.

There's nothing to fear, unless it's two-legged scaredy-cats with guns and whiskey. THAT's a frightful combination!

Rain:sunMan

.

[Wise Old Owl]

"It's just sleepin"Its just walking...

too funny - sorry Ken... we understand you have a fear... suggest you figure this out BEFORE you fly over..

[Feral Bill]

Is there somewhere in Ireland you could sleep out alone for a night or two? Perhaps somewhere not to far from a place you could retreat to if you had to? Give it a try.

[tophatxj]

I carry a gun and usually have my dog.
Benadryll should put you right to sleep.

[Driver8]

a pistol and whiskey helps me

Winner. LMAO.

[Driver8]

To the OP, I still haven't fully figured out the sleeping well in the tent at night thing. Some night soon, I hope.

[Swordpen]

Oh man, I have the same fears. Last weekend, I was with a gathering of 24 people I didn't know (but it was a Meetup.com group car camping) of people who I just spent the night doing a play acting of a murder mystery game. Mind you, I never met these people before, but it was a fun time, & met lots of nice, new people.

I was in a large group anyway camping with their motor homes & their tents. Mine was in a 10 person luxurious tent, with my husband, with 4 dogs, & I still shouted in my sleep "Help", because I was sleeping by the tent screened window, having a nightmare about someone coming thru that window.

I woke myself up, & knew right away the problem. I was scared (particularly about sleeping next to the window), altho I wanted to sleep there, for the air & the night sky view.

We don't carry guns, so yes I am a chicken *****.
I am in my 50s, & have been camping for 30 years. I am a chicken *****.

[l84toff]

Seem to have a similar issue. If I go with anyone else, I sleep soundly. Solo, I find it takes me 2-3 nights and I'm usually good.

[Mitey Mo]

I hammock camp near the shelters, so far, have only spent one night alone "out there". I had a nightmare about a bear sniffing me under the tarp. That nightmare has kept me at home for a year. Fear is a terrible thing. To me, stealth camping is even scarier. All alone. I'm afraid of the bears, not people. Even though I encountered three bears on my hike during the day last Saturday, and no fear inside me in the daytime. I've got to get that "bear bag" thing down good. I've got to face this fear eventually if I want to have any fun.

[illabelle]

Best comment yet!


Last time I saw LW he was complaining he was all out of ammunition and his tent was leaking from all the 50 ct size holes in it.

[daddytwosticks]

Experiment one night locally. Choose a night of a full moon. Maybe bring a night lite? Try tarp camping where you can wake up and clearly look around at any noises in the dark. Finally, I feel more secure sleeping in an open area (like near the edge of a field, etc.). Sleeping in dense woods sometimes freeks me out. I guess what I'm saying is carefully pick your first encounter to be as friendly as possible...will allow you to ease into future camping alone. Good luck. :)

[Mizirlou]

If you take LWs advice I’ll sleep with you. :D

One thing I remember about my visit to Eire is the dearth of wild land mammals/reptiles, so your fear is understandable. You’ll adjust to the critterry nighttime sounds; that’s comforting noise because it means they’re uninterrupted by human activity. Footfall is the sound I alert to at night.

The Ace nailed it.

[PosterNutbag]

I have stayed at shelters alone in march to tenting alone whenever I go alone. the"worst" part for me is from around 6.30 to 9.30. sitting around waiting to sleep is annoying when alone especially if afraid, everyoness been there

[MDSection12]

It's part of the fun for me, learning to put aside irrational fears. Generally the first night isn't the greatest sleep, but then that makes me more tired on the second night so I sleep much better. :)

Just get out and do it... You'll survive and be a better man for it! :D

[jimmyjam]

The first few times I did it, I was jumping at every twig snap. Then I started using ear plugs- much better. Also after trying to sleep in a shelter with people coming and going and moving around all night you'll really want to be sleeping by yourself. I'll only sleep in a shelter if it's pouring down rain before I can get my tent up. I like to stop at shelters and have an afternoon dinner and then move on for a few miles.

[Tipi Walter]

I guess everything wonderful has a price. Backpacking and camping is wonderful in my opinion but with it comes a price---and the initial fear of sleeping out alone is one of them. But like everything else that challenge goes away with time and experience. Later you may have a difficult time sleeping indoors and with someone else---in a bed. Then the challenge becomes, "How do handle sleeping indoors???"

[hikernutcasey]

I had to smile when I saw this thread because I will be making my first solo trip this Saturday through Wednesday. First four nights alone on the trail. I don't really worry too much about it but I'd be lying if I said it hadn't crossed my mind a few times. The animals don't scare me, it's the ones walking on two legs that have me concerned.

[Tipi Walter]

I had to smile when I saw this thread because I will be making my first solo trip this Saturday through Wednesday. First four nights alone on the trail. I don't really worry too much about it but I'd be lying if I said it hadn't crossed my mind a few times. The animals don't scare me, it's the ones walking on two legs that have me concerned.

I have found that humans rarely if ever come out at night into the woods and into your campsite, especially if you're camping off the trail, although the AT is an exception to this since it's so open and cleared and good for night hiking. But even on the AT if you're camped off the trail and not at a shelter you should be undisturbed. Hopefully you're not camping right on a road by a trailhead---often guys will drive by and park and possibly howl like spider monkeys in an alcohol fit. I always expect such behavior if I'm dumb enough to camp next to a road.

[MDSection12]

I have found that humans rarely if ever come out at night into the woods and into your campsite, especially if you're camping off the trail, although the AT is an exception to this since it's so open and cleared and good for night hiking. But even on the AT if you're camped off the trail and not at a shelter you should be undisturbed. Hopefully you're not camping right on a road by a trailhead---often guys will drive by and park and possibly howl like spider monkeys in an alcohol fit. I always expect such behavior if I'm dumb enough to camp next to a road.

+1

I camp in places that are difficult to get to. I figure criminals, and just a-holes in general, are usually lazy.

[Odd Man Out]

...I kept a small AAA flashlight in my shorts pocket at night, plus my headlamp within reach...

Good plan. I woke up in the middle of the night once and it was so dark I could see absolutely nothing. I thought maybe I had gone blind (you mind plays evil tricks on you when you are sleepy). But my flashlight was hanging from the peak of the tent just out of reach and I was so sore from hiking, it was going to be tremendously painful to sit up and get it. So I laid there for probably an hour trying to decide which was worse - worrying about being blind or the pain of sitting up.

[ryan850]

By the time I did my thru-hike, I didn't really think about being alone that much. I think it's because I started camping alone in a campground years before. The close proximity to other people, and the fact that I live in northern Indiana, which hasn't seen a bear or other potentially dangerous wildlife for about 150 years.

I even hiked well into the night on the AT, sometimes after midnight. I loved it, especially when a full moon was bright enough to not need a headlamp. It's a different world hiking with the nocturnals.

One thing to remember is that for the most part, there isn't anything at night that isn't there during the day. Even a mouse can sound large running around on dry leaves in the dead silent night. Also, keep a clean camp and give no reason for animals to stop by. Keep a headlamp and a knife nearby for the feeling of security if nothing else.

If it's people you're more worried about, just keep in mind that the odds of meeting anyone in the middle of the night that isn't just a backpacker arriving late is rare in itself, plus a person who could harm another human, and who actually follows through with it would be so rare, like the odds of winning the lottery.

[tiptoe]

For me (section hiker and hammocker since 2006) it usually takes a couple of nights until I sleep well on the trail, be it near a shelter or alone in the woods. I don't obsess over safety, but I do factor it in, and honestly, I feel very safe camping alone, especially far enough off the trail to be concealed from it. Near a shelter, I can meet and greet those already there before committing to setting up my hammock. The iffiest situation for me is being the first to arrive at a shelter, because I don't know who might arrive later. As others have said, the more you hike, the more you feel comfortable with all aspects of it, including sleeping alone. And if you'd still rather not do it, either hike with someone or plan your days around getting to a shelter.

[SouthMark]

Do the thing you fear most and the death of fear is certain.... Mark Twain.

[DLP]

I've found that all of the suggestions above help. Ambien helps. Set up the tent in your living room and sleep in it for a week. Helps you get used to the tent AND the sleeping pad AND sleeping in a sleeping bag and all that is different from your bed at home.

I also have a car camping pillow that I cut in half so that it weighs about 5 oz. Sort of like: http://www.rei.com/product/733361/rei-base-camp-pillow,-blue?preferredSku=7333610017&cm_mmc=cse_froogle-_-pla-_-product-_-7333610017&mr:referralID=deb50c66-d830-11e2-9dea-001b2166becc It is my one luxury item and helps to recreate "home" a little and helps me fall asleep. But, I think that maybe, I am at the point of giving it up. We'll see, next trip. I should probably start sleeping on my fleece jacket stuffed in a sleeve for a month at home.

I've also taken baby steps and started with a full on tent. Then slept in a tent with no rain fly for a while. Now I'm in a bug bivy with a tarp, if needed. I haven't been able to bring myself to cowboy camp as my most irrational fear is being covered in ants. I don't worry about bears. Don't worry about snakes. Don't worry about poisonous spiders. Ants, I fear. And squirrels. I hate squirrels. I thought for sure that a squirrel was chewing into my tent, but it was a branch touching the nylon and moving in the breeze.

I can't sleep in my backyard because I fear that the telephone pole and electrical wires will fall in an earthquake and kill me. And there are squirrels. Lots and lots of squirrels.

The only night I was really afraid of other people - I thought I was hidden, and went to use the bathroom (a tree) right before bed and discovered I was peeing next to an empty beer bottle. Over the next hour, I took the mental leap that a person bad enough to litter and leave a beer bottle was a VERY, VERY bad person and was probably coming back to kill me. If you can stop yourself from going down the crazy person rabbit hole and making irrational leaps of "logic"... you will be ok!

[The Greenman]

Utilize a long weekend (or two!) for a shakedown on gear and equipment. Although I had spent many nights tent camping, I was never really "alone". It took some time to get used to, but for a solitary section hiker like myself it was of course ESSENTIAL that I get comfortable with sleeping solo.
....You eventually come to an understanding that it's not the bears you have to worry about, it's the alien spacecraft and the sasquatch that keep me up at night!!

[Dogwood]

Do the thing you fear most and the death of fear is certain.... Mark Twain.

I've been doing it most of my life. It's a WONDERFUL experience to be freed from irrational fears and hyped up dangers.

[MDSection12]

I like the quote, that I've often heard but can't attribute to anyone specifically; 'do something that scares you every day.' I try to live by those words. I find that with that in mind each day is often more fun than the last. :)

[Tipi Walter]

I like the quote, that I've often heard but can't attribute to anyone specifically; 'do something that scares you every day.' I try to live by those words. I find that with that in mind each day is often more fun than the last. :)

Sitting on a couch for hours watching TV (or at the computer) actually scares me when I think about the increased risk of heart disease by becoming a couch potato. ERGO I gotta make some serious effort to get the heck outdoors and hike.

[hikerboy57]

Sitting on a couch for hours watching TV (or at the computer) actually scares me when I think about the increased risk of heart disease by becoming a couch potato. ERGO I gotta make some serious effort to get the heck outdoors and hike.one of my worst nightmares is dying in my sleep in front of a tv.

[Rasty]

Sitting on a couch for hours watching TV (or at the computer) actually scares me when I think about the increased risk of heart disease by becoming a couch potato. ERGO I gotta make some serious effort to get the heck outdoors and hike.one of my worst nightmares is dying in my sleep in front of a tv.

Is it the fear that the next show after what you died watching is keeing up wih the Kardashians?

Getting discoved watching mythbusters is one thing. Getting discoved watching the Karashians is another.

[hikerboy57]

Is it the fear that the next show after what you died watching is keeing up wih the Kardashians?

Getting discoved watching mythbusters is one thing. Getting discoved watching the Karashians is another.
where does bear gryllis fit in?

[fins1838]

spend more time on TRIAL? Bad advice. Jail cells are not a fun place to sleep alone. No, actually I'd rather be alone. ;-)

just spend more time on the trial, in the woods. it'll go away with time

[Rasty]

Is it the fear that the next show after what you died watching is keeing up wih the Kardashians?

Getting discoved watching mythbusters is one thing. Getting discoved watching the Karashians is another.
where does bear gryllis fit in?

Les Stroud is akin to Mythbusters. Bear is Kardashian.

[hikerboy57]

Les Stroud is akin to Mythbusters. Bear is Kardashian.
i heard les actually carries the bear gryllis survival knife.says it helps him fall asleep, secure in the knowledge gryllis is a poser

[Odd Man Out]

one of my worst nightmares is dying in my sleep in front of a tv.

Ever see "Waking Ned Devine"? He died happy.

[hikerboy57]

Ever see "Waking Ned Devine"? He died happy.
im thinking more weekend at bernies

[MDSection12]

im thinking more weekend at bernies

Oh man, very few things actually make me laugh out loud on the internet... But this did. Kudos. :)

[Don H]

Tylenol PM, you'll be out like a light. I slept right though a bear sniffing around my tent in Shenandoah. Guess you didn't need to hear that ;)

[DLP]

Ray Jardine wrote in one of his books something like, "The woods at night are pretty much the same as they are during the day. All of the same animals and plants are there day or night. Only difference is that it has gotten dark".

I say that to myself at night sometimes. Things are not scarier. It is just night time.

[Datto]

I recommend earplugs and Excedrin PM every night. That way, you don't sense the deer running at your tent until the deer lands on top of you from above. Makes life a whole lot simpler for the nights where there isn't a deer.

That elk in Washington State would have been the 22nd incident of a deer collision I've had if'n there would have been a car involved. At a business organization where I used to be a member, they changed my nameplate to "Deer Hunter" -- my automobile insurance agent was one of the big cheeses in the organization. Even if I'd call his office on the telephone to find out information about my policy, he'd start out the conversation with, "What animal have you hit now."

In the case of the elk bounding into my tent from above, a woman yelling in my ear at the same time the elk was coming through the top of the tent tends to get your attention also. Even through earplugs. I suppose more Excedrin PM might have helped but it seems some women can be quite persistent when an animal bounds into a tent from above.

I'd initially thought it was a bear coming in the top of the tent -- quite the humorous scene to see me a few minutes later in the dark standing outside the tent beating on my Wal-mart grease pan with a Lexan spoon. Yeah, that'd be making the bear go a hauling out of there. Reminds me of Richard Pryor saying, "That's right, we bad" while wearing a chicken suit in the movie Stir Crazy. You have to act like you're scary to a bear, otherwise the bear won't take you seriously. You know, do a 'hood jaunt while you're beating the Wal-mart grease pan.

Saw it was an elk rather than a bear the next morning -- the elk had run down his usual deer trail at night just like always. So happened there was a tent in the middle of his deer trail. I should have seen that deer trail but it was 10:00pm before I started setting up the tent that night.


Datto

[rickb]

I recommend earplugs.

Someone once told me there was a law of acoustics that states: Sounds made by an animal at night always seem to be made by a creature that is 2 or 3 times larger. I you hear what sounds to be about the size of a raccoon it is probably something no larger than a squirrel. If you hear what sound to be a squirrel it probably a creature no larger than a toad.

I think that is a proven fact, and might be worth remembering as you are drifting in and out of sleep.

Another proven fact is that if you camp by a stream, the voices coming from the water can easily become complete conversations. If you think you would find the sounds of people talking (even ones that are not there) are disconcerting at night-- best not to camp by running water.

Along those lines, the modern -- and not all that heavy -- tactical flashlights (Fenix is one good brand) can light up the woods brightly if you decide to check something out.

Another thought is to look on the web to hear what the grunt of a deer sounds like. I am convinced 90% of the people who have heard a "bear" at night would discover that it has hooves.

You mentioned more of a concern about unsavory people, however. That is a difficult topic, but one I understand and don't brush aside as quickly as most. In fact, it rather bugs me when some people do-- like a comparison of the worst crimes as being as likely as winning the lottery. That said, the rational mind says that any one individual's risk from violence from the hands of others is low without qualification, and lower still for those individuals who camp away from shelters. To my personal way of thinking based on my reading of Trail history, if I were a female, I would feel much more comfortable camping off season by myself the woods, than at a shelter by myself or with just one friend.

[deadline]

I take my dog and take a sleeping pill before going to bed. And just think - it's probably unlikely that a maniac would be roaming around in the wilderness looking for a random hiker. If they're really that bloodthirsty, the city provides much better odds of finding a suitable victim. By the way, I'm a middle aged woman and have been sleeping in the forest alone for years (well, except for the dog ...)

[Tipi Walter]

I never considered using drugs to help me get my bag nights. If nights out were so bad I'd have to pop a pill every time, well, what's the point in going out to "commune with nature?" Just my opinion. But I have used earplugs now and again but only to shut off distant racing and roaring motorcycles on nearby "scenic nature motor loops", and to blot out the hateful near-constant roars of passenger jets criss-crossing the skies. These 87,000 or 150,000 jet overflights have pretty much ruined any chance at having a wilderness experience for me---at least here in the Southeast mountains of NC, VA, TN and Georgia. Forget about a squirrel running thru leaves or a deer screaming next to my tent.

Yes, deer can make some terrible sounds.

But the good thing is---when a blizzard hits with high winds the jets are silent. Or if I camp next to a loud waterfall. And sometime around 3am they usually taper off. It's my main peeve, obviously.

[bfayer]

I never considered using drugs to help me get my bag nights. If nights out were so bad I'd have to pop a pill every time, well, what's the point in going out to "commune with nature?" .

TW, I don't always agree with you, but I am definitely with you on this one.

[Drybones]

[QUOTE=rickb;1488836]Someone once told me there was a law of acoustics that states: Sounds made by an animal at night always seem to be made by a creature that is 2 or 3 times larger. I you hear what sounds to be about the size of a raccoon it is probably something no larger than a squirrel. If you hear what sound to be a squirrel it probably a creature no larger than a toad.

So those aren't really elephants outside my tent?

[Drybones]

one of my worst nightmares is dying in my sleep in front of a tv.

One thing worse than dying.......dying without having ever lived.

[coach lou]

TW, I don't always agree with you, but I am definitely with you on this one.


......................................

[tiptoe]

I don't think I've ever taken a sleeping pill, on the trail or off. Seems to me that if you're drugged at night, you'll be less ready to cope in the unlikely event that something does happen.

[Datto]

I don't think I've ever taken a sleeping pill, on the trail or off.

But without the Excedrin PM, the 7:00pm nightly meeting of the Dreameisters wouldn't be deemed worthwhile.

That could lead to all kinds of consequences, dwarfing the risks from a bear showing up.

[ I'm playing to their egos so Shania Twain shows up tonight ]


Datto

[litefoot2000]

I would say that a lot of people have your problem. Just look at the number of views on this thread.

[rangeley]

I had my first solo night out a couple of weeks ago. I was like you before my trip, and had psyched myself out big time. I was wondering if I'd even sleep, or if I'd have a heart attack all alone bby myself in the woods. I just went for it and hiked up to the Bemis Mt. lean to and spent the night in my tent in the shelter. It wasn't half as scary as I expected, and the only the that kept me up was a big thunder storm rolled through some time late/early. It scared the hell out of me when it hit, and kept me up for an hour until exhaustion finally overcame me again. I enjoyed it quite a bit, and the can of bear spray at arms reach all night added a feeling of security. I think I'll carry it until I'm comfortable enough not to while solo.

Moral of the story, you'll be fine!

[rocketsocks]

Truth be told, I was quite un-nerved on my very first outing many moons ago....didn't get to sleep that night as I remember.

as the years rolled by I've come to realize a few things.....

Fear is just a feeling...I feel hungry, tired, cold, anxious...nothing more, embrace it, don't be ruled by it, it's meant to keep you above ground...and that is all it's meant to do. Recognize, "I hear something" then realize it's not a crazed killer come to have at you...if your unsure....fly outta your tent naked towards the sound screaming and flopping your arms like a chicken....guaranteed you'll scare the Bajeasys outta what ever wild animal was lurking in the shadows...and it probably won't come back.

Your fears are not unfounded, as many animals sleep together in packs to negate rampaging rivals...been that way since the beginning of time. I heard a very good idea...earplugs!.....keeps the "Boogeyman" at bay.

"many good things go round in the night besides Santa clause"

[rocketsocks]

I had my first solo night out a couple of weeks ago. I was like you before my trip, and had psyched myself out big time. I was wondering if I'd even sleep, or if I'd have a heart attack all alone bby myself in the woods. I just went for it and hiked up to the Bemis Mt. lean to and spent the night in my tent in the shelter. It wasn't half as scary as I expected, and the only the that kept me up was a big thunder storm rolled through some time late/early. It scared the hell out of me when it hit, and kept me up for an hour until exhaustion finally overcame me again. I enjoyed it quite a bit, and the can of bear spray at arms reach all night added a feeling of security. I think I'll carry it until I'm comfortable enough not to while solo.

Moral of the story, you'll be fine!Funny that's what I did...put my tent right in that shelter...with my back towards the shelter wall...heck yeah I did! huh huh lol

[Lone Wolf]

wow. buncha men skeered of the dark! says a lot

[tawa]

OK with the dark. What scares me is sleeping with the wife when she is p---ed at me as she continues moving thru the Change!
Now thats something to be scared of!

[hikerboy57]

OK with the dark. What scares me is sleeping with the wife when she is p---ed at me as she continues moving thru the Change!
Now thats something to be scared of!
yes, I was only scared of the dark when I was married.

[Datto]

But without the Excedrin PM, the 7:00pm nightly meeting of the Dreameisters wouldn't be deemed worthwhile.
That could lead to all kinds of consequences, dwarfing the risks from a bear showing up.

[ I'm playing to their egos so Shania Twain shows up tonight ]



Wow. That was fantastic!


Datto

[TD55]

Other than snakes crawling under your tent to enjoy your body heat, what could go wrong? And anyhow, if you lay still they probably won't bite. Right? Just remember to not move when the deadfall falls on you.

[staehpj1]

I would say that a lot of people have your problem. Just look at the number of views on this thread.
The number of views isn't necessarily a good measure. Some of them might be folks that are amazed to read about adults being afraid of sleeping in the woods alone.

[Sarcasm the elf]

The number of views isn't necessarily a good measure. Some of them might be folks that are amazed to read about adults being afraid of sleeping in the woods alone.

I would venture to guess that the vast majority of adults in this country are afraid of sleeping alone in the woods at night. It's sometimes easy to forget but we hikers are a very small minority of the population.

[vamelungeon]

LOL I have to say I'm not afraid of the woods and I hike alone. I take Benedryl sometimes because of insomnia, which I have on and off the trail. Benedryl is the same thing as Zzzquil which is much more expensive. Those of you who have never had insomnia, good on you, you're lucky.

[rocketsocks]

LOL I have to say I'm not afraid of the woods and I hike alone. I take Benedryl sometimes because of insomnia, which I have on and off the trail. Benedryl is the same thing as Zzzquil which is much more expensive. Those of you who have never had insomnia, good on you, you're lucky.I'm with you V...it sucks! big time!

[Theosus]

LOL I have to say I'm not afraid of the woods and I hike alone. I take Benedryl sometimes because of insomnia, which I have on and off the trail. Benedryl is the same thing as Zzzquil which is much more expensive. Those of you who have never had insomnia, good on you, you're lucky.


I usually try to go to sleep with earphones in (i set my player to turn off after 45 minutes). I also use benadryl and melatonin. I don't think its fear, I just cant fall asleep in the woods like I do at home. I hammock, so snakes, rain and critters dont worry me. You would think getting up at 5am, walking ten damn miles would tire me out, but NOOOOO I toss and turn and can't sleep all night. I take a knife just in case someone bothers me, but I doubt I will need it. I'm usually with a group but I'm going solo very soon. I'm more worried someone will try to steal my pack or something than I am about an assault of some sort.
The best night of sleep I ever had, it was pouring rain outside. The constant white noise made sleeping easy (but since I was damp and it was 45 degrees I was more worried I wouldn't wake up, than I was about not sleeping).

[rocketsocks]

I usually try to go to sleep with earphones in (i set my player to turn off after 45 minutes). I also use benadryl and melatonin. I don't think its fear, I just cant fall asleep in the woods like I do at home. I hammock, so snakes, rain and critters dont worry me. You would think getting up at 5am, walking ten damn miles would tire me out, but NOOOOO I toss and turn and can't sleep all night. I take a knife just in case someone bothers me, but I doubt I will need it. I'm usually with a group but I'm going solo very soon. I'm more worried someone will try to steal my pack or something than I am about an assault of some sort.
The best night of sleep I ever had, it was pouring rain outside. The constant white noise made sleeping easy (but since I was damp and it was 45 degrees I was more worried I wouldn't wake up, than I was about not sleeping).And besides...killers don't come out in the rain...to wet!

[hikerboy57]

And besides...killers don't come out in the rain...to wet!
they also dont come out in the middle of the night miles from nowhere looking for a hiker in a tent they can attack.

[rocketsocks]

they also dont come out in the middle of the night miles from nowhere looking for a hiker in a tent they can attack.
You're right, you gotta be in the right spot at the right/wrong time to get off't...you probably have a better chance of hitting the lottery by finding the winning ticket on the side of the road, and getting struck by lightening on the way to cash it in...twice

[johnnybgood]

The more bag nights you get under your belt, the more adjusted you become to sleeping in the woods. Emotion driven fear is what help keeps us alive and manages to drive our sense of awareness .

[Lone Wolf]

they also dont come out in the middle of the night miles from nowhere looking for a hiker in a tent they can attack.

well it happened to that guy that was trying to set the unsupported record. supposedly:rolleyes:

[hikerboy57]

well it happened to that guy that was trying to set the unsupported record. supposedly:rolleyes:could also get attacked by a bear. not very likely though.

[Sarcasm the elf]

could also get attacked by a bear. not very likely though.

Oh it could happen...


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xq-kt8hvI5Q&sns=em

Even in the city that could happen...

[hikerboy57]

city bears are more aggressive

[atmilkman]

city bears are more aggressive

City bears listen to rap.

[hikerboy57]

City bears listen to rap.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8jBzIMiyHNshttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8jBzIMiyHNs

[johnnybgood]

city bears are soooo obnoxious ! :D

[Cherokee Bill]

LOL I have to say I'm not afraid of the woods and I hike alone. I take Benedryl sometimes because of insomnia, which I have on and off the trail. Benedryl is the same thing as Zzzquil which is much more expensive. Those of you who have never had insomnia, good on you, you're lucky.

Beware of Benedryl. It can cause sudden cardiac reactions, even to those who have used it many times in the past!! Like you I took one low-dose tablet to sleep, woke up later with a pulse of over 200 beats per minute. Ended up in the ER with IV's running in an attempt to slow the heart and restore a normalrhythm. Was 5-min from shock treatment, and finally everything went to normal

[HikerMom58]

I've done some section hiking on the AT with a friend and shared tent and huts. I've also hiked alone, but made sure that the itinerary included overnights in hostels.

I want to venture further, but I no longer have a hiking partner and the hostel thing is severely limiting my options, but the idea of spending the night alone in the woods freaks me out [I'm a grown man so I know there is no rational basis for this].

I'll be hiking in sw-va. well after the thru hiker bubble has passed. My experience is that the AT is pretty lonely in July in that part of the world.

Does anyone have any tactics, mind-tricks, hints or tips about how to open my mind to sleeping alone in the woods. I'm not normally a nervous person, but I think I will void everything if I am alone in a tent and I hear a rustle or crack nearby while I am trying to sleep. BTW its not bears I am afraid of...

How did you guys get over you first night alone????

Hey kenp

Don't be afraid to be skeered. To be afraid is a sign of common sense. Only complete idiots are not afraid of anything.

I'm working on being alone in the woods myself. I don't have any advice for ya cause I'm not even close to doing it. :(

You are not alone. I've seen many youtube vids about "grown men" not loving staying out alone on the trail.

The trail is so popular, you might be surprised at how many people will be on the trail. Lots of section hikers!! You've had some good advice on this thread. Good luck with it! I'm pulling for ya! :)

[Wise Old Owl]

First off, It was so long ago, I can't recall it, and now I prefer it. Secondly, nature is safe....humanity is dangerous. Thirdly, I snore so loud that it scares everything away!


Yes you are dangerous - you like Blueberry Cheesecake!

[bessiebreeze]

Take an Ambien tablet about 10 or 10:30, crawl into you sleeping bag, zip up, and relax.
You'll soon be in lullaby land. Nothing will happen to you all night long. If anything drastic does, you will wake up.

[vamelungeon]

Beware of Benedryl. It can cause sudden cardiac reactions, even to those who have used it many times in the past!! Like you I took one low-dose tablet to sleep, woke up later with a pulse of over 200 beats per minute. Ended up in the ER with IV's running in an attempt to slow the heart and restore a normalrhythm. Was 5-min from shock treatment, and finally everything went to normal
Wow, I was unaware of that possibility! Thanks for the tip and I will investigate it further.

[Rocket Jones]

This is a tip for *all* OTC medications - check with your doctor to see if you can take it. A few years ago I started on a thyroid prescription and the doc told me that I couldn't take Ibuprofen with it. Last year, I developed a sensitivity to allergy formulations (reaction severe enough to damn near put me into the hospital), so now no "vitamin I", no sudafed, no benedryl, etc. for me.

[double d]

The OP asked a good question, so here is my answer: the first night or two freaks out a lot of experienced hikers, so no worries, just get used to sleeping in a tent. I always have a nice, small compact am/fm radio with me and I find a good channel at night and listen to it until I fall asleep. Otherwise, every sound is either a serial killer or a 1,000 black bear after my snickers bar that aren't supposed to be in my tent at night.

[markdek]

The OP asked a good question, so here is my answer: the first night or two freaks out a lot of experienced hikers, so no worries, just get used to sleeping in a tent. I always have a nice, small compact am/fm radio with me and I find a good channel at night and listen to it until I fall asleep. Otherwise, every sound is either a serial killer or a 1,000 black bear after my snickers bar that aren't supposed to be in my tent at night.

What he said. And this so called fear is 1 of the reasons the world has not been overpopulated by backpackers....thank god.

[Swordpen]

I don't think I've ever taken a sleeping pill, on the trail or off. Seems to me that if you're drugged at night, you'll be less ready to cope in the unlikely event that something does happen.

+1 that's why I don't take sleeping pills even at home. A book (e-book even is as good), makes a great sleeping pill.

[hikerboy57]

i carry a sledgehammer with me and just whack my head a coupla times, usually puts me out for hours

[tawa]

Solution----Dont sleep by yourself then. Take your honey---find yourself a nice place to camp--have some good woopie--and you will go to sleep with a smile on your face and not have a care in the world. See how easy that is!
Just think some folks pay good money for this advice and u get it for free here at WB!

[Sarcasm the elf]

i carry a sledgehammer with me and just whack my head a coupla times, usually puts me out for hours

And yet even with the sledgehammer :datz, your winter pack still weighed about 8lbs less than mine.:eek:

[Drybones]

i carry a sledgehammer with me and just whack my head a coupla times, usually puts me out for hours

That explains it!

[nu2hike]

It's the fear of the unknown! Once you do it enough you will realize that your fears are unfounded! I'm a woman and I hike and camp alone on the trail all the time! A little unnerving at first but now I sleep like a baby! I love laying in my hammock and listening to the night sounds!
As for medicating yourself to be able to sleep, I'm not a fan of that idea! I prefer to have my wits about me when I'm in the woods! If there is something out there, I want to be able to hear it and to respond appropriately!
Somehow taking medications in order to enjoy the wilderness experience just seems wrong! YMMV :)

[HikerMom58]

It's the fear of the unknown! Once you do it enough you will realize that your fears are unfounded! I'm a woman and I hike and camp alone on the trail all the time! A little unnerving at first but now I sleep like a baby! I love laying in my hammock and listening to the night sounds!
As for medicating yourself to be able to sleep, I'm not a fan of that idea! I prefer to have my wits about me when I'm in the woods! If there is something out there, I want to be able to hear it and to respond appropriately!
Somehow taking medications in order to enjoy the wilderness experience just seems wrong! YMMV :)

nu2hike.. you are my idol.... WTG... nice post! :)

[bfayer]

Where I come from meds are for treating a medical condition. Last I heard being afraid of the dark is not a medical condition. Not saying its not a valid concern, because it is, but drugs will not cure it.

I am very surprised at the number of folks that feel drugs are the best way to deal with this issue.

[atmilkman]

i carry a sledgehammer with me and just whack my head a coupla times, usually puts me out for hours
Yah, but knowing you, it has a titanium handle.

[prain4u]

Pop a couple of Benadryl a half hour before bedtime to help make you very sleepy. Put in earplugs to reduce outside sounds (or put in ear buds connected to a small radio. mp3 player etc. Personally, I put the radio on no station in order to get the sound of static or "white noise").

If you can't hear it--it can't scare you. If you are in a deep sleep from the Benadryl,--you won't feel it when the bear attacks you :).

[Drybones]

city bears are soooo obnoxious ! :D

City people are soooooooooooooo obnoxious.

[Drybones]

It's the fear of the unknown!

Man's greatest fear.......and women.

[atmilkman]

Man's greatest fear

Mine - running out of water.

[prain4u]

Beware of Benedryl. It can cause sudden cardiac reactions, even to those who have used it many times in the past!! Like you I took one low-dose tablet to sleep, woke up later with a pulse of over 200 beats per minute. Ended up in the ER with IV's running in an attempt to slow the heart and restore a normalrhythm. Was 5-min from shock treatment, and finally everything went to normal


This is a tip for *all* OTC medications - check with your doctor to see if you can take it. A few years ago I started on a thyroid prescription and the doc told me that I couldn't take Ibuprofen with it. Last year, I developed a sensitivity to allergy formulations (reaction severe enough to damn near put me into the hospital), so now no "vitamin I", no sudafed, no benedryl, etc. for me.

Thanks for the information. It is appreciated and good to know. HOWEVER, that being said, I would hope that people would not OVERREACT and be afraid of Benedryl, ibuprofen and some of the other medications people are warning us about on this thread....Yes, ANY medication (and many foods) can cause sudden medical problems--even in people who have used a particular medication or eaten a specific food before. We need to keep the real risks and the real probability of such adverse reactions in perspective, When one considers the BILLIONS of doses of Benedryl or Ibuprofen that people have taken since these drugs have been introduced--and then consider the relatively small number of adverse reactions which have occurred..the chances of someone having an adverse reaction to one of these medications while hiking are pretty small. This is particularly true for someone who has taken these medications before without incident.

It is sort of like the other things that many hikers worry about--but which are a statistically a minimal threat--such bears, being murdered, be assaulted (but not killed), deadly rattlesnake bites etc.

Be aware of the risks--but keep the probability of them happening in perspective.

[MDSection12]

Mine - running out of water.

You prefer running into water? I guess on a hot day, like today, that makes sense. :p

[Dogwood]

125 posts about being afraid of the boogey man! Whew!

[prain4u]

Beware of Benedryl. It can cause sudden cardiac reactions, even to those who have used it many times in the past!! Like you I took one low-dose tablet to sleep, woke up later with a pulse of over 200 beats per minute. Ended up in the ER with IV's running in an attempt to slow the heart and restore a normalrhythm. Was 5-min from shock treatment, and finally everything went to normal

In a previous post, I mentioned that we need to be aware of such risks, but we should also keep the likelihood of such events occurring in their proper perspective. If I am reading the official government data correctly (some of it is in graph format).....

Between 2004 and 2012: There were 9,632 Adverse Event Reports filed with the FDA regarding Benadryl. This is for any--and all-adverse events. Of that 9,632 adverse events, just 172 involved tachycardia (a fast or "racing" heart rate). That seems to average out to about 26 such events each year. Some of these people were attempting suicide. Some had overdosed (intentionally or unintentionally). Approximately half of the people were over the age of 60. Many were first time users of Benadryl.

Thus, the probability of someone experiencing severe and life threatening tachycardia while using Benadryl is actually pretty small--especially if the person has safely taken the medication before, is under age 60, and is taking the medication as prescribed.

Again, I am not wishing to overlook the risks--I just want to keep the risks in perspective.

[prain4u]

In a previous post, I mentioned that we need to be aware of such risks, but we should also keep the likelihood of such events occurring in their proper perspective. If I am reading the official government data correctly (some of it is in graph format).....

Between 2004 and 2012: There were 9,632 Adverse Event Reports filed with the FDA regarding Benadryl. This is for any--and all-adverse events. Of that 9,632 adverse events, just 172 involved tachycardia (a fast or "racing" heart rate). That seems to average out to about 26 such events each year. Some of these people were attempting suicide. Some had overdosed (intentionally or unintentionally). Approximately half of the people were over the age of 60. Many were first time users of Benadryl.

Thus, the probability of someone experiencing severe and life threatening tachycardia while using Benadryl is actually pretty small--especially if the person has safely taken the medication before, is under age 60, and is taking the medication as prescribed.

Again, I am not wishing to overlook the risks--I just want to keep the risks in perspective.


oops...I did bad math. There were an average of 21.5 episodes of severe tachycardia reported each year--not 26.

[da fungo]

Thanks for the information. It is appreciated and good to know. HOWEVER, that being said, I would hope that people would not OVERREACT and be afraid of Benedryl, ibuprofen and some of the other medications people are warning us about on this thread....Yes, ANY medication (and many foods) can cause sudden medical problems--even in people who have used a particular medication or eaten a specific food before. We need to keep the real risks and the real probability of such adverse reactions in perspective, When one considers the BILLIONS of doses of Benedryl or Ibuprofen that people have taken since these drugs have been introduced--and then consider the relatively small number of adverse reactions which have occurred..the chances of someone having an adverse reaction to one of these medications while hiking are pretty small. This is particularly true for someone who has taken these medications before without incident.It is sort of like the other things that many hikers worry about--but which are a statistically a minimal threat--such bears, being murdered, be assaulted (but not killed), deadly rattlesnake bites etc. Be aware of the risks--but keep the probability of them happening in perspective.The problem with that good advice is that many people lack the basic quantitative skills needed to keep things in perspective, and so they rely on harum/scarum horror stories.

[atmilkman]

125 posts about being afraid of the boogey man! Whew!

One way to avoid being afraid of the boogey man is to become the boogey man..............................BOO!

[HikerMom58]

Man's greatest fear.......and women.

Fear of the unknown!!

LOL.. this thread is FUNny!! Yesh, this.......^^^

I'm not trying to be funny but I felt sooo much better once I realized that the red/orange eyes that were staring at us in PA, after it got dark, was most likely a fox. :cool: It makes me feel better knowing that I have a good idea who those eyes belonged too. I'm fine with it, not afraid of red/orange eyes any longer.

ATM... are you sure your greatest fear is water and not MILK? Sooner or later you'll find water but running out of MILK... Whoa!! :D

[atmilkman]

Fear of the unknown!!

LOL.. this thread is FUNny!! Yesh, this.......^^^

I'm not trying to be funny but I felt sooo much better once I realized that the red/orange eyes that were staring at us in PA, after it got dark, was most likely a fox. :cool: It makes me feel better knowing that I have a good idea who those eyes belonged too. I'm fine with it, not afraid of red/orange eyes any longer.

ATM... are you sure your greatest fear is water and not MILK? Sooner or later you'll find water but running out of MILK... Whoa!! :D

Running out of real milk would be death. I'm a Nido man. If I ran out of water I'd be out of Nido too. Not death but close.

[rocketsocks]

One way to avoid being afraid of the boogey man is to become the boogey mand boobey an..............................BOO!that's the way I think..the hunted becomes the hunter...yeah for the home team!

and boogey man beware!

[Feral Nature]

I have no fear whatsoever sleeping by myself out in the woods. I am probably the most dangerous thing out there.

[rocketsocks]

I have no fear whatsoever sleeping by myself out in the woods. I am probably the most dangerous thing out there.
That's right...it's all how you view it.

[coach lou]

I slept at a campsite platform, only 1 person was at the shelter. No one else was at the place but the Caretaker, and his friend. I briefly thought of this thread that nite....but then I fell a sleep. The next day, had to make some miles so I ate at the shelter and then kept walking. At around 730 it started to rain, I through up the hooch. it was such peace and quite. The wind and light rain. Some birds........and then I woke up and left in the morning.:sun

[atmilkman]

I slept at a campsite platform, only 1 person was at the shelter. No one else was at the place but the Caretaker, and his friend. I briefly thought of this thread that nite....but then I fell a sleep. The next day, had to make some miles so I ate at the shelter and then kept walking. At around 730 it started to rain, I through up the hooch. it was such peace and quite. The wind and light rain. Some birds........and then I woke up and left in the morning.:sun

Sometimes I hate having to wake up. (Except to eat)

[rocketsocks]

I slept at a campsite platform, only 1 person was at the shelter. No one else was at the place but the Caretaker, and his friend. I briefly thought of this thread that nite....but then I fell a sleep. The next day, had to make some miles so I ate at the shelter and then kept walking. At around 730 it started to rain, I through up the hooch. it was such peace and quite. The wind and light rain. Some birds........and then I woke up and left in the morning.:sunbeauty ful, the only thing to fear, is fear itself. It will rob you of a good time.

[hikerboy57]

I slept at a campsite platform, only 1 person was at the shelter. No one else was at the place but the Caretaker, and his friend. I briefly thought of this thread that nite....but then I fell a sleep. The next day, had to make some miles so I ate at the shelter and then kept walking. At around 730 it started to rain, I through up the hooch. it was such peace and quite. The wind and light rain. Some birds........and then I woke up and left in the morning.:sun

Sometimes I hate having to wake up. (Except to eat) don't be so anxious bound to happen sooner or later

[TIDE-HSV]

This is a tip for *all* OTC medications - check with your doctor to see if you can take it. A few years ago I started on a thyroid prescription and the doc told me that I couldn't take Ibuprofen with it. Last year, I developed a sensitivity to allergy formulations (reaction severe enough to damn near put me into the hospital), so now no "vitamin I", no sudafed, no benedryl, etc. for me.
The effect of long-term (more than six months) use of any NSAID on kidneys is well documented. I have damaged kidneys from many years of Celebrex. However, ibuprofen has about the same effect. They all also raise the chance of heart attack by a good bit. Before taking any NSAID on a regular basis, it would be a good idea to look at the studies done, particularly the NIH site...

[MuddyWaters]

Does anyone have any tactics, mind-tricks, hints or tips about how to open my mind to sleeping alone in the woods. I'm not normally a nervous person, but I think I will void everything if I am alone in a tent and I hear a rustle or crack nearby while I am trying to sleep. BTW its not bears I am afraid of...



Just wear earplugs, and get some good sleep.


If a deranged inbred hillbilly drunk on corn liquor intends to hack you to death in your sleep, theres probably not much you can do about it anyway.

[atmilkman]

Just wear earplugs, and get some good sleep.


If a deranged inbred hillbilly drunk on corn liquor intends to hack you to death in your sleep, theres probably not much you can do about it anyway.
Good Lord MW, now your gonna scare everybody to death. Couldn't you have said something along the lines of dust bunnies or something.

[bfayer]

Just wear earplugs, and get some good sleep.


If a deranged inbred hillbilly drunk on corn liquor intends to hack you to death in your sleep, theres probably not much you can do about it anyway.

Yep that's why I try to stay south of the Mason Dixon Line, we don't have to worry much about those types down here. Much more likely to have someone wake you up to offer you free food than threaten your life. Must be a New England problem...

[Lone Wolf]

Just wear earplugs, and get some good sleep.


If a deranged inbred hillbilly drunk on corn liquor intends to hack you to death in your sleep, theres probably not much you can do about it anyway.

spot on i'd say

[moytoy]

If a deranged inbred hillbilly drunk on corn liquor intends to hack you to death in your sleep, theres probably not much you can do about it anyway.
Do you have a friend named katz? Just askin :D

[MuddyWaters]

Good Lord MW, now your gonna scare everybody to death. Couldn't you have said something along the lines of dust bunnies or something.

Its sort of like getting in a knife fight.

The first thing you have to do, is accept that you ARE going to get cut. That frees your mind to concentrate on fighting back, instead of attemptinig to keep from getting cut.

When you accept that there ARE bad things that are simply beyond your control that can happen and there is nothing you can do about it, you are free to stop worrying about them.

You could die 1000 different ways every day between your home and work. You dont worry about it, because its out of your control. Control risks you can, dont worry about the rest.

[Sarcasm the elf]

Yep that's why I try to stay south of the Mason Dixon Line, we don't have to worry much about those types down here. Much more likely to have someone wake you up to offer you free food than threaten your life. Must be a New England problem...

It's mostly an Internet problem.

In New England we're curtious enough to leave each other alone;)

[shelb]

You are spending too much time thinking.... get to your hike and do...

[Cure]

It's always better to have a partner, but just exercise caution, common sense, and confidence. If a situation isn't right, you trust your gut right? It helps to carry a weapon and ensure you are licensed in that state. Lot others know you mean business and your not playing, they will respect your views. Report anything that seems like it may be a criminal act or attempt to the NFS or NPS, ASAP! It is better to be proactive, vice reactive. Stay safe and enjoy nature!

[Wise Old Owl]

Yep that's why I try to stay south of the Mason Dixon Line, we don't have to worry much about those types down here. Much more likely to have someone wake you up to offer you free food than threaten your life. Must be a New England problem...


HUH? most hikers drop dead south of the line! So me the carfax!

[Tuckahoe]

Yep that's why I try to stay south of the Mason Dixon Line, we don't have to worry much about those types down here. Much more likely to have someone wake you up to offer you free food than threaten your life. Must be a New England problem...


HUH? most hikers drop dead south of the line! So me the carfax!

Lets see...

1974 -- 1 murder, Georgia
1975 -- 1 murder, Tennessee
1981 -- 2 murders, Virginia
1988 -- 2 murders, Pennsylvania
1990 -- 2 murders, Pennsylvania
1996 -- 2 murders, Virginia
2001 -- 1 murder, New Hampshire
2008 -- 2 attempted murders, Virginia (same assailant as 1981)
2011 -- 1 murder, Virginia

Virginia -- 5 murders, 2 attempted murders. 4 of these by the same assailant
Pennsylvania -- 4 murders
Georgia -- 1 murder
Tennessee -- 1 murder
New Hampshire -- 1 murder

Im sure we can debate particular numbers and cases.

[HikerMom58]

Ok Tuck... thanks for that, Virginia is not looking good...... So sad cause, it's nice down here.

[bfayer]

Lets see...

1974 -- 1 murder, Georgia
1975 -- 1 murder, Tennessee
1981 -- 2 murders, Virginia
1988 -- 2 murders, Pennsylvania
1990 -- 2 murders, Pennsylvania
1996 -- 2 murders, Virginia
2001 -- 1 murder, New Hampshire
2008 -- 2 attempted murders, Virginia (same assailant as 1981)
2011 -- 1 murder, Virginia

Virginia -- 5 murders, 2 attempted murders. 4 of these by the same assailant
Pennsylvania -- 4 murders
Georgia -- 1 murder
Tennessee -- 1 murder
New Hampshire -- 1 murder

Im sure we can debate particular numbers and cases.

You need to keep my post in context with the one I replied to. It was a lighthearted response to a post that was disparaging southerners (in a joking lighthearted way)

As for the stats, the only way to look at them is in context of the "per miles hiked" and a quarter of the AT is in VA. Also I believe there have been some disappearances of hikers up north that you are not listing. It just may be they are more experienced in covering up their crimes up there :). Practice makes perfect so they say.

The fact is hiking the AT anywhere, is safer than crossing the street in any big city.

[Gonecampn]

I generally feel fairly safe on the trail but have to say; while doing a day hike in Grayson Highlands, VA I was a little uncomfortable. I can't really explain why. I guess it was the "someones watching me" feeling. It was eerie ... Gorgeous but very odd park.

Sent from somewhere in the woods.

[bfayer]

I generally feel fairly safe on the trail but have to say; while doing a day hike in Grayson Highlands, VA I was a little uncomfortable. I can't really explain why. I guess it was the "someones watching me" feeling. It was eerie ... Gorgeous but very odd park.

Sent from somewhere in the woods.

Its the ponies. You can't trust them as far as you throw them :)

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 4

[Sarcasm the elf]

Lets see...

1974 -- 1 murder, Georgia
1975 -- 1 murder, Tennessee
1981 -- 2 murders, Virginia
1988 -- 2 murders, Pennsylvania
1990 -- 2 murders, Pennsylvania
1996 -- 2 murders, Virginia
2001 -- 1 murder, New Hampshire
2008 -- 2 attempted murders, Virginia (same assailant as 1981)
2011 -- 1 murder, Virginia

Virginia -- 5 murders, 2 attempted murders. 4 of these by the same assailant
Pennsylvania -- 4 murders
Georgia -- 1 murder
Tennessee -- 1 murder
New Hampshire -- 1 murder

Im sure we can debate particular numbers and cases.

If my old stats teacher were here, he would quickly point out that 7 incidents isn't a large enough number of incidents to use in order to derive statistical data.

He'd also point out that 7 incidents over a 40 year period during which the trail is said to have averaged 1 million visitors per year make be probability of being murdered statistically irrelevant.

[Gonecampn]

Its the ponies. You can't trust them as far as you throw them :)

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 4

LOL .... I REALLY wanted to see the ponies but they were no where to be found :( they were probably somewhere up to no-good!

Sent from somewhere in the woods.

[Furlough]

We don't carry guns, so yes I am a chicken *****.
I am in my 50s, & have been camping for 30 years. I am a chicken *****.

Well then, there still is the whiskey option.

[Gonecampn]

I know my CC permit is not valid in VA.

Sent from somewhere in the woods.

[Another Kevin]

If my old stats teacher were here, he would quickly point out that 7 incidents isn't a large enough number of incidents to use in order to derive statistical data.

He'd also point out that 7 incidents over a 40 year period during which the trail is said to have averaged 1 million visitors per year make be probability of being murdered statistically irrelevant.

And if you had a stats teacher, you probably heard of the base rate fallacy. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Base_rate_fallacy)

Then again, if you're the kind of elf that I've heard a rumour you are (a Rukeyser elf!), you're probably an initiate of the Bayesian Conspiracy. (http://yudkowsky.net/rational/bayes)

As far as I can tell, the only horribles that happen on the trail with significant enough probability to cause concern are (a) sudden medical crises, and (b) falls. (I suppose with a sufficiently broad definition you can add (c) automobile accidents on the way to and from trailheads or while roadwalking.) Everything else is lost in the noise.

[HikerMom58]

Hey kenp... I hope you figured out something that kept you from freaking out in the woods at night so you could enjoy your hiking trip. It was really great that you could admit your fear to all of us. Completely "normal", btw. It's just a matter of finding something that works for you .. many, many ways to "get there", so you can enjoy hiking.

These are my feelings, how I "landed" here & how I roll. I don't hike alone, period. I don't go in the woods at all by myself, day or night. I have talked to many day hikers, section hikers & thru-hikers. Most all of them have shared an experience of interacting with, passing by or having to spend the night with someone that makes them uncomfortable. It doesn't seem to matter how long they have been on the trail, most all of them report an encounter that made them feel uncomfortable in some way. The statistics hold no comfort for me, personally.

One encounter with a wild animal, that wasn't cool, would change my comfort level in the woods again, I'm sure.

That is the hardest time on the trail for me .... nighttime. I see & hear all sorts of things that "bother" me. I see glowing eyes of animals that I can't identify then there's the first time I heard the sound of a pack of coyotes howling at midnight & then getting closer at 3 am. I feel so much better when someone is there helping me "work through" my fear- in the moment. It works like a charm! :>) So whatever works for ya.

I'm more comfortable "in numbers". I can imagine when the group of hikers, on Beauty Spot, was surprised by the "unwelcome visitor", they prob. felt much better going through that encounter being in a group. Good grief....

Plus, I would be terribly lonely if no one else was around. I love to TALK. I talk about all the things I see, hear & am feeling at the time. I'm not into talking to myself much.

So that's me & I'm not ashamed. :>)
There are so many people that are also looking for someone to hike with... I just found another great person to hike with today.. we had a BLAST! :>)

[hikerboy57]

some people sleep more comfortably at home.

[WingedMonkey]

Some people are afraid of silence.

[oldwetherman]

I never had an experience that made me fearful of sleeping in a shelter at night. But I do have a question that came to mind at a few of the shelters in southern Pennsylvania. The shelters have signs posted about frequent porcupine activity. Some of them had metal flashing installed on the outer edge of the shelter floor to make it more difficult for an animal to climb in. My question is: What would you do if you woke up and there was a porcupine standing within an inch or two from your face? A skunk spying someone would be unpleasant but porcupine quills would be a whole different issue. Has anyone had any direct experience with this ?

[hikerboy57]

i would wonder how he got into my tent.

[winger]

I avoid ALL shelters and other than that I find that the .380 tucked in with me keeps things in perspective.

[jimmyjam]

I am more afraid to sleep in a shelter with a bunch of mice and people I don't know.

[kayak karl]

Idea of sleeping around other people on the trail freaks me out !

[WingedMonkey]

I never had an experience that made me fearful of sleeping in a shelter at night. But I do have a question that came to mind at a few of the shelters in southern Pennsylvania. The shelters have signs posted about frequent porcupine activity. Some of them had metal flashing installed on the outer edge of the shelter floor to make it more difficult for an animal to climb in. My question is: What would you do if you woke up and there was a porcupine standing within an inch or two from your face? A skunk spying someone would be unpleasant but porcupine quills would be a whole different issue. Has anyone had any direct experience with this ?

The metal is to stop them from chewing the wood after we soak it with out sweat.

Porcupine can not "throw" quills. You, or more likley a dog has to handle them.

[Gonecampn]

Idea of sleeping around other people on the trail freaks me out !

+1

Sent from somewhere in the woods.

[gollwoods]

I like sleeping with a flap open a little so i can see out.

[oldwetherman]

WingedMonkey. Thanks for the info.

[Another Kevin]

i would wonder how he got into my tent.

I had a porkie get into my tent vestibule once. He made off with the skivvies that I had hanging there in the vain hope they might be drier in the morning. I think he wanted the salt. He didn't even wake me, but I found a couple of quills in the morning, kind of stuck to the edge of the rainfly where he squeezed under.

[rangeley]

Don't forget to bring a towel

[rocketsocks]

Don't forget to bring a towel

For crying out loud? :D

[Son Driven]

His Spirit is my constant companion. So I am never really alone.

[hikerboy57]

I had a porkie get into my tent vestibule once. He made off with the skivvies that I had hanging there in the vain hope they might be drier in the morning. I think he wanted the salt. He didn't even wake me, but I found a couple of quills in the morning, kind of stuck to the edge of the rainfly where he squeezed under.
you "think" ​he wanted the salt?

[Chaco Taco]

Don't forget to bring a towel
NEVER forget the "towel"

[Del Q]

Hikerboy57 - pretty funny re: LW

On this topic, if I die in the woods in a tent, great, I will sign off on that now.

Growing up in Philly, having a problem in the woods is not a huge concern. Yes, being really tired and some booze helps...........I just have never worried about it. For a person like me who lives close to a city and has a day job, late night crunches in the woods = big bad bear is normal thinking.

On the AT nothing will eat you

CDT or PCT, maybe a different story.

Screaming, yelling or a LOUD whistle will scare all but the serial killers, and in that case, remain VERY scared.

P.S. The TV show Big Foot, you know how EVERY show ends???

The don't find Big Foot

Go figure

Sleep tight.

[Gonecampn]

Bigfoot lives in Uwharrie Nat Forest! It's got to be true. I have a tee shirt that says so!

Sent from somewhere in the woods.

[ChuckT]

Bigfoot winters in Florida. He & Mrs. drive an RV ... towing a golf cart ... and frequent garage sales. I know, I've seen them. I swear, this is no lie, really. Would I sheet you?

Loudest ****ing thing I ever saw in the woods was a 3 lb. Armadillo in dry oak leaves. I was ready to believe it was going to dine on me. Then my girl friend woke up and told me to shut up, she was trying to sleep.

Cvt

[Gonecampn]

^ that explains it!!

Sent from somewhere in the woods.

[HikerMom58]

Some people need people more than they want them. Some people hate the fact that they need people.


If you don't have to push through "stuff" to be able to feel comfortable out in the woods, that's awesome! My daughter just loved being out there, from the beginning... no fear. Her only and biggest fear were spiders... that's it. :>)

I had a lot of fears on the trail. First time out, I did 112 miles. I remember sleeping at Elmers, in Hot Springs, for the first time since we started out at Davenport Gap... OMGosh.. I was sooo happy to be "inside". I didn't have to hang my food, worry about noises etc...

People that were hiking with us were amazed and highly entertained...jus sayin. Thank goodness they thought it was humorous. Luckily for me we were hiking "off season". Down South in late August/early Sept.

By the time we ended our section hike at Beauty Spot.. I was feeling a lot more comfortable. I'll never forget waking up in the morning, on top a beautiful mountain, wishing I could do that every morning, for the rest of my life... It grew on me, for sure.

And now, when I think about getting back out there, I'm excited to see how far I've come since I first started hiking... I've come along way, baby. :D I'm still such a newbie but I love it!

[bfayer]

Some people need people more than they want them. Some people hate the fact that they need people.


If you don't have to push through "stuff" to be able to feel comfortable out in the woods, that's awesome! My daughter just loved being out there, from the beginning... no fear. Her only and biggest fear were spiders... that's it. :>)

I had a lot of fears on the trail. First time out, I did 112 miles. I remember sleeping at Elmers, in Hot Springs, for the first time since we started out at Davenport Gap... OMGosh.. I was sooo happy to be "inside". I didn't have to hang my food, worry about noises etc...

People that were hiking with us were amazed and highly entertained...jus sayin. Thank goodness they thought it was humorous. Luckily for me we were hiking "off season". Down South in late August/early Sept.

By the time we ended our section hike at Beauty Spot.. I was feeling a lot more comfortable. I'll never forget waking up in the morning, on top a beautiful mountain, wishing I could do that every morning, for the rest of my life... It grew on me, for sure.

And now, when I think about getting back out there, I'm excited to see how far I've come since I first started hiking... I've come along way, baby. :D I'm still such a newbie but I love it!

Dang, ya did it again. I just figured out how to spell the last name...

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk

[Gonecampn]

You and me both sister! We've been bitten by the bug! The trail bug! Came home from my first section hike on the Benton MayKaye, washed ths stink off of my gear, clothes, shoes, body, etc. Even after four days of rain, cold and wind, a torn Achilles Heel and the other one hurting, I longed to be back on the trail! Have boots, have bag .... will travel!

[Wise Old Owl]

uhhh? ok one of the few threads I wish would die... Someone who is afraid to be alone...


Sent from my Sleepy Shelter Mouse Dinner menu using Tapatalk

[Dogwood]

There ought to be Psychiatrists who specialize in helping those new, and some not so new, to the outdoors overcome phobias.

Sign outside a doctors office in Damascus. Open for Business. Specializing in relieving hiking related fears. Dr Frasier Crane at your service. We also sell Life Is Good tee shirts.

[WingedMonkey]

Loudest ****ing thing I ever saw in the woods was a 3 lb. Armadillo in dry oak leaves. I was ready to believe it was going to dine on me

One armadillo rustling around at night makes more noise than a family of wild hog.

[HikerMom58]

There ought to be Psychiatrists who specialize in helping those new, and some not so new, to the outdoors overcome phobias.

Sign outside a doctors office in Damascus. Open for Business. Specializing in relieving hiking related fears. Dr Frasier Crane at your service. We also sell Life Is Good tee shirts.

He he... Dogwood. Will you be the WB Physiologist? I'll be ur first patient. (pulling up a chair) It's like this.... my fear started wayyy back as long as I can remember.... I was told I was left in a car, unattended, at the age of 18 months, while my dad went into the hospital building to check out/pick up my mother & new baby brother. I was sleeping when my dad left me in the car alone. Upon their return, I was crying uncontrollably & it took a while for me to calm myself, after their return. My dad, to this day, feels bad about his decision to leave me in the car. ( He thought I would keep on sleeping & would never realized that he was gone) It was observed by my parents that the fear of being abandoned or left alone was a "thing" with me, growing up. I don't like being alone.

Now, can I please have my Life is Good tee shirt because it's really been a more than a good life for me!!

I can't wait to go hiking again with my daughter. I'm not sitting in my comfortable home. Everything that the outdoors has to offer me is something I can't refuse. I love taking off with everything I need to survive for a few days, on my back, just so I can enjoy being outside enjoying nature. I love the all sounds, smells and views.

Now, who's next?? :D Sorry I can't pay you for your services, Dogwood. I've already paid for therapy that will last me a lifetime. It was good, I highly recommend it. It's not for the faint of heart but it works.

Sorry about the switch bfayer... :>)

[MDSection12]

I'm not sure a physiologist could help with that, they're quite different from psychiatrists and psychologists. :p

[Furlough]

I'll never forget waking up in the morning, on top a beautiful mountain, wishing I could do that every morning, for the rest of my life... It grew on me, for sure.

....And that my cyber friend really sums it up.

[MuddyWaters]

Ironic.
People are irrationally scared of being alone, so they want to sleep with total strangers.

If they are to be harmed, it would likely be by a stranger.

[Traffic Jam]

You asked for it HikerMom!

I've had a vivid imagination and I've been afraid of the dark my entire life. As I young child I would try to sneak in my parents room at night because I was so scared, only to get in trouble and forced back to my bed.
In elementary school, I convinced myself the devil lived under my bed and I would lie in bed all night having to pee but too afraid to get up. Those fears continued into high school and I would jump from my bed as far out as I could because I imagined hands grabbing my ankles. I became afraid of the woods at night after watching The Evil Dead. In college, I would sleep at night with a gun on my nightstand and a chair under my bedroom door.

I don't let my fear rule me anymore. It's hard to ride my bike to work (now that it's dark in the am) because I have to ride under an overpass and that freaks me out, but otherwise I've learned to redirect my thoughts. When I became a parent I vowed to always let my kids in at night if they were afraid.

[HikerMom58]

You asked for it HikerMom!

I've had a vivid imagination and I've been afraid of the dark my entire life. As I young child I would try to sneak in my parents room at night because I was so scared, only to get in trouble and forced back to my bed.
In elementary school, I convinced myself the devil lived under my bed and I would lie in bed all night having to pee but too afraid to get up. Those fears continued into high school and I would jump from my bed as far out as I could because I imagined hands grabbing my ankles. I became afraid of the woods at night after watching The Evil Dead. In college, I would sleep at night with a gun on my nightstand and a chair under my bedroom door.

I don't let my fear rule me anymore. It's hard to ride my bike to work (now that it's dark in the am) because I have to ride under an overpass and that freaks me out, but otherwise I've learned to redirect my thoughts. When I became a parent I vowed to always let my kids in at night if they were afraid.

Good for you Itri! :D Thanks for sharing.

What I have learned is this..you can't control your feelings/fears. You can control what you do with them. You can't always trust your feelings either, they come & go. Feelings are neither right or wrong. You can't control how certain fears/feelings came to be.. it happens. So there's that...

When fear stops anyone (you and I),in this case, from doing or enjoying something that we really want to do/enjoy, it becomes a problem.

A big motivation for change is when we realize it's a problem.

You said you don't let your fear rule you anymore. That's great! You go, girl!

It's a process... baby steps. Sometimes you can seek outside help in dealing with it. I'm a fan of that!

I don't feel weak or ashamed of anything I fear. I get help with it & that's one of the hardest things a person will ever do, sometimes.

Admitting to yourself that you can't handle something, all on your own, is a hard pill to swallow. Gulp.. ;) Sometimes you can't just suck it up! :D

I wrote this in a hurry... hope this helps ya Itri.

[Happy44]

after 4 nights alone, they will be rough but after that its no problem!

[msupple]

I have found that humans rarely if ever come out at night into the woods and into your campsite, especially if you're camping off the trail, although the AT is an exception to this since it's so open and cleared and good for night hiking. But even on the AT if you're camped off the trail and not at a shelter you should be undisturbed. Hopefully you're not camping right on a road by a trailhead---often guys will drive by and park and possibly howl like spider monkeys in an alcohol fit. I always expect such behavior if I'm dumb enough to camp next to a road. I agree especially about the camping off the trail part. Anyone, even one with bad intentions, would be hiking ON the trail at night, expecting only to see people at established campsites. You would normally be completely concealed by simply moving off the trail fifty yards. Note: take your bearings so you don't get lost in the AM. :) (it can happen...trust me) Initially this may actually seem more scary but looked at logically, it makes sense. I also agree that it usually only takes a few nights out and the fear goes away. I rarely slept at shelters during my AT hike. Usually I was right on the trail. Cat in the Hat

[Traffic Jam]

[QUOTE=HikerMom58;1819967]Good for you Itri! :D Thanks for sharing.

What I have learned is this..you can't control your feelings/fears. You can control what you do with them. You can't always trust your feelings either, they come & go. Feelings are neither right or wrong. You can't control how certain fears/feelings came to be.. it happens. So there's that...

When fear stops anyone (you and I),in this case, from doing or enjoying something that we really want to do/enjoy, it becomes a problem.

A big motivation for change is when we realize it's a problem.

You said you don't let your fear rule you anymore. That's great! You go, girl!

It's a process... baby steps. Sometimes you can seek outside help in dealing with it. I'm a fan of that!

I don't feel weak or ashamed of anything I fear. I get help with it & that's one of the hardest things a person will ever do, sometimes.

Admitting to yourself that you can't handle something, all on your own, is a hard pill to swallow. Gulp.. ;) Sometimes you can't just suck it up! :D

I wrote this in a hurry... hope this helps ya Itri.[/QUOTE

The mind is a powerful thing. I clearly remember the day I said my fears were ridiculous and I had to change and indeed I did. I was 20 and had lain awake all night (with my door locked, chair under the knob, gun beside the bed) listening and jumping at every small noise. The next day I decided I wouldn't live that way and I don't. I still avoid scary movies and dark alleys though!

Summer 2012, I decided I'd confront my fear of being alone in the woods at night and headed to Spence Field shelter. OMG, there were so many people there. Why I thought that was a good idea I'll never know.

Now it's other peoples fears for me that hold me back. My sister died recently and
I know my parents worry about me and wouldn't survive losing another daughter.

BTW HikerMom, I've read some really nice comments about you and I agree 100%!

[kayak karl]

Ironic.
People are irrationally scared of being alone, so they want to sleep with total strangers.

If they are to be harmed, it would likely be by a stranger.
i agree with this. i don't like camping near road crossings or shelters.

[Chaco Taco]

uhhh? ok one of the few threads I wish would die... Someone who is afraid to be alone...


Sent from my Sleepy Shelter Mouse Dinner menu using Tapatalk
Seriously, we hiked with one of those people for a few weeks and it sucks to be around those sorts of people. They mainly just want the attention.

[takethisbread]

I'm afraid of humans east of Wyoming . in Wyoming and Montana I fear grizzlies a bit but am usually too tired to worry too much. on the pct and surrounding areas I have my eyes peeled for cougars. I have to admit my greatest scares have been the result of a squirrel. they get me everytime.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk (http://tapatalk.com/m?id=1)

[Another Kevin]

Nowadays, when I stealth camp I sleep like a proverbial baby. Because I'm used to it.

When I first solo camped I slept like a real baby - for an hour at a time and wake up screaming. :)

It is something you can get used to. Sometimes I still get a little spooked at night noises, but that's just a feeling. I don't have to do anything about it.

[MDSection12]

No stealth camping in MD, only allowed at shelter sites. I really hate that. I hate being where one might expect me to be. I still don't sweat it much though. It's like my fear of flying; irrational and certainly not worth missing out on a good time over.

I do fear the day when I get seriously startled by an animal in my sleep though... Not fear of harm, just a fear of the embarrassment that might ensue when I totally overreact. :p

[rangeley]

For me its the partridge and pheasants that wait until you're right on top of them to explode from the brush. Can't tell you how many times I've gone into defense mode with trekking poles raised like swords to fend off what I was sure was a bear but turned out to be a dumb bird

[Wise Old Owl]

love that explosion! and its always after you pass and behind you... no wonder folks trained bird dogs.

[johnnybgood]

Also usually happens when you least expect it. Trudging along mesmerized by your own thoughts and the trail before you.

[JAK]

I've done some section hiking on the AT with a friend and shared tent and huts. I've also hiked alone, but made sure that the itinerary included overnights in hostels.

I want to venture further, but I no longer have a hiking partner and the hostel thing is severely limiting my options, but the idea of spending the night alone in the woods freaks me out [I'm a grown man so I know there is no rational basis for this].

I'll be hiking in sw-va. well after the thru hiker bubble has passed. My experience is that the AT is pretty lonely in July in that part of the world.

Does anyone have any tactics, mind-tricks, hints or tips about how to open my mind to sleeping alone in the woods. I'm not normally a nervous person, but I think I will void everything if I am alone in a tent and I hear a rustle or crack nearby while I am trying to sleep. BTW its not bears I am afraid of...

How did you guys get over you first night alone????
Bring a companion...
1. Person
2. Dog
3. Field Mouse
4. Volley Ball with Painted Face Coconut Hair

Personally I get by with a candle lamp, tea, book, and hatchet,
and try and make friends with critters along the way.

[HikerMom58]

The mind is a powerful thing. I clearly remember the day I said my fears were ridiculous and I had to change and indeed I did. I was 20 and had lain awake all night (with my door locked, chair under the knob, gun beside the bed) listening and jumping at every small noise. The next day I decided I wouldn't live that way and I don't. I still avoid scary movies and dark alleys though!

Summer 2012, I decided I'd confront my fear of being alone in the woods at night and headed to Spence Field shelter. OMG, there were so many people there. Why I thought that was a good idea I'll never know.

Now it's other peoples fears for me that hold me back. My sister died recently and
I know my parents worry about me and wouldn't survive losing another daughter.

BTW HikerMom, I've read some really nice comments about you and I agree 100%![/QUOTE]

Aww.. thanks ITri. You are so sweet to say that! :>) Sounds like you've come along way 2. Good for you!! Just keep hanging out with all of us & we can help encourage each other to keep pushin out of our comfort zones, a lil bit at a time. Love ya!

Furlough, my cyber hiker friend.. you and I get it! :D

[HikerMom58]

No stealth camping in MD, only allowed at shelter sites. I really hate that. I hate being where one might expect me to be. I still don't sweat it much though. It's like my fear of flying; irrational and certainly not worth missing out on a good time over.

I do fear the day when I get seriously startled by an animal in my sleep though... Not fear of harm, just a fear of the embarrassment that might ensue when I totally overreact. :p

LOL... I sooo want to be around to see that, MD!! Ha ha ha!!!!! :p If it ever happens to ya... do tell! :>)

[MDSection12]

[/B]

LOL... I sooo want to be around to see that, MD!! Ha ha ha!!!!! :p If it ever happens to ya... do tell! :>)
From what I hear it's not if, but when... And I definitely will share. :)

[Trainguy]

My son in law and I did a small backpacing trip to Alaska a few years ago. Was the first time I had ever slept in the woods. 15 miles out on a trail we camped in our own tents beside a river...in the rain. He snored all night and I listened to him. After all, someone had to stay awake to fear the grizzlies.

[Dogwood]

For me its the partridge and pheasants that wait until you're right on top of them to explode from the brush. Can't tell you how many times I've gone into defense mode with trekking poles raised like swords to fend off what I was sure was a bear but turned out to be a dumb bird


love that explosion! and its always after you pass and behind you... no wonder folks trained bird dogs.


Also usually happens when you least expect it. Trudging along mesmerized by your own thoughts and the trail before you.

I've yet to get fully comfortable with the startle I receive from the Ruffed Grouse's nearby explosions into the forest. The aggressive territorial virtually silent blind sided defensive tactics of nesting Goshawks have startled me a few times too when they've swooped in from behind knocking my hat off my head. When in cruising hiking mode listening to music with the ear buds in heavy brush and almost stepping upon fat coiled ready to strike feeling threatened warming themselves rattlesnakes is another one that startles me. Have you ever been hiking in thick brushy undergrowth and startled a feeding bear especially a startled large dominant Grizzly Bear at close range, like less than 100ft? It's a feeling similar to experiencing a large Great White Shark while in deep water up close and not being inside a shark cage and you just realized you've nicked yourself and bleeding.

[Bearleg]

i just plug in my ipod and sleep away.

if that does not work, just hike an extra five miles, you will be to tired to think.

[MuddyWaters]

I do fear the day when I get seriously startled by an animal in my sleep though... Not fear of harm, just a fear of the embarrassment that might ensue when I totally overreact. :p

A person I know , was tenting by himself on standing indian and sleeping with his food. About 3 am he felt a tugging at his sleeping bag, and heard a growling/snarling. He sat bolt upright, yelled and started swinging at the animal.

Then, nothing but silence. No sounds of running away, his tent, food, etc was intact.

It was just a very vivid dream. He laughed out loud , went back to sleep, and slept soundly for the next 3 hrs.

[MDSection12]

A person I know , was tenting by himself on standing indian and sleeping with his food. About 3 am he felt a tugging at his sleeping bag, and heard a growling/snarling. He sat bolt upright, yelled and started swinging at the animal.

Then, nothing but silence. No sounds of running away, his tent, food, etc was intact.

It was just a very vivid dream. He laughed out loud , went back to sleep, and slept soundly for the next 3 hrs.
If something like that happened to me, I'd tell the story in third person later. ;)

[MuddyWaters]

If something like that happened to me, I'd tell the story in third person later. ;)

That would probably be smart.

[WILLIAM HAYES]

take some melatonin you will sleep like a babyl

[Theosus]

a pistol and whiskey helps me

I have to say that I've never hiked alone in the woods, I've never brought alcohol other than to cook with, and I've never brought a gun backpacking.

However, after a recent frightening experience geocaching where I just happened to bring a pistol, I have changed my mind on that one when hiking alone.
The whiskey - now that sounds like a right good idea. Just a sip or two before climbing into the hammock.

I just need a ridge line holster. Nothing like trying to dig the pistol out from under my back in the middle of the night.

[kenp]

Hi,

I forgot to update this last summer! After reading the excellent advice and support on this forum, I bit the bullet and hiked out of Daleville towards Pearisburg last July. Spent one night alone in a shelter and the rest was wild camping. Took me a while to get to sleep the first few nights, but otherwise I had a great time.

No alcohol or guns required thankfully.

Thanks y'all for the advice and encouragement. And I am looking forward to another solo section hike this summer...

[Rocket Jones]

Congrats! and thanks for the update.

[Traffic Jam]

Congratulations kenp! I have also conquered my fear and have been on multiple trips alone. An amazing world was opened up to me when I stopped being afraid.

[JumpMaster Blaster]

I have spent night out with others before, but not solo. First night I had my dog. The fact that she barked at every sound was comforting. Sleep that night was fitful, interrupted by bouts of shivering, but there were people near the shelter within screaming distance. The next time I was in an enclosed corral (the Scales at Grayson Highlands). One other couple was within earshot of me, and I slept a little better.

All through the summer I hadn't really slept "alone" until my second to last trip. There was absolutely NO ONE around the shelter. It weirded me out a little bit, especially when the hundreds of katydids chirped and screeched all night. then I heard a Barred Owl. Then I heard what had to have been some mammal walking about near the shelter, a fox or rabbit or something, and it made some creepy noise. Trust me, LAST thing I wanted to do was to get out of my tent to go water a tree, but I did, and nothing murdered me. The 2 shots of vodka I had didn't help at all.

Since I didn't get any sleep, the next day's tough climb wore me out to the point that once I got in my sleeping bag, I was out like a light.

You may not be able to sleep the first night, or not much the second, but you have to just jump in with both feet and do it. Once you're out there, there's no turning back. At some point your brain will shut down & recharge, regardless of what your conscious efforts are. You'll be fine.

I will say this, when I heard what I thought was a few locals hootin' & hollerin'- THAT set me on edge. Once I realized it was an owl, it was okay.

[rustmd]

my first time hiking alone was a week in NH. . .it took a couple of nights before the freakiness just wore off. . .and some long hikes during the day to wear me out. i also made a rule for myself: once i closed my eyes, i was not allowed to open the again until daylight. . .now i sleep a baby in the woods.

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